The Widow Bliven

The Widow Bliven

#52ancestors #13

https://news.google.com/newspapers
13 May 1971 The Day

Although this person, Mildred Alice Britton Bliven is not my ancestor, she is important because she was the second wife of Harry/Henry Manuel Bliven, the husband of my late great aunt, Dorothy Palmer Barber.  

Through records, I have determined that my great aunt and Harry must have divorced sometime between 1924 and 1929 because he married this woman Mildred Alice Britton and they had their first child in August of 1930. I found that child's birth date from his obituary. I have not found the date of divorce or the second marriage date in many searches.

Mildred was from New York and Harry was a traveling salesman who sold automobile parts. My great aunt must have met him because her father was in the automotive business with his son, Harold Schofield Barber in Westerly, Rhode Island.

My late mother told me that my great aunt had an illegitimate son born to her and given up for adoption when my mother was a toddler. I can't prove that. I think maybe someday, a descendant of that son may find me through DNA, so I keep researching.

My family was not so wild about Harry. He liked fast cars and he scared my mother.  I have found that Harry may be buried in Elm Grove Cemetery because this wife is listed in this obit as buried there in 1971.

The best part about this obituary is that I did not find it by searching for it. It was on the same part as one of my Broadfoot relatives.