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Billy Mielke & The Garner Family
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The
old web site received the following e-mail.
Hi
Gary,
I
was wondering if you knew of an address #14 H_ Royd Cottages, Brierley,
Barnsley Yorkshire, I'm trying to find
Hilda Hughes she
lived there in the 1960's (unfortunately, I can't find a specific map
for Brierley) I believe she would be in her late 60'searly 70's, she is
the only link I can find for my mom, Alice Garner daughter
to
William Garner and
Alice Harvey
(my
mom's last name is Mielke) and we are trying to reconnect with relatives
in Barnsley. Thanks very much for your help,
Bill Mielke (Canada).
I
made a few enquires on receipt of this E-mail and was informed that
Hilda Hughes is now Mrs Hilda Wilson and living in Brierley Park. I
spoke to Mrs
Wilson's son Gary who confirmed that Billy's mum would be Hilda's'
cousin. I sent e-mail back to Bill Mielke and this was his reply.
Dear
Gary,
To start with I really can't thank you enough, my family had thought
they had lost all chance for communication with the
Garner family
and any other UK relatives- I been working on trying to find any
relatives for quite a period. When I visited England two years ago, I
tried to research Church Gresley and Swadlincote, not realizing at the
time, that the family had lived much of its time in Barnsley. I realized
this about Barnsley about two months ago, I was able to find my great
grandfather's name in the WW I memorial site in France, Barnsley was
listed as his residence. (Granddad used to only tell people he was from
Yorkshire :), in fact mom's birth certificate shows his birthplace as
Yorkshire - a regular large area, Granddad's birth certificate shows
Swadlincote - Burton on Trent - Church Gresley, but his mother's
residence was in Barnsley when his father William was killed in the war)
Unfortunately, Mom was so traumatized by the loss of her brother and
parents in the late 60's, that she failed to maintain relations with
granddad's side of the family. When she was emotionally ready to
establish links with his relatives again, she'd lost addresses and
names, to this day she regrets having lost that time she would have
spent dialoguing with the Garner relatives. Your email and the time you
took to contact Hilda's son, has enabled her to hopefully regain some of
those lost moments. I'm
sure we will be passing though Brierley, when we come to the UK in a
May/June/July and we'd love to buy you all dinner, and discuss the
history of Brierley and catch up. The readings I had from the web site
have done nothing but peak my interest.
Mom was born in August 1930, in Virden Manitoba and raised in
Vancouver, B.C. My grandfather
William Herbert Garner born
in 1901 was baptized in Church Gresley -Swadlincote. He met my
grandmother Flora McDonald and married her in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Together they moved to the New Westminster, B.C. then moved to
Vancouver. Grandfather was one of four children born to
William H. Garner and Alice Harvey. My great grandfather William
H.Garner was killed in 1916, and is buried in France - Flanders Field
region I believe. Alice Garner (nee Harvey) passed I believe sometime
around 1953.
My grandfather's sisters were Fanny
Garner and Violet Garner.
Mom
believes Fanny married and had the name Wilson, and Violet married and
had the name Harrison. Mom's memory is a little faded on these names.
Granddad also had a brother named Charles. Grandfather served in the
navy in WW II and did many types of jobs in Canada, including
blacksmithing, training boxers and physiotherapy. I know this is a real
long shot... are any of his sisters or brother alive?
If not, are there any other descendants? Has any one done the Garner
family history? I understand that
William Garner
(great grand father) was originally from London? Mom had a brother,
Leslie who passed in 1966 and sister Beverly, who passed in 1977.
I still have contact with some of their offspring. I just got off the
phone to mom and she is totally overjoyed.
Thank
you again so very very much, my mom is excited, as am I.
We feel so
lucky to have found Hilda. We look forward to further communication in
the near future.
Yours
truly,
Bill Mielke
Footnote:
Billy and his family travelled to England from Canada to meet us all and
had a wonderful time. We arranged for him to have lunch with the Mayor
at Barnsley Town Hall which they really enjoyed. We also showed them the
memorial at Brierley cemetery where his grandfather William Garner is
mentioned.
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