Tracing Olive Gibbons Home Child

[RunKitty]

Hello Kim,

I am so glad that you and Kate managed to find each other.  I am sure Olive and Ivy would be thrilled

I just reread Ivy's death announcement in the Toronto Star.  I see that she died in the Riverdale Hospital.   The hospital is under a different name now, but I know for certain that in 1992 it was a rehabilitation facility with a long term care section.   It wasn't an acute care hospital.   I am surprised that she died there - but she may have been in the long term care section instead of the rehab part. 

http://www.alanbrown.com/TorontoHistory/Pages_PQR/Riverdale_Hospital.html

Here is the plaque outside the building.  As you can see from the transcription of the plaque, the hospital became a chronic and rehabilitation care facility in 1963.  It was still operating as that in 1992.

It is now Bridgepoint Health - and I think a huge renovation/rebuild is in the works.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgepoint_Health

The obituary is really short.  It just says where and when she died (Riverdale Hospital on Monday Sept 7, 1992), that there are believed to be surviving relatives in England and that she would be fondly remembered by her friend Eileen Bigley of Toronto.   It further says that Ivy requested no service and she was to be cremated and interred at Mount Pleasant Cemetery (Toronto).    That's it... 

I can look in the Toronto Directories for you if you would like, though it won't be for a couple of weeks.   The directories are in the downtown Reference Library and I have an appointment near there at the end of the month. 

RK
 
     

[Ancestrykim]

Thank you so much for that information RK, how sad that Ivy should end her life in care and even sadder that she request no funeral service!  I wonder if Eileen Bigley is still alive?  Anyway, any information that you could procure for us would be very much appreciated, it's really very very kind of you.  Coincidentally, my husband and I were living in Alberta at the time of Ivy's death, he was serving with the British Military and we lived on the prairies for 2 yrs!  Our daughter was born in Medicine Hat General Hospital and is the proud owner of a Canadian Passport!!
Thanks again for your time and help,
kind regards,
Kim

[valeriec]

www.canada411.ca

There are only 28 Bigley's listed in all of Canada on the on-line telephone directory. Only 3 in Toronto and 20 in Ontario. I think it would be worth sending off letters by post to see if anyone has information on the people you are looking for. It is unlikely that Eileen would still be alive but family members may have information for you. It would be worth a try. There is usually one person in every family who has an interest in history and genealogy. You just need to find the one in the Bigley family.

[Ancestrykim]

Thanks Valerie, I'll follow that one up.  I know it seems unlikely, but Eileen Bigley needn't have been as old as Ivy, she could have been much younger.
Thanks for your advice and time,
regards,
Kim

[Jacquie in Canada]

even sadder that she request no funeral service!

I wouldn't say it was sad that she didn't want a funeral service. Maybe she wasn't religous or didn't want her friends to have to pay for a funeral or maybe she just didn't like funerals - there are lots of reasons why a person requests no service and it's not uncommon.

Jacquie

[Ancestrykim]

Perhaps I'm just old fashioned!!!!
Regards,
Kim

[KAberdein]

Hi everyone!

Hi Kim, Glad you found it to this site!  I'm Kate, Sues daughter.

Well I am so exited as I was also in touch with another person who remembers Olive and had an old letter from one of her friends and Olives married name was HISSA!!!

Its so unusual that I am hoping to be able to find some information about Olive.  I have found a private tree on Ancestry of a Barbara Olive Hissa and have emailed them.  I don't really believe in coincidence but the combination of names can't be one! 

Fingers crossed

Kate

[valeriec]

www.canada411.ca
has 10 surname Hissa in Ontario with mailing addresses and phone numbers in case you need to go this route.

[Ancestrykim]

I'm soooo excited for you Kate!!!!  That is quite an unusual sounding surname so I'm really hoping that Barbara Olive Hissa is the person you want her to be.  I really do believe in coincidence and this one sounds like it was meant to be.
Let us know how you get on.................uhhhhhhh, you must be on tenterhooks?!!!!
kind regards,
Kim