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[darkerhorse]

Half-siblings with a common birth mother emigrate to the US in the same year at different times. Both list their mother as the person they left at home, yet the father/step-father was still alive, only to die years later at home.

Does this suggest anything about family relationships?

Was it common to record the mother when her spouse was still living?

[darkerhorse]

He died 2 years later at home.

[Italysearcher]

Since they are half siblings maybe he was the stepfather

[darkerhorse]

He was the father of one immigrant and the step-father of the other immigrant.

The immigrants came over a few months apart and both named their mother as the person back home.

Why would they do that if he was still alive? Was that common?

[darkerhorse]

In fact, a third half-sibling emigrated, leaving his mother and step-father, who also named his mother as the person back home rather than his step-father.