Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Married couple experiences awkward moment at family history center when they discover they’re related

PERTH, AUSTRALIA- Latter-day Saints Curtis and Jackie Porter, who recently celebrated their 2nd anniversary as husband and wife, experienced an awkward moment at the family history center in downtown Perth yesterday when they found out they are related to each other.

It was the first time the couple had visited the family history center or done any genealogy work together, following a New Year’s resolution to begin the process.

At 11:17 a.m., approximately a half-hour after arriving, the Porters made the discovery on the church’s family history website that they were second cousins. This was followed by about a minute of silence, then a couple of awkward glances and half-smiles directed at each other, and finally Jackie getting up and excusing herself to go to the bathroom.

Multiple sources confirm that Jackie Porter’s (formerly Jackie Brenner) cousin, Samantha Frye-Porter, is Curtis’s mother. Jackie has 54 cousins, many of whom she has never met, which makes this sort of thing bound to happen.

However, the couple vows to move ahead in spite of the discomfiting news.

“I don’t think it’s a big deal,” said Curtis. “It happens.”

“We’ll get through this,” said Jackie. “I mean, in grand terms, we’re all family.”

1 comment :

Papa D said...

This hits too close to home. My parents found out they were 3rd cousins once removed a couple of months before their wedding.