Hello Roma, hello Judith. Yes I'm still around, just about, having personally discovered our history of heart disease like so many Scottish families. I did notice its prevalence in many death certificates during research but 2014 really brought our medical history to life ... er, maybe that's not the phrase but my surgeons did a wonderful job on my plumbing.
The story of my family's Australian emigrants was by far the highlight of our history. In 1872 my greatx3 aunt Margaret Goddard's daughter Louisa married Emil Theodore Sichlau (1844-1910) a Norwegian emigrant from Oslo and the family moved to Geelong, where they had three children. Louisa died in 1902 aged only 50, and her son Louis died at 35, which makes me wonder if they too inherited our cardiac history. Her husband Emil died in 1910 aged 65. All are buried in Geelong Cemetery, where the very kind staff sent me a picture of their headstone.
I did not follow the Sichlau connection further but I would like to have copy of the obit. If the Sichlau family would like to have our story from North Queensferry in Fife to Australia, which is part of their history too, they would be very welcome, as indeed is anyone else as it could never have been written without the help of so many in Oz -- thanks again!
Roma, I shall send you a PM. Best wishes for 2016 to you all.
