Which National Parks champion are you most closely connected to?

Question

It's National Parks Week in the US, so we're looking at people who have promoted and persisted in the development of national parks around the world.

Are you more closely connected to US President Teddy Roosevelt, promoter of national parks and eponym of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, or South African President Paul Kruger, promoter and eponym of Kruger National Park?

Here are more National Parks promoters to check your connection to:

• George Catlin, artist who promoted the idea of national parks in the US
• Marjory Stoneman Douglas, worked to save the Everglades (US) and create a national park there
• Sueko Embry, part of the concentration camp during World War II at Manzanar (US) and promoted making the site a National Historic Site
• George Bird Grinnell, helped make Glacier National Park happen (US)
• Anton Kröller, promoted the creation of De Hoge Veluwe National Park (Netherlands)
• Stephen Tyng Mather, first director of the National Park Service (US) and eponym of Stephen Mather National Wilderness area
• Kara McKean, first female park ranger at Tarra-Bulga National Park in Australia
• John Muir, "Father of National Parks" and namesake of Muir Woods National Monument
• Queen Victoria, eponym of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
• Charles Denton Young, worked to create parks in the Sierra Nevada mountain range (US)

Which of these is closest to you on our single family tree? If you're one of the 32.8 million of us who are connected to each other on our big tree, you can check with the Connection Finder. On any WikiTree profile, you can select "Connection to Me" from the pull-down menu.

MyConnections can find your relationships to any of our Featured Connections and in any category on WikiTree such as Conservationists, Sierra Club, and Naturalists. Click the green button you'll see in the upper right hand corner of the category page if you are logged in.

Let us know how you're related below. If you want to share your connection on social media with cousins and friends, click the "get shareable image" button below your connection path. (Please refrain from sharing your connection on the featured profiles. It can clutter important conversations on research and collaboration. Thanks!)

P.S. Play this week's Connection Combat game! Are you closer to  US President Teddy Roosevelt or South African President Paul Kruger? Can your connection be verified with reliable sources?

P.P.S. Help us find and improve the profiles for next week's feature: Poets.

Comments

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Answer 1

11 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger,
18 degrees from George Grinnell,
18 degrees from Anton Kröller,
19 degrees from Victoria Hanover
20 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt,
20 degrees from George Catlin,
22 degrees from Kara McKean,
24 degrees from Stephen Mather,
25 degrees from Marjory Douglas,
26 degrees from John Muir,
30 degrees from Sueko Embrey,   
and 34 degrees from Charles Young

Answer 2

I am most closely connected to Marjory Douglas at 15 degrees of separation.

Cousins

• 17 degrees from George Catlin (10C, 4R)
• 20 degrees from Stephen Mather (11C, 5R)
• 20 degrees from George Grinnell (12C, 4R)
• 15 degrees from Marjory Douglas (13C, 4R)
• 20 degrees from Victoria Hanover (13C, 5R)
• 17 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt (14C, 6R)
• 24 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (20C, 5R)

No Relationship Found

• 18 degrees from John Muir
• 23 degrees from Sueko Embrey
• 24 degrees from Kara McKean
• 26 degrees from Charles Young
• 29 degrees from Anton Kröller

Answer 3

George Grinnell - 7th cousins five times removed

Stephen Mather - 7th cousins five times removed

George Catlin - 7th cousins five times removed

Queen Victoria - 15th cousins 7 times removed

Marjory Douglas - 17th cousins five times removed

Theodore Roosevelt - 18th cousins 6 times removed

Stephanus Paulus - 20th cousins 6 times removed

 

 

Answer 4

Teddy Roosevelt is my closest relative.  We are 12C3R at 16 degrees

Answer 5

5th cousin 4 times removed with George Caitlin, also we have 166 common ancestors.

Answer 6

15 degrees from George Catlin. 10th cousin 5 times removed. MRCA Mirabel (Garneis) Poley (abt 1493 - 1552).

15 degrees from Marjory Douglas.12th cousin 4 times removed. MRCA Margaret (Hextall) Ferrers (abt 1445 - bef 1499).

17 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt. 14th cousin 6 times removed. MRCA Isabel (McDougall) Stewart (abt 1364 - 1439).

18 degrees from Sueko Embrey.

18 degrees from George Grinnell. 12th cousin 3 times removed. MRCA Joanna (St. John) Arundel (d 1482).

18 degrees from Stephen Mather. 10th cousin 5  times removed. MRCA John St. John (abt 1465 - bef 1525).

