Clark Hall, Brandon College, at the end of 10th St Brandon, Manitoba, 1915. Just one photo of hundreds on the website of Bill Hillman's Manitoba Photo Archive http://www.hillmanweb.com/brandon/23.html
Author of Letter: Veda Perrault b 1895
Dated: Jan 12/12
Addressed to: Uncle Noah and Aunt Ethel
Mailed from: Brandon, Manitoba
Relationship: Niece (16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva and Joe Perrault)
Profession: student
Writing instrument: Black ink
Written on: Textured folded notepaper with Brandon College letterhead. Veda has numbered the pages 1, 3, 2, 4 with the third page turned sideways.
People/places mentioned in this letter:
Uncle Noah - *Noah Draper, age 23 (b 1887, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario)Aunt Ethel - *Ethel Nelson, age 21 (b 1890, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario)
Uncle Fred - *Fred Coventry, husband of Noah's sister Louie (Sarah Louisa)
Grandma - *Sarah Deverell Draper, Noah and Eva's mother
Eva - *Eva Amelia Perrault, Noah's sister, married to *Joe Perrault
Saddie - *Sadie Nelson, Ethel's 16 yr old sister
Leslie - Leslie Peter Thomson, Veda's beau
Places/things mentioned in this letter or in the Genealogy Notes:
- landing - getting off the train
- P. Card - post card
- Clark Hall - the women's residence of Brandon College
- Tugaske - northwest of Grand Coulee
- Outlook - northwest of Grand Coulee
- Moose Jaw - west of Grand Coulee
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
| Jan 12./12. Dear Uncle Noah also Aunt Ethel, - " Congratulations! 'and Many happy returns of the day" Well I am back at this crazy whole again. and oh goodness I hate it. goodness I have been so nearly getting reported since landing. nearly every night. Just miss it by the skin of my teeth. This is Friday and I am in class as usual. "Some place" |
| 2. Well Uncle Noah how did it come off any way? Did you do as bad as Uncle Fred get on the wrong side or did you carry it out all right. I must have you learn me when you return again. We did not have a very good Xmas this year. It did not seem like Xmas to any of us. "Something missing" guess it must have been you and Grandma. Leslie did not get down. I was sorry although I expect him down here some time before long. He is working up at Tugaske, Sask, on the Outlook branch from MooseJaw. |
| 3. Is Belhaven changed since last winter? I got a P. Card from you when I returned here. also a letter while I was at home Does Grandma seem to be enjoying herself? It is certainly a shame I have not wrote to hersince you left. But tell her I often think of this and will write as soon as I have another chance. Which will be Sunday. They seem to keep us on the go here all the time. Is Saddie at home or going to school Better bring her up here and |
| 4 come to Clark Hall. She has not wrote me for a long, long time. Guess she is angry for me not writing to her. Is that it? ask her. Well think I shall have to close. I wrote home to night for a permit. So don't forget to stop off. I shall be very, very glad to see all of you. Bye - Bye your neice Veda |
Genealogy Notes
Genealogy Note 1 - Sarah Deverell Draper's letter of 2 weeks ago
Veda's letter is the first confirmation that Sarah Deverell Draper went east with Noah. If you've been reading these letters, you'll have seen two weeks ago where I posted a letter from Sarah as if she had stayed behind and Eva had gone with Noah. That letter was dated Dec 17th without a year, and yet certain events pointed to it being 1911. I guess it wasn't. Which makes me wonder which year it was written. My next best guess is 1910 - the year Noah went east and proposed to Ethel - because Sarah mentions the Nelson Family only and not Ethel herself as a mother-in-law would do. So the next step would be to scour the local newspaper for evidence that Eva accompanied him in 1910 and that the people/children mentioned in Sarah's letter were all where she said they were. But that is for another day...
Veda's letter is the first confirmation that Sarah Deverell Draper went east with Noah. If you've been reading these letters, you'll have seen two weeks ago where I posted a letter from Sarah as if she had stayed behind and Eva had gone with Noah. That letter was dated Dec 17th without a year, and yet certain events pointed to it being 1911. I guess it wasn't. Which makes me wonder which year it was written. My next best guess is 1910 - the year Noah went east and proposed to Ethel - because Sarah mentions the Nelson Family only and not Ethel herself as a mother-in-law would do. So the next step would be to scour the local newspaper for evidence that Eva accompanied him in 1910 and that the people/children mentioned in Sarah's letter were all where she said they were. But that is for another day...
Genealogy Note 2 - The Family of Veda Josie Perrault
Veda has been mentioned too many times to list here, but I've never detailed her family's history. Since this is her post, I'll rectify this now..
Veda's mother is Noah's sister, Eva Amelia Draper, born in 1876 in North Gwillimbury.
Veda has been mentioned too many times to list here, but I've never detailed her family's history. Since this is her post, I'll rectify this now..
Veda's mother is Noah's sister, Eva Amelia Draper, born in 1876 in North Gwillimbury.
Veda's father is Joseph Andrew Perrault born 1868 in the Sutton area, of French-Canadian heritage. Although Joe's family is easy to locate, they seem to have divided into Perrault and Parent branches which can make it difficult to distinguish accurately.
After their 1894 marriage, Joe and Eva lived in North Gwillimbury Township as they are shown in the 1901 census with two of the four children born to them thus far:
After their 1894 marriage, Joe and Eva lived in North Gwillimbury Township as they are shown in the 1901 census with two of the four children born to them thus far:
Veda Josie born May '95
Luella born May '97, died in Sep '98 at 16 months due to a cholera infection
David Clinton born Jan '99 died in Sep '99 at 9 months due to a cholera infection
Reuben Gerald born Feb 1900
In Mar 1902, Joseph Erwin was born.
Luella born May '97, died in Sep '98 at 16 months due to a cholera infection
David Clinton born Jan '99 died in Sep '99 at 9 months due to a cholera infection
Reuben Gerald born Feb 1900
In Mar 1902, Joseph Erwin was born.
In Mar 1903, Joe and Eva moved their 3 children and household to the Qu'Appelle district of the North West Territories, east of Regina. Their farm was between Sintaluta and Indian Head and although other cousins would move to the area in a few years, at the time, they were alone.
In 1905, Eva's parents, David Draper and Sarah Deverell moved their family from North Gwillimbury, Ontario to the Assiniboine District of the North West Territories. They lived on the same parallel as Eva and Joe, but on the western side of the growing city of Regina.
In 1906, Saskatchewan became an official Canadian province and because of the mass of immigration and settlement across the prairies, the first of 2 special censuses were taken. (The 2nd would be in 1916.) Thus, the 1906 census shows:
In 1905, Eva's parents, David Draper and Sarah Deverell moved their family from North Gwillimbury, Ontario to the Assiniboine District of the North West Territories. They lived on the same parallel as Eva and Joe, but on the western side of the growing city of Regina.
In 1906, Saskatchewan became an official Canadian province and because of the mass of immigration and settlement across the prairies, the first of 2 special censuses were taken. (The 2nd would be in 1916.) Thus, the 1906 census shows:
- Joe and Eva Perrault along with Veda, Reuben and Erwin still near Indian Head
- Eva's sister, Ethel, married to Will Rigler, with 2 children near Grand Coulee
- Eva's parents, David and Sarah Draper with 4 adult single offspring near Grand Coulee
As you can see by Joe's obituary, he moved Eva and the kids to Grand Coulee in 1907. This is confirmed in the 1911 Canada Census, where we find them living close to Grand Coulee along with five kids:
- Veda born 1895
- Reuben born 1900
- Erwin born 1902
- Dora born 1907
- Marguerite 1910
During the spring of 1911, Noah and Ethel talked about Veda's hands and that she was having x-ray treatment done in Regina for them. According to my research, the early 20th century used radiation treatment to skin conditions and diseases. But by the fall of 1911, Veda continued her education at Brandon College although we don't known what subjects she was taking.
Also, this is the first time we've seen anyone mention the name, Leslie. Veda is talking about Leslie Peter Thomson, born 1888 in Shakespeare, North Oxford, Ontario.
Leslie's occupation is Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) station agent and according to this letter, he is west of Grand Coulee working in Tugaske, Sask.
In a year and a half, Veda and Leslie will marry and start their own family.
- Veda born 1895
- Reuben born 1900
- Erwin born 1902
- Dora born 1907
- Marguerite 1910
During the spring of 1911, Noah and Ethel talked about Veda's hands and that she was having x-ray treatment done in Regina for them. According to my research, the early 20th century used radiation treatment to skin conditions and diseases. But by the fall of 1911, Veda continued her education at Brandon College although we don't known what subjects she was taking.
Also, this is the first time we've seen anyone mention the name, Leslie. Veda is talking about Leslie Peter Thomson, born 1888 in Shakespeare, North Oxford, Ontario.
Leslie's occupation is Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) station agent and according to this letter, he is west of Grand Coulee working in Tugaske, Sask.
In a year and a half, Veda and Leslie will marry and start their own family.
