There is a show on TLC called “Sister Wives”, which is currently in it’s second season. The show features an extremely large, rather unique, family. It would be difficult for a genealogist to fit this family into a typical family tree template.
The show “Sister Wives” features the family of Kody Brown. Kody has four wives, and sixteen children, (with another child on the way). The Browns are Fundamentalist Mormons, and their faith allows for the practice of polygamy. The law in Utah, where the family lived when the series was first being filmed, does not allow for multiple marriages.
It should be noted that there are differences between the religious practices and ideals of Fundamentalist Mormons and the religious practices and beliefs of people who are of the LDS faith. One key difference is that people who are LDS do not practice polygamy, while people who are Fundamentalist Mormons may, potentially, be living in a polygamous lifestyle.
It’s rather interesting to think about the kinship terms that would apply to this family in regards to biological kinship. Kody is the husband to his first wife, Meri. He is also husband to his second wife, Janelle. Kody is also the husband of his third wife, Christine. Recently, Kody also became the husband to his fourth wife, Robyn. Each of these women refer to Kody as their husband. The women refer to each other as “sister wives”, meaning that each recognizes that they are sharing a common husband together. The wives are not married to any of the other wives.
Kody and Meri have one daughter, Mariah, who is sixteen. Kody and Janelle have six children together: Logan is fifteen, Madison is fourteen, Hunter is thirteen, Garrison is eleven, Gabriel is eight, and Savanah is five. Those six children are full blood siblings to each other. Kody and Christine also have six children together: Aspyn is fourteen, Mykelti is thirteen, Paedon is eleven, Gwendlyn is eight, Ysabel is six, and Truly is an infant. These six children are full blood siblings to each other.
Meri’s daughter, Janelle’s children, and Christine’s children are half siblings to each other. They all have the same father, but have different mothers. Kody is the biological father to all of these children.
From here, things get more complex. Kody’s fourth wife, Robyn, had three children from a previous marriage: David, Aurora, and Breann. (I’m not sure about the exact ages of these children). Kody becomes the stepfather to these three children. Robyn’s children become the step-siblings of all of Kody’s children. They are the only children in this large family who are living with only one of their biological parents.
Robyn is pregnant with Kody’s child. This makes Robyn the mother and Kody the father of the new baby. The new baby will be a half-sibling to Robyn’s other children. The new baby will also be a half-sibling to the rest of Kody’s children.
Image by Heaven Ice Day on Flickr