1911 Courtship: Mar 5, Dear Noah

This week we're starting the 2nd month of Noah and Ethel's courtship, as the last letter posted was Feb 27 Dear Ethel.  The letters are mentioning more names, some of whom I recognize, and others that send me into research mode. I'm beginning to think I should start posting a genealogy chart to keep the names straight.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson b1890
Dated:  March 5, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N. C Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask.
Mailed from:  Bellhaven, Ontario
Relationship: Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter 
Writing  instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink,
Written on: slightly thick, textured linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches,  folded, written as pages 1 to 4

Mentioned in the letter:  
- Aunt Maud (Ethel's mother, Ida Amelia Glover, had a sister Victoria Maud who had a child Ethel Marie) 
- Pa (James H. Nelson, wife of Ida Amelia Glover)
- Sadie (Noah's 16 yr old sister)
- Christie (Ethel's 11 yr old sister)
- Veda Perrault (the 16 yr old in Noah's last letter)
- Edyth Draper* (Edith's father, Stephen, is brother to Noah’s father, David)
- Cecil Prosser* (20 yr old Cecil has eyes for Sadie and Sadie's looking right back)
- Fern Morton*
- Mr. Wm Sheppard of Michigan 
*see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven, Mar. 5, 1911

Mr. N. C. Draper.
      Grand Coulee.
                      Sask.

Dear Noah, - 
                I came home this morning
from Aunt Maud's. And the first
thing I received from Sadie were
your letters. I was very glad indeed
to hear from you. and to know
you got home safe.
               Did you look for a letter
last week? I didn't write because
I could not get to the Post Office
to post it.  Don't you neglect writing
because you do not get a letter,
for I will always have a reason.

                                                       2
Never the less I will try to be
true to my promise, "eh"
               Pa is talking of selling our
place. Mr Wm Sheppard of Michigan
was here on Saturday looking
over the place. He seems to think
it is what he wanted. Pa told
him what he would take, So
Mr Sheppard is coming Tuesday
evening to let us know if he
takes it. If he does we are going
to make a sale, and rent a house
and lot, in Queensville or Newmarket
until Pa can get another Farm.
We will have to be moved by the
First of April. What do you think
about it "eh"?

                                  3
          Does Fern Morton work in
Regina! and what does she do!
          Cecil Prosser came home
from the States last week. I
hav'nt saw him yet, But Sadie
say's she thinks he is going to
Stay all summer, I guess he is
beginning to think, "There is no
place like home".
               Aunt Maud calls her
baby Ethel Marie. And the baby
is just as pretty as her name is. haha
               I think you had better
send Veda down here, with her
Grandmaw this summer.

                                   4
         I hear that your cousin Edyth
Draper is to be married in May
to a man in the West, Suppose
you know all about it.
               I am in the front room
writing this, Christie was just here
and she saw who I was writing to
and she run and told ma. She
say's Ethel is writing to Noah. Ma
said, "I suppose, Guess you hav'nt
forgotten Christie? Have you.
               Well this is all for this
time, as I can't think of any more
news to write. Will be looking for your
letter every day. Bye Bye from
                               Your Lonesome Ethel,
                                                x x x x x x x x
              

Genealogy Notes

*Fern Morton - In the 1st post of Noah and Ethel, Noah & Ethel 1887-1911, Fern Morton is the
little girl sitting beside Ethel in the school photograph. From the census records, we also know that a Morton Family farmed next door to Ethel's family.

*Edyth Draper - According Edith's birth record, her name is spelled, Edith as follows...

Schedule of Births 1885, pg 293, North Gwillimbury Township, York County, Ontario, Canada

However, we've found many names are either misspelled throughout the person's
life. Usually, this comes about when the parents tell the registrar the name of
their new baby but don't know how to actually spell the word. Sometimes they
guess and it's written down as so, while at other times, the registrar seems to
write it one way, but it appears another on all the census records.

1911 Census of Canada: North Gwillimbury, York County, Ontario, Canada, showing the partial record of the Stephen Draper Family

As you can see in the partial census record above, Edith is spelled with an 'i' versus a 'y'. I checked back on the 1891 and 1901 cenus of Canada records and her name has always been recorded as Edith. (I would have liked to show you the complete line with all the information, but it's so long, the words would be too tiny to read.)

However, the letter is written by Ethel and I've noticed in some of the letters written by the Nelson family, they sometimes even spell Sadie as Sadye - as you'll see when I post a July 1911 letter written by Ethel's paternal grandmother who lives in Iowa.

*Cecil Prosser - I'm tempted to tell you what happens between Cecil and Sadie, but I equate that to someone telling me how a book ends. I don't like others doing it, so I won't do it. Well, not until the time comes anyway. :)