Ruby Ada Marion George 1887 - 1919

Ruby George



Ruby & Joseph Nagel
1908

Ruby Ada Marion George was the eldest child of Alfred Howitt George and Francis Mary Dudley. She was born in Bombala NSW on 19th April 1887. Ruby had two younger sisters, Edith Eliza born in 1889, Thelma Lillian Estelle in 1891 and a baby brother Clifford in 1894. The younger two childlren were born in Wagga Wagga NSW.

Ruby married Joseph Nagel in Sydney on 26th March 1908, aged 21. After the marriage they moved to Kalgoorlie/Boulder WA where Ruby’s parents lived. Ruby gave birth to Henry Harvey in Boulder City on 21st November; he later became known as Harry and was a sister to Gladys who had been born in 1907. Ruby had given Gladys her maiden name of George.


Joseph Nagel

The Nagel family eventually returned to Sydney NSW where they had two more children; Thelma Mary Ernestine in October 1910 and Frederick in 1912. Harry was with Frederick when he died at his Passing Out parade from heart failure at the age of 21. A second baby was named Gladys in 1914, and a child named James passed away in 1917.

  “to dear Father
with love from Ruby”

When Ruby’s husband, Joseph, enlisted in the 4th Battalion AIF on 17th September 1914 he gave his age as 30 and height at 5’51/2” with blue eyes and brown hair. He listed his next of kin as his mother Ernestina Nagel who lived at Plympton, Adelaide SA.

In those years it was common for families who had difficulty taking care of their children to put them for periods in Children Homes. Contributions for their keep were expected from the parents unless the children had been made wards of the state. Ruby signed Gladys, Harry and Thelma into the Dalmar Children’s Home at Croydon on 14th April 1914 for twelve months. They were aged seven, five and three.

In August 1915 Joseph sustained wounds at Gallipoli and was sent to London to recover. He was discharged in May 1916 and returned home in June an unsettled man.

Ruby gave birth to her last child, Charles John, on 26th April 1918.

 In 1919, one year after the birth of her youngest child, Ruby succumbed to influenza and died. Ruby is buried in Waverly Cemetery, Sydney, with her mother Frances, who is listed under the name of Dowsey from her second marriage to William Dowsey in 1918 Chatswood NSW.



The Headstone of Frances and Ruby
Waverly Cemetery, Sydney

Joseph Nagel



















 

 

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