She died on 5th July 1926. The inscription on her gravestone reads:
| 12A--/03/11- | Sacred to the memory / of / MAY / the beloved wife / of / K.K. STAPLE / who passed away / 5th July 1926 / aged 38 year / Lo some we loved the lovliest [sic] and the best / that time and fate of all their vintage prest / have drunk their cup a round or two before / and one by one crept silently to rest.B.J. & Co.#8885 |
Her funeral was reported in the newspapers on 7th July, eg The China Mail:
OBITUARY.
MRS. K. K STAPLE.
It is with regret that we record the death of Mrs. Staple, at the early age of thirty-nine, which occurred at her residence, No. 64, Mount Parish, on Monday afternoon.
The late Mrs. Staple, who had been resident in Hongkong for a number of years, was the wife of Mr. K. K. Staple, of the Public Works Department.
THE FUNERAL
The funeral took place at the Protestant Cemetery, Happy Valley yesterday evening, the Rev. G. T. Waldegrave conducting
Among those present were, Mr. K. K. Staple, Mr. R. S. Logan (brother) as chief mourners, Messrs. F. P. R. James, C. Sara, W. L. Walker, J. Fraser, J. H. Kynock, T. W. Carr, T. Bolt, F. Wheeler, S. A. Robert, J. M. Jack, R. S. Vergette, T. V. Harmon, A. E. Clark: and many others.
Wreaths were sent by the following: - Husband, mother, brothers and sisters, Win. and George and Lawrence, Jess and Bob, Betty and Betty Jean, Mr. and Mrs. R. Bell, Mr. G. W. C. Burnett, Mr. and Mrs. Bigg, Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Clarke, Mr. D. H. Cameron, Mr. and Mrs. H. Connant, Mrs. J. I. Callanan, Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Douglas, Mr. E. H. Edmonds, Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Edwards, Mr. and Mrs. W. Farmer, Mr. A Gibson, Mr. and Mrs. D. A Goodwin, Mr. L. B. Gomes, Mr. and Mrs. R. Hynes, M. E. E. Hagger, Mr. A. W. Heron, Capt. and Mrs. R. Innes, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Jones, Mr. F. P. R. James, Mr. and Mrs. E. Kern, Mr; and Mrs. G. B. Labrum, Mr. and Mrs. L. E. Longbottom, Mr. and Mrs. V. C. Labrum, Mr. O. Lambert, Mr. and Mrs. B. Pasco, Mr. and Mrs. D. J. Purves, Mr. S. A. Roberts, Mr. G. B. Slipper and Mr. F. Wheller, Mrs. J. L. Weil, Mrs. F. Wheeler and Annie, Mr. R. S. Vergettte, Members of the Kowloon Cricket Club, the European Staff (B.O.O.), P.W.D.
Comments
The Obituary above notes "Mr.
The Obituary above notes "Mr. R. S. Logan (brother)" as one of the chief mouners, which made me think May's maiden name was Logan. But Robert Spiers Logan was May's brother-in-law, having married her sister Jessie. (See the wreath from "Jess and Bob" mentioned above.) So May's maiden name was Jack, confirmed by this report on her wedding to K. K. Staple, on page 4 of The China Mail, 1922-04-20:
LOCAL WEDDING.
STAPLE-MILLAR.
A quiet wedding with only the immediate family present was solemnised at the Union Church at noon today, when Mr. Kenneth Kingsley Staple, of the Public Works Department, youngest son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Staple, Yeovil, Somerset, England, was married to Mrs. May Jack Millar, eldest daughter of the late Mr. William C. Jack and Mrs. William C. Jack, of Kowloon.
The Rev. J. Kirk Maconachie performed the ceremony. The bride, who was given away by Captain Wheeler, Marine Superintendent of Messrs, Jardine Matheson,& Co., Ltd., was attended by her sister. Miss Jessie Jack as bridesmaid. Mr. James Bell Spiers of Taikoo Dock, acted as groomsman.
The bride’s dress was of grey and silver over white satin. She wore a white picture hat with plume and carried a bouquet of Easter lilies. The bridesmaid was attired in a pretty dress of white organdie and lace over turquoise blue with a turqoise blue and lace hat. Her bouquet was of carnations and maiden hair fern. The bride’s mother chose for her dress white Canton crepe embroidered in mauve with mauve toque and violets.
Entering the church Mendelsohn's Spring Song was rendered at the organ and leaving, the famous Wedding March.
A wedding tiffin was held in the Hongkong Hotel. The honeymoon is being spent at Haiphong in Indo-China. The bride’s going away dress was of white Canton crepe and her hat, black lace with paradise plume.
This was May's second marriage, which explains the small ceremony. Her previous married name is given as Millar, but the Hong Kong Telegraph reported it as Millan. That's closer, though the correct spelling appears to be Milln.
May STAPLE previously MILLN nee JACK 1887 -1926
US PASSPORT APPLICATION 14 September 1921
May Jack Milln I was born 10 August 1887 in Hong Kong I am a naturalized US citizen I have been in the US for about fifteen years" Husband Ralph S Milln .... I was a US citizen at the time of my divorce on 6 October 1920 ... I left the US 2 September 1919 and am now residing in Victoria Hong Kong.... I intend to return to US to permanently reside there.....