Yikes, I accidentally posted that last article before it was ripe. Here is my second attempt, but I've completed the puzzle this time. Note that some of the original clues have changed. Whether the old clues are accurate or not will remain a mystery until you solve this puzzle. I guarantee the accuracy of only the clues in this puzzle.
To refresh your memory, recently someone commented to me that they found it difficult to keep Berta's siblings straight. Which ones were married and not, and who was older and younger. As a result, I tried to think about the order that they all go in. I was surprised in that rather than reciting from memory the order of their ages, I had to think through a little logic puzzle to figure it all out.
In the interests of everyone's (but mostly my own) amusement, I present the puzzle here to answer the question, "Name Berta's siblings from oldest to youngest."
- Berta's brothers are John, Michael, and Stephen.
- Berta's sisters are Ellen, Emma, Mary Ann, and Therese.
- None of her siblings are twins, and were all born of the same parents who have given their names to their two oldest children.
- The genders of Berta's siblings alternate through the whole list, with Berta being the only exception. (That is to say, if you wrote B/G next to each name in the list, they would alternate as you went from name to name, except for the line Berta is on, which should say 'B'.)
- Only one of Berta's brothers is older than Berta.
- Mike is Berta's youngest brother.
- Neither of Berta's older sisters lives in Johnstown, but they have the same first initial.
- Both Therese and Mary Ann are younger than John.
- Ellen and Therese were born within three years of each other.
Try to figure out the puzzle for yourself, and then highlight the text in this box when you've had enough:
