I have the book of the extensive pedigree you published since I inherited it at my mothers’ death. I will be glad when you translate the website in English since I do not speak Dutch.

My mother told me about Vera a few years before her death, I new nothing of her before. It was for my mother a very painful subject as you will see. Vera’s father was a Canadian soldier who was stationed in Tilburg at the end of the war, his name was O’Brien. With the end of the war he came back to Canada, and Vera was born later in Holland. After two or three years, I believe (I wrote down the dates that my mother told me, but I don’t remember where I put the paper with the information. As soon as I find it, I will write to you), she came to Canada with Vera to marry O’Brien. About a year later she had another child, this time a boy who’s name is Albert.

Unfortunately, her marriage to O’Brien was not a happy one. He was a very violent man and she had to leave him to avoid his. Vera and Albert where still very young when this happened. Since she was only in Canada since a short time, her efforts to have custody of Vera and Albert where not successful and the children stayed with O’Brien. She only saw them once or twice that, which was very painful for her, and so she lost touch with them. Later my mother married for a second time, to Rosaire who was my father.

As I said, my mother confided this to me only a few years ago, that is why I have never met my half-sister Vera or my half-brother Albert. I have had no interest in meeting them, which is why I have no information concerning their whereabouts.

As soon as I find the paper I mentioned, I will write to give you Vera’s and Albert’s dates of birth.

My wife and I are taking a 10 day trip starting tomorrow and I will not be able to consult my e-mails until I return. As soon as I back, I will search for the information I promised you.

Best wishes,
Michel Bolduc
5789 ave. Des Erables
Montreal (Quebec)
CANADA

Dans le Soleil du mercredi du 4 juillet 2007 j'ai lisez l'article "L'expo a inspiré des projet à une jeune enseignante: Vérina O'Brien. Je cherche l'email adresse de Vérina par ce que je recherche l'histoire de mon famille de Froklage. Vous regardez www.froklage.net Vérina cést la fille de ma cousine Sjaan Froklage qui 1946 a émigre de les Pays Bas à Canada. Sjaan froklage se mariais avec la père de Vérina: Earl, Thomas O'Brien 1946 13 juin. Vérina a né dans les Pays Bas 1946. J'espère que vous voulez m'aider. Quand vous hésitez pour la cose de privacy cést peut-ètre posible que vous mème email a Vérina ma message avec ma adresse.

cordialement,

Corrien Froklage
Deurnestraat 16
6843 PR Arnhem
les Pays Bas
00 31 26 3815424 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you very much for sending an e-mail to the journalist of the Soleil newspaper! It is incredible that you have found this article in a local newspaper in Canada, and that you have recognized Verina O'Brien as one of your relatives!

I am Verina's second husband. We do not have Internet at home, so I write you from my work. We are French-speaking, but since your Internet site contains texts in English, it is probably easier for you to read me in English.

Mr. Earl Thomas O'Brien first married to your cousin Mrs. Sjaan Froklage her name on Verina's international birth certificate is Adriana Wilhelmina Maria Froklage. They have two children: - Mrs. Verina O'Brien, born on September 22, 1945 in Tilburg, Netherlands, and arrived in Canada on April 19, 1947 - Mr. Albert O'Brien, born on February 12, 1948

In the province of Quebec, Canada, Earl Thomas O'Brien had a second wedding in 1964 with Mrs. Emilienne Belanger. They have two children:
- Mr. Robert O'Brien, born on October 18, 1952
- Mr. Claude O'Brien, born on November 30, 1953
Verina O'Brien first married on April 15, 1968 to Mr. Jean-Guy Briere, born on October 20, 1945 and deceased on January 27, 1992. They have two children:
- Mr. Sylvain Briere, born on December 7, 1971 and married on August 6, 1994 to Mrs. Leah Brooker; they have three children: Ms. Emilie-Ann Briere, born on November 30, 1995; Ms. Gabrielle Briere, born on June 24, 1998; and Mr. Samuel Briere, born on October 23, 2001. - Mrs. Isabelle Briere, born on August 7, 1993. She is not married, but she has one child with Mr. Jean-Claude Cantin: Mr. Simon Cantin, born on May 29, 2006.

Verina O'Brien had a second wedding on December 16, 1995 with Mr. Jean-Marie Arseneault. We do not have any children.

On a personal note, Verina O'Brien has been teaching English to French-speaking students for 36 years, and she retired four years ago.

We hope that the above information will be helpful to you! If you need any more data that you think we have, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you very much for your e-mail! Good luck!

Jean-Marie Arseneault, husband of Verina O'Brien This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

My name is Albert Earl Bernard Joseph O'Brien son of Earl Thomas O'Brien and Jenny Frocklage. I Was born (as shown
your Web database) on 12 February 1948,Montreal,Canada.

How I came upon your website is purely by co-incidence! i.e. I saw my birth mother's name on a .pdf document listed at clicks4you and couldn't resist viewing it's contents..as I have never met my mother nor have I ever been given any information by my father Earl or by anyone else for that matter on who she was and where she was.

I would be pleased to provide you any data you may require concerning myself or what little information I have to offer. P.S. I have registered on your site as "Snowman" on this date.I plan to peruse your website in detail .. as time permits. My congratulations for your most informative, professional and well presented research. I Look forward to corresponding with you in the future..Best regards, Albert (Bert), CF retired. Central Waterville, New Brunswick, Canada.

Thank you ever so for your quick reply to my email. First off I must tell you that I have been and remain quite invisible due to the nature of the work I performed for the Canadian Government for over 30 years. There is, therefore, little or no data published on me and I am quite happy for it to remain so. Needless to say, my privacy is also very dear to me.
My second wife (Harriet Ann Ellenberger) and I now reside on a large property in rural New Brunswick. As for Verina and my
stepmother "Emilienne Belanger & stepbrothers "Robert & Claude" --we do not associate -- I have not seen or spoken to any of them for at least 15 years. As you may have probably guessed by now, I am the proverbial "Black Sheep" of the family! and proud to be..if I may say so... As for my father Earl Thomas, He and I never saw eye to eye. I was never close to anyone in the family.I left home at age 16 to travel the world and in the process joined a Rock'n Roll Band as a guitar player, studied Political Science at various Canadian, US & British schools and thereafter enlisted as an Intelligence Specialist with the Canadian Government. I retired from this work in 1998 and continued to travel the world until 2005 when We finally settled down for good. I guess that's about all of the information I have for you, for now anyway. I greatly regret not having met my mother "Adriana Wilhelmina Maria" (Jenny)(my official birth certificate names her as "Janny Froklage" )but thanks to your website I have at least two photos of her. Life has a funny way of bringing a person back to one's roots and to what really, really matters.... As for photograhs...I will have to go trough my archives and find suitable photos. Are 1024 x 768 jpgs suitable? Or would you prefer "PDF" style documents? Please let me know & I will try to get them to you as soon as possible.
Well its goodbye for now and again, many thanks!

Albert (Bert)