Notes for: Helen Ethel Bodine
From Ronny Bodine:
Helen Bodine, age 10, was living 1920 with her parents in Philadelphia. Arthur McCormick was the Brazilian representative of Robinson Construction Company, a subsidiary of United Engineers Corporation. They were doing construction projects in Brazil in the 1930s.
***End of info from Ronny.
From: Richard McCormack [mccormack.richard at neuf.fr]
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010
Subject: Ethel Bodine
Dear Mr. Bodine,
Your research provided me with my first insight into the family of my mother Ethel Bodine. She was the daughter of Charles Bodine who was born in 1885 in Philadelphia. I came across a note from Ronny Bodine saying that Charles worked as a musician and printer.
My father, Arthur McCormack, married my mother in Llanarch Pennsylvania in August l929. They left the next day for Rio de Janeiro. In 1938 they separated, and my father returned to theUnited States with me and an older brother. My mother, Ethel, remained in Rio and in l940 married an Englishman, Brian Neele.They had one son, Michael, a Brazilian diplomat, and
two grandchildren who live in Rio.
These grandchildren, now young men, have asked me try to find some information about their grandmother's family.
Ethel (perhaps Helen E.) had three passports all with different dates for her birth. She died in l993. Ethel had two brothers. William, the youngest, lived in Montgomery Alabama and died in 1964. William had at least one son, who would be my first
cousin. Neither I nor my Brazilian half-brother were told anything about the Bodines.
...
Thank you for the insights you have already given us and for any further advice you can provide.
Sincerely, Richard McCormack
From: Richard McCormack
Sent: Sunday, November 28, 2010
Subject: Re: Ethel Bodine
Dear Dave,
What a fast response. Many thanks.
Yes, pass on my message to Ronny Bodine. We shall appreciate any background he can provide.
As to names, my father's full name was Thomas Arthur John McCormack. "Thomas" was phased out early. My mother apparently dropped Helen even before their marriage. My older brother was Arthur Paul McCormack, born March 15, l932, died 1990 in an automobile accident in Sao Paulo. He had three children, all born in London, all raised in Sao Paulo, and all now scattered around the united States.
Your note from Ronny on my mother seems to confirm her birth date as 1910. And yes, my father was a civil engineer who managed construction projects in Brazil in the 1930s.
...
With best wishes,
Richard McCormack
From: Art McCormack [arthurmccormack at yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, December 12, 2010
Cc: Richard Mc Cormack
Subject: Re: Fwd: Ethel Bodine - Draft document
Dear Mr. Dave Bodine,
I hope this message finds you well. I was recently and pleasantly surprised to receive an email from my uncle, Richard McCormack, sharing your genealogical construct of the Bodine family, of which my late grandmother, H. Ethyl Bodine, was a member.
It was with great interest and appreciation that I came to learn more about her side of the family which, with all honesty, I knew practically nothing about, other than the fact she hailed from PA. I have fond memories of the times I spent with her and her late husband, Brian Neele, on their farm in the northern part of the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
She never shared with me about her past - understandably given my young age at the time - but she was always kind, albeit strict, with myself, my siblings and my cousins. My dearest memories of her are those of warm summer days, she would always be smiling and laughing; she was definitely the life of any gathering. She also loved her games of croquet and her martinis.
I recall one summer vacation my cousin Bernardo Bodine Neele and I spent at her farm (after her second husband, Brian Neele had already passed away); we got into so much trouble with her one night when we sneaked out during the late afternoon, to a small village near by, and came back quite late and quite drunk - she was beside herself with worry and gave us the scolding of a lifetime.
Of what interest this may be to you, as an addition to your work, I am the eldest of her first born son - Arthur Paul McCormack (*03/15/32 in Rio de Janeiro Brazil and +05/09/1990 in Sao Paulo, Brazil), married to Theresa Mary Bernadette Freegard McCormack (*02/25/44 - born in London, England, currently a resident of Jaffersonville, IN). My full name is Arthur Malachi McCormack and I was born 10/27/71 in London, England (currently live in San Diego, CA). I am married to Chie Nagashima McCormack (*05/05/1963 in Tokyo, Japan). I have two sons: Arthur Phillip Joshua Petroni McCormack (*07/04/1992 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, currently residing in the same city) - his mother and I were never married, her name is Daniela de Miranda Petroni (*09/01/1975 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, currently residing in the same city). My second son, by my present wife, is Conan Kai McCormack (*10/04/02 in San Diego, CA). My siblings are Sarah Siobhan McCormack Stone (*03/07/74 in London, England), married to Matt Stone (DOB unknown) and currently living in Albany, IN, no children. My brother is David Sean McCormack (*04/21/76 in London, England), married to Stefani Hodgkins McCormack (DOB unknown), currently living in Jeffersonville, IN, no children.
I believe my uncle has filled you in on the remainder of the family, including himself and my half-uncle Michael Neele and family.
I would like to express my sincere appreciation for the work you have put into compiling this historical record on a part of my family that, as mentioned, I knew very little about. I was awed by the picture of William "Bud" Cornelius Bodine, for I can see definite resemblances between his facial characteristics and those of myself and my siblings.
I remain at your service for any further clarifications you feel could add to this record. Thank you again for this timeless treasure.
P.S. With your permission I would also like to share this information with my siblings and children?
Cheers,
Arthur (Malachi) McCormack