Edna Margaret Burnell, 1899-1990
On this day in 1899, Edna Margaret Coles nee Burnell was born in Hudson, New Jersey, USA to Ferdinand Edward Burnell and Sabina Charlotte Aston. She was my 3rd cousin twice removed on my maternal line with her Great Great Grandfather being my 4x Great Grandfather Holmes Doo who I have written about in other posts. I wrote about Clifford Allen Aston a few days ago who was born on the 4th March. He was Edna’s Uncle. She was one of 4 children born to Ferdinand and Sabina but her 2 younger sisters died in infancy before Edna was born leaving her as the eldest surviving child with a younger brother Arthur who is also pictured below with his bride Esther Smith. She married Milton Osmar Coles who is also pictured here in 1921. She was 21 and he was 29 and I believe a divorcee although I am yet to find his first marriage. He worked as an Engineer and they built a home together and had 2 children in New Jersey before settling in New York, the birthplace for Milton, in 1940. She died 4 Jan 1990 in Ulster, New York aged 90 and was buried with her husband who had died some years before her in Wiltwyck Cemetery, New York. I think I could write a book about the Doo family connections, I now know that much about them. As always thanks to the many distant cousins who have kindly shared images and information to help inform these histories. These family images came to me courtesy of wachscott at Ancestry Family Trees and the headstone image came courtesy of Donna at www.findagrave.com
(Edna’s husband Milton Osmar “Jay” Coles, 1891-1942)
(Edna’s brother Arthur William Burnell pictured on his wedding day to Esther Mae Smith in 1925)
(Headstone for Milton Osmar “Jay” and Edna Burnell Coles, Wiltwyck Cemetery, Ulster, New York)
