Charts/visuals more helpful than text for cousin calculation

This morning, I was happily surprised to “meet” a new relative via his comment to the “Where Do You Fit in the Family Tree” thread here.

He is a mutual descendant from Martin Toews, born 1724 (reference the Dueck line). Tonight, I thought about how to figure out what flavor of cousin that makes us. Starting from the now and going back seemed difficult. Starting from the past and moving towards the present seemed easier. I finally simply got out a piece of paper and a pen and drew a flow chart to figure it out.

                                           Martin Toews b. 1724
                                                  
|              |
   
Judith Toews Reimer Dick b. 1750            Isaac Toews siblings
                                                   |              |
                     Martin Dueck b. 1781            Abraham Toews 1st cousins
                                                   |              |
                      Jakob Dueck b. 1830           Aron Toews 2nd cousins
                                                   |              |
 
Agatha Dueck Krause Dirks b. 1861          Aron Toews, Jr. 3rd cousins
                                                   |              |
             Mary Dirks Janzen b. 1905            Aron Toews III 4th cousins
                                                   |              |
                     Heinz Janzen b. 1927           Walter Thielmann 5th cousins
                                                   |              |
                                   Me! b. 1962           Glen Thielmann 6th cousins

So, we are 6th cousins. Unfortunately, while visuals are more helpful than text, drawing a chart is *infinitely* easier than creating one using the limited editor here in Movable Type.