Eleanor Dixon Valentine (Val) Gueritz
née Findlay
(14 Feb 1881 – 12 Apr 1960)

The narrative that follows is reproduced from Alexander (Sandy) Waddell's invaluable summary in his biographical document FINDLAY WHO'S WHO.

For details of her childhood please click Jessie Smith Findlay.

I only ever met Great Aunt Val the once, in about 1957, when she came to dinner with my parents. As a special concession I was allowed to eat with the grownups, but (as usual) was fatally indiscreet when at one point my mother told me dramatically that had I been born three days later I would have been called Valentine. "Ugh", I replied, "I'd have hated that, it's a horrible name!" Nobody had mentioned in advance that Val was short for Valentine rather than Valerie (as I had supposed).