This would be strange today but probably wasn't so uncommon in the past. Three brothers of my great grandmother married three sisters:- Peter Jacob Klein married Mary Teresa Theis on February 22, 1898. Both were the oldest siblings of their families, and they were the first to marry.
- Andrew Klein married Frances Theis on November 12, 1902.
- George Leo Klein married Elizabeth Theis on February 5, 1908.
All were married in St. Martin's Roman Catholic Church in the West End section of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
I wish I knew how the first married couple met. They weren't close neighbors, and they belonged to different churches. Most likely, the other two brothers got to know their future wives from various family gatherings such as the baptisms of Peter's children.
In any event, they were married for a combined total of nine decades. Peter & Mary were together for 49 years. The 30-year union of Andrew & Frances was cut short due to his death at the young age of 54 due to a cerebral hemorrhage. George & Elizabeth had even less time together (12 years) when he died of a cerebral tumor in his thirties.
Do you have a similar situation in your family tree where multiple brothers married sisters? Post a comment to share your story!
My grandfather's brother married my grandmother's sister. It's cool to have 'double cousins'! :)
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