1913 - Winter in Pense, Sask. Courtesy of University of Saskatchewan Libraries Special Collections
The postcard above shows the grain elevators of Pense, Saskatchewan - the community to the immediate west of Grand Coulee. However, in 1905, it could have been taken of any town on the Canadian prairies depending on the amount of farmers in the area which would have influenced the number of grain elevators.
Author of Letter: Eva Amelia Draper Perrault b 1876, North Gwillimbury, Ont
Dated: Jan 14, 1912
Addressed to: Dear Brother
Mailed from: Grand Coulee (Saskatchewan)
Relationship: Oldest Sister of Noah Draper
Profession: Farmer's wife
Writing instrument: Black ink
Written on: Linen-like cream-colored folded notepaper. Eva hasn't numbered the pages, but if she had, they would read 1, 3, 2, 4 with the third page turned sideways much like her daughter Veda did last week.
*Last week's letter shows the history of Eva and Joe until these letters of Jan 1912.
People/places mentioned in this letter:
- *Noah Draper, age 23 (b 1887, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario)
- *Ethel Nelson, age 21 (b 1890, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario)
- **Louie & *Fred - Noah's sister Louie (Sarah Louisa) and her husband, Fred Coventry
- Mrs Coventry - Fred's mother, Eliza Grogan Stevenson, lives south of Grand Coulee
- **Veda - Eva's 16 yr old daughter who is studying at Brandon College
- Mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- *Joe Perrault - husband of Eva (author of this letter)
- **Uncle Frank's - Frank Matt married Joe's sister, "Nettie" Josephine Jeanette
- *Edyth Draper - Noah's 1st cousin (their fathers, Stephen and David, are brothers)
**Mr. Wright - A.D. Wright -store owner in Grand Coulee who is selling out
Sample - new store owner in Grand Coulee
Places/things mentioned in this letter or in the Genealogy Notes:
Pense - shown in top postcard
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
Dated: Jan 14, 1912
Addressed to: Dear Brother
Mailed from: Grand Coulee (Saskatchewan)
Relationship: Oldest Sister of Noah Draper
Profession: Farmer's wife
Writing instrument: Black ink
Written on: Linen-like cream-colored folded notepaper. Eva hasn't numbered the pages, but if she had, they would read 1, 3, 2, 4 with the third page turned sideways much like her daughter Veda did last week.
*Last week's letter shows the history of Eva and Joe until these letters of Jan 1912.
People/places mentioned in this letter:
- *Noah Draper, age 23 (b 1887, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario)
- *Ethel Nelson, age 21 (b 1890, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario)
- **Louie & *Fred - Noah's sister Louie (Sarah Louisa) and her husband, Fred Coventry
- Mrs Coventry - Fred's mother, Eliza Grogan Stevenson, lives south of Grand Coulee
- **Veda - Eva's 16 yr old daughter who is studying at Brandon College
- Mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell Draper
- *Joe Perrault - husband of Eva (author of this letter)
- **Uncle Frank's - Frank Matt married Joe's sister, "Nettie" Josephine Jeanette
- *Edyth Draper - Noah's 1st cousin (their fathers, Stephen and David, are brothers)
**Mr. Wright - A.D. Wright -store owner in Grand Coulee who is selling out
Sample - new store owner in Grand Coulee
Places/things mentioned in this letter or in the Genealogy Notes:
Pense - shown in top postcard
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
| Grand Coulee Jan th 14 1912 Mr N. C. Draper Belhaven. Ont. Dear Brother --- I dont know weather you think you have wrote me or not But I did not count a postcard, a letter However it may be as well not to wait for a letter as I might not write at all if I did. Well Noah how are you and Mother getting |
| along? and does mother keep well. It is very cold here since the 20 of Dec. What is the weather like down there? it is any place from 20 to 56 below zero since Christmas. Louie and Fred was here to day Louies eyes are much better again. Mr Wright has sold out to a man by the name of Sample and they are selling out the old stock now. You aught to be here |
| So you could get some thing cheap in Grand Coulee Mrs Coventry got a pair of boots for 25 cents and it might be a good time to lay in a suply I told Veda I thought I had better go over and get her suplyed for the summer. Veda was home for 12 days She likes it fine down there now and is looking forward to your return home. Well Noah have you got that little business setteled up yet. people are asking |
| and we just have to tell them we dont know. However Noah we wish you all happyness and a prosperous married life when the time comes. I have not heard from Ethel just lately but they were all well the last we heard. How are Uncle Franks and all the rest down there? Is Edyth Draper married yet? Write me a good longletter and tell me all the news. From your Loving Sister Eva. |
Genealogy Notes
Genealogy Notes # 1 - Veda's Opinion of College
I think it's quite hilarious that Eva would say about Veda, "She likes it fine down there now..."
