This card was created using a Simply Betty image which I coloured in with my prismacolor pencils.
I am entering this card in the following challenges Friday Sketchers - sketch 142 Simply Betty Challenge Blog - Recycle it - all my cardstock pieces are from my scraps bin and the ribbon and flower are leftovers from another project.
I completed this layout for the Lyric Challenge at Scraptures. I made the butterfly embellishments by cutting out stamped images,colouring them in with my distress inks, and adding black laquer to them. I also punch out some butterflies using the Martha Stewart punch and added some flat back pearls and some stickles to them. This is for the make your own embellishments challenge at the Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog.
I chose to use some of the lyrics from Pink's song Perfect. A friend recently reccomended I watch the video for this song and I love the message it sends. My daughter and her friends organized a Perfect day at school in which they didn't do their hair or makeup and wore their track pants to school to prove they are perfect just the way they are. If you haven't seen the video check it out.
I used my Prismacolor pencils to colour in this digital image by Elizabeth Bell, A Tasty Read, which can be found here . I am entering this card in the following challenges.
I have been selected to be a Guest Designer for the month of March at Scraptures. I will be working with the scrapbooking kit, I am so excited but also a little nervous. I hope I can live up to the wonderful example the past guest designers have made. Throughout the month of March I will be posting all my creations on my blog once they have been revealed at Scraptures. I hope you will pop over to the Scraptures Web Site and check out the challenges and the creations that the other design team members have made.
If you are interested in being a Scraptures Guest Designer check out the Scraptures Blog for more information.
Check out this Blog for some fabulous new digital stamps. Sylvia is very talented and her digital stamps are adorable. Seriously hop over to her blog and check them out.
I post previously about my Great Nana, now I would like to introduce you to her husband, my Great Grandfather; Stanley Harold Bird.
I believe this to be a picture of Stanley Bird, taken in England. I would guess him to be about 4 years old.
Stanley Bird.
I am not sure of the dogs name.
Date of birth: November 4 1893
Location: Ipswich, England
Date of death: May 22 1973
Location: Branson Hospital
Burial: Mount Pleasant Cemetery (no headstone)
On May 23 1973 an obituary for Stanley Bird appeared in The Toronto Star and read as follows:
Bird, Stanley Harold – Passed away at the Branson Hospital on Wednesday May 22, 1973.Stanley H. Bird of 227 Ellerslie Ave.husband of the late Florence Bird.Dear father of Mrs J F Wilson (Audrey), Mrs J Greaves (Bernice) and Mrs S Tucker (Marion).Brother of Jack of Nova Scotia and Dudley.Also survived by 5 grandchildren.Resting at the Murray Newbigging (hard to read) Funeral Home 739 Mount Pleasant Rd. ( at Eglinton)Service in the chapel Friday .InternmentMount PleasantCemetery.
Stanley's Mother: Jane Wright
Stanley's Father: John Bird
Stanley's Siblings: May Bird born abt 1885
Barbara Bird born abt 1886
William J Bird born abt 1889
Dudley T Bird born abt 1897
Stanley's parents
John and Jane Bird
Timeline
Birth: November 14 1893 Westerfield, Suffolk, England
Residence: 1901 Census - Ipswich, Suffolk, England
Residence: 1911 Census - York South, Toronto, Ontario (immigration year - 1906)
Marriage: 1921
Death: May 22 1973
According to Stanley's recruitment papers he signed up for duty on May 18th 1918
Stanley's recruitment papers from WW1
W. Armstong, R. Towers, S. Bird, H. Ross
Married to Dorothy Florence Hazel Milliken on Aug. 3 1921 at St. Clements Anglican Church Toronto, Ontario.
A copy of the marriage certificate.
Dorothy and Stanley in their Going away outfits after their wedding.
Dorothy and Stanley Bird
227 Ellerslie Ave Willowdale, Ontario
1960
The house that Stanley and Dorothy lived in after their marriage
In creating this post I have come to realize that I don't know much about Stanley's personality and the way he lived his life. I am going to have to sit down with my Mom and Uncle and pick their brains for info. I do know that at the time of joining the military he was working as a grocer clerk and eventually owned a grocery store with his brother Dudley. It is my understanding that he did not have work during the depression and that they took in borders to help make ends meet. After the depression Stanley worked at Beechams which made brill cream.
Dorothy Bird by far has been my biggest challenge and frustration throughout my genealogy research. She is my Mom's Nana (on her Mother's side) and therefore my Great Nana. I never had the opportunity to meet her as she passed away before I was born.
