Category: Linstead

1911 Courtship Letter: Nov 12 Dear Noah

2/17/2014

Elva Nelson Mitchell and Ethel Nelson Draper, cousins, Swift Current, Saskatchewan. From the Norma Draper Family Collection.

The above photo is one of several I scanned from the photo albums passed down from Ethel Nelson which now make up the Norma Draper Family Collection. I'm including the others in this week's Genealogy Notes below.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21 (b 1890)
Dated:  Nov 12th 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N C Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask.
Mailed from: Belhaven, P.O.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, blue ink
Written on: Off-white, textured, plain, linen-like paper, 9.5 inches x 6.5 inches, folded in half in booklet form with pages numbered 1, 3, 2, 4 but I've posted them here in the order they are to be read.

People mentioned in this letter of part of the Genealogy Notes:

Pa - *James H Nelson
Mother - *Ida Amelia Glover
*Christie - Ethel's 11 yr old sister
*Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
S. Draper's - family of *Stewart Draper, paternal cousin of Noah
Walter *Yorke - stepson of Noah's 1st cousin 2x removed
Squire *Yorke - Walter Yorke's son
*Fanny - niece of Noah's brother-in-law, Joe Perrault
*Mary Smith - Ethel's neighbor and friend
**Elva Mitchell - Ethel's paternal cousin
**Aunt Mary - Mary Glover *Linstead - Ethel's maternal aunt
**Florence P - Ethel's 2nd cousin (they share great-grandfather George *Croutch)

Places/things mentioned in this letter:

*Indian Head
the *West & North West - Canadian prairie provinces (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta)
*Toronto

- Bram or Brown Dick - ? - book or story - possibly in a reader

- Peck's Bad Boy - by George W. Peck , late 1800's
Stories of a naughty boy. Free online read available at http://www.readbookonline.net/title/32610/

- Astray in the Forest - by Edward S Ellis, Illustrations by Stanley Wood, 1908

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.
Nov 12th 1911.

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

My Dear Noah, -
Sunday is here once
again, and say such a cold
stormy day as it is. I think it
must be one of your North West
blizzards. We were up to Sunday
School this afternoon, and you would
certainly think the wind would blow
your head off. Would'nt be any loss
if mine did go, be some body's gain
for when they found it they'd
think they had a pumpkin sure.
Talk about blizzards. Indeed I wouldnt

care a bit, if one would land you right
here on this farm. Hope something will
bring you along soon, anyway. Six weeks
sounds much better than six months
but 6 days will sound ever so much
better "eh"
I had a letter from Elva Mitchell
on Friday, she spoke as though
they were going to stay with Mr
S Draper's this winter. Said they
had been looking for you down
but that you never had come yet.
Mr Walter Yorke is talking of
going West in the spring, Say's
after he and Squire have been out
there two or three years they will
own over half of the West. He
has high ideal's "eh"

We are not going to church to-night
I guess we. think we will be most
comfortable here in the house. Christie
is reading, "Bram Dick" to Pa & Ma
and Sadie is here with me reading
"Pecks bad boy" Say! it certainly is
a book worth reading, I read "Astray
in the forest" this forenoon.
How is your face now? and did it
prove to be much of a comforter, "ha ha"
The mason's are coming to-
morrow to put in Stable floors
and we certainly will be glad when
the Stables are finished, for it certainly
is getting cold enough for to put
the stock in.
Mary Smith is in Toronto now.
A cousin of her's is to be married this
month so of course she is to be at the wedding

Now you never told me in your
last letter. how Fanny was getting
along. you must'nt forget to mention
her, for you know how anxious I am
to hear about her. "ha ha", not her,
but your the one I am anxious to hear
from. Oh Noah if you were only here,
we would forget all about the storm
just think though only five more
letters we will have to write, and
then the next Sunday instead
of writing we can just make
our tongues run "eh" I am afraid
there would'nt be any church
for us, even if it was'nt
storming. I guess I must say
Good Bye for this time with
love and kisses from your Sweetheart.
x x x x x x x E. Nelson.

Genealogy Notes

Ethel Nelson Draper and Elva Nelson Mitchell at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Courtesy of the Norma Draper Family Collection.

