This weeks challenge is to write something about Dinner, who would I like to invite to dinner, (from my family tree) or perhaps take out to dinner, or even a dinner party with several family members.
I thought about the topic for a while and decided that I wish i could invite my Paternal grandmother Rebecca Newell nee Ibell to dinner. I think I met this grandmother when i was born, however due to a family argument or misunderstanding of some sort, my Father distanced himself from his family. Over the years I heard snippets of what happened, and before my father died he did tell me a little of the story. I understand from what he said that he had to choose between his Mum, Dad and some family members and my Mum and I . Grandma Newell was at Mum and Dad's wedding in 1944 and I know that Mum and dad lived with her and Grandad when they left the Air force, or Mum got pregnant? I was born in Chester in January 1946 and when I was 6 weeks old Mum travelled back to Scotland. I had always believed that my Dad was already living there with my maternal Grandparents as he had got a job. Mum couldn't travel as I was due to be born and so she stayed in Chester, however last year before my Mum died she denied this and at that point she couldn't remember who she was living with when i was born. My Mum and Dad kept in contact with dad's half sister Leah and her husband Reg and we have lots of photos of Leah, Reg and their daughter Dorothy visiting us in Monifieth Scotland. We did visit Leah and Reg in Chester and I can remember when I was about 6 years of age, walking with my Mum, Dad, Leah and Reg, when a women walking towards us in the opposite direction said hello to Leah and Reg, stopped briefly then kept walking. My Mum and dad said nothing and I can remember asking who it was? Auntie Leah (I think ) said that is your grandmother. I was amazed.. I had my granny in Scotland and adored her and yet knew nothing about this rather stern looking woman. My parents migrated to Rhodesia in 1955, I don't think my dad saw his Mum before we left even though we did visit Aunty Leah in Chester. When my grandmother died in 1958 my father was informed several months later in a letter from Leah. How sad not to be told when your Mum had died. I did meet my grandfather in 1963 when we visited Leah and Reg whilst on holiday from Rhodesia. At the time i can remember my Dad saying that it was his parents who had chosen not to have contact with him. In 1968, we visited another half sister of Dads and Mum said after the visit that she had happened to notice some of her wedding gifts in a display cabinet in the house!! Whatever happened I will never know. As a grandmother myself I think how sad.. I am very much aware that this happens now in our society families stop talking and children don't get to know their grandparents.
So what would I ask Rebecca? I suppose my main question would be :"what happened". My Mother very rarely spoke about it and when she did it was usually just a comment to say that "they " were horrible to her. I met my Uncle Frank Newell (dad's brother) for the first time at my Dad's funeral as well as his sister whom I had met previously. My dad told me that his Mum was annoyed with him as he wasn't marrying Blodwyn the girl friend he had before going off to war in 1939. I would ask Rebecca if that was true?
I did go back to Chester in 2014, as I decided it was time to revisit the city where I was born and had visited on several occasions as a child and teenager. I wish I had known my Grandmother. I do have contact with a cousin who is beginning her family tree and has some memories, perhaps some of the grandmother I didn't know
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