Grace Vera Chugg G4

Most probably: L to R
Grace Louise Chugg Peake,
Sharon Craik daughter of Grace Vera Chugg Craik OBrien,
Ada Beatrice Chugg
Sharon was raised by aunt Grace Louise Chugg and great aunt Bea.
Grace Chugg Craik and her daughter Sharon Craik at John Chugg's Frank Street, Ottawa home.

Grace Chugg Craik and daughter Sharon Craik at John Chugg's cabin at Orlo, Quebec.

Earl Minto Chugg 1915 - Grace Vera Chugg Craik O'Brien's father. Earl left Grace with his father John Chugg and his sisters Beatrice, Hazel and Grace to raise Grace Vera Chugg. Earl was accompanied by his uncle Ebenezer Rogers Chugg to the United States for work. Earl resided most of his life in Indianapolis, Indiana. He married. There is no information on additional children. He is buried in the family plot in Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa. See his page for more photos and information.

Father of Sharon Craik, first husband of Grace Chugg (daughter of Earl Minto Chugg)
GRACE VERA CHUGG - daughter of Earl Minto Chugg
Grace Vera Chugg was the only daughter from Earls first marriage to Lilian E. Hilton of Eastbourne, England. They were married in 1918 and Grace was born in the first quarter of 1919. She lists her entry into Canada by way of Halifax as 1919. Her mother returned to England according to Nellie Chugg Lang and she never returned. Grace Vera Chugg was raised by her grandfather John Chugg and by her aunt Beatrice.
Her father Earl immigrated to the U.S. and lived in Indianapolis. By 1930 he had married Lydia Wagoner. He was listed as a metal finisher. Earl returned to visit his brother William Hector ( according to his nephew Hector E. Chugg who remembers the visit).
We have no account of why, but Grace also did not raise her own daughter. Grace married a Mr. Craik. Their daughter was Sharon Craik. Grace was then divorced according to immigration documentation. Grace moved to Washington D.C. to work as a secretary. She was in Washington as early as 1943. She would have been 24 at the time. Nellie Chugg Lang records in the Chugg Family History that John and Bea raised Sharon Craik. I think this is difficult to believe because John was her great grandfather and Bea was a great aunt at this point.
Earls obituary lists both brother John Henry Chugg (Harry) and Sharon Craik Mitchell as living in Carson or Carsonby in the North Gower area west of Ottawa. It is also known that Grace Chugg Peake, Grace Chugg Craiks aunt took care of John and Bea in their old age. It is most likely that Grace Peake raised Sharon Craik Mitchell. Perhaps Grace Peake lived near her brother Harry.
What is sad is to know that there is a story reporting the leaving of Grace by her mother and then Grace leaving her own daughter. What is heartwarming is that the Chugg family took care of the infants and raised them within their homes.
Here are the documents that tell this story:
Baby Grace Chugg 1919
Grace is born to Lilian Hilton in Brighton in 1919. Grace B may have been a typo for Grace V. Or somehow the B was there as for Beatrice, and the middle name was changed. Reason unknown.

Second last line shows Lilian E. Hilton marrying Chugg at Eastbourne 1918.

Earl M. Chugg married Hilton in Eastbourne in 1918

Notice that Grace lists her grandfather as her closest relative. His address was now 47 Frank Street. The circled D is for divorced.
Her new residence was 1901 16St. NW Washington D.C. She was in Washington since 1943 and was 28 at this time.
She was born in Brighton,Great Britain and arrived in Canada by ship at Halifax in 1919, the year of her birth.
Grace signed as Grace V. Craik so she was using her married name.
This immigration event took place on June 16,1947.

19980612 Cumberland Times News -

GRACE V OBRIEN OAKLAND - Grace V. OBrien, 79, of Yough Glades,

Oakland, died Thursday, June 11, 1998, at the Garrett County Memorial

Hospital, Oakland. Born Feb. 4, 1919, in Brighton, England, she was the

daughter of the late Carl (should be Earl) W. and Lilian V. (Hilton)

Chugg. She was preceded in death by her husband, Victor J. OBrien in

1984; and by one step-son, James OBrien. She was a former

cryptographer for the Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C., a former

secretary for Consol Coal Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., and a former

teachers aid at Broadford Elementary School, Oakland. A member of St.

