Neta Jean McTait Nadin Back in Birmingham

We have seen that Neta Jean McTait married Thomas Edward Nadin and that they had three children: a son whose wife give him two beautiful daughters; a girl Linda Nita Nadin who married in Oxford Jacques Beaulieu and had three sons in Montréal, Canada, and another son whose Scottish wife gave him a beautiful daughter. But, as he died in Torquay on March 1st 1970, Thomas Edward Nadin was only alive for the marriage of his eldest son, a marriage which he did not approve. It seems that he considered that no one was good enough for his children, according to his daughter. It was quite lucky for the other two children not to have him around to fight tooth and nail against their choices: I would not have had a chance against such a formidable character! (For their life together in Torquay, press HERE.)

A while after her husband died, Neta did not feel as if she had any good reason to continue to live in Torquay. Her children had all left home. So she swapped her Council House in Torquay for one on the outskirts of Birmingham, in a small place called Hollywood.

It was a two bedrooms bungalow with a small kitchen, a lounge, a bathroom and a outhouse. She also had a small enclosed garden in the back with a clothes line. There she was reasonably close to her sister Marjory Shaylor living in Shirley, a suburb south of Birmingham. (It fact, it was within walking distance, at least for young people.) She was also not too far from the other members of her family who had all stayed around Birmingham. The other advantage that she could see was that it was not too far from Oxford where her daughter Linda was living. There was a good train link between Oxford and Birmingham.

It is in this bungalow that I first met Neta although I cannot remember if it was the same year as our marriage or the year before. I would think she moved there around 1971. At one time, she would go for the week-end at her sister Marjory and the other week-end at her sister Betty. Of course when her sister Betty's health deteriorated, she spent more time with her sister Marjory. I remember eating at auntie Marjory on numerous occasions. Auntie Marjory and her husband uncle Len were always exceedingly nice to me. I have very fond memories of both of them.

So she lived in Hollywood until her death on the 11th of September 1997. She died in her bed in her bungalow, with her two sons by her side. Her daughter and son-in-law were not given enough notice considering that they were starting from Montréal; she was dead before anything could be organized. Her ashes were brought back to Torquay to join those of her husband.

Linda's wedding brought some of her family to come together and as is quite often the case, some photos were taken. (For more on Linda in Oxford and her wedding there, press HERE.)

Her daughter and son-in-law visited her four times in Birmingham; the first summer following their marriage and the second. Then in the summers of 1996 and 1997 as by then their children could be left for long periods of time. On many an occasion, they invited her over for extensive stays with them and their children. She was with them for the birth of their two last sons, which was a great help to them. Of course all that depended among other things on her daughter's health, which was often quite bad.

On her last trip to visit both her sons, in the summer of 1996, she was accompanied by her daughter and her husband who took her by train to Torquay and Edimburg. All three were pleased to meet and stay a little while with her sons and daughters-in-law. I remember this trip very fondly. (For more on that trip of 1996, press HERE.)

The year later, Neta was quite ill when we visited her. Her eldest son had been staying with her. Her daughter and I took over. While there, in the summer of 1997, Len Shaylor died. Of course she had been able to see quite often that year her sister Marjory McTait Shaylor. But at the funeral she was also able to see her sister Mabel McTait Wilcox, as well as many of her nephews and nieces and her sons and daughter. (For more on that trip of 1997, press HERE.)