Ethel has mentioned her paternal cousin, Elva Jane Nelson, several times before in these courtship letters, but this is the first time I'm posting photos which I scanned from Ethel's albums. If you recall, Elva married Will Mitchell and are working on the Indian Head area farm of Stewart Draper, paternal cousin of Noah.

In this week's letter, Ethel says she received a letter from Elva saying her and Will were staying with Stewart through the winter and that they hadn't run into Noah yet. The 1911 Canada census shows William and Elva Mitchell living near Indian Head. This is confirmed in the Courtship Letter Special: July 15 From Elva Mitchell where Elva writes that "we only live 4 miles from the head."

The caption written in the album that holds the above photographs says "Elva and Ethel in the coulee, Swift Current." According to the 1916 and 1921 census records though, Elva and Will lived in Johnston Lake near Mossbank which is a couple hours east of Swift Current, and a couple hours west of the Grand Coulee/Regina area.

Google map showing Swift Current (left), Mossbank (middle), Grand Coulee (right).

From reading Ethel's journals I know she had a penchant for travel. So it's quite possible Ethel & Noah, and Elva & Will had gone on a sightseeing trip to Swift Current. Especially since the back of this next photo shows them in Mossbank in 1926.

1926 Mossbank, SK possibly at the Mitchell farm. Contains Ethel, Noah and Norma Draper; Elva, Will and Merle Mitchel; Laura and Wes Cain.

As you can see, I've added the names on the front of the image so it's easier to make them all out. Also note that Will and Elva's only child (that I can find so far) is Hannah Merle Mitchell who is standing between Laura Linstead Cain and Wesley Cain.

Ida Glover, Florence P Croutch, Mary Glover

Laura Linstead is Ethel's cousin as her mother, Ida Amelia, is sister to Mary Ann Glover who married William David Linstead.

Mary is the Aunt Mary mentioned in several of these letters who was living in Sintaluta, Saskatchewan in 1911, although they had only moved there from the Gwillimbury area in the past few years.

This photo on the right was taken at the Ida Glover & James Nelson house on Baseline Rd, Sutton West sometime in the 1940's. The back of the photo is written in Ethel's handwriting and it is one of the photos she passed on to her daughter, Norma.

Florence P was a mystery to me but after some time spent in research, I believe her to be Florence P Croutch, daughter of John Francis Croutch and Cordelia/Fedelia Cryderman of East Gwillimbury. Florence P is Ethel's 2nd cousin as they share a paternal great-grandfather George Caleb Croutch.

Back of photo of Ida Glover Nelson, Florence P Croutch, Mary Ann Glover Linstead

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1911 Courtship: Aug 27 Dear Noah

10/13/2013

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ca 1899-1900 James H Nelson and wife Ida Amelia Glover with daughters Ethel Isabell and Sarah Eliza (Sadie/Sadye). Courtesy of the Norma Draper Photo Collection

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson
Dated: Aug 27th, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N.C. Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask - Dear Noah
Mailed from: Bellhaven
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half with a pansy motif. This is standard early 20th century pre-folded notepaper. Ethel has written on the pages in booklet form but she must have been very distracted because her page numbers are all mixed up for she has written them in this order: Unnumbered, 4, 3, 4 whereas the writing shows she has written them in this order: 1, 3, 2, 4 - her normal writing order. Regardless, as usual, I've posted the letters in the order they should be read.

People/places mentioned in this letter:
Grandpa - *Albert Rogers - 2nd husband of Ma's mother Sarah E. *Greenwood
Pa - *James Henry Nelson
*Christie - Ethel's 11 yr old sister
*Sadie/Sadye - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Uncle Harry's - family of Ma's sister Maggie Glover & husband Harry *Barker
Percy - Noah's brother *Percy Draper and wife *Parthena Fisher live near Noah
Will Linstead's - Family of William *Linstead and Mary Ann *Glover (Ma's sister)
Laura *Linstead - daughter of William and Mary Ann who all live in Sintaluta, SK
Orville *King - close neighbor
Dora *Mahoney, Della and Hattie - close friends of Ethel
Mr. Walker *Prosser's - family of Walker Prosser and Margaret Hester Soules
*Cecil Prosser b 1891 - son of Walker Prosser and Hester Soules
Stanley & Mae - Stanley *Mahoney and Mae Anderson
**Mr. Robinette - Liberal Candidate for North York
Mr. Mann ?

