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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: May 21 Dear Noah

3/3/2013

In this Courtship letter, Ethel mentions that her Pa will buy whatever he needs from Eatons. That's the T. Eaton Co. Ltd - a giant retail and mail order family- owned business. Eaton's had everything a person and their house and barn needed - including the house itself. Eaton's houses bought by mail order and shipped in kit form are still standing strong across the prairies 100 years after assembly.

Like this one to the right:
Henry Rockel ordered this house from the T. Eaton Co. Ltd. It was shipped on the train from Winnipeg to Lanigan. The package, including the house and building materials, was $1,509.10. A return of 20 cents a sack for unused cement was allowed.

T. Eaton Co. Ltd. House, ca. 1927, Location: R.M. of Usborne, Saskatchewan, Credits: Ruth Wildeman, Lanigan and District Heritage Assoc.

Author of Letter: Ethel Isabell Nelson, age 21
Dated:  May 21, 1911
Addressed to: Mr. N. C. Draper... My Dear Noah, Grand Coulee, Sask.
Mailed from:  Belhaven, P.O.
Relationship:  Courting
Profession:  Farmer's Daughter
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, black 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 written on the right side first, and then the left.

People/places mentioned in this letter:

- Pa - *James Henry Nelson
- Ma - *Ida Amelia Glover
- Noah's mother - *Sarah Sophia Deverell
- Herb Nelson's - Ethel's cousin Herb and his wife, Francis Jane Smith & 2 kids
- *Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Noah's sister, Eva & Joseph Perrault who live nearby
- *Sadie Nelson - Ethel's 16 yr old sister (see photos last post)
- *Christie Nelson - Ethel's 11 yr old sister (see photos last post)
- Uncle John Rogers married *Victoria Maud Nelson, Ida Amelia's sister
- R Glover's - possibly Ida Amelia's family although Family Tree not advanced there yet
- *Elva - Ethel's cousin, Elva Jane and husband, Wm Mitchell
- *Crowder's
- Sam Cuthbertson's mother
- Jack Hopkins
- Mary Smith - school friend
- Martin Rose's
- Blanche Morton
- Mr. Davidson - Mr. Robert Davidson and his family have been mentioned in other posts (click on the search box to find them). At first, however, I thought he was talking about his daughter being like no other on the fifth, but upon reflection, I believe he's talking about his barn. Haha. By the Fifth, he means the Fifth Concession which was one of the major thoroughfares through North Gwillimbury.

** John Prossers - farmer and Fox Island Lighthouse Keeper (see lighthouse photo below). I'm using John Prosser as the subject of a mini-research genealogy lesson under this week's Genealogy notes.

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.
May 21. 1911.

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

My Dear Noah, -
Well I was rather
disapointed last night. I did'nt get
a letter from you. I will be looking for
one to-morrow night.
We are having very
hot weather the last week or so.
The heat Friday & to-day is some
thing fierce. We had a very heavy
thunder storm last night about
Eleven o'clock. It struck R. Glover's
barn & burnt it. Also struck a tree in
Crowder's lane and burnt it.

I guess I would like to be the
first one to have a ride in that
newly painted buggy. We have'nt got
us one yet. Except one Mr Kings
let us have until we could get another.
Pa thinks he shall go to Eatons
to get what things he really has
to have now.
Mr. Sam Cuthbertson's mother is
buried to-day.
We hav'nt got our barn started
yet, but Pa has had extra men
on trying to get ready to start as
as soon as possible. He is going
to build a longer barn & not quite
so wide as the old one.
I am not sure but I think Jack
Hopkins will be puting it up.
Mr Davidson has his barn nearly
completed. He says there isnt a girl

on the fifth like his. Suppose Mrs
Davidson will have lots of help now.
There little boy is better now of the
pneumonia.
When does your Mother expect to
come East. Will it make any difference
in the time if you come, or not?
Oh Noah! I wish you could come, but I'll
wait and hear what you have to say.
in your next letter. for I ask your
opinion.
Herb Nelson's are just driving in
and as it is nearly dinner time I guess
I will have to say good Bye for just the
present.
Monday. Well as you say, I am back.
again. I was up to S.S. and home with
Mary Smith for tea yesterday.
Herb was telling us there were
three different barns struck by
lightning and burnt, and Martin
Rose's was struck but they got the fire out.

