Category: Disease

1911 Courtship: Sep 10 Dear Noah

11/4/2013

G. E. Goddard on "Reciprocity", sired by "Juryman", Bow River Horse Ranch, Cochrane area, Alberta. ca1890's. Courtesy Glenbow Museum.

When I searched my historical photo archives for something to show the 1911 political debate of Reciprosity (Genealogical Note #3), this cowboy and his horse, named "Reciprocity" came up. And honestly, I'd rather show this image than a political one any day.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated: Sep- 1911 (Possibly Sep 10th due to facts in letter)
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, My Dear Noah
Mailed from: Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form. Ethel is very talkative this week and has written 7 pages using 2 pieces of writing paper.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Mother - *Ida Amelia Glover Nelson
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- *Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- *Veda -16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, *Eva Amelia and *Joe Perrault
- Mr. Perrault's - *Joe Perrault's trip to *Banff for his arthritis
*Manuel - Ethel's 6 yr old brother, *Emanuel Nelson
- Uncle *Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's Pa's paternal uncle
- Ursula *Cole - Ethel's 16 yr old 2nd cousin on the maternal *Greenwood side
- **Mr. & Mrs. Frank Terry and daughter Edna May - Noah's cousin
- **Cousin George of Udora (Drury and Alf Westgarth) (*Ida Amelia's cousins)
- *Edith Draper - Noah's 25 yr old cousin whose finace lives in the West
- Noah's mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- Uncle - *Emmanuel Nelson - Uncle of Ethel's Pa - *James Henry Nelson

- Mrs Harry Glancey of Newmarket and son Roy, school teacher - local friends
- 'the boys' - the local men who went west to find work during harvest
- Orville and the rest of the boys - Neighbor Orville *King
- Mr. Merritt - Sadie's school teacher
- Ethel and Noah's friends and neighbors who went to Toronto for the Exhibition:
- Stanley and May (use search box)
- Della, Dora, and Hattie M.
- Gordon *Crowder
- Morin Yorke
- *Mary Smith of Belhaven - friend who visited Ethel in *Huntsville
- Lulu Sheppard - neighbor
- Mr. Prosser's - could be any of the *Prosser families
- Irene and Maud *Bruels - Ethel's old girlfriend
- John Morris - ? (still researching)
- Professor *Dales - frequent visiting minister

Local Polititians: Mr. Armstrong, *Lennox, and Robinette
Mr. Heise - Previous residents, Mr. Heise and family, were in the newspaper travelling through. Not sure if it's the same one Ethel's talking about.

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- *Toronto, Ontario
- Sutton, Ontario
- Udora, Ontario
- Mount Albert, Ontario
- *Newmarket, Ontario
- Brandon, Manitoba
- *Banff, Alberta

- **reciprocity - trade agreement between Canada and the U.S.

Cliches/Phrases/Word Use
- kid
- phone

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. P.O.
Sept - 1911

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

My Dear Noah,
Now for a good long letter
I guess you would miss my letter this
last week. but you will have to forgive
me of that. Im sending a good long one
this week to make up for it. Blue Sunday
"eh" I tell you I was feeling a little blue
last week. I did'nt get you letter until Wed,
I guess I do like, to get letters from a
queer person as you said in your last
letter & (to-day) I saw Mr & Mrs Frank
Terry to-day. I think their daughter is
home from the West. came rathe
unexpectedly. but I guess Welcome "eh"
Mrs Harry Glancey of Newmarket was here
this afternoon. Roy is teaching school at

Mt Albert. He intends studying for a doctor
after next summer holidays. I don't know
where the boys could of have landed that
you hav'nt saw any of them yet. I met a
girl in Newmarket & I said good-day
& her first salute was. I hear you are
going to be hooked up this winter. I says
come on with me if your coming &
on I went, I didnt wish for any particular
chat just then.
Sadie failed hr exams by 2 marks but
Mr Merritt said he thot she could go
on in the fourth form. She is starting
on Monday. Am glad to hear of Veda
going to College. is she going down to
Brandon? also how is Mr Perrault now
hope his trip to Banff was a help to him.
Quite a few from around here were
down to the Ex - Stanley & May. Della
Dora & Hattie M.) Gordon Crowder.
Morin Yorke & some others. don't include
me though. "ha ha"

Say Manuel was up to the office one
day. & he came home & said Noah was
there. & of course he knew it was you. ha
Wish it had of been. We are certainly
having a lively time over reciprocity
Suppose you are up there. I have
been to Hear Mr Armstrong & Lennox
also Robinette. Mr. Heise says "whats
the use of the women coming they
can't vote. Mother was dreaming
of you. thot she had you crying
I told her I would like to see you
cry. ha. ha.
Ursula Cole has been here for a few
days and she and Sadie certainly
made things lively.
Say George Westgarth from Udora came
in here just before tea. & to-night I
have certainly heard of nothing but the
West. I suppose all day to-morrow will

be just the same. Wish you were here
to help me out a little. Edith Draper
called me up over the phone, said she
heard I was going West. & wanted to
know if she could go to. Its just
awful. I hear of it a dozen times
a day. I guess those that don't know
it now are behind the times. eh.
Never mind I will be glad when the
time comes when I can be with
you. then I want be looking so
lonesome. I hope as they are all the
time telling me now. It doesn't
seem so long now. but long enough
"eh" I am glad your Mother is
coming down with you. It will
be her first trip down since she
went West. Wont it. My how nice
it would be if you were just on the
old farm now. A Good time 'eh' we'd have
now.

