Annabelle

I have recently seen several questions / answers where people are saying that first cousins share 1/4th of the same DNA and even 1/8th of the same DNA. Clearly, there is confusion as to how much they really share. My math tells me they share 50% (1/2) of the same DNA. The way I figure it is this: Lets say Jane and Sue are sisters. Jane marries and has a kid; Sue marries and has a kid. Jane and Sue's kids each have 2 sets (or 4 individual) grandparents. Each child has 25% of each grandparent's DNA. But each child has 2 grandparents (or 1 set, or 50%) in common with the other child. So am I right that first cousins share 50% of the same DNA or am I missing something and it is really 25% of the same DNA? If I am wrong, please explain the math to me.

Have been looking for death certificate on Ancestry.com for a James Wesley Mitchum. Born 11 January, 1836 and died 19 January, 1915. Buried in Greenview Cemetery, Reidville, Rockingham County, NC. Burial record is on Findagrave.com. Married Sarah Elizabeth Childress (Born 18 September 1846, died 19 September 1941). Sarah's findagrave memorial posted by someone else states she died 19 September 1939, but her death certificate says 1941. I know that NC had death certificates in 1915 but cannot find James' at all. Have searched the Mitchum name in every spelling I can come up with. Also, have searched under Nicholas Mitchum. For some reason, all the census records list him as Nicholas W. Mitchum, but Sarah's death cert lists her husband as James Wesley Mitchum, as well as that of a couple of their kids. I know that Nicholas and James are the same person although I do not know why the name discrepancy. In any event, I cannot find James death cert on Ancestry. Anyone else with an Ancestry account that can provide a second set of eyes searching may have better luck than me and find it. Please post the link if you can find his death cert.

I'm having problems with one line in 1870. The Crouse family of Andrew Jackson Crouse (husband), Margaret Jane Crouse (wife), and James Robert Crouse (son). I have them in 1850 when James Robert was born, in 1860, and in 1880. In 1880 the mother is living with the son and the father is not there. Probably dead by then. But in 1870, I cannot find ANY of them. James Robert married a Margaret Jane (yes same name as his mother) in 1874, so in 1870 he was most likely still at home. I have searched the county they were living in for the 1860 and 1880 census (same county for both), and have searched surrounding counties, but cannot find this family anywhere in 1870. I have tried alternate name spellings, etc. This is in Wilkes County NC.

1860:

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1860...

1880:

http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=1880...

Wendy, Shirley, Ted, HSK, Zina - please help.

I am a descendant of Bartholomew Taliaferro, Sr., born about 1530, Veneto, Italy, died Sept. 21, 1601 in England. He is buried at the Saint Olaves Church at 8 Hart Street, London England. I have pictures of the outside of the church from the street that I found on the internet, but none of inside the churchyard. I do not know if there are even headstones in the church yard, but was wondering if someone in London could see about getting me one of his headstone, if there is one.

We moved to FL 3 years ago from VA. Schools in VA were great. Schools in FL are a disgrace! I have decided no more of this for her. I will home school instead. I am new at this, so even after checking into it, I am still not sure about the best methods or best programs. I know I do not want a religious or Christian-based program. Not because we don't feel those things don't have a place in our lives, but I do not want her education to be based on slanted views. I want it to be based on historical and scientific facts, with openess to variying opinions and theories. (Sorry, not trying to offend anyone here). We plan to move back to VA at some point. Until then, how do I make sure she is getting the education she needs to be able to at least re-enter the public school at her correct grade level for when we get back to VA? My desire and goal for homeschooling is to improve her education, not make is suffer any more than what the FL system has already done to her.