This website records the life and times of our aunt, Florence Mary Yemm. Aunt Flo was born in The Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, England, in 1886. In her early twenties, she moved to London and attended nurse training school at The London Hospital. She served in WWI and after the war pursued her career as a school nurse in London. She lived and worked in London throughout WWII. Before her retirement, she sailed three times to America to visit her siblings. Aunt Flo immigrated to the United States in 1949. She sailed back across the Atlantic at least one more time for an extended visit to her beloved London in the 1950s.
In America, Aunt Flo lived in Cuba, Illinois, with her sister, and later in Peoria, Illinois, where she continued to work as a private duty nurse into her seventies. She died in 1974 in Peoria, at the age of 88. Aunt Flo never married, but she was close to her siblings and had a large extended family of nieces and nephews, their children, and their children's children, as well as many friendships that she maintained throughout the years. Herein is a collection of genealogical research and photos, coupled with historical tidbits and family anecdotes. In places, I've had to "fill in the blanks." Please let me know if you have additional information, clarification, or corrections. Also, if you have any stories or photos to share, send them along and I'll add them to this site. I hope you will enjoy learning more about our remarkable Aunt Flo! |