Uncle is still gaining strength, if he only
keeps on. But he is an old man &
we can't expect him to last long.
Mary Smith is down to Toronto now.
I started this letter on Saturday but
this is Sunday now. It is a very
nice day. we have had some
quite cool weather. Some one
was saying you had a frost
up there. If so did it do
much damage. I hope. not
any way. Pa was to Sutton
yesterday & he heard that
Orivelle & the rest of the boys
had'nt got any work yet
was paying for their board.
I guess they wont think much
of that. "eh"

Lulu Sheppard is going to
H. School. do you remember
the time she came up for
a electric shock. She is a
lively kid, "eh"
People are going home from church
I think I must be a bad a you
for I am not going to S. School
either. Ma & Pa are going up to
Mr Prossers this after noon.
Irene Bruels is home now.
Maud was home for over Sunday
She is working at the lake for
John Morris, Well I was up
to Church to-night. Prof Dales
preached.
George has gone home. he is

a cousin of ours, from
Udora. A scaffold he was
on broke & he fell. & broke his
nose & cut his face all up.
Also wrenched his arm badly
So he is off work. & making
short visits since he began getting
better.
Say I am making quite a lengthy
letter. "eh" There is nothing I would
like better than to see you.
I guess I must close for this
time. with love & x x x
Your Sweetheart Ethel.
I think this must be a queer
letter from queer person, too. "eh".

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note 1: Cousin George from Udora

Ethel mentions Cousin George in 2 places in this letter and at first I wasn't sure if she was talking about the same one...
- pg 3 - George ??? from Udora came in here just before tea
- pg 6 - George has gone home. He is a cousin of ours from Udora. A scaffold he was on broke & he fell...

Since I didn't recall any of Ethel's relatives living in Udora, I tried to do an Ancestry.ca search. The problem is that it only lets me search for people, not places. Very inconvenient as I've run into this before.

However, this week's Newmarket Era mentions a scaffolding accident - one of many back then - and although the names weren't familiar, I clipped it out:

The Newmarket Era. September 1, 1911 - Page: 2 of 8

At Aurora on Monday of last week,
two Udora boys, Alf and Drury West-garthe, while putting cornice on a
house they were building, fell with
the scaffold to the ground and took
the consequences of a very quick stop.
Alf jumped up without a scratch but
Drury's face looked like the aftermath
of a scrap with Jim Jeffries, but
we are pleased to say nothing more
serious than scratches and bruises
were experienced. -- Journal.

Of course, the problem with the above snippet is that it mentions Alf and Drury Westgarthe and not cousin George ???, whose last name I couldn't make out from Ethel's writing. But with the light bulb flashing above my head, I looked at Ethel's writing again and sure enough, she had written George Westgarth from Udora, although another check on the family tree still didn't match the name.

So, I did a wide search for a George Westgarth from Udora and a George D Westgarth came up with Ellen Greenwood as his mother. Since Ethel's maternal grandmother is a Greenwood, I checked for Ellen on the family tree and there she was... sister of Sarah Elizabeth Greenwood, Ethel's grandma. Which meant Ethel's mom, Ida Amelia, and George D were cousins. Good to know, but it still didn't match Alf and Drury Westgarthe in the newspaper scaffolding accident. However, a search for George D's birth record confirmed his name was George Drury Westgarth.

Ethel doesn't mention George's brother Alf, but she does say that George's face looked like he'd had lost a round with the reigning boxing champ. It also adds more cousins to the family tree.

Genealogy Note 2: The Franklin Terry's

Ethel writes that she saw Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Terry and that she thinks, "their daughter is home from the West. came rather unexpectedly. but I guess Welcome "eh".

Obviously Ethel and Noah share something that they're not telling us, but I'll tell you all I found out... We first encountered the Franklin Terry's when Noah made a brief mention of their son, Manford Terry, who is Noah's cousin on the Draper side. Manford was married to Etta May Prosser and they lived near Belhaven, North Gwillimbury Township.

In 1911, Manford is 30 yrs old and he has 2 sisters, Edna May is 28 yrs old, and Olive Gertrude is 12 yrs old. Their sibling, William Burr, died at the age of 12 from erysipelas
which is a skin infection caused by acute streptococcus bacteria.

Edna May is the daughter mentioned in this week's letter. In January, 1908, she married George Robert Fogg, a saddle merchant from Togo, Saskatchewan, who was visiting relatives in the North Gwillimbury area. George took Edna May back West where he lived in the same community as his parents and a couple siblings. Since his father was a harness maker, and George was a saddle merchant buyer, I suspect he worked for his father although that's not written on the Census records.

I found a birth record for George and Edna's 1st child - a son born December 1908. But then I can't find anything else until the 1916 Saskatchewan census which shows them living in Saskatoon, SK, with a 2nd child, a daughter born in 1913. George is a wholesale saddle buyer and the rest of his family seem to be out in Alberta.

