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Rebecca A Gunter / MacDonald / de Pique / Schmutz

ProfilePosted byOptionsPost Date

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 19 Jul 2021 21:06

Nameslessone is correct.

Info here about researching Swiss records:

https://www.familysearch.org/wiki/en/Switzerland_Genealogy



nameslessone

nameslessone Report 19 Jul 2021 20:41

You probably need to know which canton she was was living and possibly had children in before you can do any searching. You would then possibly have to apply direct.

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher Report 19 Jul 2021 20:06

I had been putting together a family tree for Delia/Rebecca to see what leads I could find on Facebook. I messaged a couple of Rebecca's cousins, plus another cousins son. But my messages haven't even been seen. There is another cousin I could message (think it is correct person). Plus another person I messaged I think may have been a half-brother of Delia. He too hasn't seen my message on Facebook.

Completely out of the blue, I received a message on Ancestry a couple of days ago from a kind stranger who had seen some plaques on a bench in Sidmouth, Devon. Well actually, she was curious about the plaques and looked the names up on Ancestry and saw my message on there. Sadly, Rebecca died in 1996, at the young age of 41. She was living in Geneva. So Georges Schmutz was Swiss as first thought. There was a second plaque for Delia who died in 2014.

Delia was co-habiting with George W Hedger, born 1934 in Gosport. Delia was from Portsmouth, although lived in neighbouring Gosport at some stage, so possible that they may have been friends from way before they got together. I don't know if they ever got married but both Delia and George both used the surname MacDonald-Hedger. It looks like they were living in Spain for many years and at some point they were living in Carmarthen. Could they have been married in Spain? I don't know if that is a Spanish thing for married couples to hyphenate their surnames together?

The reason I started this post is that Delia married my grandfather in 1967. It was the second marriage for both of them. Rebecca adopted the surname MacDonald after my grandfather. My aunt was always suspicious that my grandfather had fathered Rebecca. And that Rebecca may have been a half-sister, rather than a step-sister. That is something I am still curious to find out.

I have no idea if Rebecca had children. I don't know of a web site where one can check Swiss records.

Mistycat

Mistycat Report 5 May 2021 18:02

Delia had two brothers, Dennis and Gordon, both now dead, as are their wives.

Dennis had four children, cousins to Rebecca....I’ll pm details Andy.

Gordon possibly had at least two children......I’ll send those too

From Ancestry....

Delia Sylvia Gunter (nee Waters)
Residence Year1960
Registration Date 28 March 1960
Publisher General Nursing Council for England & Wales
Royal Portsmouth and Queen Alexander Hospitals School of Nursing
Reg number 282107

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher Report 3 May 2021 21:53

Yes, I have tried Rebecca under her various surnames. Only references I can see are per my original post.

Have been searching for Jaime de Pique and Georges Schmutz without any luck. Given their names they could well have been born in Spain and Germany/Austira/Switzerland. That's why I think there's a possibility she moved abroad. Probably weren't too many people with foreign names in South East Hampshire back in the 70's.

I did find her on an electoral roll around 1974 in Aberdeenshire. Certainly is her as surname was down as MacDonald de Pique. And would have been back down South before 1979 for her second marriage to Georges Schmutz.

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 3 May 2021 21:13

Have you looked in ;search all member trees’?

Or in the ER?

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher Report 3 May 2021 18:42

Curiosity. Someone I only found out about recenty during my family research.

No idea!

ErikaH

ErikaH Report 3 May 2021 18:30

Why do you wish to make contact?

Would this lady wish to have contact with you?

ArgyllGran

ArgyllGran Report 3 May 2021 18:07

That Delia in 2002 was living in Kilmarnock, aged 86-90, per the Electoral Roll on GR (see under "Search" at top right of this page).

I don't see a death in Scotland for any such person.

A woman named Delia O'Donnell MacDonald , also listed as McSherry, mmn McArthur, died in Dalry, Ayrshire in 2002 - but aged 77.


The Kilmarnock address has been sold twice since the ER entry - 2004 and 2008.

malyon

malyon Report 3 May 2021 17:51

sent you pm with address

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher Report 3 May 2021 17:28

Do you know where she is in that 2002 roll?

malyon

malyon Report 3 May 2021 17:22

there is a delia macdonald on electrol list but its 2002 not finding a death in uk

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher

AndyTheFamilyTreeResearcher Report 3 May 2021 16:34

Portsmouth area.

Born 1955. Don't know if she is still around. May have moved abroad?

Born as Gunter.
Later adopted as MacDonald when her mother re-married.
May have married Jaime de Pique in 1973, South-East Hampshire.
Possibly based in Aberdeenshire in 1970's.
May have re-married Georges Schmutz in 1979, South-East Hampshire.

No results on 192 or Facebook.

Her mother was born Delia S Waters in 1934. Married as Gunter, then re-married as MacDonald in 1967 (separated and widowed in 1970's). Lived in Portsmouth/Gosport (possibly Chichester area as well). She too could still be alive.