MY MOTHER
My mother was Georgina Mae Van Duren, born Critchley. She was of British, Scottish, and Irish decent.
Her Father was Joseph Critchley 1886-1973
born, Westleigh*, Lancashire England,
immigrated to USA at age 2 June 1888 with parents William Critchley and mother Ellen Ann Critchley, and siblings Thomas, Ellen, and John.
My grandpa Joseph died in Paterson New Jersey in 1973. He was of British and Irish decent.
Her Mother was Georgina Steele Critchley, 1887-1969, born Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA, but of Scottish and Irish decent.
Her Siblings:
Hazel Critchley, 1917-1975.
Buried in Totowa New Jersey next to her parents.
Sgt. Joseph Howard Critchley, buried in North Carolina.
Daughter: Jacquelyn Gail (VanDuren) Simmons, 1947 to present.
Son: Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren, Wednesday, April 15, 1953 to present.
My mother leaves behind 3 grandchildren, Michael, Paul, and Sarah, 11 great grandchildren, and 2 step-grandchildren Phillip (now deceased) and Jeff Stephenson, 1 step great grandchild Alyson.
And numerous nephews and nieces.
In Eastside High School,abt 1934-1938, Miss Critchley was a visionary and tread setter when she tried to start the school's first all girl's track team, at a time in history when society thought young women "are NOT supposed to run."That they are supposed to only to learn sewing, cooking, and birthing babies. But, competitive running came naturally to her as her father was a famous competitive runner winning several medals in both New Jersey and New York City.
After secretarial school, she was a private secretary for an attorney at an Insurance Company in New York City.
Later along with other members of the family my mother along with my father William Van Duren were employed by the family business: Critchley's Home Made Candy, situated in Paterson New Jersey.
In the 1950s in Oakland New Jersey, she was a Brownie Leader and a Girl Scout leader. She loved camping, hiking, and bird watching.
In the early 1960s she did Stanley Home Products parties and sales, and then later Avon Products parties and sales, including winning a top prize for #1 Seller with top sales in northeastern United States. She was honored with her prize at an Avon banquet in New York.
In her 50 and 60s, Georgina Mae (Critchley) Van Duren enjoyed bird watching (looking up and naming all the birds), knitting, sewing, cross stitch, ceramics, gardening, cooking, baking, playing the piano, and reading especially her Bible, and attending church, a Baptist. Was active with the Newland-Pasquotank Women's Homemakers group in Pasquotank county, North Carolina.
Also in her 60s (about 1985-1989) she still could take and transcribe shorthand, using this skill to take notes during church sermons at Berea Baptist Church, Newland, Pasquotank county, NC. Later, when home, she'd transcribe her notes.
In the early 1990s, she was diagnosed with kidney and bladder cancer, where in Festus, Jefferson county, Missouri, she passed away, and was cremated. Ashes buried next to her beloved husband in Jefferson National Cemetery.
###
My mother:
A very Artistic rich and Emotionally strong colorful animated, but volatile mucurial women.
I (her son, Bob vanduren) always thought she'd be around forever. I mean, I felt that if Death came to her door, she'd first invite him very politely in for tea and pastry. Then, just when old scratch thought he had her, she'd spit in his eye and kick him out. AS Death was flying out the door, she'd scream "...and, DON'T EVER COME BACK YOU UGLY $@(#% THING or -- I'll kick you so hard down there, that you can't have no more children, no more"."
In fact my one of my favorite poems that remind me of her juxtaposed mercurial personality (which I would say was a melancholic pragmatic, or melancholic sanguine, like I am) is:
"There was a Little Girl"
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was HORRID."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, when I think of you, I know you inspired me to be a dreamer, a dreamer of impossible things. Like the part from Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland":
Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
--
Mom, by encouraging me to read, Read, and READ some more, everything and anything, you in fact helped me to "Believe in [sic]...six impossible things, before breakfast", to increase my imagination to the Nth degree, and thereby increasing my creative writing ability. For this I sincerely thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, you are Remembered and Missed and Loved especially by me, and Jacquie too. We mom were/are very much alike. Richly artistic, but, also unfortunately greatly temperamently volatile. Mercurial. May you mom -- Rest in Peace and Happiness and Joy and Love and especially Laughter, with Dad, your siblings Hazel and Joe, and your parents, at Our LORD JESUS' great banqueting table, in God's Holy Kingdom, for all Eternity.
*Westleigh name changed and is now incorporated into Leigh,
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan,
Greater Manchester, England.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Originally created by me, just after the death of my father 23 April 2003.
Updated on Sunday March 1, 2020 by her only son Robert Keith "Cookie" VanDuren. My sister Jacquie (VanDuren) Simmons lives in Florida.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My mother was Georgina Mae Van Duren, born Critchley. She was of British, Scottish, and Irish decent.