I think I am keeping you well posted
on the engagements. Blanche Morton
and Milton Hamilton are to be married
in June.
Hope you are not manless yet as
you say. especially if you are as busy
as pa seems to be. Uncle John Rogers
was here all last week helping him.
I think I shall go up to night and
post this. and call to see Mr John
Prossers they both are very low.
Hope Veda is successful in
having her hands doctored. and
will be able to go to college. I
suppose she is quite anxious to go.
Sadie is feeling a little discouraged
there school has'nt been graded &
now they have to take up some more
subjects. and she is afraid she wont
pass. I close now with love and
lots of xxx from, Ethel. P.S. I hope I get your letter to-night. Ethel Nelson, Christie has just brought your
letter, also one from Elva.

Genealogy Notes

Ethel mentions that she is going to visit the John Prosser's because they are low. That means they aren't in the best of health. The Prossers are neighbours, and although Ethel isn't related to any of the Prossers in 1911, she will be before the decade is out. (Hint, hint.)

I have to admit, when I first found the census record showing a John Prosser with the occupation of a Lighthouse Keeper, I sat up and took notice. After all the yeoman/farmers and labourers, it was refreshing to see something different.

John Prosser: born 14 Jul 1825 in North Gwillimbury Twp, York Co, Ontario, Canada
Father: Eld. John Prosser born 8 May 1796 in Florida, Montgomery, NY, USA
Mother: Sarah Willoughby born 9 Aug 1803 in Midland, Ontario, Canada

The first record I've found of John Prosser is in this 1851 Canada West census:

1851 Canada West census Image 35 for John Prosser, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario, Canada.

Genealogy Tip #1: To find out where your ancestor is located on the image when it first opens, look at the bottom right where I have the red arrow. That is the indication where the name you've searched will be on the page. Then, move the image up or down until you see it. Usually, the transcript (the typed lines at the bottom) will show the line numbers of the image, so #1 on the bottom - Sarah Prosser - will match #1 on the image, which it does.

Genealogy Tip #2: On the 1851 Canada West census, the transcript lines match the image HOWEVER they don't start at #1. That is why in this case, Line #1 - Sarah Prosser, is beneath Line #50 Margaret Keef in the transcript only. (Yes, I took a learning curve figuring that one out.)

Line #1 (blue) is Sarah Prosser, John's mother. She's followed by John's brother, George, and the rest of John's siblings. John is recorded on line #9 (red) - out of order if you look at their ages. Why is he down there?

Genealogy Tip #3: Subsequent censuses will have a column for 'Head of the Family'. Wherever you see the word, HEAD, that means everyone listed next will belong to that family until you see the next word, HEAD. Generally, the Head is the Father, followed by the mother, eldest child, and so on until the youngest child. Then, a new Head of a family will start.

Other choices for Head could be a Widow, Eldest Adult Child if orphans, Grandparent if custodian of grandchildren, etc. In a multi-generational family, the Head is the person who is the Head of that household, so it could be a matriarchal or patriarchal family. If the son takes over the family farm but the parents are still there, the son will be listed as the Head, and his parents listed beneath the children.

The 1851 Canada West Census is different than other years because it contains more information on the next page (Image 36), and this is where we go to find out if John lives with the rest of his family:

1851 Canada West census Image 36 for John Prosser, North Gwillimbury, York, Ontario, Canada.

This image doesn't have the typed transcript at the bottom of the page, but we know that Sarah Prosser was on Line 1, and John was on Line 9:

Line 1 - Sarah Prosser and her family lived in a Frame house, 1 storey, 1 family dwelling.
Lines 2-8 are people who live with Sarah.
Line 9 - John Prosser lived in a Frame house, 2 storey, 1 family dwelling.

