Saturday Night Fun: Two Degrees of Separation

Every Saturday, Randy Seaver of Genea-Musings posts a fun idea for a genealogy game. This week’s is two degrees of separation: How far back in time can you get through an ancestor you knew through someone they knew?

Paternal Line

As a child in 1969, I met my paternal great grandfather Clyde Hoover. He was born 30 October 1886 and died 13 May 1972 in Pine Glen, Burnside Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. He knew his maternal grandparents—Jacob C. Walker (3 November 1833—24 July 1915) and Mary M. Eckley (8 July 1836—18 July 1911). He may have also known his maternal great grandfather John D. Eckley (ca 1814—23 November 1890).

Maternal Line

I met my great grandmather Mary Catharine (Waage) Wieder as an infant, too. She was born 27 October 1877 to Dr. Charles T. Waage (22 October 1827—6 March 1921) and his second wife Lydia S. Eschbach (3 October 1845—7 May 1910) and died 28 November 1970. She was baptized by her grandfather, Rev. Frederic Waage on 29 November 1877. Rev. Waage was born 17 August 1797 in Schleswig-Holstein, Denmark and died 23 August 1884 in Pennsburg, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.

With only two degrees of separation, I can connect with a 4x great grandfather, born about 1814, in my paternal line and a 3x great grandfather, born in 1797, on my maternal line. So, I can connect with an ancestor born 171 years before me.

• Category: Fun stuff