They met in Brooklyn

They met in Brooklyn

In 1929 Jeanette Wilkes Greenwood came to New York from her native Scotland at the time she was just 20 years of age. She came with her two cousins Isabella Nolan who was 18 years of age nicknamed Isa and Margaret Nolan who was 21 years of age nicknamed Maggie. They were sponsored by their Aunt Elizabeth Wilkes (Richards) who they called Aunt Lizzie. She gave them each fifty dollars so they didn’t have to go though Elis Island. They all got jobs as Maids living with rich families in Brooklyn. Jeanette’s friend Betty who also just came from Scotland herself arranged a blind date for Jeanette at Brooklyn’s Coney Island. Jeanette brought herself a new dress with the first wages she earned in America. Once she met this guy who’s name was Hugh Wallace Boyle (he called himself Wallace Boyle) She fell in love a first or maybe second site with the guy. So when her cousin got home sick and went back to Scotland, Jeanette stayed and after dating just a short while marred Wallace in June of 1931. They went on to have three children Wallace Jr, Jeanette Wilkes and finally me, Richard. My mother said if she hadn’t met my father she would have gone back to Scotland with her cousins. So if it wasn’t for that date I would have been born in Scotland and had a very different life.