HAPPY HEAVENLY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOM ~ she was born 100 years ago

 
Today would have been my Mom’s 100^th birthday
 

I’ve written several posts about my Mom and Dad.  Her mother, Florence Bowden Milne was the genealogist in the family before me.  She, my grandma, left me many wonderful pieces of family information and photographs.

 

Here is a very brief bio of my Mom:

 

Patricia Anne Milne, born 3 Oct 1924, in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan. Her parents were Joseph Albert Milne and Florence Lenora Bowden.  Pat was the fourth and last child born to her parents.  Her siblings were Dorothy Irene Milne (1907-1920), Robert Andrew Milne (1909-1969) and Joan Esther Milne (1915-1985).  All born in Detroit.

 

Being much younger than her siblings and having never met her sister, Dorothy, who died before my Mom was born, Pat grew up spending quite a bit of time to herself.  She inherited a love of books from her mother and spent a lot of time reading.  I’m thankful that gene was passed down to me as well. She and I would pass books back & forth after reading them.  We both love mysteries and history.

 

Pat always loved animals and passed that love to us as well.  

 

My Mom was married twice.  First to Harry Norman Gould 9 Apr 1949 and second to Joseph Edward Cornelius 12 Feb 1971.

She had 3 children – her oldest, John Whitney Zimmerman, then me, then my brother Harry Norman Gould, II.

 
We lost Mom on 12 Mar 2016, at age 91.
 
HAPPY HEAVENLY
BIRTHDAY MOM!
 
 
Her are some pictures of our Mom through the years.

Patricia as a baby, as a 2 yr old in 1926 with her sister, Joan and their mother and on the bench as a 2 yr old 

Left is Pat with her Mom - the other picture has Pat being shy with the camera, standing are Florence Hunter Bowden (her maternal grandmother), Joan, her sister, Susan Gillespie Milne, (her paternal grandmother), and her brother Robert

With her paternal grandmother Susan Gillespie Milne and the smaller girl is her first cousin Betty - the pic on the right standing, her mother, Florence, her maternal grandmother also Florence, here sister Joan and Pat in the front

Pat as a teenager - 14-15 yrs old

School pic on the left about age 14, photo booth photo in the middle and on the right is a picture of Pat when she was about 20 yrs old

1956 celebration of the 50th anniversary of Pat's parents
Left to right - Joseph Milne, Robert Milne, Florence Milne and Pat

3 generation photo - my Mom on the left, me and my grandmother Florence - about 1976

Pat - circa late 1970s

Christmas 2005 in Ramona, CA
L-R - Pat, Myriah, Norm & Joshua Gould, me and Melinda Davies Gould

Here we are, her 3 children, John, me and Norm - this is in 2006 when our half brother John W. Zimmerman came to meet us for the first time.  He had searched for his biological parents for 40 yrs. and finally located me via an old genealogy website.  We had always known he was out there somewhere and were thrilled to meet him.  He had a 10 yr relationship with our Mom before she passed away.

Here's Pat on her 90th birthday - 2014

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

TUESDAY'S TREASURES ~ What have I turned up during packing and unpacking?

There’s been a LOT of boxes packed and unpacked during our move from California to Montana. 

We had lived in our home in CA for 28 years. There were boxes in the garage that had been moved from our previous home together, my previous home before our marriage and Ron’s previous home.

Items that hadn’t been seen in decades.

One of the very best things for me, is finding photos I either hadn’t seen or don’t remember.

Here’s a blast from the past – circa 1970s to early 1980s

Left - Florence Bowden Milne - my maternal grandmother
Right - from L-R - Patricia Milne-my mother, Florence Milne-my grandmother,  me, Joan Milne-my Aunt

Left - Patricia Milne in the purple blouse and her sister Joan Milne in the sunglasses
Right - Me and My Mom at Disneyland

Left - Me playing my new piano    Right - My grandmother, Florence Milne's desk

To my knowledge those are the only photos in existence with my mother, Patricia Milne Gould Cornelius and her sister Joan Milne Morrison, as adults. Sadly, they were never close and did not stay in touch after 1957.  However, on this occasion I believe that my Aunt Joan traveled to Houston to visit their mother, Florence Milne (also shown in the photos).