18 degrees from John Muir.

18 degrees from Victoria Hanover. 13th cousin 4 times removed. MRCA Margaret (Beauchamp) Welles (abt 1410 - bef 1482).

23 degrees from Stephen Johannes Paulus Kruger. 21st cousin 4 times removed. MRCA Robert (Dreux) de Dreux (1185 - 1234).

24 degrees from Kara McKean.

24 degrees from Charles Young.

27 degrees from Anton Kroller.

Answer 7

A lot of cousins this week.

Theodore Roosevelt - 14c2x

Paul Kruger - a suspect 13th Century connection

George Catlin - 5c5x

Marjorie Douglas 4c3x

George Grinnell - 7c3x

Stephen Mather - 7c3x

Queen Victoria - 14c4x (137 common ancestors)

Answer 8

Ancestors and Cousins

• 14 Degrees - Marjory Douglas (14C 5xR)
• 16 Degrees - George Catlin (5C 5xR)
• 16 Degrees - Theodore Roosevelt (17C 3xR)
• 17 Degrees - Stephen Mather (6C 5xR)
• 17 Degrees - George Grinnell (8C 1xR)
• 21 Degrees - Victoria Hanover (16C 4xR)
• 23 Degrees - Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger (23C 3xR) Uncertain

Connections

• 18 Degrees - John Muir
• 23 Degrees - Kara McKean
• 24 Degrees - Charles Young
• 25 Degrees - Sueko Embrey
• 28 Degrees - Anton Kröller

Answer 9

My closest connection is with President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Jr. at 15 Degrees.

Relations:

• 17 Degrees from Marjory "Grand Dame of the Everglades" Douglas formerly Stoneman (6th C, 5x R).  Our CA is Damaris White formerly Page (10th GGM)
• 18 Degrees from George Catlin (7th C, 5x R).  Our CA is Elizabeth Ford formerly Charde (11th GGM)
• 18 Degrees from George Bird Grinnell (8th C, 4x R).  Our CA is Joseph Loomis (11th GGF)
• 19 Degrees from Stephen Tyng Mather (9th C, 1x R).  Our CA is Ensign Thomas Cornell Sr.(9th GGF)
• 20 Degrees from Alexandrina Victoria (Victoria) "Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India" Hanover (14th C, 6x R).  Our CA's are Joan Wydeville formerly Bedlisgate and Richard Woodville formerly Wydeville (19th GGP)
• 15 Degrees from President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt Jr. (19th C, 4x R).  Our CA's are John de Lyons formerly Lyons and Alice Lyons formerly Senlis (22nd GGP)
• 23 Degrees from President Stephanus Johannes Paulus "Paul, Oom Paul" Kruger formerly Kruiger (24th C, 5x R).  Our CA's are Adelaide (Alix) Hainaut formerly Namur and Baudoin (Baudoin IV) "le Bâtisseur" Hainaut formerly Hainault (28th GGP)

Family Connections

• 19 Degrees from John Muir
• 24 Degrees from Sueko "Sue" Embrey formerly Kunitomi
• 25 Degrees from Anthonij George (Anton) Kröller
• 25 Degrees from Kara Moana Elizabeth McKean formerly Vernon
• 27 Degrees from Brig.Gen. Charles Denton Young

Comments

...not sure why this doesn't show, but the Woodville's are my 19th GGP. :)

Answer 10

Correction on wording. Teddy and others are not the namesakes of their National Parks, rather they are the eponyms, and the parks themselves are the namesakes. Does that make sense?

Comments

I've updated it, Steven. Thanks!

Answer 11

Team Teddy!

Teddy- 16 degrees, 9th cousins 6xr

Kruger- 25 degrees, 22nd cousins 3xr

George Catlin- 18 degrees, 14th cousins 4xr

Marjory Douglas- 18 degrees, 16th cousins 4xr

Sueko Embrey- 24 degrees, 0 relation

George Bird Grinnell- 19 degrees, 8th cousins 5xr

Anton Kroller- 28 degrees, 0 relation

Stephen Tyng Mather- 18 degrees, 12th cousins 5xr

Kara McKean- 25 degrees, 0 relation

John Muir- 16 degrees, 0 relation

Queen Victoria- 20 degrees, 11th cousins 6xr

Charles Denton Young- 20 degrees, 0 relation

Answer 12

First time I have a fourway split: At 25 degrees are Theodore Roosevelt (8-2-6-4-5), Oom Kruger (8-7-2-2-3-3), George Catlin (4-2-4-4-11) and Marjory Douglas (4-2-4-3-7-5).