I have searched dozens of census records and cannot find George and Edna on the 1911 Canada census anywhere. So either they didn't register, their records are missing, or their records are so badly misspelled that the ancestry computers aren't picking them up. I even did a 30 page line-by-line search for them in the Togo, Sk area without results. So I suppose we'll have to wait and see if Noah knows where they are.

Genealogy Note 3: Reciprocity

Ethel tells Noah that "...we are having a lively time over reciprocity. Suppose you are up there."

It's federal election time and the newspapers are filled with the debate over the trade agreement called Reciprocity. Here are a couple samples...

The Newmarket Era. September 1, 1911 - Page: 7 of 8

The Newmarket Era. September 1, 1911 - Page: 2 of 8

The Newmarket Era. Sept 1, 1911 - Pg: 2

The Newmarket Era. September 1, 1911 - Page: 5 of 8

1911 Courtship: Aug 6 Dear Ethel

9/8/2013

Bathing at Cave and Basin, Banff, Alberta ca1900-1903

In this week's Courtship letter Noah writes that Joe is spending a few weeks in Banff for his rheumatism. For more information on the healing waters of Sulphur Mountain, check out the Genealogy Notes at the bottom of this post.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper (24 yrs old)
Dated: Aug 6/11
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, My Dear Ethel (21 yrs old)
Mailed to: Huntsville, Ont
Mailed from: Grand Coulee. Sask.
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Black ink pen and the ink is still wet when he folds the paper to write on the last page because it left impressions on the middle two pages.
Writing Paper: Thick paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half, written on front and back like a book, but inside, paper is turned sideways and written across the short width and down both pages.

People/Places mentioned in this letter:

- mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell
- Steward - *Stewart Draper - Noah's cousin from Indian Head
- Joe - **Joe Perrault - husband of Noah's sister, Eva Amelia
- *Fanny - Niece of Joe Perrault
- carpenters
- furnace man
- plumber
- plasterers

- the show - the Regina *Exhibition
- the Head - *Indian Head, Sask
- Bannf - **Banff, Alberta
- Rheumatism

Phrases/Cliches in use at the time:
- eh
- lathing: nailing thin lath strips to the inner walls prior to plastering
- own up - admit

* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right column for more on posts on the above people.
**More info under Genealogical Notes

Grand Coulee. Aug, 6/11

Miss. E. Nelson,
Huntsville, Ont.
My. Dear Ethel;-
Received your letter Friday
and you bet I was glad to
hear from you. Say Ethel you
never said you were run
down by hard work but I
beleive you are now own up
if you knew how I feel about
it you would take care of
your self, and as for me Iam
too lazy to work hard
enough to hurt me. guess
you know that. Eh.
Well Ethel the carpenters
are away at last but they are
not finished yet. they just done

the rough work this time. and they
will be away about 3 weeks and then
come back and finish.
The man was out here to day and
put in the pipes for the furnace
and the man is here now to do the
plumbing then when I get it lathed
the plasterers will be along.
Well I have been in to the show
twice Thursday & Sat was in alone
Thursday. & had mother Sat. was to
go in to-morrow & take Fanny. but it
is raining so I guess that is all off.
and I dont care much HaHa.
Say I wish it were you and I would
get in no mater what happened but
I guess it will be you next year eh.
Steward was up from the Head.
Sat and was going home to-night
but I guess he would not go for it
has been raining since about 3 pm.
Well Ethel I have just been laughing
untill I could hardly move the plumber
just came in and I got him ahold
of my Elitric battery and he didnt
think it was very strong but I
shoved in the wire in the post
& you should have seen him
jump & yell christ man. Ha Ha.
oh say it was rich.
Joe went up to Bannf last
week and expects to begone for

two or three weeks went up.
for his rheumatism hope
it does him good.
Well it has stoped raining
but dont know for how
long. I tell you it makes it
very disagreeable raining so
much we have had rain
every Sat now for 8 weeks
can you beat that.
Well I guess I am getting
near the end of this
epistal. Ha. Ha. say this has
been a long summer and
I will be glad when it is
over. how ever ithas been
a buisy onealso and that
helps some. Well good Bye for
this time with lots of love I
remain yours for ever. N.C.D.

Genealogy Notes

Joseph Andrew Perrault c1895

In this week's letter, Noah writes, "Joe went up to Bannf last week and expects to be gone for two or three weeks went up for his rheumatism hope it does him good."

Noah is writing about Banff in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, where many people go to soak in the healing waters of the sulphurous hot springs.

The Banff Hot Springs are a fascinating story of discovery because it was here, back in 1883 that Canadian Pacific railway workers, Frank McCabe and William McCardell used a fallen tree branch to descend into little-known underground cavern on the northeast face of Sulphur Mountain and then claimed ownership to the springs in the cave as well as the above-ground pool called the basin.

The Cave, Banff, Alberta c1880's heated by geothermal waters 3 kilometres down.

The men tried to charge a fee for admittance to the hot springs as well as sell specimens, but their claim was disputed as other parties claimed first discovery.

c1886 Sulphur Springs Basin, Banff, Alberta. Courtesy of the Glenbow Archives.

The government stepped in and reserved 10 square miles around the hot springs until the dispute could be settled. As it turned out, this was the birth of Banff National Park although it would be years before it became a reality.

From "Calgary Weekly Herald" newspaper, June 7, 1886.