I’m particularly pleased to have that shot of all four of us standing together. I had moved to Houston to live with my mother and stepfather in Dec 1972 and stayed until June 1974, when I returned to San Diego, CA.

I had always wanted to play the piano as a young girl.  When I was about 10 years old my parents rented a piano for a short while and I began taking lessons.  This photo of me is about 1980 when I purchased a beautiful Emerson upright grand piano and began taking lessons again.

The desk you see in the photo belonged to my maternal grandmother Florence Milne (shown in these photos) and is seen here in my mother’s home. That same desk sits directly behind me as I type this blog post.  It is a treasured possession.

These are just a small sample of what’s turned up during this moving process.  At this point I’m wondering if I will ever get through it all.  Will I ever get everything scanned?  It’s a big job, but I will try to tackle it a little at a time.

I’d love to hear about your finds if you’ve moved or acquired items from a loved one who’s gone now. 

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2024   Diane Gould Hall
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

The story of my maternal great grandaunt – Charlotte Milne born in Scotland 1854

 

I don’t know about you, but sending for and receiving vital records by mail is still one of my special joys. 

With so many records available online, we don’t have to send for records as often as we did 10 or 20 years ago, but, it’s still sometimes necessary.

While I was at Rootstech this year, working away at the Family History Library, I decided to order a record from the General Register Office of the United Kingdom.  It’s a record I’d been wanting to order for several years.  The death certificate for my maternal great grandaunt, Charlotte Milne. 

I know that Charlotte was born 10 Jan 1854 in Aboyne, Aberdeen, Scotland to Charles Milne and Margaret Ritchie.

This is her baptismal record that I located on microfilm at the FHL a few years ago. Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950

(Click on any image to enlarge it)

Baptismal records from microfilm #991253 located in 2011 at the FHL. 

A close up of the entry for Charlotte Milne - born 10 Jan 1854, daughter of Charles Milne, Labourer at Mill of Dess and Margaret Ritchie, his spouse. Father's information matches what I see on the death certificate.

Charlotte was the 3^rd child born to Charles & Margaret.  She had two older sisters, Margaret Ewen Milne and Mary Elizabeth Milne.  Two years after Charlotte was born her parents had a baby boy, Andrew Charles Milne, who became my great grandfather.

My Milne line has always been of great interest to me because Milne was my mother’s maiden name.  I knew both of her parents.  Over the years I have tried to learn as much as I can about my Milne’s from Scotland.

I have not been disappointed in my research.  To read the story of Charlotte’s sister’s husband, who had a very sad ending, you can click here FOLLOW UP ~ William Beechey, his wife and 3 children killed in WW I Bombing - 1915

Two records I had located indicated that Charlotte died in Wales in 1935.  She had never, to my knowledge, married.  She often worked as a domestic and sometimes a nurse.  The last I know of her she was living in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan with her nephew Joseph A. Milne and his family, which included my 6 year old mother.  When I asked my mother about Charlotte, she did not remember her.

Charlotte never married, but it seems she hopped back and forth from the United Kingdom to the United States more than once.

I have the following Events in my Legacy program for Charlotte:

• 1861 & 1871 UK census – living with her parents in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

• 3 Nov 1882 -  Immigration to the United states with her mother Margaret

• 1885 and 1895 Detroit city directory listing – boards 236 3^rd with her mother Margaret

• 1911 – Back in the UK living in Wimbledon, Surrey, England working as a servant/housekeeper in the Henry Rayne household.

• 1917- 1922 – Back in the U.S. living in Toledo, Ohio working as a Nurse.  I wasn’t sure this was her until I read her niece’s wedding announcement in the newspaper.  They mentioned family and included Charlotte Milne of Toledo, Ohio.

• 8 Nov 1921 – Listed on the passenger record for the ship Scythia coming to the United States, arriving in New York.  Did she leave Ohio and travel back to the UK and then return?

• 1930 – Enumerated in Detroit, Wayne, Michigan living with her nephew, Joseph Milne and family.

Now, given that Charlotte was 76 by the time of the 1930 census, I would have expected she died either in Michigan or somewhere in the U.S. close to family.  Of course I looked and looked for any records for her after 1930. 

