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Research in Other Countries => United States of America => Topic started by: Erato on Monday 04 May 15 02:20 BST (UK)
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Patrick William French died in Bethesda, Maryland in 2012. An extensive obituary was published in the Washington Times:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtontimes/obituary.aspx?pid=159316667
It says, "Born in Paris, France in 1947, Mr. French was the son of American diplomat Harry George French. His growing-up years were spent abroad, living in France, South Africa, Australia, Turkey, Ireland, and Switzerland."
I am looking for an obituary for the father, Harry George French. Presumably a diplomat, even a minor one, would get some mention in the press but I haven't found anything yet. He may have died in Japan. An interview with another diplomat says, "We had an Admin Counselor named Harry George French. Mr. French drank at least a quart of scotch a day, and wouldn’t wear his hearing aids. Later the Department assigned him to Tokyo to be GSO and he dropped dead a week after his arrival in Japan."
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/mss/mfdip/2007%20txt%20files/2007hel01.txt
I suspect that this Harry George French is mine, born 7 May 1918 in Kenosha Wisconsin and died in July 1977 [SSDI] but I need an obituary to confirm his birth details.
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Not much help, but there is a record in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Harry French, born 7 May 1918. Died 22 July 1977.
He enlisted (enlistment date 1) 5 January 1945 and the release date (release date 1) was 12 October 1946.
Will continue to have a look around.
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WWII Army Enlistment Record
Harry G French, born 1918, white, nativity state: Wisconsin, state of residence: Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Enlistment date and Place: 3 January 1945, Baltimore, Maryland.
Grade: Private
One year of college; civil occupation: Clerk, general office
Single, without dependents
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Thanks, Lisa. That's the guy I'm after. I had found that record.
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You're welcome.
There is an online "book" Foreign Service List, January 1, 1952
Australia, Harry G. French, admin, officer
Perhaps your man?
Foreign Service List, January 1, 1950
Vienna, Austria
Harry G. French, vice consul
Foreign Service List, October 1, 1949
Capetown
Harry G. French, vice consul
So far, no obit.
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Do you have all of the articles about Mr. French? There is one in 1956 about Mrs. French mentioning drawbacks of living in foreign countries. (I'm hoping to eventually find "key words" that I can use to locate an obituary.)
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No I haven't seen that article. Was her name Dorothy?
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Just Mrs. Harry G. French.
There isn't a link to give you but I found it by doing an internet search for - "Harry French" vice consul - name of the article is "Servants are not always a pleasure".
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http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/59499733 Sunday Times 4 Dec 1949
photo
Cheers, JM
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It must be the right Harry. The article was published in Milwaukee where she was visiting her parents. My own Harry and his wife were both from Wisconsin.
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Wonderful article, JM!
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Yes, ties in well with the 2012 obit for Patrick.
Cheers, JM
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I just loved, "They do the best they can, but their standards are not the same as ours." I've spent some time around diplomatic wives. Nothing has changed, I'm sorry to say.
Thanks for the photo, majm. I'm almost 100% convinced that this is the right man.
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Mentioned in this from Google Books: Dept of State News Letter, pg 71
http://tinyurl.com/lavg5xr
states he died at his home in Rockville, MD, July 22nd
he was an administrative officer in Tokyo
looks like this is an obituary
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concerning above book, here is the publishing information:
Title Department of State News Letter
Author United States. Dept. of State
Contributor United States. Dept. of State. Bureau of Administration
Publisher Bureau of Administration, 1977
Original from Michigan State University
Digitized Feb 12, 2015
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I took a look at the MSU Library catalog and found the following:
http://catalog.lib.msu.edu/record=b2212868~S39a
There is a link on the right to "ask a librarian". Maybe they can provide you with the obit.
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Hello, may I ask why you are curious about an obituary for Harry?
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"Hello, may I ask why you are curious about an obituary for Harry?"
Yes. I am slowly tracking down the descendants of my gg-grandparents John Ennis and Mary McGee. One of those descendants was Harry George French - a gg-grandson of John and Mary and a third cousin to me.
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Oh, wow. I am his granddaughter, Kathleen. Yesterday was the 40 year anniversary of his passing, so I was googling his name and stumbled upon his post. I suppose this makes me your third cousin, twice removed! Let me know if I can be of any help in your research. My father, Mark, Harry's son, is also really on top of family history.
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John and Mary Ennis had ten children. Harry was descended from their daughter Eliza, the second child, and I am descended from Hugh, the sixth one. Eliza married Alonzo Benjamin Yates [1821 - 1895] - I'd be interested to know more about him.
[By the way, we share the same first name and nickname].
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Did Eliza and Alonzo have a daughter named Mary Yates?
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Yes, Eliza and Alonzo had 15 children of which 11 survived well into adulthood. The third one was Mary E. Yates, born in Minnesota in 1862. She married Gilbert Lewis French.
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Yes! Mary and Gilbert were my grandfather Harry's grandparents. My dad, Mark, has done a lot of ancestry research, too. My email address is Kmf0206@aol.com. Maybe we can talk more and fill in some of the gaps. I'm so glad to connect with you!
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I have copied your email address. The moderators will erase it from this thread because they are worried about people getting spam mail. It's easier, though, to communicate by private message. I will send you one now. You can read it by clicking on 'My Messages" at the top of the page.