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Exhibition - held in Ontario Provincial Exhibition held in Toronto
- great fair in Regina - the Dominion *Exhibition
- North York - that part of York County north of Toronto
- **Silent Places - a novel
- examinations - Entrance Exam
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. Aug 27.

Mr N. C. Draper,
Grand Coulee Sask.
Dear Noah,
We are just getting
ready to go up to Sunday School
so had a few cpare minutes just
now to start my letter. Its the
first Sunday I've been up for about
seven weeks so it is time I was
starting eh! Grandpa is here to
day. he came up to bring Christie
home she has been down there for
a weeks holiday's. Well I guess may be

3. (should be 2.)

by the time you get this you will see Orville
for I thinks he intends staying not far
from your place
Well I started this letter on tuesday,
Sunday I mean, to-day is tuesday.
We had Uncle Harry's here on Sunday.
Dora Mahoney & I were up to Mr
Walker Prosser's on Sunday for tea.
Say that Cecil Prosser is a clip. he
goes out of an evening and reaches
home sometime the next day.
Exhibition started yesterday. none of us
are going down. Della, Dora & Hattie
are going Tuesday & stay until Friday.
Stanley & Mae are going to stay over
Sunday. What do Percy's call their
son. I suppose their isn't any name
nice enough for him.

4. (should be 3.)

Sadie failed her examination by
two marks. but they are letting her
gown just the same. Do you ever see
anything of Will Linsteads. Sadie had
a letter from Laura. but of course she
never says how they are! You know
about what I mean. Do you know
whether Will works any or not? or is he
any better than what he was down
here. If you know, you need not be
afraid to tell me just how they are getting
along. for we would like to know. very much.
Laura said she was in to Regina one
day to that great fair.
I am glad you are coming when you
are it will be four months from the
day I received your last letter. I only
wish it were sooner but I know you are

doing what you think best. Pa, Sadie
and I are going to political meeting to night
to hear Mr Robinette. He was here this afternoon.
Noah did you say that a new railway
track was going through your place. Pa
was asking me th other night. But I didn't
know if it went through your place. Mr. Mann
is going up in a couple of weeks to see a lot
he bought somewhere near this track
Say! you certainly will have quite a number
all of you. How do you think yu like such
a houseful. I think you must be taking
great pains with that new huse. & I guess you
will think there is a lot of work building
one. Sadie is reading 'Silent Places! she
says she don't like it , & yet she can't
seem to stop reading it. I guess I must
close for this time hoping to get your
letter as soon as it possible.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx Love from your Sweetheart

Genealogy Notes

The Newmarket Era. Aug 18, 1911

Genealogy Note #1 - T.C. Robinette Esq, K.C., The Liberal Candidate for North York

One thing I've learned while working on the genealogy of the Nelson family is that they were very much into politics. They went to political rallies and events, and hosted candidates in their home, such as the Liberal Candidate mentioned in this week's letter, T.C. Robinette.

Ethel's father, James H. Nelson, was a councilman of North Gwillimbury Township for many years as were other members of their family.

Genealogy Note #2 - The Silent Places by Stewart Edward White (1873-1946) ; illustrated by Philip R. Goodwin; Published by McClure Phillips & Co.; April, 1904.

"A strenuous detective story, laid in the author's chosen field of the North Woods. The dramatic power of the book alone would make it famous. In addition, it has the fascination of the great, white, quiet forests--the Silent Places." goodreads

Wikipedia says this about the author: From about 1900 until about 1922 he wrote fiction and non-fiction about adventure and travel, with an emphasis on natural history and outdoor living. Starting in 1922 he and his wife Elizabeth "Betty" Grant White wrote numerous books they say were received through channelling with spirits.

Ethel said, "Sadie is reading 'Silent Places! she says she don't like it , & yet she can't
eem to stop reading it." I wonder if Sadie felt the 'spirit influence' while reading the book and that's why she has mixed feelings for it?

