PEOPLE SEARCH Brierley Success stories Billy Mielke & The Garner Family

PEOPLE SEARCH

Success stories

Billy Mielke & The Garner Family

Return to PEOPLE SEARCH SUCCESS stories

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.