Family Tree

Here is a link to the Dowling family tree. Derek Wilson and my sister in law Jill have both been working on ancestry.com gathering information. (Thanks to you both)
This looks backwards to ancestors, rather than Martha's children onwards.

The result on 'ancestry' is only accessible if you register and pay, however this link takes you to a snapshot of what has been gathered. Click on the link and then use the 'ancestors/descendants/family' functions to navigate.

http://marthasfamily.tribalpages.com/tribe/browse?userid=marthasfamily&view=0&pid=43&rand=349389837

If anyone can fill in more gaps - write them in comments below.

Marge and Jack's wedding - Nov. 10, 1947 - Who's who?

Here are some photos from Mom and Dad's (Marge and Jack) wedding. If you recognize some of the people in the photos please identify them or let me know. I recognize Dad's parents (Agnes and Wally) and his Aunt Lily, and Grandma Johnson (I think) but am not sure about the others. Are the bridesmaids Rene and Ida perhaps? Is the flower girl possibly Mavis? Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

Rene O'Donnell aged 18 - here is a little story she told me yesterday

My Mum Rene (Grace Irene O'Donnell) was telling me a story yesterday about her Auntie Grace - who she was named after. Grace Johnson was Martha's sister in law - Edward's sister. The story which is a really sad one goes like this.

Grace (born 1884) was married and had 6 sons. She was 33 when her husband died really young. With no widow's pension she couldn't support them and she had to place her boys aged 12, 10, 9, 6 and 2 younger boys in the Blue Coat Orphanage in Liverpool. How sad it that! Grace never remarried and died in 1951 aged 67. I wonder what happened to all her boys. I have added more info taken from the census and birth and death records - take a look in comments.
What is also amazing is that 2 generations later Mark and Simon O'Donnell and Stephen Powell (my son) went to the very same 'Blue Coat' which by then had become a boarding school.

Martha and Marge in 1965

Martha visited us in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1965 when I was 10. I remember Grandma, here with Marge, raving about how she could have "gone for the pilot" if she was 40 years younger!

Martha in Haskayne with ????

Rene and Ted- showing off the Johnson family good looks

Ted visited Rene in her flat - and we got this great picture.

Keep a look out for the TV drama 'The sinking of the Laconia' coming on UK TV sometime soon. It tells the fascinating story of the ship that was torpedoed when Uncle Ted was on board.

Wedding Day - Tom and Wendy O'Donnell

See if you can pick out all the guests. Personally I look a bit gawky!

Martha aged 70

Martha - if it wasn't for her and Edward we wouldn't be here! I will always remember Grandma asking me (aged 11) to sing the latest Tom Jones so that she could work it out on the piano. What are your memories?