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1911 Courtship: Aug 20 Dear Noah

10/6/2013

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The James H Nelson family farm, Belhaven, Ontario. Courtesy of the Norma Draper Photo Collection.

In this week's letter Ethel is back in Belhaven and she mentions the new barn. The above photo is one of the ones from Norma Draper's Photo Collection and since Aunt Norma lived most of her life in Saskatchewan, the back of this photo simply says, "Nelson home in East, Belhaven, Ont." When I asked Nelson's cousin, Patty, who's the family custodian of these photo albums, she confirmed it was the home Ethel grew up in, and the barn in the image is the one Ethel's Pa built in 1911 after fire razed the original one.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson and Sadie Nelson (blue transcript)
Dated: Aug 20th, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N.C.Draper, Grand Coulee, Sask - Dearest Noah
Mailed from: Bellhaven, P.O. (Province of Ontario)
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black ink
Written on: Off-white, beautifully textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 7 inches, folded in half with a red carnation motif. This is standard early 20th century pre-folded notepaper. Ethel has written on the pages in booklet form numbering 1-4.

People/places mentioned in this letter:
- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- *Sadie - Ethel's 16 yr old sister
- Mr. W. *York(e ) - husband of Minnie *Pollack York
- Herb *Nelson's - Ethel's cousin (son of Pa's brother *George Caleb Nelson)
- **Mr. & Mrs. Kellington - John Wesley *Kellington and wife, Charlotte Fairbarn
- Veda - *Veda Perrault, Noah's niece
- Veda's father - *Joe Perrault, married to Noah's sister, *Eva Amelia Draper
- Uncle *Emanuel Nelson - Ethel's Pa's paternal uncle
- *Uncle John Winter - husband of Ethel's maternal aunt *Sarah Elizabeth Glover

**The men who are heading/have headed West:
- George Morton
- Howard Mortons
- Harold Winch
- Percy Willoughby
- Harland Huntley
- Orville King

Places/things mentioned in this letter:
- Belhaven Choir
- The West - comprised of all those Canadian lands west of and including the province of Manitoba
- North Portal - in the Genealogy Notes, not the letter

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.
Aug 20th, 1911

Mr N. C. Draper
Grand Coulee. Sask.

Dearest Noah.
Well here I am
home once again, came home
on Wednesday evening, found,
everything fine. Pa was all
done harvesting I guess he
must be ahead of the Western
people, but the crops here are not
very good this year, on account

of so much dry weather. Say what
do you think of this Mr W. Yorke was
just here to the door & he found no-body
at home. Sadie & I are all alone to-day
we both have been sleeping & Sadie is
yet. I did'nt see much use of going down
to let him in. anyway he had started
out by the time I saw who it was.
There are quite a number going West this
week. George Morton is going to-morrow. I
think his family are going in the spring also
Howard Mortons, Harold Winch, Percy Willoughby, Harland Huntley & Orville King are going
Tuesday. I think Orville said he intended
to be some where near your place. liklly he
will be to see you, Hello Noah!
have just got home from church

got your card and it certainly was
a busy time for me just then too.
Don't know what Ethel will say
when she sees this. She went
down stairs in such a hurry
that she forget and left her letter
lying right where I could get it.
Here she comes Good-bye S.E.M.
Say what would you do if you had
such a sister as I have got. Herb
Nelson's drove in here so I had to go
down & get tea, we were up to church
seemed rather nice to get back to our
church again. Sadie wants to know
if you remember she went to the front
of church & then had to come back
and sit beside of you.

Mr & Mrs Kellington went home last week.
They made quite a stay, are they anywhere
near you? Say if you like music you just
want to come to hear Belhaven Choir they are
Just starting one up now. Well time is
passing, and nearing the time when
I'll expect to see you again, only wish
it were to-night. Sadie had a letter
from Veda since her father went away.
Hope he is stronger when he comes back.
Uncle is gaining strenth, although we
don't expect him to last long. Uncle John
Winter is talking of goint West to homestead
I think I will some day. 'eh' I wish I could
get Pa persuaded to go out sometime. Maybe
to go next fall. 'eh' I guess I must close for this
time hoping to hear from you soon. from your
all x x x x x x x Sweetheart.

