Amazing stories: finding family

As readers may recall from previous stories, Dennis McNerney has worked very hard over the years to find his family of origin, with considerable success.

Dennis’s persistence paid off once again, when - with the help of DNA technology and research by Dr Lesley Silvester of the WA Genealogical Society (WAGS) - he located a sister in Portugal and nieces in England.

Dennis and his lovely wife Nicky travelled to Europe in August/September 2019 and met his sister Shirley for the first time, in Lagos in southern Portugal. Dennis said the meeting with Shirley went fabulously well, and the strong connection they made was more than he could have hoped for.

Dennis also made a great connection with his father’s sister – Aunty Dymphna (also in Lagos), and with his nieces Michelle and Sharon (Shirley’s daughters) in England. Congratulations Dennis – we are in awe of your dedicated family tracing work.

Photo: Dennis with his sister Shirley

Bob Taylor’s amazing story of finding family

After six decades of searching for his family of origin, former child migrant Robert Taylor finally located family members in 2016 (see our story on Bob in the Feb 2017 Tuart Times: https:// tinyurl.com/TuartTimes13). Bob’s search for his mother began when he left Bindoon at the age of 16, and continued with frustrating results throughout his adult life.

In 2011, Bob published a book called Who Am I?, detailing his life experiences, including his earliest memories in the UK, his time at Boys’ Town Bindoon, his work as a National Park Ranger, and his ongoing search for his mother and his own identity.

In 2016, with the help of DNA technology and genealogist Louise Coakley, 76-year-old Bob learned that his mother’s name was Sheila Taylor, and that she had died decades ago. Sheila’s only sister had also passed away, but her three children – Bob’s first cousins – knew they had a missing cousin named Robert, and were delighted that Bob had finally found them.

Since finding his cousins Bob has travelled to England three times, with the help of the UK Government’s Family Restoration Fund. Bob’s extended family have been very welcoming and receptive.

Bob’s most recent trip was to celebrate his 80th birthday on 12th September 2019. He writes:

“On the day of my birthday, a surprise celebration had been arranged for me by my wife Carol and my newly found cousins Chris, Rod and their wives, Janet and Sylvia. Nearly 30 relatives turned up for the buffet lunch, over three generations (some I’d never met). It was the best birthday I have ever celebrated in my whole 80 years”. Bob (centre) with cousins Chris & Rod

10 Des and Merle O’Neill receive The Tuart Times because Des’ brother Peter came to Australia in 1939 as a 10-year-old with other boys from Nazareth House Bristol, leaving behind two brothers, Des and Patrick. It was a sad time for the three brothers. When Peter arrived in Australia he was sent to Clontarf and Tardun. His brother Des came to Australia in 1950, with the express purpose of reuniting with Peter.

The brothers got to know each other again and Merle says that Peter was the “best uncle to our children growing up, and is remembered to this day by all of them with love”. Peter never married and passed very suddenly of a heart attack in 1999. Des is now 92 and happily married to Merle, with a lovely family of four children, three grandchildren, and four greatgrandchildren.

Des and Merle stay in contact with family members Peter discovered when he travelled back to England in 1997 and met a previously unknown brother and sisters. Des and Merle also went back to England, for a reunion of former residents of Nazareth House Bristol, where Des caught up with some of the boys who had been there with him and his brother Patrick.

Many thanks Merle for sharing your family’s story with us. Our two photos show a young Peter O’Neill at Tardun in the 1940s, and in the 1990s. The story of Peter O’Neill