With the claims settled, the government set about making the Cave and Basin accessible to all.

The Cave and Basin building, Banff, Alberta c1886-1894

c1911 Basin at Banff, Alberta.

Due to popular demand for the curative powers of the Sulphur Mountain hot springs, 1912 saw the water bottled and sold to the public. Due to its popularity, the original basin pool proved inadequate so in 1914, a new naturally heated swimming pool was built.

Cave and Basin Swimming Pool ca 1914-1918, Banff, Alberta

Back in the 1980s when my family explored Banff, there were 3 or 4 different hot springs open to us. Unfortunately, the Cave and Basin was closed due to the fact that it had recently been declared a National Historic Site and was going under renovations to include an Interpretive Centre. However, we enjoyed the healing waters of the Upper Springs, about 5 kilometres away, higher up the mountain. It was June, but that high up we were in the snow area, and all I remember was sitting in the beautiful, silky water, watching the steam rise into the cold mountain air, and observing the gorgeous mountains around us. What a fantastic experience.

But I'm getting far ahead of Joe's story... One hundred years earlier in the 1880's, another Canadian Pacific Railway employee, a Doctor Robert Brett, realized the healing power of the sulphur hot springs and established the Brett Sanitorium and Hotel. As well as treating railway workers, he treated the 'rich and famous' who came to experience the springs.

I'm guessing that if our Joe expects to be gone for 2-3 weeks, he's probably staying at the Sanitorium Hotel, also referred to as The Chateau or Brett's Chateau.

Sanitorium Hotel, 'The Chateau', Banff, Alberta c1910

1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 14 from Iowa

7/28/2013

Map showing migration of Henry Nelson and Eliza Crouch Nelson and their family from York County in Ontario to Atkins, Iowa. (brown line)

The Courtship Letter Special: July 20 From Ma & Sadie mentions this Iowa letter from Ethel's paternal grandma, Eliza Crouch...

Author of Letter: Eliza Crouch Nelson
Dated: July 14th, 19011 (1911)
Addressed to: My Dear Son
Mailed from: Atkins, Iowa (on last page after signature)
Relationship: Ethel's paternal grandma
Profession: Farmer Laborer's Widow
Writing instrument: Fine Black Ink
Written on: Off-white and yellowed with age, lined note paper, 5 1/2 inches by 9 inches.

Note: This letter is easy to read if you sound out the words as they are written and ignore the spelling.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Eliza Crouch Nelson ca. 1890 (1840-1919)

- Son and doter
- Jimmey

Ethel's parents:
*James Henry Nelson and
*Ida Amelia Glover

James Henry Nelson (1864-1953) ca. 1905

Ida Amelia Glover (1874-1953) ca. 1905

- George - **George Caleb Nelson, James's brother
- Alice - Eliza Alice Nelson Wer, James's sister in California

- Annie - Eliza Ann Nelson, James's sister

Eliza Alice Nelson Wear (1869-1946)

- Mammey - Mamie E Fritz, wife of Emanuel

- Emanuell - Emanuel Francis Nelson, James's brother

Mamie E Fritz Nelson (1881-1916) ca. 1905

Emanuel Francis Nelson (1876 - unk ) ca. 1905

- Annie - Eliza Ann Nelson, James's sister

- Willes - Willis A Crouch, son of Eliza Crouch's brother, Alfred

Eliza Ann Nelson (1872-1946) ca. 1917

Willis A Crouch (1862-1946) ca. 1917

- Mode - *Victoria Maud - Ida Amelia's sister with the newborn Ethel mentioned
- John - John Rogers - *Victoria Maud's husband
- Ida's mother - *Sarah Elizabeth Greenwood (Ethel's maternal grandma)
- Cristey - *Christy Maud, Ethel's 11 yr old sister
- 2 boys - Ethel's brothers, 6 yr old *Emanuel Henry and 3 yr old James A.
- Rose - Rosetta Nelson Cozad, James's sister

- Jim and hunkle from Canada - Unknown as the family tree is foggy at this level

Places mentioned:
- Caleforna - California
- **4th of July holiday

Phrase/Cliche: "prettey sick"

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing. If you don't see a label, use the search box at the top of page.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Julie 14 19011

Well my Dear son and
doter and famley all as i
got a letter and more from
you i Was much saprised as
i thoght you Was like gorge
you ad for got that you
ad a mother on the earth
eney more but i Wos very
glad to hear you Was well
but sorey to hear of youre
lose i Wos very glad to
hear that you got youre
in surence that Will help
quite a bit o Gimmey i think
you a very ondutifull son
as you sertnley right oftener
to your pore old mother how
is skarce able to be a round
i ave ad quite a sick spell

2

a gain but i do thank god
that i ame able to be up
a gain We ave ad som of
the hotest Wether i ever can
rember of it Was 100 and 10
in the shade and we ave a
dredfull storm the other
nite it Was fearfull all
nite long but i thank god
that our lives Was spared.
i got a letter from Caleforna
and tha Was all Well but
Alice and she wos prettey
sick The folks hear is all
rite so far i did not get
eney card or eney thing about
youre barn but mamey said
tha did Emanuell is bisey
harvisting his Wife and young

