A Family History of William Llewdeth Thomas and Martha Jane Bennett

Descendants
Lily Ann Thomas

1-Lily Ann Thomas, daughter of William Llewdeth Thomas and Martha Jane Bennett, was born on 12 Feb 1881 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia and died on 5 Sept 1968 in Wellington, New Zealand at age 87. She is buried in the Porirua Cemetery in Wellington.

Lily had a relationship with an unnamed male which resulted in the birth of a daughter: Violet.

2-Violet Thomas was born on 1 Aug 1901 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and died on 13 Mar 1995 in Salem, Marion, Oregon at age 93. She was cremated and her ashes scattered. As a young child, Violet was placed by her mother in a living arrangement with a German couple, Carl Adolph Franz Spuhl and Matilde Wallace (Spuhl was later anglicized to Spool). In 1911 Lily Ann married a New Zealand rancher, Charles William Jordan, and moved permanently to New Zealand where she would live until her death in 1968. Violet was officially adopted by the Spools after her mother's marriage to Charles William Jordan and subsequent move to New Zealand. An amended birth certificate for her was issued in the name of Violet Spool in 1912.

Violet married Clarence Bede Maxwell, son of James John Maxwell and Margaret Frances Daly, on 9 Apr 1921 in St Barnabas Church, Sydney, Australia. Clarence was born on 18 Jul 1900 in Guy Fawkes, New South Wales, Australia, died on 22 Oct 1963 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia at age 63, and was buried in Preston General Cemetery, Plenty Road, Preston. They had three children: Colin John, Shirley Margaret, and Harold Gordon (Peter). Like his father before him, Clarence deserted his family when the children were young and left Violet to raise them by herself. (for more information on the Maxwell family see Scotland to Australia: Christina McLennan and Thomas Maxwell).

3-Colin John Maxwell was born on 17 Nov 1921 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and died on 27 May 1942 in Rethymno, Crete at age 20. He did not marry or have children.

3-Shirley Margaret Maxwell was born on 11 Dec 1923 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and died on 18 Apr 1996 in Salem, Marion, Oregon at age 72. 

Shirley married Herbert Burnett Libin, son of Joseph Harold Libin and Esther A Login, on 21 Feb 1944 in Ashbury, New South Wales, Australia. Herbert was born on 25 Aug 1916 in Lewistown, Fergus, Montana and died on 8 Feb 2002 in Encino, Los Angeles, California at age 85. They had two children: Stephany Ann and Michele Lee. (for more information on the Libin family see Russian Jewish Immigrants to America: The Descendents of Abraham Lagovsky and Lena Goodseidt).

4-Stephany Ann Libin was born in 1944 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 

Stephany married Gilman Burton Smith, son of Albert Burton Smith and Edna Dellilia Cleland, in 1969 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon. Gilman was born in 1944 in Covina, Los Angeles, California. They had three children: Colin Burton, Aden Maxwell, and Devon Michele.

Stephany next married Dennis Leroy Heath, son of Melvin Leonard Heath and Helen Christine Berg, in 1987 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. Dennis was born in 1940 in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon. Dennis was previously married to Ann Kister. They had two children: Joshua and Joanna. 

4-Michele Lee Libin was born on 26 Nov 1946 in Lewistown, Fergus, Montana and died on 23 Jan 2013 in Seattle, King, Washington. She did not marry or have children.

Shirley next married George Henry Grabenhorst Jr, son of George Henry Grabenhorst Sr and Caroline Abigail Coburn, on 9 May 1952 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. George was born on 15 Jul 1915 in Salem, Marion, Oregon and died on 8 Dec 1997 in Salem, Marion, Oregon at age 82. They had two children: Anne Caroline and George Maxwell. (for more information on the Grabenhorst family see A Family History of Henry George Grabenhorst and for more information on the Coburn family see The Yankee Ancestors of Carolyn Abigail Coburn).

4-Anne Caroline Grabenhorst was born on 8 Aug 1953 in Salem, Marion, Oregon and died on 30 Nov 2003 in Salem, Marion, Oregon at age 50.

Anne married Douglas Unrein on 18 Dec 1971 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. They were divorced less then a year later and had no children.

Anne next married Ian Scott Robertson, son of Bill and Mary Lou Robertson, on 2 Jun 1973 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. Ian was born on 18 Nov 1949 in Minnesota. They had one son: Justin Maxwell.

Anne next had a relationship with Mark Desdier that resulted in the birth of a daughter Seren Mariah.

Anne  next married Michael Woodrow Halstead, son of Woodrow and Irene Halstead, on 3 Mar 1992 in Lincoln County, Oregon. Michael was born on 20 Aug 1950, died on 25 Jun 2011 at age 60, and was buried in Willamette National Cemetery. They were divorced and had no children.

4-George Maxwell Grabenhorst was born in 1955 in Salem, Marion, Oregon. 

George married Michelle Rae Murphy, daughter of Raymond L Murphy and Marjorie Curtis. Michelle was born on 25 Feb 1957 in Eureka, Humboldt, California and died on 22 Apr 2005 in Salem, Marion, Oregon at age 48. They had one daughter, Alisha Rae, and were later divorced.

George next married Sunny Anne Shirley Lyons, daughter of Lee Franklin Shirley and Violet Nadine Wilson, and widow of Robert Lyons. Sunny was born in1946 in Wallowa County, Oregon. Sunny and Robert had a son: Lane Lyons. George and Sunny had no children.

3-Harold Gordon (Peter) Maxwell was born on 19 Sep 1925 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and died on 11 Aug 2002 in Langley, British Columbia, Canada at age 76. 

Harold married Jean McKillop Burke, daughter of Daniel Clive Burke and Margaret Marion McKillop, on 14 Oct 1950 in Trenton, Ontario, Canada. Jean was born on 27 Apr 1925 in Dauphin, Manitoba, Canada and died on 19 Apr 2008 in Langley, British Columbia, Canada at age 82. They had three children: Michael Colin, Maureen Margaret (Maggie), and Murray Alan.

4-Michael Colin Maxwell was born in 1951 in London, Ontario, Canada. 

Michael married Leigh Ann Guppy, son of Douglas and Virginia Guppy, on 20 Dec 1980 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Leigh was born in 1955 in Pennsylvania. They had no children.

4-Maureen Margaret (Maggie) Maxwell was born in1954 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. 

Maureen married Michael Paul Young, son of Jerome Young and Marie Thomas, on 26 Oct 1991 in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. Michael was born in 1958 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They had no children.

4-Murray Alan Maxwell was born in 1959 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. 

Murray married Kerri Allanna Rollins, on 30 Aug 2003.They had no children.

Lily next married Charles William Jordan, son of George Frederick Jordan and Harriet Woodhead, on 14 Jan 1911 in Burwood, New South Wales, Australia. Charles was born in 1873 in Wellington, New Zealand, died on 30 Oct 1937 in Wellington, New Zealand at age 64, and was buried in Bolton Street Cemetery. They did not have children.

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Last Update: February 2016

For questions or comments contact:

Stephany Smith
 smithsg@heathsmith.com