Harrower Family Tree » James Rennie (1910-1974)

Sources

1. UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960, Ancestry.com, 1926 Record for Rachel Rennie The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27-144242

   Record for Rachel Rennie
   Passenger List 20 Nov 1926
   
   Name: Rachel Rennie Gender: Female Departure Age: 47 Birth Date 1879 Departure Date: 20 Nov 1926 Departure Port: Scotland Ship Name: Cameronia
   Shipping Line: Anchor Line Destination Port: New York, USA Master: R W Smart
   
   Others in same party: Helen Rennie, Age 19, Hosiery Worker, James Rennie, Age 16, Painter, George Rennie, Age 14. Drysdale Place, East Stirling Street, Alva
   
   Rachel Campbell Christie
   b. 3 April 1879, Alva, Scotland
   m. 1 January 1906, Alva, Scotland
   George Rennie b. 6 October 1881 d. 9 May 1925 Alva, Scotland
   3 Children:
   Helen b. 19 December 1906 resides Brooklyn, NY.
   James b. 23 March 1910 resides Miami, Fla.
   George b. 23 March 1912, resides Miami, Fla.
   All children born in Alva, Scotland
   Arrived in New York 29 November 1926 on the Vessel SS Cameronia.
   Naturalised 9 June 1939 at Miami, Florida
   

   / Ancestry.com
2. Scotlands People - Statutory Registers of Births (from 1855), 1910 RENNIE, JAMES 465/B 26 Alva (Clackmannan) Not downloaded

   1910 RENNIE, JAMES 465/B 26 Alva (Clackmannan)

3. E mail, Thom Rennie USA

   03.01,22
   
   Watching Reading-Derby County football game while answering.
   
   BTW, I don't recall writing on US customs and excise?
   
   Thanks very much for Scotlandspeople info on the Rennies in Alva.
   
   Grandma Rachel and the 3 kids lived in Brooklyn, NY for several years after immigration. Helen (Nel/Nellie) stayed in NY awhile and married a Chef with the United Nations in 1927 (Jean Desire Laparcerie; frenchman). She was naturalized 1928. Their son Robert changed his name from Leparcerie to Rennie. He had two children Robb and Aven. Desire and Nel moved to Florida years later.
   
   In 1933 Dad worked for President of Edison-General Electric (George Hughes) in Chicago as a golf coach. Hughes would drive to various company locations on business. Dad would drive one car and arrange for golf games at nearby courses. He told me he made 40 cents/per hour and paid $4/week room rent in Chicago.
   
   Grandma, Dad (Scottie) and Uncle James (Jimmie) moved to warmer weather in Miami, Florida sometime after 1935 and lived together. Dad worked as an assistant golf pro at the Biltmore Country Club in Coral Gables, Florida. Later on both men worked for the Florida Power and Light Company (Dad started in in Safety Division as first aid man/safety engineer in 1937, Jimmie as meter setter). They were naturalized in 12 May 1942. Not sure why they waited 15 years to be naturalized. Dad married my mother, Dorothy Ruth Wagner three days later on 15 May 1942. She was a Registered Nurse and they met while he was a patient at Miami hospital.
   
   Scottie and Jimmie were both in the Florida Defense Force-Infantry (a home guard), then both enlisted on same day 12 August 1942 in the United State Coast Guard. They might have thought that they would do near-shore patrol duty on Florida coast and they did hope they would stay together in basic training, etc. However, James stayed in Miami for basic and Dad was sent to Algiers New Orleans, Louisiana for Basic. With his safety training at FP&L, he applied to be a Pharmacist Mate and USCG sent him to Hospital Corps School at Columbia University, NY. Mom went to NY to stay near him during school. His Initial duty was at USCG Salem Air Station, Massachusetts, then to Boston and duty in the Sick Bay on the troopship USS WAKEFIELD (AP-21). He was on her taking GIs from Boston to Liverpool transporting troops to England for D-Day build-up, then taking German prisioners of war back to US after D-Day. He was given a drawing of a cabin in the alps by a wounded german prisioner. The ship was the fastest US troop transport and could outrun U-boats so didn't need to convoy or require escorts. She was known as the "B & L Ferry".
   
   He left the Wakefield in Feb 1944 and was Petty Officer Pharmacist Mate 1C on the USCG Cutter USS MODOC. she was on anti-suibmarine duty in the North Sea around Greenland. He was offered to make Chief Petty Officer if he remained with USCG, but wanted to return to family in Miami. After returning he went back with the FP&L, moving into powerline distribution, becoming a supervisor and retiring in 1974. I have a letter from Alva Academy Head Master listing his school record. Dad used it to start night school in engineering at nearby University of Miami but he didn't finish because of the grind of a full-time day job and night school/studying.
   
   Dad loved the sea and we went sea fishing off Miami with Mom almost very weekend/holiday while I was growing up. The rougher the sea, the better.
   
   He and Mom also played golf and weRe members of local Coral Gables Country Club. Mom was better than most women members and glad to make foresomes with male members. They had a golf cart and after retirement would drive a few blocks everyday to the
   Club for a round of golf and lunch. Dad died 19 July 1991. We moved Mom to live with us in 1997 and she died in 2005.
   
   Jimmie did beach patrol on florida east coast watching for german sabatours, then fireman 2c on a 40' cutter at the Navy base in Key West doing Harbour patrol. From November 1943 until August 1945 he was MotorMan (MoMM) 2c in the engine rooms of the Destroyer Escort USS DURANT (DE-389). He was plankowner at her commissioning in Galveston, Texas. She was an Edsall-class DE completing 8 voyages as convoy escort to North African Ports. On her last crossing the U-873 durrendered o her and eht DE387 VANCE. They went to Pearl Harbor preparing for invasion of Japan when war ended.
   
