MUMS

by Mary Arlene Grant Dunagan

Mums, as I knew her, was my mother's mother, my maternal grandmother. She was born Arlene Vincent Normile to William Toby Normile and Edna Vincent Normile on February 14, 1903. She was born in Venango County, PA, lived most of her life in Oregon and California, died August 10, 1987, in Roswell, Fulton County, GA.

Her father, William Toby Normile was born January 11, 1883, in Canada as was his father Patrick Normile (b. 1854). His grandfather, however, was born in Ireland. Patrick Normile married Nettie Toby in 1877, and according to the 1900 census they had four children living with them, Mabel (age 21), William Toby (age 17), Hattie (age 14), and Norman (age 2). Nettie Toby Normile's father was William Toby (b. 1826 in NY), married Jane Ann Mason and were living in Kingsley Forest, PA, in 1870, with the following children: Uius, Kate, Nettie, and Hattie

Mums' mother, Edna Vincent Normile was born November 27, 1882, in PA, to Henry Vincent (b. 1846) and Catherine Ramsdale (b. 3 Nov 1847, Yorkshire, England, d. 24 Dec 1924). According to the 1900 census, the following children were living in the Vincent household: Maud F., Nellie, Robert R., Catherine, Edna, Henry E., Mariam, and Jessie Vincent.

William Toby Normile, my great grandfather, worked as a civil engineer on mostly tunnel projects through out the country in places like New York, San Francisco, CA, Oregon, and Alaska. And according to my mother, he also worked for a period in China on some construction projects there and later became an aviator or what she called a bush pilot who flew one of the first mail air routes from Anchorage to Nome, Alaska. The 1930 census shows William Normile and Edna Vincent Normile living in Long Beach, CA, and his occupation listed was "aviator."

This union produced one child who became my Mums, Arlene Vincent Normile. She married Hart Leigh Browne (b. 13 Jan 1895). They were married June 16, 1925, at the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA.

Hart Leigh Browne, my grandfather, was a veteran of WWI and was born in Little Vally, NY, raised by his mother, Alma (Ahmo) Covert Browne (b. 1875) divorced when Hart(only child) was young. The 1910 census showed Hart Leigh Browne living with his mother, grandmother Sybill J. MacMillan(widowed) and his great grandmother Jane A. MacMillan(also widowed).

The 1930 census shows Hart L. Browne and Arlene Vincent Normile Browne living in Long Beach, CA and they had the following children:

Donna Leigh Browne (my mother) (b. 26 Feb 1926, d. 16 Apr 2020)

Jean Arlene Browne (b. 7 Jan 1930, d. 15 Feb 1991)

Arlene Vincent Normile Browne divorced Hart Browne and married Charles Pentolino on May 19, 1956, in Clark County, Nevada. I remember I called him Penny and he owned a dance studio and taught dance. Mums loved to dance but she mostly ran the office at the studio. I found that Charles Pentolino was born April 11, 1925, in Ohio, which makes Mums 22 years his senior. Way to go Mums! They divorced in 1974 or 1977(divorce record list both years) and neither ever remarried. Penny died June 20, 1980 in San Diego, CA and Mums lived in Hemet, CA, up until a few years before her death when she moved in with my mom and dad in Roswell, GA. She died August 10, 1987.

Daughter Jean Arlene Browne wedding with sister Donna and Mums in attendance (standing).
(Wedding date 10 Nov 1949, to Thomas C Coombs). Older sister Donna, my mother, had married two years earlier on 8 Mar 1947, to Robert D Grant.  I don't know much about the life of my mom's sister Jean other than the fact she had a beautiful singing voice apparently. She sang the National Anthem at the 1959 World Series game with Dodgers vs Cubs.