CORNER BROOK, NL – In a trend that’s sweeping across Newfoundland and Labrador, more singles are bringing extensive layouts of their family trees to their first dates to avoid dating their distant or forgotten relatives.
Shelley Puddester, a 28-year-old accountant looking for the right partner, has been frustrated with recent dates ending in the revelation that they are second cousins.
“I’ve been on 12 dates with family members I didn’t even know I had,” said Puddester. “While it’s nice to meet finally meet them, I’d prefer not to date them.”
Like many other singles trying to avoid potential incest, Puddester conducted weeks of genealogical research creating an extensive list of names in an organized chart dating back to 1710 that includes adoptions, mistresses, and love-children.
Not taking any risks, Puddester has also designed a questionnaire for all her dates detailing three generations of maiden names and what recent family BBQs they have attended in the past 20 years.
According to sources, her first date with local Tom Argyll, went well as the couple shared similar interests and dissimilar family genes.
“He’s really charming and doesn’t resemble my Uncle Pat, or my cousin Jamie whatsoever,” said a gleeful Puddester after her first date. “And he brought his own family tree just to be safe too!
He could be the right one…I can’t wait to see what the DNA test says.”