   He also returned to Miami and the FP&L. He married Marcella Rennie while in service. He died in 23 January 1974. Interestingly, he left FP&L and worked in the maintenance department at the University of Miami. I was a student there and would occasionally see Jimmie painting a building. He was a quiet man and had a scottish brogue that was hard to understand. Dad was a very outgoing fellow that softened his brougue, but always threw in a wee, boondocks, lassie, blivey, bloody every once in awhile.
   
   I've worked with the USCG historian in DC for several years on history projects and wrote 3 1000-word articles with photos on Dad/Jimmie and their ships. I'll try to send you those separately.
   
   I am the only child of George and Dorothy. Grew up in Coral Gables, graduated from University of Miami, went to Texas A&M for Masters degree, then on to Unversity of Colorado where I met my wife Sandra Rummel. We returned to A&M where I got my PhD (she worked on hers but didn't finish her dissertation because we left early so I could teach university-The Ohio State University system). I did research for military on the side and was given chance to go into military Civil Service doubling my salary. I was in Army ROTC in college (would have preferred Navy but school had none) but didn't serve.
   
   I stayed with AF for 32+ years retiring in 2013. Sandy was also in Civil Service as a well-known air quality expert with the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6 DAllas. I retired as Deputy Director of the Air Force Regional Environmental Office (Central Region) Dallas working for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force (Environment, Safety, and Occupational Health). I represented AF interests in a 21-state Central US area working on environmental/engineering issues at our bases. Was traveling 2-3 weeks/month. Was also DoD rep so interacted with Army, Navy, USCG and Federal agencies on issues of common interest. Have visited most bases in US during my travels, and did inspections of bases in England, Germany, Italy, Turkey and trained in South Korea.
   
   I was at the Pentagon on detail and was offered a 5-year stint there on AF BAse Realignment and Closure when I was close to retirement. I love the Pentagon and wanted to go-Sandy kissed me and said she would be here when I returned in 5 years. She doesn't like the Beltway and DC. I chose to stay in Dallas and retired a few years later at 69.
   
   I know you are proud of your sons and their military service to your Country. Your own service at Rosyth Dockyard is impressive. I spent lots of time studying the Falklands War and Harrier missions off your carrier. I've toured an attack submarine undergoing maintenance, been on a shake-out cruise of a guided missile destroyer and my neighbor is a retired Navy nuclear boomer engineering department Lt. Cmdr, so I can appreciate your ship construction work.
   
   We have four grown children in the direct Alva Rennie Patriarchial line-one son (Tristan), and 3 daughters (Marcail, Elsa, Allison). 4 grandchildren-Brooklynn, William, Lorelei, and Lochlan.
   
   I've spent much time working with the historian of the WW2 907th Glider Field Artillery Battalion to track down members and gather more history of the unit. All members of the unit now gone. Heroes all.
   
   I am a football nut, watching EPL and SPFL. I especially like watching smaller teams play in stadiums in Scotland.
   
   Let's keep communicating.
   
   Best, Thom
   

4. U.S. DEPARTMENT of LABOR, Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1939 Rachel Campbell Christie U.S. DEPARTMENT of LABOR, Immigration and Naturalization Service. Form No. 1-IP. 14-3202

   Rachel Campbell Christie
   b. 3 April 1879, Alva, Scotland
   m. 1 January 1906, Alva, Scotland
   George Rennie b. 6 October 1881 d. 9 May 1925 Alva, Scotland
   3 Children:
   Helen b. 19 December 1906 resides Brooklyn, NY.
   James b. 23 March 1910 resides Miami, Fla.
   George b. 23 March 1912, resides Miami, Fla.
   All children born in Alva, Scotland
   Arrived in New York 29 November 1926 on the vessel SS Cameronia.
   Naturalised 9 June 1939 at Miami, Florida

5. 1940 United States Federal Census, Record for Rachael Rennie Year: 1940; Census Place: Miami, Dade, Florida; Roll: m-t0627-00632; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 69-114B Description Enumeration District: 69-114B; Description: ELECTION PRECINCT 101 (AREA E - PART), MIAMI CITY BOUNDED BY (N) SW 19TH ST; (E) SW 24TH AV; (S) SW 22ND ST; (W) SW 32ND AV Source Information Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data:United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1940. T627, 4,643 rolls. Source Description The 1940 United States Federal Census is the largest census released to date and the most recent census available for public access. The census gives us a glimpse into the lives of Americans in 1940, with details about a household’s occupants that include birthplaces, occupations, education, citizenship, and income.

   Name; Rachael Rennie
   Age: 61
   Estimated Birth Year: 1879
   Gender: F
   Birthplace; Scotland
   location
   Marital Status
   Relation to Head of House: Head
   Home in 1940: City, Dade, Florida
   
   Street
   location
   Inferred Residence in 1935
   city, Dade, Florida
   Household Members3
   Others in Record
   James Rennie George Rennie
   

6. 1930 United States Federal Census, Record for Rachel Christe Renny "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XQ2L-H47 : accessed 23 January 2021), Charles A Eastwood, Adams, Berkshire, Massachusetts, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 2, sheet 12A, line 13, family 235, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 883; FHL microfilm 2,340,618.

   1930 US Federal Census
   Rachel Rennie Head 50 Scotland No Occ.
   James Rennie son 20 Scotland No Occ.
   George Rennie Son 18 Scotland Sales Clerk, Grocery

Historical events

• Birthday March 23, 1910
• Day of death January 23, 1974

Same birth/death day

• Also born on March 23
• Also died on January 23

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