|
A very long shot. Trying to trace anyone that knew of Renee Myrtle Chapman from the Worthing area in the early 40s - she's my maternal grandmother. Her father's name was Frank Chapman. She was seeing a GI in the summer of 1943. She eventually Married Algernon Milligan & emigrated to Canada. Just hoping someone knows who the GI was. Thanks
|
|
I'm assuming she was born 1921, one sibling also Frank b 1916, but as he was older it's not likely his children if any would know anything perhaps? Do you know where Renee might have worked? on the offchance you could trace friends from her youth (who might remember a name) that way.
You could try posting your grandmother's name on one of the sites that tries to connect GI's with people they knew in England? There is an FB page " GI & Family International Search , searching for Relatives WW2 onwards" or various sites which come up if you google like http://www.gitrace.org/guide.html
Most are for children seeking parents, but probably not exclusively, so still worth enquiring if that is not the case.
|
|
Hi Jeanette ... your mum did not travel to Canada with her mother and husband from what I can see (1957 passenger lists)
are you in touch with the family in Canada?
I just wondered whether Renee might ever have spoken about her experience or left any items when she died that might help you at all.
someone here at genesreunited does have Renee and Algernon in their family tree ... ah, that is your family member
there are numerous posts on line about the couple and son Michael Ivan Milligan ... but seeing that one was posted here in 2003, I see they are all connected with you too
Michael must never have googled his name! or he would have found you ...
one other long shot possibility is DNA testing, which is more popular in the US than in England or Canada ... Because you descend in the female line from a man, the only kind of testing that is useful is autosomal or 'family finder' which can identify cousins up to fifth cousin level, and then some additional testing is needed to find out what the connection is (e.g. to rule out a relationship on your dad's rather than your mum's side)
it is a long shot because it all depends on someone who is related doing the testing as well ... in my own case I had one in a million luck to find someone who matched one of my parents' male-line DNA closely and put a chink in a brick wall I have in my tree ... few people will be that lucky, but it can be worth a try ... even a fifth cousin relationship could be a start for you, since you know something about the person you are looking for and could possibly identify him through that connection
if you are interested I can give more info, and I recommend Family Tree DNA purely because of (a) the large pool of participants (b) who are specifically interested in making connections (few other companies offer both those benefits)
|
|
oddly there were two Renee M Chapmans born 1921 (the only other one on record being 1930)
was your Renee born in the Winchester or West Ham area do you think? the one with brother Frank was the West Ham one, the other had no siblings
if she was the Winchester birth it also looks as if her mother may have been married before, as there is no Chapman-Smallbone (the mother's surname) marriage to match the birth
do you know any of Renee's family history? (in the hope of nephews or nieces who might be in touch with family in Canada)
or if you have succeeded in contacting family there, let us know to rule out that search
|
|
I have come up with a google search result I haven't figured out yet
http://www.norfolklore.com/research-information/obituaries2/document/obituaries-index-m?format=raw
name - year - page
Milligan Renee Myrtle - V2-2005 - 96
this appears to be an index of obituaries ... is it likely there were two Renee Myrtle Milligans?
given that your Renee was born in 1921 I am hoping that an obituary would not be a shock to find ... and of course it may be that in the years since the search for Renee began you have info of her death already ...
AHA. It is Norfolk County ONTARIO CANADA
http://www.norfolklore.com/research-information/obituaries2
'Obituaries - 1960 to 2011
These are obituaries recorded primarily from the Simcoe Reformer covering from 1960 to 2011.
Individual copies of the actual referenced information may be ordered for C$5.00 per Vital Statistic page.'
(Algernon's name is not listed there, likely he died earlier in another place)
google maps finds Simcoe sort of southeast of Toronto in Ontario
if you are still searching for the family in Canada this is where to contact for that obituary (which would give family info, probably names of granchildren, and any children born after they emigrated)
http://www.norfolklore.com/researchtop/research-assistance/research-assistance-plan-c/itemlist/category/category?id=11
edit, I have now sent Jeanette a copy of the obituary in case she did not have it
|
|
adding: in 1965 and 1968 they are on the Canadian voters' list first as Algernon and Mrs Algernon, then as A.J. and Mrs Rene, in Brant, Ontario
a Mike and Mrs Mike Milligan appear in Brant in 1972 ... in 1968 they are Michael and Diane ... that would have been the year he was eligible to vote
I wonder whether this was Mike in Nov 1963 (born earlier in 1945 would make him 18, but possibly 17 earlier in the year at the time of the athletic meets, perhaps in the spring)
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2013/11/26/flashback-nov-26
also
http://www.brantfordexpositor.ca/2014/07/17/flashback-july-17
and then in 1979 competing in various places in the same region
http://www.highlandgames.net/history/nasga_III_2.pdf
oh there is sad news that I will send to Jeanette privately.
|
|
Thanks so much for posting - didn't expect to hear anything from anyone! My mother did trace Renee to Canada & did speak to her but she had her letters returned to her unopened. Algernon was not her biological father which is why I suspect she was adopted.
|
