Tuesday 22 July 2014

Helen Margaret SKALBERG nee McFadyen

My grandmother's first cousin was Helen Margaret McFadyen.

Helen, known as Margaret,  was born in 1909 at Brunswick, Victoria the youngest daughter of John Thomas McFadyen and his wife Katie (Catherine nee Adams).

Catherine/Katie nee Adams died in 1946 - she was a daughter of George Adams and Catherine Barry.


Again cousin Christine came up trumps in a search for Catherine/Katie's daughter, Mrs Margaret Skalberg.  She found the following document in the National Archives.  I requested permission from the NAA to use the image here.

photo courtesy of National Archives of Victoria
All of the above information fits with what we have found in electoral rolls etc.
I didn't know that an Australian who married an "alien" resident had to also register as an alien.
Helen/Margaret's husband, John Skalberg, has been listed on the Russian Anzacs website and he served for Australia in both World Wars.


Born 1895 (WWI), 3.01.1898 (WWII)     Place St Petersburg, North-Western Russia (WWI) or Wolmar (Valmiera), Latvia (WWII)     Ethnic origin Russian/Latvian?     Religion Roman Catholic
Father Skalberg, Joseph
Arrived at Australia -
Residence before enlistment Port Melbourne
Occupation 1916 labourer, 1941 salesman
Service
service number 518A     enlisted 5.12.1916     POE Melbourne
unit 10th MG Company, 13th MG Company, 4th MG Battalion       rank Private
place Western Front, 1917-1918      casualties WIA 1918
final fate RTA 5.04.1919       discharged 7.11.1919
Naturalisation served as Russian subject
Residence after the war Melbourne
Wife Helen Skalberg, married 1929 (?); son Ivan John Skalberg
WWII served 1941-1945 Army pay corps
Died 15.08.1974

In searching the electoral rolls things get a bit confusing.  Helen/Margaret named her address as 169 Brunswick Road but in the electoral roll in 1949 there is listed a Helen Alfreda Skalberg.  We can't find Helen/Margaret and John Skalberg together anywhere.

In 1954 an Ivan John Skalberg (son?) was living at 169 Brunswick road.  He was a commercial artist, but neither Helen nor John were listed there.  He was later living in Heidelberg.

Helen Skalberg died in 1976 at Parkville, Victoria.  Her husband, John Skalberg, died in 1974.  They are both buried at Fawkner Cemetery.

1 comment:

  1. I did know that from my German rellies, but how untrusting we were in terms of people who may have lived here for years.

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