On Monday of this week, I received an e-mail from England.  It was a distant cousin of Sylvia who had read the blog post I did on Mary Baxter Yallup in 2009.  Mary was Sylvia’s great great grandmother.  Distant cousin Carol Kimberley is researching the Baxter family, had found the blog post (actually there were four of them) and wanted to know if I had more info on Mary.  I sent her copies of what I had.

Mary, you may recall, was pregnant again when she took her daughters and went to visit her parents during the week of the fair.  Her husband, George, went with her, but quickly returned home “to work.”  He didn’t go home to work.  He left Mary a note and left for America.  Another account says he wrote from Cleveland, Ohio.

Shortly after posting my first story about George Yallup and Mary Baxter Yallup, I heard from [distant] cousin Peter Yallup.  He was able share some more of their story.  Later, a cousin whom we see about once a year, shared a 1913 newspaper account that reported on the family.

George and Mary showed a lot of grit and determination, characteristics which I see today in their great great granddaughter, Sylvia.  I’m so glad to have made contact with Carol and to be reminded of Mary Baxter Yallup, who ranks high in my short list of heroes.