Her Father was Joseph Critchley 1886-1973
born, Westleigh*, Lancashire England,
immigrated to USA at age 2 June 1888 with parents William Critchley and mother Ellen Ann Critchley, and siblings Thomas, Ellen, and John.
My grandpa Joseph died in Paterson New Jersey in 1973. He was of British and Irish decent.
Her Mother was Georgina Steele Critchley, 1887-1969, born Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA, but of Scottish and Irish decent.
Her Siblings:
Hazel Critchley, 1917-1975.
Buried in Totowa New Jersey next to her parents.
Sgt. Joseph Howard Critchley, buried in North Carolina.
Daughter: Jacquelyn Gail (VanDuren) Simmons, 1947 to present.
Son: Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren, Wednesday, April 15, 1953 to present.
My mother leaves behind 3 grandchildren, Michael, Paul, and Sarah, 11 great grandchildren, and 2 step-grandchildren Phillip (now deceased) and Jeff Stephenson, 1 step great grandchild Alyson.
And numerous nephews and nieces.
In Eastside High School,abt 1934-1938, Miss Critchley was a visionary and tread setter when she tried to start the school's first all girl's track team, at a time in history when society thought young women "are NOT supposed to run."That they are supposed to only to learn sewing, cooking, and birthing babies. But, competitive running came naturally to her as her father was a famous competitive runner winning several medals in both New Jersey and New York City.
After secretarial school, she was a private secretary for an attorney at an Insurance Company in New York City.
Later along with other members of the family my mother along with my father William Van Duren were employed by the family business: Critchley's Home Made Candy, situated in Paterson New Jersey.
In the 1950s in Oakland New Jersey, she was a Brownie Leader and a Girl Scout leader. She loved camping, hiking, and bird watching.
In the early 1960s she did Stanley Home Products parties and sales, and then later Avon Products parties and sales, including winning a top prize for #1 Seller with top sales in northeastern United States. She was honored with her prize at an Avon banquet in New York.
In her 50 and 60s, Georgina Mae (Critchley) Van Duren enjoyed bird watching (looking up and naming all the birds), knitting, sewing, cross stitch, ceramics, gardening, cooking, baking, playing the piano, and reading especially her Bible, and attending church, a Baptist. Was active with the Newland-Pasquotank Women's Homemakers group in Pasquotank county, North Carolina.
Also in her 60s (about 1985-1989) she still could take and transcribe shorthand, using this skill to take notes during church sermons at Berea Baptist Church, Newland, Pasquotank county, NC. Later, when home, she'd transcribe her notes.
In the early 1990s, she was diagnosed with kidney and bladder cancer, where in Festus, Jefferson county, Missouri, she passed away, and was cremated. Ashes buried next to her beloved husband in Jefferson National Cemetery.
###
My mother:
A very Artistic rich and Emotionally strong colorful animated, but volatile mucurial women.
I (her son, Bob vanduren) always thought she'd be around forever. I mean, I felt that if Death came to her door, she'd first invite him very politely in for tea and pastry. Then, just when old scratch thought he had her, she'd spit in his eye and kick him out. AS Death was flying out the door, she'd scream "...and, DON'T EVER COME BACK YOU UGLY $@(#% THING or -- I'll kick you so hard down there, that you can't have no more children, no more"."
In fact my one of my favorite poems that remind me of her juxtaposed mercurial personality (which I would say was a melancholic pragmatic, or melancholic sanguine, like I am) is:
"There was a Little Girl"
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was HORRID."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, when I think of you, I know you inspired me to be a dreamer, a dreamer of impossible things. Like the part from Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland":
Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
--
Mom, by encouraging me to read, Read, and READ some more, everything and anything, you in fact helped me to "Believe in [sic]...six impossible things, before breakfast", to increase my imagination to the Nth degree, and thereby increasing my creative writing ability. For this I sincerely thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, you are Remembered and Missed and Loved especially by me, and Jacquie too. We mom were/are very much alike. Richly artistic, but, also unfortunately greatly temperamently volatile. Mercurial. May you mom -- Rest in Peace and Happiness and Joy and Love and especially Laughter, with Dad, your siblings Hazel and Joe, and your parents, at Our LORD JESUS' great banqueting table, in God's Holy Kingdom, for all Eternity.
*Westleigh name changed and is now incorporated into Leigh,
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan,
Greater Manchester, England.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Originally created by me, just after the death of my father 23 April 2003.
Updated on Sunday March 1, 2020 by her only son Robert Keith "Cookie" VanDuren. My sister Jacquie (VanDuren) Simmons lives in Florida.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MY MOTHER
My mother was Georgina Mae Van Duren, born Critchley. She was of British, Scottish, and Irish decent.