Wasn't it just last week that Veda wrote a very different view of being back in Brandon College? Read Veda's letter here.
The amazing part is that both mother and daughter wrote the letters within days of each other and here it is - 102 yrs later - and we have both of them. :)
I think it's quite hilarious that Eva would say about Veda, "She likes it fine down there now..."
Wasn't it just last week that Veda wrote a very different view of being back in Brandon College? Read Veda's letter here.
The amazing part is that both mother and daughter wrote the letters within days of each other and here it is - 102 yrs later - and we have both of them. :)
Genealogy Notes # 2 - Louie's Eyes
This is the first time Louie's eye problems have been mentioned in these letters. A search of the local Newmarket Era found these snippets with the dates of 1897-98. Louie was born in March 1879, so she would have been 18 yrs old when she had her operation, and since Eva's letter is dated 1912, Louie at 32 seems to still be having problems.
This is the first time Louie's eye problems have been mentioned in these letters. A search of the local Newmarket Era found these snippets with the dates of 1897-98. Louie was born in March 1879, so she would have been 18 yrs old when she had her operation, and since Eva's letter is dated 1912, Louie at 32 seems to still be having problems.
Genealogy Notes # 3 - Uncle Frank's
Uncle Frank's is the family of Frank Matt and Josephine Jeanette Perrault (Joe's sister). This family is special to me because of Melissa Matt, the Cultural Services Representative of the Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives.
I first heard of Melissa when she emailed me through my website's Contact page about a pleasant surprise...she enjoyed reading my Author Memories blog and thought it might be of interest to people who were interested in the local history of Georgina, and what used to be called North Gwillimbury.
As an aside, she mentioned that we might be related because Jeanette Josephine Perrault was her great-grandmother. And she's right. The connection is the marriage of Jeanette's brother, Joe, to Eva Amelia Draper.
Genealogy Notes # 4 - Grand Coulee store
I spent several hours researching Mr. Wright, Mr. Sample, and the Grand Coulee store, but the only written information I could find is a local history book published in 1955 for Saskatchewan's Golden Jubilee - its 50th anniversary as a province. This soft-covered book is held at the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society (SGS) but you must be a member to view it. And from extensive research, if anyone else has a copy, they're keeping it well hidden - as are anyone with other information and images of the village and surrounding area.
According to Grand Coulee A Social History, A.D. Wright was the owner of a general store in the early days of the village until his store burned down. But it doesn't say when it burned down or how Sample plays into it. Did the store burn down before any papers were signed, or right after but no one remembers the new owner, etc.
Uncle Frank's is the family of Frank Matt and Josephine Jeanette Perrault (Joe's sister). This family is special to me because of Melissa Matt, the Cultural Services Representative of the Georgina Pioneer Village and Archives.
I first heard of Melissa when she emailed me through my website's Contact page about a pleasant surprise...she enjoyed reading my Author Memories blog and thought it might be of interest to people who were interested in the local history of Georgina, and what used to be called North Gwillimbury.
As an aside, she mentioned that we might be related because Jeanette Josephine Perrault was her great-grandmother. And she's right. The connection is the marriage of Jeanette's brother, Joe, to Eva Amelia Draper.
Genealogy Notes # 4 - Grand Coulee store
I spent several hours researching Mr. Wright, Mr. Sample, and the Grand Coulee store, but the only written information I could find is a local history book published in 1955 for Saskatchewan's Golden Jubilee - its 50th anniversary as a province. This soft-covered book is held at the Saskatchewan Genealogical Society (SGS) but you must be a member to view it. And from extensive research, if anyone else has a copy, they're keeping it well hidden - as are anyone with other information and images of the village and surrounding area.
According to Grand Coulee A Social History, A.D. Wright was the owner of a general store in the early days of the village until his store burned down. But it doesn't say when it burned down or how Sample plays into it. Did the store burn down before any papers were signed, or right after but no one remembers the new owner, etc.
Book: Grand Coulee A Social History, 1955