I believe this to be a picture of my Great Nana before she was married and on the back of the photo is printed to Gertie and Jack, Florence Milliken
A few of my favourite pictures.
Dorothy
Dorothy and Stanley
The information I have:
Date of Birth: Aug. 26th (1899 or 1895 or 1896)
Location: possibly Pensecola, Florida although marriage certificate states Penscola, Alabama which I can't find any record of
Date of Death: Oct. 14th 1971
Location: at her home 227 Ellerslie Ave, Willowdale, Ontario
Buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetary, Toronto, Ontario (no headstone)
The obituary found in the Toronto Daily Star on Thursday Oct 14 1971 read as follows:
Bird, Dorothy Florence – Passed away at her home, 227 Ellerslie Ave. Willowdale, on Thursday October 14 1971.Dorothy Florence Bird, beloved wife of Stanley Bird, dear mother of Mrs. J Wilson (Audrey), Mrs. J Greaves (Bernice), Mrs. S Tucker (Marion). Also survived by 5 grandchildren.Resting at The Murray E Newbigging (difficult to read) Funeral Home,
733 Mt. Pleasant Rd.(at Eglinton).Service in the chapel Saturday
Dorothy and Stanley Bird on their wedding day
Aug. 3 1921
Dorothy and Stanley's Wedding
Married to Stanley Harold Bird on Aug. 3 1921 at St. Clements Anglican Church, Toronto, Ontario.
On the marriage certificate Dorothy's parents are listed as
Mother: Annie Florence Mason
Father: Robert Frank Milliken
At this time I have not been able to locate any records or information regarding Annie Mason or Robert Milliken.
Dorothy's address at the time of her marriage was 23 Eglinton Ave. W. Toronto, ON and her occupation is listed as telephone operator.
The write up that appeared in the Toronto Star on Thursday Aug. 4 1921 read as follows:
Bird – Milliken
St. Clement’s Anglican Church was the scene of a pretty wedding yesterday when Florence Dorothy Milliken was united in marriage to Mr. Harold Stanley Bird of Toronto, Rev. Carpenter officiating.The bride who was given away by Mr. F. L. McCrae, looked charming in a gown of white Georgette and tulle veil held with orange blossoms.She carried a bouquet of Ophelia roses with lily of the valley.Miss Mabel Cascaden, the bridesmaid, wore pale green organdie with black mohair hat and carried sweetheart roses.Mr. Dudley Bird was best man.Immediately following the ceremony a buffet luncheon was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. McCrae,
23 Eglinton Avenue.After the reception the happy couple left for Rochester, Buffalo and Detroit, the bride wearing a suit of grey jersey with French hat.On their return Mr. and Mrs. Bird will reside at
2 Oakwood Avenueand will be at home to their friends after September 1st.
At this point this is all the confirmed information that I have. Dorothy was very secerative about her childhood and never shared any information with anyone about where she came from and what her childhood was like. I have no idea where she was born, if she had any siblings or where her parents came from. The information I do have is from bits and pieces of conversations I have had with my Nana (her daughter) and my Great Aunt Audrey (one of Dorothy's other daughters) From them I learned that Dorothy around the age 14 - 16 (possibly in 1914) may have moved to Charlottetown Prince Edward Island either on her own or possibly with her father. It is possible that she moved in with an Aunt and her father may have worked for the railroad, this may have been their reason for coming to PEI. It is possible that Dorothy became an orphan at the age of 16. Upon moving to Toronto it appears Dorothy lived with someone with the last name McCrae and they may have lived next door to Stanley Bird's family.
Other interesting things to note are that Dorothy was incredibly afraid of storms, to the point of having my Mom and her brother hide in closests and boarding up the windows when it would start to storm, could this be a result of experiencing hurricanes or really bad storms in Florida? Who knows. Dorothy seemed to come from money (as my Mom put it) as she always wanted things just right and required my Mom to wear white gloves when the bridge ladies came over. Dorothy also had a housekeeper named Rose before the depression.
Dorothy and Stanley lived at 227 Ellerslie Ave. Willowdale from 1954 to 1971 and had 3 daughters;
Audrey - born in 1923
Dorothy Bernice - born in 1924 (my Nana)
Marion - born in 1926
Dorothy with Audrey and Bernice 1930
Dorothy and Stanley at Audrey's wedding 1950
Dorothy, Bernice (at the time of her 2nd wedding) and Stanley 1961
Documents I have:
Marriage certificate
Obituary and Wedding write ups in Toronto paper
Goals:
To send away for death record
Continue researching
