My Mother's Cousin became my Mother in Law
By Anne Miller
This article was originally published in the December 2000 edition of Soul Search, the journal of The Sole Society.
Dave and I met in October 1952. He was serving in the United
States Air Force at Brigstock, near Kettering, in Northamptonshire. He was 21
years old and I was 17 years old.
His grandmother living in North Carolina was the widow of Herbert H. Saull; she was my mother's aunt. My mother had two aunts in USA, Annie Rosenthal nee Saull and Sonora Saull nee Stewart. My mother kept up correspondence with them over many years and they sent us food parcels during the war.
When Aunt Sonora wrote and told us that her favourite Grandson was now stationed in England, he was invited to our house to visit. We were living in Luton at the time and he spent most of his time off with us.
Romance between us soon blossomed and we were engaged in November 1953 and married at the Luton Parish Church June 12 1954. Dave by that time was stationed at Sealand Air Force Base, near Chester. Our daughter Joy was born at Burtonwood, Lancashire the following May 1955.
We came to America in November of that year and I met my mother's cousin, Leora Miller nee Saull for the first time, only now she was my mother-in-law. She was the very best of mother-in-laws and welcomed me into the family with open arms. David's grandmother (my mother's aunt) also came to Maine from North Carolina to meet me. She was a very sweet little old lady and thrilled to hold her first Great Granddaughter born in England.
We were able to trace our ancestors through our close family ties and our interest in family. I was privileged to receive upon their deaths all the photograph albums from David's grandmother Sonora Saull and my mother's other aunt living in Long Island, Annie Rosenthal nee Saull. I also have a vast collection of letters and postcards from the turn of the century saved by them and our late parents.
I must thank Susan Payne of Cleethorpes who has done a vast amount of research on the earlier Saull's and Pam Garner of Hardingstone who made the South African connection for us. Both ladies are Saull descendants and relatives of Dave and I.
Dave and I have also visited the Northampton Records office several times. Spent one day at Harrisburg, PA, in addition we check on many genealogy links via the Internet. We are very fortunate to have this material together with the all-important passed down verbal stories. As my husband is now 69 years old and I am nearing 65 we really must get more research done and try to write a complete story some day!
John Saull, born 1818 in Northampton with his second wife Maria Chaplin
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