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Position:Home>Genealogy> Ancestry.com? Can I put ex wives/husbands on my tree?


Question:There is a difference between the standard "tree" and your genealogy files. Normally, a person's family tree refers to a chart that shows their DIRECT ANCESTRY (parents/ grandparents, on back). The second STANDARD format is the family group sheet that shows husband/wife and children. Each marriage relationship is technically a different family group, which is not to say that there isn't a relationship between kids who share one (not both) parent. These are the 2 STANDARD (I emphasize that) charts. There are other charts, which are of personal design.
No.. ex spouses are not part of a "tree". They do belong as facts in your RECORDS, and a print out of (say) a woman would show both her marriages and children from those.
The reason for "standard" systems is that people DO share files/ records, etc. If people use alternate or self designed systems.. the risk is that they can be misinterpreted, down the line.


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: There is a difference between the standard "tree" and your genealogy files. Normally, a person's family tree refers to a chart that shows their DIRECT ANCESTRY (parents/ grandparents, on back). The second STANDARD format is the family group sheet that shows husband/wife and children. Each marriage relationship is technically a different family group, which is not to say that there isn't a relationship between kids who share one (not both) parent. These are the 2 STANDARD (I emphasize that) charts. There are other charts, which are of personal design.
No.. ex spouses are not part of a "tree". They do belong as facts in your RECORDS, and a print out of (say) a woman would show both her marriages and children from those.
The reason for "standard" systems is that people DO share files/ records, etc. If people use alternate or self designed systems.. the risk is that they can be misinterpreted, down the line.

Not only can you put ex-spouses on your family tree...you should always put them on. If for nothing else but accuracy. Just because a person has an ex or two in their past doesn't mean that they are deficient in any way. Also, there may have been children from a previous union and that certainly factors into a family tree.

Depends. If there are children shared with that ex, then yes, to show accurate parentage of the children. If there are no ties to that person, then I see no reason to ad them. In any event, if they are living persons, then set the information as private. In genealogy, it is unethical to post personal information of the living.

Well......I'm not 100% sure but I know this.....my ex-wife showed up on one of those { i think it was ancestry.com} when I pulled up info on my family....When my 2nd wife wanted to start a "background" business several years ago ,she used my name as a "trial baloon" and spiderwebbed info pulled up such as ex-wife 1,our former neighbors,her siblings,licence plate#s of her family ,mine,cars driven,jobs,crimal arrests,and what everybody liked for breakfast....[just kidding on that one].....it was scary and a little violating....once it's there I think it perpetuates and never goes away......link on.......