I came up empty until in May 2011 I got a shaky leaf on Ancestry with reference to the England & Wales, National Probate Calendar(Index of Wills & Administrations), 1861-1941

MILNE Charlotte of 40 Wyndham street Cardiff Spinster died 24 December 1935 Probate Llandaff 20 January to Florence Ann Geen (wife of George Henry Frank Geen). Effect £294 18s 4d

 

 

Could this really be “our” Charlotte?  A probate in Wales? 

Further research revealed a Death Index for England & Wales, 1916-2005 listing Charlotte Milne, age 83 died in Cardiff in 1935.  That is consistent with the probate record.

And there my search ended until I could decide whether to order the record referenced in the death index.  Might it reveal enough information to verify that this is the correct Charlotte Milne?

Fast forward 12 years and I finally decided to bite the bullet and order this death record.  Believe me, I had hoped it might show up online and I did check periodically.

After nearly a month, my record came in the mail.  Will it have the information I need to confirm Charlotte’s date and place of death?

And, here it is!  A death certificate for the Charlotte Milne who died in Cardiff, Wales on 24 Dec 1935.

Death certificate for Charlotte Milne

I immediately see the following significant details……….

·       Place of death – Marwolaeth, Cardiff West in the County Borough of Cardiff

·       When and Where died – 24 Dec 1935 at 40 Wyndham St. UD

·       Name and surname – Charlotte Milne

·       Sex – female

·       Age – 83 years

·       Occupation – Spinster, companion help (domestic)

·       Daughter of Charles Milne Farm labourer (deceased)

·       Cause of death – Syncope, cardiac dilation, haemoplegia

·       Signature and residence of informant – F. Geen, present at death 40 Wyndham St., Cardiff 

One of these buildings is the place where Charlotte died.  

40 Wyndham Street, Cardiff (courtesy of Google Earth)

I am now convinced based on this evidence that this is “our” Charlotte Milne.  The death index and probate record refer directly to this same person.

It’s nice to finally know.  I have always wished that death records from the U.K. listed the burial location, but they don’t. 

Since Charlotte never married or had children, it’s up to us, as family members to remember her and honor her life.  I’ve looked through the family photos I have from my Milne side and don’t see any photos that could be her.

That’s the end of Charlotte’s story for now.  I may never learn more, but if I do I would be delighted.

What journey's have you taken in finding a particular ancestor's information?  I'd love to hear about in your comments or on your own blog post.

If you are related to or connected to anyone in this blog post, please get in touch.  Let’s exchange information.

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION

 

 

ANCESTORS IN THE NEWS ~ My maternal grandfather, Joseph A. Milne

Today I’m writing about a small article featuring my maternal grandfather, Joseph A. Milne.

He is mentioned as a member of the Alpha Dramatic Club, both as stage manager and floor committee member.

This article is dated 5 May 1901 and was published in the Detroit Free Press.  My grandfather would have been 18 at this time.

Alpha Dramatic Club will give an informal hop at Milburn Hall Tuesday evening, for which music will be furnished by Finney's orchestra. The officers of the club are: President, Miss Bess Mylles Davis; secretary and treasurer, Miss Eva May Curtis; business manager, A. Bruce Atwell; stage manager, Joseph A. Milne. Members: Inez Frazer, Katherine Carroll, Charles Drummons, John J. Heasley. Floor committee: Charles Drummond, John J. Heasley, Joseph A. Milne, A. Bruce Atwell, Roy Baker.

My grandfather was listed as a Typesetter in the 1900 U.S. Federal census.  In 1903 and 1904 he was living with his grandparents and mother at 189 Helen Ave., in Detroit, working as a Clerk.

He and my grandmother, Florence L. Bowden didn’t marry until 11 Apr 1906.

I wonder if my grandmother was interested in the drama club?  I never heard anything to indicate this was an area of interest for her. My grandfather, Joseph, died when I was just 7 years old.  I never got to really know him or ask him any questions.  I do remember him.

There is a particular picture of my grandfather, dressed in a costume, along with others who are also in costume. There is no date on the photo, nor any other identifying information.

Could this have been his drama club group?

Happy hunting,

Michigan Girl

Copyright ©  2010-2022   Diane Gould Hall

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  NO USE WITHOUT PERMISSION