Mary Ellen Bateman

My Nan(grand mother) was born Mary Ellen Blower, she was born in Wolverhampton on the 24th November 1887 and she married Joe in Wolverhampton at All Saints Church on the 16th Feb 1907.

She had ten children Harriet (Ruth)Frank Rose Thomas all born in Wolverhampton. Robert(Bobby) William (Bill) Violet Mary Tina and Raymond all born in Canada.

Nan died on the 17 July 1980 just weeks after Mary and I visited her in Toronto and again at Oakville Ontario. When we were with her at her little flat where she rented in a high rise senior complex, just one bedroom. She told us of her life as young lady as she cooked me and Mary a meal! She was 96 then! She told us how she had sat in her apartment watching as a huge Russian helicopter put the top on the one of the worlds largest free standing buildings. The giant CN Tower in Toronto. She had a great view from her apartment and she told me that she watched as the 'copter did its work!

It was at this time that she told me that she worked at the Sunbeam in Wolverhampton. There is a lot to write about my Nan. She was a real gutsy woman. In this picture one that I took in her son Bills kitchen in Maurice Drive Oakville in 1979. It is a great picture as it captures Nan with her lovely smile.

Mary Ellen Bateman is buried at St Judes Cemetry Oakville Ontario Canada.

I shall keep coming back to this part of our history to refresh the information!