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Mildred Yvonne <I>Nees</I> Bliss

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Mildred Yvonne Nees Bliss

Birth
Grantsburg, Crawford County, Indiana, USA
Death
20 Feb 1980 (aged 70)
Port Salerno, Martin County, Florida, USA
Burial
Cremated, Ashes scattered. Specifically: Yvonne died of pancreatic cancer and was cremated Jan 1980 and her ashes were scattered from the Indian River Causeway (probably around Port Salerno, Florida). Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Aunt Yvonne first married Kenneth W Engstrom in 1927, divorced 1939, had one child: Phyllis Jeanne Engstrom. Married second to Homer Lee Hearn 26 Nov 1939, divorced 1952, had one child: Gary Keith Hearn. Married third to Howard Robert Bliss, Jr. 1953.

On Feb 23, 1960, Aunt Yvonne & husband, Robert Bliss left Port Salerno (FL) on a 26 foot sloop they owned and went to Angel Fish Creek (south of Miami). They left Angel Fish at dawn on Feb 28 and got to West End, in the Bahamas, about 8:30 at night on the 29th when, after some disagreements, her husband "threw her overboard, gunned the motor and left". Aunt Yvonne was saved by a porpoise who guided her to calmer waters, as she battled heavy waves and a strong tide. (A full page story appeared in The Miami Herald [Indian River Area Edition] on Saturday, March 12, 1960.)

By Christine "Chris" [Keck] O'Donnell (a granddaughter), 6 Jun 1999 - "I do know about the 'dolphin" story, and what a dangerous situation she (Yvonne) was in! She couldn't swim, so she floated for a while, then the dolphin came along and guided her to shore while she held on to its fin!! When I was going through some of my mother's things in my second trip to Florida last year (in December), I ran across the articles my mother had saved from that event. I believe it was 1959. ...There were also some pictures of the island that Bob (Bliss) and my grandma bought -- it was called "Key Bliss Island." They were the only inhabitants, and lived in a small, shacklike house that I don't know who built. I know they sold the island, then bought a sailboat, after which the "dolphin" story occurred, as they made one of many trips to the Bahamas. It is strange that they never found Bob, but they did find the sailboat on a remote island in the Bahamas. I guess it was after this that Grandma bought her trailer in Port Salerno, and lived there until her death in February 1980. I remember Mom going up to see Grandma every day after work, once she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. How hard it must have been to see her own mother dying and knowing there was nothing she could do. I'm glad that they did have that time together, though, and were able to say what they wanted to say to each other...."
Aunt Yvonne first married Kenneth W Engstrom in 1927, divorced 1939, had one child: Phyllis Jeanne Engstrom. Married second to Homer Lee Hearn 26 Nov 1939, divorced 1952, had one child: Gary Keith Hearn. Married third to Howard Robert Bliss, Jr. 1953.

On Feb 23, 1960, Aunt Yvonne & husband, Robert Bliss left Port Salerno (FL) on a 26 foot sloop they owned and went to Angel Fish Creek (south of Miami). They left Angel Fish at dawn on Feb 28 and got to West End, in the Bahamas, about 8:30 at night on the 29th when, after some disagreements, her husband "threw her overboard, gunned the motor and left". Aunt Yvonne was saved by a porpoise who guided her to calmer waters, as she battled heavy waves and a strong tide. (A full page story appeared in The Miami Herald [Indian River Area Edition] on Saturday, March 12, 1960.)

By Christine "Chris" [Keck] O'Donnell (a granddaughter), 6 Jun 1999 - "I do know about the 'dolphin" story, and what a dangerous situation she (Yvonne) was in! She couldn't swim, so she floated for a while, then the dolphin came along and guided her to shore while she held on to its fin!! When I was going through some of my mother's things in my second trip to Florida last year (in December), I ran across the articles my mother had saved from that event. I believe it was 1959. ...There were also some pictures of the island that Bob (Bliss) and my grandma bought -- it was called "Key Bliss Island." They were the only inhabitants, and lived in a small, shacklike house that I don't know who built. I know they sold the island, then bought a sailboat, after which the "dolphin" story occurred, as they made one of many trips to the Bahamas. It is strange that they never found Bob, but they did find the sailboat on a remote island in the Bahamas. I guess it was after this that Grandma bought her trailer in Port Salerno, and lived there until her death in February 1980. I remember Mom going up to see Grandma every day after work, once she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. How hard it must have been to see her own mother dying and knowing there was nothing she could do. I'm glad that they did have that time together, though, and were able to say what they wanted to say to each other...."


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