3

ones Was down 2 days doing
the Baking as i cod not and
annie Went out and help
to shok oats Well we ave
lots of frout this year and
the Cosn loks good now
i ad a good time Wen i
Was in Caleforna and i wood
ave stade longer but the
peapil that i went With
tha got home sick and i
did not like to Com back
a lone i saw som Wonderfull
sites Willes is a talking of
seling is plase and if he
do it may be posable we
ma go out there a gain ari
ave no one to stop With me
so i must do som thing

4 (across the top) did you get your pictor that mamey sent you

i hope saday Will be able
to teach Willes and anney as
gone up to my garden to pick
chereys and curents the treas
Was so loded i sold 3 dolars
Worth and there is lots yet
so i told them tha cod ave
them if tha ad a mint to
pick them as i cod not now
you give my love to mode
and John and all so to Idas
mother how is Cristey
and tehm to boys Rose and
her famley and Emanuell and
his famley Was all down hear
on the 4 asit is quite a holoday
and tha made hyse Cream
and ad a good time in general
now as I ave told you
turn over

5

all i can think an i want
you to be sure and ancer
quick and dont for get
and tell me how you are
getting a long i was very
much disapointed in not
sean Jim and hunkle for
i sure thoght if tha com
to the states tha wood
com and see me now as
i cant think of eney more
i Will say good by trusting
god Will bles us all and
gather us all in to is
kindomn Wase parting
Will be no more this is
from youre loving mother
mrs JH nelson Atkins Iowa

Genealogy Notes

Genealogy Note #1 - Henry Nelson and Eliza Crouch

I've mentioned the Iowa branch of Ethel's family a time or two before in passing, but this is the first post detailing the Henry and Eliza Nelson family. (Hubby Nelson's 2 great-grandfather)

The Nelson family has been a mystery trying to figure out because one branch emigrated to Ohio in the United States after immigrating to Canada from England. And if it hadn't been for Eliza Crouch Nelson's letter posted above then I wouldn't have known anything about them. But when I added the basic information to the family tree on ancestry.com a nice lady named Sharon who happens to be the 2 x granddaughter of Eliza Crouch contacted me and said some of my information was wrong and/or missing. Between Sharon and ancestry.com I was able to fill in so many leaves on our tree it looks quite coloringful and interesting now. Thank you, Sharon for sharing your tree info and photos with us - like the one below which is the only one we have of Ethel's grandfather and grandmother. (For the full photo, see 1911 Courtship: May 7 Dear Noah)

Henry Nelson (1835-1900) and Eliza Crouch (1840-1919). Photo taken about 1890, Iowa, USA.

Henry Nelson - b 3 Mar 1835 in England married Eliza Crouch - b 16 Apr 1840 in England on 5 Oct 1857 in Ontario, Canada

I have the following census records for Henry and Eliza after their marriage:
- 1861 Canada Census: living in East Gwillimbury Township of York County, Ontario
- 1871 Canada Census: (same as above)
- 1881 Canada Census: (same as above)
- 1895 Iowa State Census: living in Benton, Iowa
- 7 Oct 1900: Henry Nelson died and was buried in Benton Co, Iowa
- 1900 US Census: Eliza living in Atkins, Benton, Iowa
- 1910 US Census: (same as above)
- 28 Oct 1919: Eliza Crouch Nelson died and was buried in Benton, Iowa

We've been above to correlate that Henry and Eliza had the following children born in East Gwillimbury, York County, Ontario, although several of them died here:

Born in Canada

- George Caleb b 1857
- John Thomas b 1860
- Mary Pricilla b 1863
- James Henry b 1864 - Ethel's father
- Elizabeth Jane b 1866
- Unnamed Nelson b 1868
- Eliza Alice b 1869
- Eliza Ann (twin of Edwin) b 1872
- Edwin (twin of Eliza Ann) b 1872
- Jemima Isabelle b 1874
- Emanuel (Manuel) Francis b 1876
- Rosetta b 1878
- Mariah Victoria b 1880
- Fannie Louisa b 1882

Died in Canada

- born and died in Oct 1868

- died in 1872 - 19 days days
- died in 1882 - 8 yrs old

- died in 1891 - 10 yrs old
- died 1884 - 17 months old

Eliza's brother, Alfred Crouch, had emigrated to Ontario with the family, but in 1860 moved to Fremont, Iowa. Eliza's other siblings followed. Henry and Eliza decided to emigrate to the US as well which they did in the early 1880's taking most of the family with them. Eliza's brother, Francis Croutch, was the only sibling to stay in Ontario. He is also the only member of the family who uses a 'T' in the Croutch name.

When Eliza and Henry left Canada, only 2 of their children stayed behind and they are the 2 marked in red in the above list, namely, George Caleb and James Henry.

Eliza's parents, George Crouch and Percilla, are listed on the 1852 census and then they moved down to Iowa. But George shows up on the 1861 Canada census with a wife named Mary. Percilla died in 1876 and is buried in Mound Cemetery, Benton, Iowa. But not George. Family rumour says George broke up with Percilla and came back to Canada, however no one can find a record of him dying and being buried in Ontario, either.

Genealogy Note #2 - George Caleb Nelson

In Eliza's letter, she says, "i Was much saprised as i thoght you Was like gorge you ad for got that you ad a mother on the earth eney more"

Eliza is talking about her son, George Caleb Nelson, who - along with Ethel's dad, James Henry, didn't emigrate to the US once they'd settled in Ontario. I checked the family tree to see what could have prevented George Caleb from writing to his mother and at the first glance, saw the problem...
1857 - George is born. He is 17 yr old Eliza's 1st child.
1880 - 23 yr old George marries 18 yr old Hannah Victoria Latham
1894 - Hannah dies of consumption leaving George with 4 children aged 4-12 yrs***
1895 - George marries Hannah's sister, 22 yr old Emma Latham
1896 - Emma dies, childless
1897 - George marries 25 yr old widow, Mary Tryphena Smith
1913 - Mary dies of heart failure leaving an additional 11 yr old and 1 month old baby
1914 - 57 yr old George marries 55 yr old Mary Ellen Travis

By the time 1911 rolled around and Eliza wrote her letter, George was on his 3rd wife with a 9 yr old and 3 yr old still at home. And then Mary dies a month after giving birth in 1913. So yes, George is busy with children and wives, but that shouldn't stop him from writing to his mother.

But perhaps this is the reason... when George marries Mary Ellen Traviss, he makes an X in place of his signature.
In other words, he can't sign his name.

Mark of X for George Nelson

Wife #3, Mary, could have written Eliza in 1911, but perhaps she didn't want to or perhaps she was too sick. She signed the marriage certificate, so we know she was able to write, but I guess we'll never know why she didn't.

*** You've met 2 of George Caleb's children before in Ethel's letters:
- Elva Jane married Will Mitchell and is working for Stewart Draper in Indian Head
- Leslie is the missing cousin who is 'somewhere out west'

1911 Courtship: June 25th Dear Noah

5/8/2013

Coronation Day, Moose Jaw, a living flag. : c1911, Prairie Postcards, Courtesy of Peel Library, UofAlberta

As a Commonwealth country, Canadians embraced the new King George V and Queen Mary with celebrations all over the country including Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in the above photo. It's one of the Prairie postcards from the Peel Library at the University of Alberta. The caption reads, Union Jack flag formed by school children at fair, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Children on horse - drawn float are visible on the left side.

In present day terms, Moose Jaw is a 45 minute drive west of the Grand Coulee/Regina area - the next big whistle stop if you were Noah heading west.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (born 31 May 1890)
Dated:  June 25th, 1911
Addressed to: Dearest Noah (Mr. N. C. Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask.) (This is the first letter Ethel has left off Noah's postal info on the first page.)
Mailed from:  Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, blue ink
Written on: Light bluey/gray, slightly thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6 inches, folded in half. The paper is folded in half with the first page on the front and last on the back, but inside, she's turned the paper and written across the short width and turned both pages into one long page. Hence this letter has only 3 pages.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

Percy - *Percy Roy Draper, Noah's older brother
Veda - *Veda Perrault - Noah's 16 yr old niece (Joe & Eva Amelia's daughter)
Sadie - *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yrs old sister
Pa -  *James Henry Nelson
Alice Sprague**
Mrs. Walter Yorke** (Martha Ann "Minnie" Linstead)

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. P.O.
June 25 1911.

Dearest Noah;-
Well here I am again
with some more of my writing
but oh if I could only talk instead
of write, what happy hours we
could spend now if it were only
possible. though as you say we
will make up for lost time when
you come. I was rather dis apointed
last night I did;nt get a letter but
I will have something to look for to
morrow night. Your letters Generally
reach me on Saturday's or Mondays.
Sometimes when I am feeling rather
lonesome, I wish that it was either of

Saturday or Monday, whichever night
your letter happened to come that week.
Keswick, Bethel & Belhaven Sunday
Schools are having a picnic, They
don't know yet were they will go.
Don't you think Belhaven needs a
long line drawn.
The carpenters are going to start
work here in the morning. I
hope they can get along fine, for
I would like to go to Huntsville
about the middle of July. and I
can't unless the barn raising
is over with.
Was Percy successful in getting
water! I hope he was for it would
make it so much better for you. would'nt it

Did I ever tell you Veda sent
Sadie a photo of herself. Sadie was
very glad to get it.
Say one day not long ago there
was soneone talking to the men
& I just got a glimpse of him
and I thot it was you. and Oh
you could'nt imagine how I felt
at the time. I think this little
verse refers to you.
To see him is to love him,
And love but him forever.
For Nature made him what he is
And never made another.
Where you acquainted with Alice
Sprauge, she is now given up to
die, with typhoid fever. Mrs.
Walter Yorke is dead.

Sadie's school has stopped now
for about a week & then she has to
go back and try her examinations.
How are Veda's hands? I hope she
will be able to go to College after
Midsummer. what does she intend
to take up?
Well how are you getting along with
all your work. hope your mother
will be able to stay with you until
_________
Have you been defeated yet in any
of those baseball games. I wish your
team success. & you success in
everything. Pa has just called me
to come to supper. I am so near a
close I think I will say Bye Bye
for this time. With love and all
your wish for from your Sweetheart.
X X x x x X x x x X x x x X

Genealogy Notes

This week's Genealogy Notes highlight 2 people Ethel mentioned in her letter:
#1 - Mrs. Walter Yorke
#2 - Alice Sprague

Genealogy Note #1 - Mrs. Walter Yorke

Ethel conveys such feeling when she writes bluntly, Mrs. Walter Yorke is dead.
From this we can deduce that Noah knows Mrs. Walter Yorke, and either he knows why she died or it doesn't matter why, but that she's dead.

Who was Mrs. Walter Yorke, and did she fit in the family tree - if in fact she did?
Our tree listed 12 Yorkes, but no Walters. So I began by checking The Newmarket Era in the couple weeks prior to Ethel's letter. Do you know how many Yorks are listed in a newspaper that:
- covers the County of York
- includes the town of North York
- is the original name of Toronto and still used unofficially
- contains stories of New York city and the state of New York

Let's just say there are oodles of them. And from all those, I found 3 snippets about Mrs. Walter York:

The Newmarket Era. June 2, 1911 - Page: 6

The Newmarket Era. June 16, 1911 - Page: 8

The Newmarket Era. March 17, 1911 - Page 5

BELHAVEN

Snippet on left - Bottom paragraph:

We sympathize with Mr. Walter
York in the loss of his wife.

The 2nd snippet was found under the Union Street report:
We extend our sincere sympathy to
Mr. and Mrs. Benj. Linstead, who
have recently lost their eldest daugh-
ter, Mrs. Walter York, of Belhaven.

This was interesting because Ethel's Aunt Mary Ann Glover married into the Linstead family and some of their branch live 30 mins north of me here in Saskatchewan.

I found the 3rd hard-to-read snippet way back in the Mar 1911 paper. It says:
Mrs. Benj. Linstead and son Wal-
ter spent Sunday with her daughter,
Mrs. Walter York of Belhaven, who
has been ill for some time.

So the key to figure out Mrs. Walter York lay in finding Benjamin Linstead. I started with Ethel's Aunt Mary Ann Glover. Using ancestry.com's search engine I put in the names I knew from the snippets: Benjamin Linstead and his son, Walter. From that, I found census records which gave Benjamin's wife's name, Sarah Jane, and their children. They had 3 daughters Alice "Addie" b 1872, Martha Ann b 1875, and Verna b 1896. With the help of Ancestry's Family Tree Hints I found a marriage record for Minnie Linstead to Walter York in 1895, and it stated that Minnie's parents were Benjamin Linstead and Sarah Jane Anderson.

But Benjamin and Sarah Jane didn't have a girl named Minnie. Further searching found the following:
1875 Feb 12 - Benjamin and Sarah Jane gave birth to Martha Ann
1881 Census - 2nd daughter, age 6, recorded as Martha
1891 Census - 2nd daughter, age 16, recorded as Martha
1895 Marriage to Walter York, widower w/one son - 20 yr old daughter - Minnie
1901 Census - 26 yr old wife with 3 children - recorded as Minnie
1911 Census - 35 yr old wife dies of Tuberculosis (TB) - recorded as Mary Jane!

So it looks like this Walter York gave Martha Ann the nickname Minnie when they hooked up together. But why did he give Mary Jane to the medical examiner for the death record?

In my searches, I found the marriage record of Walter York and his first wife - and guess what? ... Her name was Minnie Pollack. Can you guess what her birth name was?
Yup - Mary.

So it seems Mr. Walter York was a bit mixed up when Minnie #2 died. Was it grief? Actually, I think it was. No matter how many times I searched, I couldn't find a write-up for Martha Ann/Minnie's funeral service. No obituary. Nothing except that the people on Union Street are sympathizing with the Linstead family, and that the Belhaven neighborhood is doing the same for Mr. Walter York.

That got me thinking... How many kids did Martha Ann/Minnie leave behind for Walter to care for? Not only that, but he had one son from Minnie #1 - how and when did she die? Searching through the Era for the facts brought so many discoveries I was in tears by the end. But to get to the end, I have to start at the beginning of Walter York's journey:

1862 - Walter Frederick York is born near in North Gwillimbury Township
1884 - Walter marries Mary "Minnie #1" Pollack (only sister to 8 brothers)
1888 - Son Raymond is born
1891 - Walter and Minnie#1 move to nearby Keswick
1895 - Mar 15 - death of Minnie #1's brother, John Pollock
1895 - Mar 27 - death of Minnie #1 - after 3 dys sickness & 12 dys after her brother

3 months after Minnie #1 dies, Walter marries Minnie #2:
1895 - Jul 9 - Walter marries Martha "Minnie #2" Linstead
1897 - Birth of son, Squire R York (Mother = Minnie Linstead)
1899 - Birth of daughter, Pearl Maria (Mother = Mary Jane Linstead)
1901 Mar 14 - Birth of son, JB York (Mother = Mary Jane Linstead)
1901 Nov 13 - Death of 8 month old JB York from diphtheria***
1901 Nov 15 - Death of 2 yr old Pearl Maria from diphtheria***
1902 - Birth of daughter, Gertrude Viola (Mother = Minnie Linstead)
1904 - Birth of son, Elmer/Aylmer (Mother = Minnie Linstead)
1907 - Birth of daughter, Thelma (Mother = Minnie Linstead)
1909 - Birth of daughter, Dora May (Mother = Mary Jane Linstead)
1911 May - Death of Mrs. Walter York aka Minnie #2
( she left 1 adult step-son and 5 young kids aged 2 to 14 yrs old)
***See Genealogy Notes Apr 2, Dear Noah