Her Father was Joseph Critchley 1886-1973
born, Westleigh*, Lancashire England,
immigrated to USA at age 2 June 1888 with parents William Critchley and mother Ellen Ann Critchley, and siblings Thomas, Ellen, and John.
My grandpa Joseph died in Paterson New Jersey in 1973. He was of British and Irish decent.
Her Mother was Georgina Steele Critchley, 1887-1969, born Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA, but of Scottish and Irish decent.
Her Siblings:
Hazel Critchley, 1917-1975.
Buried in Totowa New Jersey next to her parents.
Sgt. Joseph Howard Critchley, buried in North Carolina.
Daughter: Jacquelyn Gail (VanDuren) Simmons, 1947 to present.
Son: Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren, Wednesday, April 15, 1953 to present.
My mother leaves behind 3 grandchildren, Michael, Paul, and Sarah, 11 great grandchildren, and 2 step-grandchildren Phillip (now deceased) and Jeff Stephenson, 1 step great grandchild Alyson.
And numerous nephews and nieces.
In Eastside High School,abt 1934-1938, Miss Critchley was a visionary and tread setter when she tried to start the school's first all girl's track team, at a time in history when society thought young women "are NOT supposed to run."That they are supposed to only to learn sewing, cooking, and birthing babies. But, competitive running came naturally to her as her father was a famous competitive runner winning several medals in both New Jersey and New York City.
After secretarial school, she was a private secretary for an attorney at an Insurance Company in New York City.
Later along with other members of the family my mother along with my father William Van Duren were employed by the family business: Critchley's Home Made Candy, situated in Paterson New Jersey.
In the 1950s in Oakland New Jersey, she was a Brownie Leader and a Girl Scout leader. She loved camping, hiking, and bird watching.
In the early 1960s she did Stanley Home Products parties and sales, and then later Avon Products parties and sales, including winning a top prize for #1 Seller with top sales in northeastern United States. She was honored with her prize at an Avon banquet in New York.
In her 50 and 60s, Georgina Mae (Critchley) Van Duren enjoyed bird watching (looking up and naming all the birds), knitting, sewing, cross stitch, ceramics, gardening, cooking, baking, playing the piano, and reading especially her Bible, and attending church, a Baptist. Was active with the Newland-Pasquotank Women's Homemakers group in Pasquotank county, North Carolina.
Also in her 60s (about 1985-1989) she still could take and transcribe shorthand, using this skill to take notes during church sermons at Berea Baptist Church, Newland, Pasquotank county, NC. Later, when home, she'd transcribe her notes.
In the early 1990s, she was diagnosed with kidney and bladder cancer, where in Festus, Jefferson county, Missouri, she passed away, and was cremated. Ashes buried next to her beloved husband in Jefferson National Cemetery.
###
My mother:
A very Artistic rich and Emotionally strong colorful animated, but volatile mucurial women.
I (her son, Bob vanduren) always thought she'd be around forever. I mean, I felt that if Death came to her door, she'd first invite him very politely in for tea and pastry. Then, just when old scratch thought he had her, she'd spit in his eye and kick him out. AS Death was flying out the door, she'd scream "...and, DON'T EVER COME BACK YOU UGLY $@(#% THING or -- I'll kick you so hard down there, that you can't have no more children, no more"."
In fact my one of my favorite poems that remind me of her juxtaposed mercurial personality (which I would say was a melancholic pragmatic, or melancholic sanguine, like I am) is:
"There was a Little Girl"
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was HORRID."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, when I think of you, I know you inspired me to be a dreamer, a dreamer of impossible things. Like the part from Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland":
Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
--
Mom, by encouraging me to read, Read, and READ some more, everything and anything, you in fact helped me to "Believe in [sic]...six impossible things, before breakfast", to increase my imagination to the Nth degree, and thereby increasing my creative writing ability. For this I sincerely thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, you are Remembered and Missed and Loved especially by me, and Jacquie too. We mom were/are very much alike. Richly artistic, but, also unfortunately greatly temperamently volatile. Mercurial. May you mom -- Rest in Peace and Happiness and Joy and Love and especially Laughter, with Dad, your siblings Hazel and Joe, and your parents, at Our LORD JESUS' great banqueting table, in God's Holy Kingdom, for all Eternity.
*Westleigh name changed and is now incorporated into Leigh,
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan,
Greater Manchester, England.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Originally created by me, just after the death of my father 23 April 2003.
Updated on Sunday March 1, 2020 by her only son Robert Keith "Cookie" VanDuren. My sister Jacquie (VanDuren) Simmons lives in Florida.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My mother was Georgina Mae Van Duren, born Critchley. She was of British, Scottish, and Irish decent.
Her Father was Joseph Critchley 1886-1973
born, Westleigh*, Lancashire England,
immigrated to USA at age 2 June 1888 with parents William Critchley and mother Ellen Ann Critchley, and siblings Thomas, Ellen, and John.