Matthews Episcopal Church, Oakland, she was a past president of the

Bridge Club and the P.T.A. in Munhall, Pa. She is survived by one

daughter, Sharon A. Mitchell, Ottawa, Canada; three sons, Theodore C.

OBrien, Aurora, W.Va., Brian C. OBrien, McMurray, Pa., and Michael S.

OBrien, Damascus; one step-daughter, Kathleen Gera, Gambills; nine

grandchildren; one step-grandson; and several great-grandchildren.

Friends will be received at the Stewart Funeral Home, Oakland, from 2 to

4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Services will be held at St. Matthews

Episcopal Church on Sunday, June 14, 1998, at 2 p.m. with the Rev. Fr.

Chip Lee officiating. Interment will be in the Oakland Cemetery. The

family requests that memorials take the form of contributions to St.

Matthews Episcopal Church, Oakland, MD 21550.

Grace is listed as living at 1901 16ST N.W. Washington D.C. on 6/16/1947.
We now know the rest of Graces story. She was indeed a cryptographer during the second World War for the Australian embassy in Washington D.C. Grace also remarried and had three sons, according to the obituary. Grace did in fact live and work in Pittsburgh PA. We see that she led an active life and had a large family. I am in the process of contacting the Obrien sons to try to get contact data on Sharon Craik Mitchell. My hope is that we can inform others of Graces "Chugg" family.
Immigration card of Grace Vera Chugg Craik provided by her son Ted O'Brien (born Theodore Allen). From phone conversations in February of 2011 with Ted O'Brien, it became clear that Grace's family included three fathers, Mr.Craik, Theodore Allen Sr. and Victor O'Brien. Ted O'Brien stated that his father Theodore Allen met Grace in Washington D.C. He assisted in helping Grace acquire the position at Consolidated Coal in Pittsburgh, PA.
-Michael Philip Chugg

May 17,2009 Conversation with Michael S. O’Brien regarding his mother Grace Vera Chugg Craik O’Brien

I spoke with Michael O’Brien this morning. At this time Michael is living in Damascus, Maryland.

Michael was very willing to talk and share a few details about his family, his mother and father. Grace Chugg O’Brien was very secretive about her previous life both in Canada and in Washington D.C. Grace had no relationship with her daughter Sharon Craik Mitchell according to Michael. He did not know who she was and had not spoken to her until the time of his mother’s death. Michael related that his family used a Canadian phone book that Grace Chugg O’Brien had that had her daughter Sharon’s name and address. Michael thinks that Sharon Mitchell still has the Blue Sea Lake cabin. Despite Grace’s secrecy surrounding her past, details from a mother to her children come to the surface.

We know that Grace Chugg O’Brien worked for the Australian Embassy in Washington D.C. as a cryptographer. Michael also knew that she worked for the embassy. He did not know that she was a cryptographer. Grace had not revealed this information. She did reveal that she was in a bad car accident in Canada before coming to the United States. (I wonder if this could be the absence or death of her first husband, Mr. Craik?) Grace also revealed to her son Michael that both she and her daughter were raised by the same aunts. Grace married Victor O’Brien in 1955 or 1956 in Pittsburgh, PA. Victor O’Brien’s father was a sheriff in Kansas City. He died when Victor was young and Victor somehow ended up in Pittsburgh. Victor owned a brick company. He was well off. His first wife died, leaving him with two children, James and Kathleen. James died young. Kathleen is now Kathleen Gera and lives in the Gambill’s Corners area outside of Annapolis. During his life time, Victor e built a cabin on Deep Creek Lake, a resort area in Maryland. He moved the family to this house. Victor and Grace O’Brien were divorced when Michael was in 9^th grade (somewhere around 1970). One of Brian’s brothers lived with Victor, who moved back to Pittsburgh. Michael was left to fend for himself in a fashion as he entered high school. Grace also moved back to Pittsburgh.

Michael had been working in the summers at GG ranch in the Deep Creek Area of Maryland. He stayed on at the ranch and was given room and board through tenth and eleventh grade in exchange for work. In twelfth grade Grace returned to Maryland. She broke her hip at this time, and Michael stayed with her and cared for her while he continued to work at the ranch and go to school. Victor gave Grace money but Grace was not well of. She made bad investments and struggled with the finances. Victor continued to make sure the family was cared for.

Michael’s father was Catholic but converted for a short period to the Episcopal Church. Grace was staunchly Episcopal.

Michael Philip Chugg