> My husband's grandfather, a paternal cousin, received > 1/4th 1/6th of 1/2 estate. The shares can sometimes help you determine who the heirs were - at least in their relationships. My mother had a cousin who passed away with no family other than several first cousins in descendants. I can't recall how many cousins there were, but that was the original number of shares. Since my mother was deceased, I received 1/2 of her share and my deceased sister's three children each received 1/3 of her 1/2. So in the original you outline, it could be that there were two siblings, each of whom were entitled to 1/2 of the estate. On your husband's side that sibling was apparently deceased, so his share was divided among the six children and your husband's grandfather was apparently one of four children entitled to the portion that would have going to his parent. The relationships might be different than what I described. There will be a law setting forth how intestate estates are to be divided. At one time in Illinois it was first to children, in none, then to siblings (full and half) and if none then to parents, then to uncles and aunts, etc. Richard "Richard A. Pence" <richardpence@pipeline.com>