Teresa McRae

I have to say that I am overwhelmed by the response to my post on Mary Hill. It is a compelling mystery. In outlining the book I would like to write about this, I came up with a number of questions I will research and try to answer along the way.

Here is a piece of the story that I didn’t go into much detail about.

Harry McRae Sr was the husband of Mary Hill. They were married in 1930. Harry’s sister Bernice was married to a man named Charles Collins Gates. Collins from his biological father, Gates from his step father.

Charles’ mother was Mary Gates. Her second husband was Charles Gates who owned a large company in Illinois that became a leading player in the dairy industry. This company is now a national historic landmark.

I’m not being cryptic but I know there are living survivors to this family. I am trying to be careful.

Mary Gates also had a daughter, Constance Collins Gates. She also took the last name of her step father. She married a man whose last name was D’ebo. They had a daughter also named Constance.

In 1930, Constance the younger, was 16. That year, the family took a trip to Bermuda. I believe that Bernice McRae Collins, Harry’s sister set up some sort of meeting between the D’ebos and Harry.

It was told to the child born out of the affair between Harry and Constance the daughter, that it was the chauffeur who got young Constance pregnant.

In 1930, Harry met Constance. I think, he was suggested as a person to show the D’ebos around Miami, where he lived, either prior to or after their visit to Bermuda.

Well, Constance becomes pregnant and has a child in 1931. This child is my half-uncle Lee. Lee always wondered about the New York connection. He was born there, but yet his father, my grandfather, Harry was from Georgia, then Florida. I was thrilled to find the answer for him.

So, this is another part of the story. More to come on this and other family members. Unfortunately, my pictures are on my laptop and I am on my phone. I will try to add them at a later date.