On second place follows a threeway split at 27 degrees: George Grinnell (10-9-8), Stephen Mather (8-2-6-3-8) and John Muir (10-4-7-4-2).

I've been to several national parks, esp. on the African continent, where for example I saw cheetahs at Ngorongoro Crater (Tanzania), my first leopard at Samburu (Kenya) and snorkled at Watamu Marine Park (also Kenya).

Answer 13

16 degrees from Marjory Stoneman Douglas - 2 branches (8-9) 17th cousin 4x removed

18 degrees from George Catlin - 4 branches (3-4-6-6) 15th cousin 6x removed

18 degrees from John Muir - 5 branches (1-4-2-4-8)

19 degrees from Stephen Tyng Mather - 4 branches (5-2-10-3) 11th cousin 6x removed

19 degrees from George Bird Grinnell - 4 branches (6-4-3-7) 12th cousin 4x removed

19 degrees from Queen Victoria - 3 branches (5-7-8) 15th cousin 6x removed

19 degrees from Teddy Roosevelt - 3 branches (9-6-5) 17th cousin 6x removed

22 degrees from Charles Denton Young - 4 branches (2-4-8-9)

23 degrees from Sueko Embry - 6 branches (1-3-6-5-4-5)

24 degrees from Paul Kruger - 5 branches (6-3-7-4-5) 20th cousin 5x removed

26 degrees from Kara McKean - 4 branches (3-10-4-10)

29 degrees from Paul Kröller - 4 branches (3-11-11-4)

Answer 14

Theodore Roosevelt ! We are connected by Helen and William Astor, the parents of Helen Roosevelt, the wife of Theodore Douglas Roosevelt (1883-1934).

• 19 Degrees Theodore Roosevelt
• 17 Degrees Marjory Douglas
• 20 Degrees Queen Victoria
• 20 Degrees George Catlin
• 20 Degrees Victoria Hanover
• 21 Degrees John Muir
• 21 Degrees George Grinnell
• 23 Degrees Stephen Mather
• 26 Degrees Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger
• 27 Degrees Sueko Embrey
• 27 Degrees Kara Mckean
• 28 Degrees Charles Young

Answer 15

Teddy Roosevelt- 13 (the closest I've been in any of the contests) Paul Kruger- 23

Theodore Roosevelt is Richard Cheek's 3rd great-grandfather's sister's husband's sister's husband's brother's great-grandson.

Answer 16

13 degrees from Marjory Douglas [6th C 1 remove]
16 degrees from Theodore Roosevelt
16 degrees from George Catlin
16 degrees from Stephen Mather
17 degrees from George Grinnell
18 degrees from John Muir
20 degrees from Victoria Hanover
22 degrees from Stephanus Johannes Paulus Kruger
24 degrees from Sueko Embrey
25 degrees from Kara McKean
26 degrees from Charles Young
29 degrees from Anton Kröller

Answer 17

My closest is 18 degrees to George Catlin, Steven Mather and John Muir!

Answer 18

Another honorable mention, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) is known as the "father of American Landscape Architecture."^[31]

The Wikipedia article mentions at least one national park with which he is associated, and cites: ''He was an early and important activist in the conservation movement, including work at Niagara Falls; the Adirondack region of upstate New York; and the National Park system...''

He appears to have written: 

• Olmsted, Frederick Law (1865). "Yosemite Valley" and the "Mariposa Big Tree Grove" in the Statutes of California. The National Park Service Archived August 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
• See also: Atlanta's Urban Oasis: The Olmsted Linear Park Alliance (OLPA) 
• "The Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site is located in Brookline, Massachusetts in his former home."

Comments

Frederick is my 6th cousin, 6 times removed.

Answer 19

OK, connections to all of them, from 13 to 29 degrees. That’s commonplace, but what really impresses me about Wikitree is that it can dig out a shortest (!!!) common-ancestor relationship to Paul Kruger over no less than 47 degrees - via Yolande Courcy-27, back at the end of the 12th century.

47 degrees must represent quadrillions of possible connections. It is certainly the longest shortest-common-ancestor path that I have found. Has anyone found a longer one?

Answer 20

I am related to [[Morrison-3058|Alexander Morrison LRCP LRCSE (1849-1913)]] who is the eponym of the Alexander Morrison National Park in Australia.

He is my 5th cousin 4x removed so 15 degrees