MacDonalds or McDonalds in central Vancouver

[djct59]

My grandmother's elder brother was a John Mather MacDonald (1893-1979), whose first wife was Bridget Sheehy (!894-1962). He was divorced and remarried in the 1950s to a lady of Croatian descent. They had a daughter who had certain physical and mental difficulties, and they visited Scotland in the mid-1970s when the daughter was about 16. While I suspect both wife and daughter have passed on, the descendants of his first marriage know very little of his second marriage, so both may still be alive. I have a name for the second wife, but obviously cannot post it.

If any of this rings any bells, please feel free to let me know and I can respond.

Thank you

[RedMystic]

Hello djct59

Here is a start for you. This link provides John MacDonald's death record as well as his 2nd wife's name / maiden name (which you say you have).

https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-267-12569-60553-50?cc=1538285

Death records for BC are available up to 1993. I don't see death records for his 2nd wife or child in that province before that time.

[djct59]

That's very helpful - thank you. Many of the Croatian community in B.C. had, it appears, slightly anglicised their surnames, and the spelling I had was slightly different to the one here. That allows me to try a narrower search. it's sad to realise that a few years before his death, John and his wife returned to his home village where his parents were born, but this doesn't seem to have registered at all with his widow 

[djct59]

RedMystic: Even using the original Croatian spelling, I'm afraid I'm not coming up with good information. The name is a fairly common one within the Croat community, so I'd hoped that wife's name might have cropped up in some other family obituary, but no such luck. It appears that she may have been naturalised in 1932 when still a child; that accords with the recollection of John MacDonald's niece who met her in the mid-70s and reckoned she was about 25 years younger than him. That would make her over ninety by now.

His grandchildren from his first marriage weren't close to her - they lost touch in the late sixties as far as I know.  To look further in BC, would I need to employ a local researcher?

[jfremont]

This may be a red herring but there is a death in 1992 in Vancouver of a person with the second wife's (maiden?) name. But her husband is not MacDonald so may not be the same person. A son is the informant. http://search-collections.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/Genealogy/DisplayGenealogyImage?k=df2d6ad8-bfb1-468f-97ff-8a6e6f4e51db This person would be 19 years younger than John MacDonald.

There are only three listings for the surname in B.C. here http://www.canada411.ca/. May be worth a try since one of the names might be the informant (son).

John

[RedMystic]

Nicely done John. 

I see a fellow of the same name as the informant on Danica's death record has a telephone listing in Vancouver.

djct59, I live in the same province and could place a call on your behalf. Personal message me (click on the icon that look like stationary under my avatar picture on the left) if you'd like me to give it a try.

[djct59]

jfremont: Thanks for your help but there are a number of reasons why I'm minded to rule this person out. The addresses don't match, and the surname appears to be her married name not her birth name. I also suspect that there's a better candidate who was a child in 1932.

OTOH, I'm not ruling out the husband here being a relation of the lady I seek

[djct59]

After much searching, it emerges that Donna Anne McDonald/MacDonald seems to have died in Vancouver in October 2016, aged about 59. I believe she was unmarried and childless. Her mother was Danica Brnjac/Macdonald, and I am also sure she has long since passed away. If anyone can confirm this from local newspaper etc this would be much appreciated.

[RedMystic]

Hi djct59

I looked for a McDonald / MacDonld death in Vancouver in Oct 2016. I found a woman of about the right age, but her middle name was Donna and she was married. I can't see anyone else.

I did find Danica's naturalization index.

http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?id=1932-07-09_0406&op=pdf&app=naturalization19151936

She's near the bottom of the page. I wonder if the person above her is her father and the person below her is a brother? 

I wish I could help more.