Alexander Scheikowsky was Trevor's grandmother's second husband. He was born on 2nd January 1900 in Queensland, the eldest son of Alexander David Scheikowsky and Margaret Anne Parsons.

His paternal grandparents were David (1830-1904) and Marianne (Maria) Scheikowski, nee Wiechowski (1834- 1904), who immigrated from Prussia to Maryborough, Qld, Australia with their children;

  - Marianne (Mary) - (b.1857-d.1909),
  - Johann (John) (b.abt 1860-d.1929),
  - Joseph (b.abt 1860)
  - Alexander David (1862-1930),
  - Julianne (Julia) (b.abt 1866),
  - Eleanora (b.1873) and
  - Antonio (b.abt 1876)

Records show that the family traveled by free passage on the German iron hulled sailing passenger ship "Lammers-hagen" (three masts, square rigged) and landed at Maryborough on 18 January 1877, at the height of the humid hot season.

David and Maria returned to Prussia with Eleanora and Antonio about 1883.  Another daughter, Johanna, was born on that return voyage.

Alexander David Scheikowsky was a baker, and he married Margaret Parsons on 25 May 1895 at Clermont in Queensland, following the death of his first wife (Hannah Jane Whittred) who died in Queensland on 5 February 1894.

Alexander and Margaret had seven children; Margaret (Peg) (b.1895), Alexander (b.1900 d.1973), Alma (b.1903 d.1968), Richard (b.1904 d.1905), David (b.1908), Franz (Frank-b.1906 d.1983), Victor (b.1907 d.1908) and David (b.1909 d.1968). There was a stillborn child at Wellington WA in 1916.

Alexander and Margaret took their family across Australia to live in Perth, West Australia where Alexander found work as a baker.  Their son, Richard, was born in Qld in 1904 and died the following year in WA, which gives us an idea of when this move occurred.

Alexander Scheikowsky’s first wife was Amy Grace Hall and their only child, Norma Scheikowsky, was born on 17th August 1923. Amy died 9 June 1948 at the age of 55. Norma attended Catholic schools then worked at the Taxation Department for about five years during WWII before joining the Sisters of Mercy on 26 October 1946.  She devoted the rest of her life in this religious order, much of that time as a school teacher.

Alexander and Trevor's grandmother, Susan Bamkin (nee Dogherty), married. The marriage was the second for both of them. Alexander was always known affectionately as "Uncle Alec" to my brothers and I as we grew up in Perth, Western Australia. When they married there began, perhaps, my Grandmother's happiest years. She adored Uncle Alec. Susan was a talented cake decorator and Alec was a baker and pastry cook. Over a number of years they successfully operated small pastry shops in Claremont, South Fremantle and Hilton.

He and Gran Shy were a great support for our mother. They were regular visitors to our home and we three boys used to visit them most weekends. Often, on a weekend, they would take us boys on a drive in their blue Ford Prefect into bush land where we would gather wildflowers and enjoy a picnic. We were taken on many drives and outings. We once went fishing off large rocks along the coastline. Other times we went for outings and always ended up lighting a small campfire to boil a kettle for a cup of tea. Both Gran and Alec loved their tea and preferred it almost strong enough to stand a spoon in it unaided. They were happy days.

I remember while they owned a pastry shop at Claremont, we three boys used to regularly go to gymnastics run by the Young Australian League (YAL) every Saturday morning. Afterwards we'd catch the bus and visit Gran and Alec for the remainder of the day at their pastry shop. We were thoroughly spoiled there and enjoyed the treats. Bus drivers from the nearby bus depot were regulars for lunch at Gran and Uncle Alec's pastry shop at Claremont. At Uncle Alec's suggestion, they never used to mind taking us boys on the double-decker buses on their routes between Perth and Fremantle. We loved the rides and stayed on the buses for hours.

When our parents divorced my brothers and I were placed into the Swan Boy's Orphanage and during this period Uncle Alec and Gran Shy were a wonderful support and visited us every weekend.

Alexander enjoyed his involvement in the Masonic Lodge and was a member of Lodge of Harmony No 8 WAC. He joined this organization on 6/12/55. He was presented with his Master Masons Certificate on 29/8/56, held the rank of Senior Warden of his lodge between 4/5/65 to 3/5/66, and on 2/5/67 became the Worshipful Master of his Lodge. He received his Past Master's Certificate on 19/4/68.

Gran Shy and Uncle Alec traveled by ship to Ireland in the late 1960s. They had booked to travel on SS Iberia in November 1964 but had to cancel due to Uncle Alec's ill health. It must have been very emotional for Susan to meet her brothers and sisters again and it's believed that the family was impressed with Uncle Alec and later wrote of him being a good man.




                                                 Alexander & Margaret Scheikowsky & Family
                                                  (l-r:  Peg, Alexander, Frank, Margaret, Alma, Alexander & David)

Alexander, pictured standing to the left of his mother in this family portrait, died on 19th April 1973 at the age of 73. His ashes were spread in the Rose Gardens of Karrakatta Cemetery, as were the ashes of his beloved Susan some years later on 8th November 1986.