April 16th

A few days ago we noted the death of David Fisken and I mentioned that he shares a grave in Stamfordham, Northumberland with his brother William "plough" Fisken and his sister Margaret.  Today marks the 137th anniversary of the death of Margaret Fisken.  Margaret is your 4th great aunt.  She was born in Muthill, Perthshire, Scotland and grew up on Gellyburn Farm just outside of the village.  In fact she lived there until at least her mid forties.  Being the only female on the farm, she would have been the housekeeper.  Her brother James was the Fisken who took over the farm from his parents.  James remained a bachelor until 1856 when, at age 45, he married.  I imagine there wasn't room for two leading ladies so Margaret left Scotland when she about 50 years old and went and lived with brother William in Stamfordham, Northumberland.  She became the housekeeper of the manse (William was the minister of the presbyterian church in the village).

It was at this manse that Margaret died of heart disease.  She was 79 years old.

Another great aunt died on this day.  Hellen Christie.  She is your 3rd great aunt being a sister of your great great grandparents Adam Christie and Isabella Donald.  Hellen was the 2nd child of the ten born to crofter John Christie and Helen Gordon.  She was born in Banff, Scotland.  She went onto be a farmer's wife when she married James Barclay at age 23.  They had seven children and the family continued to live on various farms in Banffshire.  She died in Alvah, Banffshire of heart disease.  She was 70 years old.

Now we go to a birth and to the U.S.A.  It was on this day in 1926 that Preston Daniel Riddel was born.  He is your 2nd cousin once removed.  He is a second generation American being a descendent of the family which came from Aberdeenshire to the granite industry of Barre, Vermont.  Preston was born in Barre and was the only son of Charles Perry Riddell and Florence Marlowe McGovern.  His father was an auto mechanic.

I'm going to report on the death of Joseph Paterson on this day in 1953.  Joseph would not normally have been included in this blog as I am doing just the ancestors we are related to by blood.  But Joseph has the distinction of bringing the Paterson name onto the family tree.  And we've now got tons of Patersons!!  Joseph married Elspet Christie - your 2nd great aunt - a sister to your grandma's dad.  They had eleven children..  Joseph was a farmer/ploughman.  He died in Chalmers Hospital in Banff (although he lived in Turriff, Aberdeenshire) of acute myocarditis and prostatic obstruction.  He outlived his wife by 15 years.  They are buried together in Cuminestown Cemetery along with three of their children who died young (6 months, 3 years and 9 years).  Joseph was 80 years old - despite what the gravestone says; he was in his 81st year but hadn't had his birthday yet.

And the last person for today's blog is someone you knew.  On this day in 2004 Catherine Christie - Auntie Cathie (as you called her) - died.  She was 73 years old and despite the fact that I was there, I don't really know what she died from specifically.  She had heart disease and cancer.  Cathie was born in 1931 in Newcastle - the first of three children for Uncle Jack (grandma's brother) and Auntie Annie.  She became a nurse and, over the years, she plied her trade in various parts of England and Scotland.  She was very much the person who held the family together when her dad was ill and unable to work and then after he died.  I'm really not too sure of what the main impetus was for her to emigrate to Canada at age 44.  But she did so in 1975.  Her sister Anne was living in Winnipeg at the time so I assume that's why she came to Winnipeg.  After Anne left the city (which was just a matter of months after Cathie's arrival I believe) she remained in Winnipeg and had a good career in two of the city's hospitals for over 20 years before retiring.