It's the story behind this news article from the Iowa City News of August 29, 1916 that's amazing. The article itself described the third marriage of our great-great-grandmother Nellie Kinsman Lang Blowe in Minneapolis. What a find this was. Good job Tom!

Gentle Newcomers need to read through the site to really get what's going on here. In fact we should make you read through the site first. But here it is anyway (read the items preceding and following it too):

FATHER, HUSBAND, OR GRANDPA

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Wedding at Minneapolis Brings up Queer Triangle of Relationships. Groom Doesn't Know Status.

Minneapolis, Minn.—Mrs. Henry Church, this city, now calls Charles D. Church of Campbell, Minn., "Father."

That's what she called him ever since she married his son, several years ago.

But after tonight she'll have to call him "Grandpa." For this evening he intends to marry her grandmother, Mrs. Nellie Blowe.

Question: What kin will Charles D. Church be to himself after the ceremony?

He will still be his son's father of course; but he will also be his son's grandfather-in-law.

He will still be the grandfather of his son's two children; but will be also be their step-great-grandfather?

Will Henry Church call him "dad" or "granddad"?

Will Henry Church call the bride at the wedding mother or grandmother?

With her are two great grandchildren stretching the wedding ribbons, several of her nine grand children present, and an unexpected attendance on the part of at least one of her three children, Mrs. Blowe, who is 65 years old, will be married at the house of her grand daughter, Mrs. Church. Only one of the bride grooms ten children will be present, this is Henry Church, Mrs. Blowe's grand son-in-law.

Mrs. Blowe has been a widow for forty years. For the last few years she has lived with her grand daughter, Mrs. Church. Her prospective husband came up from Campbell, Minn., a year ago to visit his son, Henry. He never did go home.

He met for the first time Mrs. Blowe. She was a bright, self-possessed woman. He liked her. He protracted his stay. He paid court. And now he has won her. He is 53 years old.

Mrs. Henry Church, grand daughter of the bride to be, is happy over the situation. "It's going to be a pretty wedding and we will all be gay," she said. "Only such a tangle of relationships."

In all about 25 relatives will be at the wedding. Most of them want to find out what kin they'll be to each other after it's over. Mrs. Blowe is well known in Minneapolis, and, as her grand daughter said, "has been a resident here ever since Minneapolis was a village."