Genealogy: Filling in the chart - happy and sad discoveries

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Filling in the chart - happy and sad discoveries

First the sad.

After finding my gedcom (which I had on WorldConnect all this time....) I downloaded it and explored a bit with Gramps. One of the tools is called Data Verify, and I've been working through this one by one. A common error is "Old age but no death", so I've been googling for these people. So far, I've found the death of Norm Wainman in Ontario:

Norman Wainman
1921-2014
Wainman, Norman James … passed away peacefully at Cambridge Memorial Hospital on Monday June 30, 2014 at the age of 93. Beloved husband of the late Margaret (nee Blake). Loving father of Blake Wainman (Sandi). Dear brother of Marion Caskey and brother in law of Helen Wainman. In keeping with Norman’s wishes cremation has taken place and a Memorial Service will be held at First United Church, 15 Wellington St Cambridge on Saturday August 16, 2014 at 11 am. As expressions of sympathy donations made to The Heart and Stroke Foundation would be appreciated by the family. Arrangements entrusted to Corbett Funeral Home.

http://www.corbettfuneralhome.ca/obituaries/90482

Tonight I found the death of Myrene McAninch, one of my favorite relatives as a child.

Dr. Myrene C. McAninch Ph.D.

Dr. Myrene C. McANINCH, PhD Dr. Myrene McAninch, PhD passed away on January 13, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. Myrene was born in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1930 and raised by her Mother and Maternal Grandmother. The family relocated to Tacoma, Washington where Myrene attended Jason Lee Middle School and Stadium High School. Myrene went on to the University of Washington and received BA's in English and Early Childhood Development. Myrene found that she had a passion for the vulnerable in our society and her life was dedicated to the developmentally disabled and the ongoing wellness issues of the elderly. Myrene went on to complete her Masters in Learning Disabilities and her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the UW in 1968. As part of her pioneering work in developing teaching materials for children with learning disabilities, Myrene found that development of socialization skills was a critical component. Myrene was instrumental in the development of the Pilot School at the UW as a demonstration project for techniques in working with learning disabilities. Over the next 7 years she was Director at Highline-West Seattle Community Mental Health Center. She was also appointed Vice President of the National Community Mental Health Association. Myrene worked on the development of National Standards for patient care, including specific commitment procedures for Washington State. She would move on to the national stage as a director with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Chicago. She resigned from JCAHO in 1990 and became a nationally recognized consultant in Healthcare. In 1996, Myrene and her husband Walt entered the Park Shore Retirement Community in Seattle. Myrene was immediately assigned to the Healthcare Committee and the Advisory Board where she would help the facility focus on "Wellness" issues including the hiring of a Fitness Director, improving the healthy content of the food, and lobbying to hire a Wellness Director. In 1999, Myrene was diagnosed with breast cancer and participated as an early volunteer for the new drug, Herceptin. After many years of treatment, Myrene won the battle with cancer but sadly would eventually succumb to Alzheimer's disease. Myrene was preceded in death by her husband Walter H. McAninch in March of 2000. Walter was the founding President of Contract Hardware, Inc. in Seattle. A memorial service will be held in the spring to honor Myrene's life and her many accomplishments. Please contact Dale Garrett, PR, C/O Contract Hardware, Inc. 12100 NE 195th St., Suite 250, Bothell, WA 98011 for memorial service notification requests. Charitable Donations may be made to the UW School of Nursing/Healthy Aging Program, Box 357260, Seattle, WA 98195. Published in The Seattle Times from Feb. 5 to Feb. 8, 2010

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/seattletimes/obituary.aspx?n=myrene-c-mcaninch&pid=139372386

Sad that I lost touch and did not attend the memorial service.

I've done a bit of research on the McAninches before: http://genweblog.blogspot.com/2007/06/cowan-mcaninch-connection.html

On the other hand, searching for Norm Wainman, I found this:

http://wcm.pastperfect-online.com/39564cgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=24E90612-86C8-4BC4-A4BF-632712431071;type=301

Wow. Evidently when Margaret and Norm moved out of their house, they (or their daughter gave many things to the local museum, including this amazing collection of photos. My favorite childhood photo of my dad is there, along with my wedding photos! I think my grandmother must have been sending photos to Margaret for many years. It was such an emotional moment to find all that. Of course, there are many mysteries as well, since I don't know who many of the people pictured are, or the exact locations of some of the photos. All the most reason to make the journey to Ontario and meet my living relatives! And pay respects at the graves of those who have already passed.

Finally, I've found that my mother could have been a Daughter of the American Revolution three times over! I've known for years that one of her BAYSINGER ancestors was in his local militia during the right time-period, but it turns out that Nancy Jane BOOTH had at least *two*. And one has an absolutely knockout page on FindaGrave: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=42175401. Thank you Zachariah CALLAWAY for your service. Thank you Charles BOOTH Sr. for your service. And thank you Melissa Harman for putting the Post-em on old Zach's WC page, leading me to that bonanza on FindaGrave!

Labels: Baysinger, Blake, Booth, Callaway, Cowan, DAR, FindAGrave, McAninch, obituaries, Wainman