Genealogy Notes

Miss Ethel Nelson has returned after spending
a few weeks visiting friends and relatives.

The Newmarket Era. August 25, 1911 - Page: 3

Genealogy Notes #1 - Westward Ho

When The Newmarket Era came out a week following Ethel's return from Huntsville, the Belhaven correspondent reported Ethel's return on Page 3 as well as the men who were heading west:
- Elgin Barker
- Harold Winch
- Orman Willoughby
- Orville King

On page 6, a similar list appears under the heading Local Items:

The following left for the West this
week :- Messrs E. J. Barker, H.
Winch, O. King of Belhaven, Mr. Wm
Horner and wife also Mr. G. J.
Morton of Zephyr and Reeve ????-
berry of Virginia. They all secured
their tickets from Mr. F. G. Tremayne.

On the same page, we find this tidbit:
Hr. Howard Morton has returned
from his trip West.

The Newmarket Era. August 25, 1911 - Page: 3

Local Items

The Newmarket Era. August 25, 1911 - Page: 6

The Newmarket Era. August 25, 1911 - Page 6

Genealogy Notes 2 - The Kellingtons

In this weeks' letter, Ethel asks Noah if the Kellingtons are "anywhere near you?" In fact, they are 260 Km/162 Miles southeast of Grand Coulee. Of course, that distance is on present day highways. The map below shows where North Portal, SK hugs the border with Portal, ND. Today, Kellington descendants live on both sides of the Canada/USA border.

Ethel first mentioned the Kellingtons in Genealogy Notes #2 in the July 2 Courtship Letter. Since then, I have visited North Portal and found the headstones and graves of many Kellingtons who were alive in 1911, as well as some of their descendants.

North Portal Cemetery showing the combined headstone and graves of John Wesley Kellington and Charlotte Fairbarn, taken July 2013 by Anita Mae Draper

I won't post the photos of the individual or combination headstones and grave sites here as I've posted them all on the Find A Grave website. The link will bring you to John Wesley Kellington's page. If you wish to see other Kellingtons graves, click the link for North Portal Cemetery in the left sidebar of John's page.

2 Comments

Courtship Letter Special: July 15 From Elva Mitchell

6/18/2013

3 Comments

Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada, looking North, ca 1909. Courtesy of the SCAA Virtual Exhibits Mainstreet Images. http://scaa.usask.ca/gallery/mainstreet/main.html

Sorry about last week's missing letter. I've decided to put Eliza Crouch Nelson's letter aside for now and I've posted an explanation as **Genealogy Notes #4 below as to why.

This week's letter is another special one - this time by Elva Jane Mitchell, cousin to Ethel since their mothers are sisters.

Author of Letter: Elva Mitchell, age 24 (Ethel's cousin)
Dated: July 15, 1911
Addressed to: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21
Mailed from: Indian Head, Saskatchewan
Relationship:  1st cousins (mothers are sisters)
Profession:  Farm worker's wife
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Blue ink
Written on: Cream-colored, slightly thick, unlined writing paper, 5 inches x 8 inches. This letter seems straightforward with page 1, 2 and 3, however it's not quite that cut-and-dry. At the top of page 3, Elva has written, "3. the first one" although I don't know what that's about.

People/Places mentioned in on Page 1, 2 and 3 of this letter:

- *Elva - Elva Jane Nelson and husband, Will Mitchell
- Mrs Draper (pg 1) - *Bertha Hamilton, wife of *Stewart Draper, of Indian Head
- Norma - **Norma Draper, 7 yr old daughter of Bertha and Stewart
- *Lennox's Picnic - see the Genealogy note on July 2 Dear Noah
- Roy Cowieson and wife (Roy's wife, Lavina, is the daughter of William Rye and Hartie Draper - 2nd cousin to Noah)
- Ernie Glover - Ethel's 1st cousin (Ethel's mom, Ida, is sister to Ernie's dad, William)
- Jim Philps/Phillips (Ernie eventually married a Phillips)
- Ethel's Aunt Mary - Mary Ann *Glover, sister of Ida, and wife of William *Linstead of Sintaluta, Sask (about 10 miles from Indian Head)
- Mrs Draper (pg 2) - Noah's mom, *Sarah Sophia Deverell, in Grand Coulee, Sask
- Uncle Jim - *James Nelson, Ethel's dad
- Fathers - **George Caleb Nelson (Elva's father who was on his 3rd wife in 1911)
- Uncle - possible Emanuel since he was very sick in an earlier letter
- Miss Hunt - still haven't discovered the identity of this gentle spinster

