If you are a regular reader of my blog you may remember Week 16 (AIR) Cousin Fred ~ Too Tall to be a Pilot where I wrote about my grandmother's cousin Fred Baker.
By the end of that blog there were more questions than answers about Cousin Fred. Most of those questions were answered when I received an email from Cousin Fred's son.
Blogging as Cousin Bait worked again!
When I first began my genealogy blog I hoped that cousins who make up this Bramble Bush would find an entry about a relative of theirs, and message me. I had hoped they might type their relatives name into a search bar, and find my blog. When I received the email below it was clear that blogging as Cousin Bait really works.
Read on to see the results of this fantastic catch.
***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***
Photos:
Provided by Cousin Fred's son, September 2020
Links:
Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/
___________________________________________________________
*****some details redacted for the privacy of the living*****
Hello Deb, I guess you could say I am "Cousin ***" since Cousin Fred was my father. I had your email sent to me from my cousin ****** ***** who got it from his sister **** ******.
I read the blog (http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2020/04/cousin-fred-too-tall-to-be-pilot.html and thought I might be able to fill in some blanks you were mentioning and asking about.
As you have probably already guessed from this email, yes, my Dad did marry before going overseas. He married Jean Anderson Moorcroft. You'll find attached a copy of a newspaper announcement for their wedding as well as a picture of them on their wedding day which was September 11, 1943.
You mentioned you were curious about Dad's size. He was 6'4" tall and probably weighed around 220 pounds when he was in the service. You find attached a picture of him flying a Harvard Trainer aircraft. You can tell it's him because his head just fits under the canopy.
I also attached a picture of him with some of the men he served with, and I'll let you guess which one he is, lol.
Dad and Mom had 2 sons when he returned from overseas, *** who was born in **** and myself who was born in ****.
After leaving the service Dad gave up his pilot's license at my Mom's request.
He worked as an aircraft mechanic for TCA which later became Air Canada. They lived in Winnipeg until 1964 when they moved to Toronto and Dad became the international Service Manager for a company called Grip Clinch. They sold pneumatic air tackers which were made in Germany. Dad travelled over there a few times and learned to speak rudimentary German.
In June of 1975 Dad retired to a very Small town about 140 miles North of Toronto. Mom and Dad lived the remainder of their lives in Kearney and I think it was the best part of their lives together.
Mom died of ALS in 1988 and Dad died of Cancer in 2002. My brother also died in Kearney in 2001. They are all buried in the local cemetery there.
I have also attached a picture of Dad in his 70s beside his Honda Gold Wing.
He said it was the closest thing he could find to flying.
He said it was the closest thing he could find to flying.
I hope this helps a little. If there is anything else you may have a question about, I would be more than pleased to try and help.
All the best,
"Cousin" ***.
Genealogy researching is more than collecting names in files.
It's breathing life into the people who came before.
It's seeing who they were.
It's realizing how their dna matches yours.
It's about the roots and branches of your family.
Blogging as Cousin Bait works again!
This is why I search -
Cause ...
You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know.
***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***
Photos:
Provided by Cousin Fred's son, September 2020
Links:
Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/
If you reference or use my blog posts in any way please
include a link to the specific blog and
credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/
My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.
All rights reserved.
Please & Thank you!
___________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment