Monday 18 July 2011

Maude

Maude's professional skills were in personnel management eg Owen Owen's dept stores.How she would have laughed at "Human resources" ! She was a magistrate and sat on the bench in Liverpool for many years.

She was a card-carrying Labour Party member...and a great supporter of causes .Later she was Chair of the UNA branch in Harpenden She would have loved the fact that she shared a birthday with Mandela ,being 5 years his senior . These pics are probably on her 80th.

In later life she and elder sister Lily accepted the move to life in a care home.In "Willow Court" they had adjacent rooms : a shared sitting-room + a shared bedroom .They were thrilled when great-great niece H visited !

In late 2003 the sisters fell together : Maude helping Lily to the loo.Sadly , Maude broke her hip but seemed blissfully unaware of the severity .Lily was devastated ...and lonely...but Maude did return.

Lily , having been bright until the end,passed away in the Nov ,aged 97 ...and Maude a few weeks later , a mere 90 [always the #littlesister ...]
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Maude

On 18 July 1913 Maude Erna Oliver was born in Hamburg,returningto UK the following year,during WW1, with her mother + siblings .Her father Rev Harry J Oliver travelled separately [I have docs relating to this] .He was Chaplain to Mission to Seamen in Hamburg.

Maude always referred to herself as a "mistake" ! John ,my f-in-law, born Aug '05 and sister Lily Sept '06 . What a mistake !

To begin with Maude was educated at home by her mother,Elizabeth Mary : a graduate of Royal Holloway College . She was then sent to St Mary's College , Brighton , a school for clergy daughters, and afterwards ,on a scholarship to Newnham College,Cambridge. She read History, as did most of the Olivers, Walronds etc
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