- *Indian Head, Saskatchewan - 1 town (about 10 miles) west of Sintaluta on Hwy #1
-  Sintaluta, Saskatchewan - 34 miles north of our farm

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

Indian Head July the 15.1911

Miss Ethel Nelson.
Belhaven.
My. Dear. Cousin.
Received your welcome
letter a short time ago we are well
hope this to find you folks all the
same. Ethel this is Saturday
afternoon well Ethel this is Saturday
but a week later. it is Just a lovely
day. Mr's Draper is getting supper.
she came home on Wednesday.
morning she has been away for
6 weeks up to the home stead
Norma and I are going to town
to night Mrs Draper Just has
2 children the same two
that she had down East.
But they are big youngester's now

2.
Well have you folks got the Barn
raised yet. I suppose you will be
going to Lennox's Picnic I was there
last year but I guess I will
not be there this year. Roy
Cowieson and wife just live about
3 or 4 mile from here. I was to see
them a few sundays ago.
Ernie Glover is working for Jim
Philps. I think perhaps that
Will and I will go over to Philps
tomorrow. Ethel I have not
been over to see your Aunt Mary
yet but will go. some of these
days. we only live about 4 mile
from the head. go in quiet
often. I have not been up to
see Mr's Draper. is she down
East yet. Well Ethel when you
come west don't for get to come

3. the first one

and see me.
tell Uncle Jim he had better
come up West there is lots of
money up here. people I think
can do a lot better up here.
Well Ethel I can not think of much
to write this time do you ever see
any thing of Fathers. and is Uncle better
now. is Miss Hunt married yet. and
does Benie still go to see her.
Well Bye Bye with Love to all.
hope to here from you soon
Elva Mitchell
Indian Head.
Box 142, Sask.

P.S. Please Ethel do not forgot to
put the number of the Box
142, as you other one ws in the
office for nearly 3 weeks.

Genealogy Notes

There are 4 Genealogy Notes this week.

Genealogy Note #1 - Elva Nelson and William Mitchell

Elva Jane Nelson married William Mitchell in 1907 and sometime after they headed west. In Noah's letter of May 1 Dear Ethel, he writes, "So you did not know Elva & Will were in the West. yes they are working for Steward this summer."

Since 1911 was a census year in Canada, I thought it would be easy to confirm the above fact. Nope. I couldn't find them anywhere. Not in the East. And not in the West. Elva is the sister of Leslie Nelson, the missing cousin, also spoken of in the May 1st letter.

And then I couldn't find several of the names Elva mentioned in the 1911 census - people who were all living around the Indian Head area. (see the map) But a quick look at the census revealed an inky mess and it's a wonder anyone was able to transcribe it at all. What I had to do was find the record in Qu'Appelle's subdistrict #20 and go along page by page. That's what I did and I was on pg 13 of 28 when I found this gem:

1911 Canadian Census for William and Elva Mitchell

Whoever took down this census had the worst pen and very rough handwriting. I've highlighted 4 names in the top half of this image:
- Rigler, Joseph (Joseph Walker Rigler)
- Mitchell, William (Elva's husband)
- " , Alva (should be Elva)
- Linstead, Norman (Aunt Mary's boy from Sintaluta)

The problem is that whoever transcribed the image couldn't read the handwriting and so the 4 names were typed as follows (lower red box):
- Royles, Joseph
- Midahild, William
- Midahild, Alva
- Lumhead, Normon

No wonder the search engine didn't pick them up. One or two letters off would have been okay, but with these errors, the names would have been at the end of thousands of records if I went by search alone. So in this case, knowing the small area to be covered and the small population of it, bypassing the search engine and checking each page was the most efficient way to get a result. Actually, I'm just thrilled I found them!