During the time Walter and Minnie #2 were married, his in-laws suffered:
1896 Oct - Minnie #1's 45 yr old brother, James, dies at railway crossing near home
1897 Jan - Minnie #1's father, James, dies at son Robert's home in Belhaven
1897 Feb - Robert Pollock has an auction to sell everything and move to the West
1897 Jun - milking cow kicks Richard Pollock's little girl, Winnie, and breaks her leg 30 minutes after cow is sold, but not picked up/delivered
1909 Feb - Minnie #1's mother dies after suffering 2 yrs from cancer

And then to hear ... Mrs. Walter Yorke is dead. You must wonder what poor Walter thought as he buried yet another family member.

Genealogy Note #2 - Alice Sprague

Alice Sprague did not die. But this post is too long already so I'll save her story for another day.

1911 Courtship: June 18 Dear Noah

4/22/2013

Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper, c 1922

Another relative - a grandson of Noah's brother, Percy - has found his way to this blog. And he's blessed us with pictures!

The image on the left is Percy and Noah's mother, Sarah Sophia Deverell, born in 1846 in Whitby, Ontario, and widowed in 1909 when David Draper died in Regina, Saskatchewan.

In this week's letter, Ethel mentions Sarah's decision not to go east for the summer, which from Noah's last letter, we know is because Sarah doesn't like travelling alone.

Thank you, Norm, for the gift of photos.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (born 31 May 1890)
Dated:  June 18th, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N. C. Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask. (Dearest Noah)
Mailed from:  Belhaven, Ont.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, blue ink
Written on: Light bluey/gray, slightly thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6 inches, folded in half. The paper is folded in half with the first page on the front and last on the back, but inside, she's turned the paper and written across the short width and turned both pages into one long page. Hence this letter has only 3 pages.

People/places mentioned in this letter:
- Pa -  *James Henry Nelson
- Ma - *Ida Amelia Glover
- Noah's mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell (see photo above)
- Mr. *Bruel's - Belhaven neighbours of the Nelson's
- *Fanny - niece of Joe Perrault, husband of Noah's sister, Eva Amelia

The following men are mentioned as part of the work bee to bring the new lumber from Keswick home to the James Nelson farm: Mr. Young, Wilbert Anderson, and Wallace.

Legend:
* Look under the Categories/Labels in the right side column for more posts on this
person/place/thing.
** see Genealogy Notes below

Belhaven. P.O.
June. 18th 1911

Mr. N.C. Draper,
Grand Coulee,

Dearest Noah;-
Your letter
reached me yester day evening
was glad to know you were
still able to write. Really I
don't know what I would do
if any thing should happen so
as to prevent you from writing.
I look for your letters like a cat
watches for a mouse.

Suppose you are very busy just now getting
ready to build. Pa had a bee on Friday
and had one carload of timber drew home
There is one carload to draw yet. The masons
finished the wall yesterday. They were just
2 weeks.
Well I am sorry your Mother is thinking
of changing her mind. I so wish I could have
said come this summer and yet I know Ma
would have so much extra work sometimes. I
wonder if I am doing wrong by you but Noah
you know it is not because I dont love you
I try to do what I think is best for us all, and
yet if I am not, why I want to know and
do whats right. Oh Noah I guess you will think
I am a little crazy. but I am so lonesome to
day to see you I hardly know what do do with
myself.
Mr Bruel's have Scarlet Fever in their
home. I think it is a light case though.
Pa & Ma were down to Toronto on
Thursday. They got us a new buggy & harness
The buggy has'nt got here yet.

I think if I was up there I should
have to take pity on poor Fanny.
Nothing like having a good time, "eh"
The day of the bee Mr Young was so
mad he wouldnt stay for his dinner.
He was supposed to be third team. but
the men loaded all the other teams
first & so made him come last. but
he thot he could try & get head anyway
so started driving by. but Wilbert
Anderson run him into a telephone post
a broke a spoke in Wallace's waggon.
So Wallace un hitched and started for
home with his team, some one persuaded
him to bring his load. Says he will fire
that Anderson boy. I guess I must close
for this time. I will be more than glad
when I am where you are. and dont
have to write, but can just talk. Good Bye
from your ever loving Sweetheart
xxxxxxxxxxxx Ethel Nelson

Genealogy Notes

1912, Barn Raising Contest Teams, Roland, Manitoba, Courtesy of Glenbow Archives

This image is entitled, "Barn raising contest teams, Roland, Manitoba" dated July 4, 1912. The Glenbow Museum have it annotated as:
Remarks: West team, J. McCallum, captain and east team J. Parkinson, captain.
Two teams ready to start. The sections of frames are put together on the ground with mortise and tenon and pinned. The sections, or "bents" are raised and the plates, purline plates, and braces are put into place and pinned.

undated Barn Raising Bee, Redwater, Alberta, Courtesy of Glenbow Museum

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1911 Courtship: Sep 10 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: Aug 6 Dear Ethel

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1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 14 from Iowa

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1911 Courtship: June 25th Dear Noah

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1911 Courtship: June 18 Dear Noah

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