1-10-2013
Hans,
I see your name on the findagrave website connected with Bernard Roels (memorial #85928108) and Natalie Dhaenens Roels (memorial #82450440). They are my great grandparents on my mother's side. Their daughter, Anna Helene Roels was my mother's mother. My mother was Irene Lucille Bushnell Shaver (one of three children). I knew absolutely nothing about the Roels until I recently started doing a little research. My mother spelled her grandmother's maiden name as Dhaeners, so until I saw your comment on Bernard Roels I had the wrong spelling of her last name. Also, Mom had her grandfather's first name as Bernardo.
Anna Helene Roels married Chester Loman Bushnell, and she died May 15, 1935 and is buried in Miami Memorial Park, Miami, Florida.
I am assuming you are part of the Roels family, not the Dhaenens. If I am correct and we share ancestry, please let me know and I will share the little information I have with you.
Anything you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much.
Sue Shaver Saltalamacchia
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4-10-2013
Hans,
please forgive me. Yes, I did, and I cannot tell you how much I appreciate what you sent. My sister has all the original photos we have, and she is bringing them to me next weekend. I will have them duplicated and mail the photos rather than email them to you if that's okay. My computer is old and slow, so I think that would be the better way to send them. Would you give me your address so I can mail them? Again, Hans, please forgive my rudeness for not emailing back sooner.
Sue Shaver Saltalamacchia
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17-10-2013
Hans,
thank you. I had not seen my mother's and father's marriage license in years. Unfortunately my older sister had entrusted me with many of our parent's keepsakes that were lost. I live in Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina completely destroyed our house in 2005. As we had not anticipated that would happen, we had not taken many things with us. Those keepsakes were in our attic, but since the house was gone when we returned from being evacuated, we had no opportunity to recover anything at all.
All the typed pages I sent were written by my mother, Irene Lucille Bushnell Shaver. Sadly, she is dead, as are her sister and brother. I don't know anyone from that generation can clear up the information about Bernard being married before Nathalie. Mom never really talked about her family, of course her mother died when she was young and she left home when she was very young and only saw her dad once or twice after that. Anyway, I'm rambling. This is all so fascinating to me, especially since I didn't know anyone in the family from past my parents' generation. I'm 62 now, and for some reason this is all important to me.
I assume that is you and your wife in the pictures, on a cruise ship, I presume. Thanks for sending those pictures. The city movie you sent is absolutely beautiful. My husband is Italian from Ustica and we are hoping to get there before it's too late for us, and now that I know where my family is from we'll have to include Belgium in our trip, when we do make it.
Please feel free to ask anything, if I know the answers you'll have them. Somehow I suspected the issue of Bernard being married before might be a surprise because I didn't see it on the family tree you sent. Wish I could be more helpful in that regard. I have tried to contact my aunt Louise's daughter Teri (her last name now is Fairbanks and she lives in Jacksonville, Oregon to see if she has any family information, but she has not responded to me. Will let you know if she does. The Dorothy Manbeck in the photos is Leo Augustinus Roels' daughter, perhaps some of her children (Natalie, Carol, Jane or Susan) would have some information but I don't know how to contact them or even their last names now, but will look to see what I can find.
Regards.
Sue Shaver Saltalamacchia