This presented another problem since, as I said above, Elva and Mitchell are working for Stewart for the summer. If so, why are they listed under Joseph Rigler who happens to be the brother of Will Rigler, husband of Noah's sister? It seems that the 4th person mentioned in this record is 5 yr old Norman Linstead - son of William Linstead and Mary Ann Glover of Sintaluta - yes, the same as in the letter. (And yes, that makes 3 Williams in the same paragraph.)

Since Will Mitchell is listed as a laborer and not a lodger of Walker's, does that mean he's working for both Walker and Stewart? Perhaps they're next door?

I'm not sure how little Norman fits into this if the census was recorded on June 1st and Elva's letter is July 15th, yet Elva hasn't been over to visit her Aunt Mary in Sintaluta yet. But perhaps Norman was only visiting Walker during the census taking period.

When Elva says on Page 1, "Norma and I are going to town to night Mrs Draper Just has 2 children the same two that she had down East" I assumed she meant Norman but left off the N. But no, Bertha and Stewart have 2 children: Norma (b1904) and Lennox (b1906) - both born back in Belhaven before the family moved west. So Norma is with Elva yet I don't know if she's only visiting or if Elva's job is babysitting/child care for Bertha during the day so Bertha can take care of the men.

Genealogy Note 2 - Elva's father, George Caleb Nelson

One more thing about Elva... she's the daughter of George Caleb Nelson which means her grandmother is Eliza Crouch Nelson of last week's missing letter. In this week's letter, she asks Ethel, "do you ever see any thing of Fathers"?

I'm not sure why she added the s at the end of fathers, but here's the story of George Caleb Nelson:
#1 - Hannah Victoria Lantham died in Jun 1894 - mother of 5 kids including Elva
#2 - married Emma Lantham April 1895 - (Hannah's sister) Emma died Aug 1896
#3 - married Mary Tryphena Smith Jan 1897 - she died Aug 1913
#4 - maried Mary Ellen Traviss Aug 1914 - she died May 1922
George Caleb Nelson died in 1936 having outlived his 4th and last wife. His 5 children were all from Hannah.

Perhaps with his record, she was ready for bad news at any moment.

Genealogy Note 3 - Ernie Glover

As for Ernie Glover, I found him on 2 different 1911 Canadian census records. At first I thought perhaps the censuses were recorded with a few months between them which would give Ernie time to move west, but they're both dated June 1st, 1911. Take a look at this first one:

1911 Canada Census for Ernie/Ernest Glover living in Saskatchewan

As mentioned earlier, Ernie is found at the farm of Jim Phillips. In the upper image, he's the last one in the red box, and in the bottom image, he's the red box.

Everything looks good. According to this letter, he's where he's been confirmed as being. So how can he be on another census? Let's take a look...

1911 Canada Census for Ernie/Ernest Glover living in Ontario

Okay, now it's starting to make sense because Ernie Glover on this census has been scratched out - as show in the thick red box which means he was written in then as an afterthought, they realized he was probably going to be counted out west so they scratched him out. Same goes for his sister, Georgie, in the blue box. I'm not sure where she was at the time this census was taken, but she was a 25 yr old of marrying age and I haven't found her anywhere else in the records for 1911 yet.

One more thing about this census - the search engines will continue to find this census for Ernie because he is indexed in the transcription (the red box in the bottom image). As long as he's there, he'll be found. Because of that, I left a note in the update option beside his name in order to save others the same grief I had while searching for him.

Genealogy Note #4 - Last week's missing letter by Eliza Crouch Nelson

As can often happen in the field of genealogy, I ran into a couple problems just prior to posting the July 14th letter from Eliza Crouch Nelson in Atkins, Ohio. The main problem was that some of the information couldn't be confirmed - or sourced. I had originally planned to post it anyway in the hopes that another 'hidden' relative would find the post and come forward with new information. However, with suspected problems on both the Nelson and Crouch side of the tree, I used last week to research - not intentionally, but one day lead to another and suddenly the week was gone. Although I've made strides, much of it is still speculation.

So until I can confirm more details, I've put Eliza's letter aside.

And that's it for this week. Wow, what a week!

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1911 Courtship: June 25th Dear Noah

5/8/2013

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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.

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1911 Courtship Letter: Nov 12 Dear Noah

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1911 Courtship: June 25th Dear Noah

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