My grandpa Joseph died in Paterson New Jersey in 1973. He was of British and Irish decent.
Her Mother was Georgina Steele Critchley, 1887-1969, born Paterson, Passaic county, New Jersey, USA, but of Scottish and Irish decent.
Her Siblings:
Hazel Critchley, 1917-1975.
Buried in Totowa New Jersey next to her parents.
Sgt. Joseph Howard Critchley, buried in North Carolina.
Daughter: Jacquelyn Gail (VanDuren) Simmons, 1947 to present.
Son: Robert "Cookie" Keith VanDuren, Wednesday, April 15, 1953 to present.
My mother leaves behind 3 grandchildren, Michael, Paul, and Sarah, 11 great grandchildren, and 2 step-grandchildren Phillip (now deceased) and Jeff Stephenson, 1 step great grandchild Alyson.
And numerous nephews and nieces.
In Eastside High School,abt 1934-1938, Miss Critchley was a visionary and tread setter when she tried to start the school's first all girl's track team, at a time in history when society thought young women "are NOT supposed to run."That they are supposed to only to learn sewing, cooking, and birthing babies. But, competitive running came naturally to her as her father was a famous competitive runner winning several medals in both New Jersey and New York City.
After secretarial school, she was a private secretary for an attorney at an Insurance Company in New York City.
Later along with other members of the family my mother along with my father William Van Duren were employed by the family business: Critchley's Home Made Candy, situated in Paterson New Jersey.
In the 1950s in Oakland New Jersey, she was a Brownie Leader and a Girl Scout leader. She loved camping, hiking, and bird watching.
In the early 1960s she did Stanley Home Products parties and sales, and then later Avon Products parties and sales, including winning a top prize for #1 Seller with top sales in northeastern United States. She was honored with her prize at an Avon banquet in New York.
In her 50 and 60s, Georgina Mae (Critchley) Van Duren enjoyed bird watching (looking up and naming all the birds), knitting, sewing, cross stitch, ceramics, gardening, cooking, baking, playing the piano, and reading especially her Bible, and attending church, a Baptist. Was active with the Newland-Pasquotank Women's Homemakers group in Pasquotank county, North Carolina.
Also in her 60s (about 1985-1989) she still could take and transcribe shorthand, using this skill to take notes during church sermons at Berea Baptist Church, Newland, Pasquotank county, NC. Later, when home, she'd transcribe her notes.
In the early 1990s, she was diagnosed with kidney and bladder cancer, where in Festus, Jefferson county, Missouri, she passed away, and was cremated. Ashes buried next to her beloved husband in Jefferson National Cemetery.
###
My mother:
A very Artistic rich and Emotionally strong colorful animated, but volatile mucurial women.
I (her son, Bob vanduren) always thought she'd be around forever. I mean, I felt that if Death came to her door, she'd first invite him very politely in for tea and pastry. Then, just when old scratch thought he had her, she'd spit in his eye and kick him out. AS Death was flying out the door, she'd scream "...and, DON'T EVER COME BACK YOU UGLY $@(#% THING or -- I'll kick you so hard down there, that you can't have no more children, no more"."
In fact my one of my favorite poems that remind me of her juxtaposed mercurial personality (which I would say was a melancholic pragmatic, or melancholic sanguine, like I am) is:
"There was a Little Girl"
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"There was a little girl,
Who had a little curl,
Right in the middle of her forehead.
When she was good,
She was very good indeed,
But when she was bad she was HORRID."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, when I think of you, I know you inspired me to be a dreamer, a dreamer of impossible things. Like the part from Lewis Carol's "Alice in Wonderland":
Alice laughed: "There's no use trying," she said; "one can't believe impossible things."
"I daresay you haven't had much practice," said the Queen. "When I was younger, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast."
--
Mom, by encouraging me to read, Read, and READ some more, everything and anything, you in fact helped me to "Believe in [sic]...six impossible things, before breakfast", to increase my imagination to the Nth degree, and thereby increasing my creative writing ability. For this I sincerely thank you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mom, you are Remembered and Missed and Loved especially by me, and Jacquie too. We mom were/are very much alike. Richly artistic, but, also unfortunately greatly temperamently volatile. Mercurial. May you mom -- Rest in Peace and Happiness and Joy and Love and especially Laughter, with Dad, your siblings Hazel and Joe, and your parents, at Our LORD JESUS' great banqueting table, in God's Holy Kingdom, for all Eternity.
*Westleigh name changed and is now incorporated into Leigh,
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan,
Greater Manchester, England.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Originally created by me, just after the death of my father 23 April 2003.
Updated on Sunday March 1, 2020 by her only son Robert Keith "Cookie" VanDuren. My sister Jacquie (VanDuren) Simmons lives in Florida.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
