Author Topic: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945  (Read 15806 times)

Offline Kim Jindra

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Re: Old letters from Taunton 1945
« Reply #9 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 00:40 BST (UK) »
Yes I have a complete address. The handwriting is faded but from
one letter it sounds like she is living with her mother. She doesn't mention her age. But she has a 9.5 shoe size! I'll change the heading again.
I would like to contact her family. I'm very curious about her.
She could have been married but she doesn't mention a husband.
The historical society is an excellent suggestion.

Thanks! You both have helped me already!
Kim

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #10 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 01:13 BST (UK) »
Her husband may have been away at war of course.  ;) Was your Aunt married at the time?

If I were you I would extract all the facts from the letters and get it all down on paper. Even the tiniest detail might lead to something:
Estmate years and places of birth
Any mentions of relatives names ages and places of birth and their relationship to Elaine
Addresses

It is up to you but if you wish to let us know all the details we might be able to help you by searching births, deaths and marriages, phone books etc.

I love all the personal details like shoe size.  ;) I wonder if shoe sizing was different in 1945, as 9.5 sounds awfully big when women were smaller than they are today.  :)

I did a bit of detective work inspired my father in laws war time diaries - I found the house where one of his lady friends lived (looked at it on google street view  ;)), he'd mentioned a phone number and I found the same number (with the additon of several digits) right up to the 1960's. I also found out a huge amount of personal information about his favourite lady friend, her ancestry and traced her daughter, her work place and her address in America - scary to be able to find all this stuff so easily online.  ;) Needless to say I did nothing with the information but I would love to have the nerve to contact this woman's daughter, but I feel a bit uncomfortably stalker like ...

Offline Kim Jindra

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #11 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 01:32 BST (UK) »
Great! I'll do it. I've got an engagement this evening but
will get back to it very soon. I'm in Los Angeles btw.

Thank you! Will share my story with you.

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #12 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 02:03 BST (UK) »
Look forward to it Kim. I hope I am not promising too much but I will give it a shot. In the meantime, could you tell me the year and place that your Aunt was born?


Offline Kim Jindra

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #13 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 02:18 BST (UK) »
She was born in texas or Arkansas in July 1915 - I think.
My dad was born in Arkansas in June 1917. My uncle was
too probably around 1919.

I believe my dad met Elaine in England during the war.
from the letters, it sounds like his dad's sister sent Elaine
stockings, candy and I'm not sure what else. I though 9.5 sounded
Big too! She always inquired about my dad's sister in law too.

Thank you.
Kim

Offline Wiggy

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 02:21 BST (UK) »
Might need her name too Kim - your Aunts that is!  and her maiden name.   And any other names mentioned.

Was the contact mainly through your father?

 my grandfather met a nurse in UK, when he was wounded during the war, and he kept in touch with her family all his life - (in fact I went to visit the woman's daughter when I visited UK.)
Gaunt, Ransom, McNally, Stanfield, Kimberley. (Tasmania)
Brown, Johnstone, Eskdale, Brand  (Dumfriesshire,  Scotland)
Booth, Bruerton, Deakin, Wilkes, Kimberley
(Warwicks, Staffords)
Gaunt (Yorks)
Percy, Dunning, Hyne, Grigg, Farley (Devon, UK)
Duncan (Fife, Devon), Hugh, Blee (Cornwall)
Green, Mansfield, (Herts)
Cavenaugh, Ransom (Middlesex)
 

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Offline Kim Jindra

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #15 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 02:34 BST (UK) »
Wiggy

Great story. Inspires me to solve my mystery.

 Lois Marie Ables married Don Smith.
My dad was James DeWitt Ables Jr. The letters were
sent to my grandmother's house. My dad's brother was
Willis Reaves Ables. My dad worked at the hospital in Taunton.

Kim

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #16 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 06:33 BST (UK) »
So assuming that Elaine was around the same age as your Aunt, Uncle and father she would be in her mid to late twenties to about 30, so I am wondering if Sims was her married name?

Offline Ruskie

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Re: Old letters from Elaine Sims Taunton, Somerset 1945
« Reply #17 on: Tuesday 12 June 12 06:42 BST (UK) »
I've had a quick look on Ancestry births and freebmd, but can't see an obvious Elaine Sim*s ... of course she may have been christened with another first name but preferred to use Elaine.  :-\
Kim, did Elaine name her parents in any of these letters?