This 2nd page/image of the 1851 census shows Marital Status:
Line 1: Sarah Prosser was a widow (W)
Lines 2-8: John's siblings were all single (S)
Line 9: John was single (S)

Genealogy Tip #4: The letter following the line number is the Marital Status of the individual.

What we've learned from the 1851 census is that John Prosser was an enterprising young man. Although he lived next door to his family, he lived in his own house, which would have been a fine one at that time. We know this because you could generally tell the monetary worth of a man and his family by the type and size of his dwelling, and by the amount of people/families who reside in it. Census records usually indicated the type of dwelling by its construction starting with the most expensive to the least: Brick, Stone, Frame/Wood Boards, Log, or Shanty. Also, the bigger the home, the more expensive to build.

In the 1851 census, John lived alone in a 2 storey frame home.

In 1853, John married Lucretia Emes, also from North Gwillimbury, as shown on their marriage record:

1853 marriage record of John Prosser and Lucretia Emes

In the above record of John and Lucretia's marriage (1st red box) we see that they married on 25 Nov 1853, by licence, and the names of their 2 witnesses. The bottom red box shows the transcript. If you notice in the transcript, Lucretia's name is in italics. That's because it originally read 'Lucritia Ennes' and I put in an update to read 'Lucretia Emes'. Anyone looking at the record will now see both names and either confirm or dispel my update. The bottom right of the image shows the location where the marriage took place, which in this case, is North Gwillimbury.

Genealogy Tip #5: The final column, Marriage County or District, shows HOME DISTRICT. Back when Ontario (Canada West) was first settled, York (now Toronto) and York County, was considered the Home District. Ontario records which simply state Home District will mean York County.

The next time we see John and Lucretia is on the 1861 Canada West census which shows everything on a single page:

1861 Canada West census for John Prosser

This image shows John married to Lucretia with 4 children, although only 2 children show up on the official typed transcript at the bottom because it is limited to viewing 4 people at a time. Scrolling with show the rest.

The 1861 census shows marital status and dwelling along with ages and religous denominations, etc. However, we now find John and his family living in a 1 storey frame house which means it's smaller than the previous census. Is it an error? Although census records can be wrong, in this case, John has moved away from the family farm as evidenced by the other people on the lines above and below him. He may have sold his farm to a sibling, or someone else, or even is renting it out. All I know is that after marrying, John moved to a farm in the Belhaven area of North Gwillimbury where his land bordered the family farm of Noah Draper (before David Draper moved Noah's family to the North West).

Genealogy Tip #6: The 1861 and subsequent censuses recorded the age of the person. The estimated birth year (red arrow) was then filled in during the transcription process.

For the record, don't assume it's right because it's in the transcript. The 1891 Canada census is notorious for age and date errors, but they can happen anywhere. Census takers didn't always have the best handwriting and transcribers took their best guesses.

Between 1861 and 1881, John and Lucretia raised over a dozen kids on their farm, with nothing much changing except for kids leaving home and others being born. The census records continually show John's occupation as Farmer.

But things change in the 1901 census because at the age of 76 (his age, not the census estimate), John's occupation is now listed as Lighthouse Keeper - shown beside the little hand in the centre of this image:

1901 Canada census for John Prosser, wife Lucretia (Emes) and youngest child, Ida.

Since when did he become a Lighthouse Keeper? Or perhaps a better question was, is this the John Prosser I've been researching? But yes, same man, same wife, same youngest child. Birth dates as close as you can get on a census. Religion the same, location the same.

Still skeptical, I searched out the 1911 Canada census and found this:

1911 Canada census for John and Lucretia (Emes) Prosser, James Nelson's, Crowder's, and King's.

The 1911 census shows John Prosser as a Retired Farmer (red arrow). Well, at 86 yrs of age, he deserved to be retired. But look at who his neighbours are:
- James Nelson and family - that's Ethel!
- Crowder's and King's - both families regularly mentioned in Ethel's letters

This confirms that we have the right John Prosser, but where does the lighthouse keeper come in? For that, I turned to the wonderful Our Ontario website with its online newspaper collection. Being the largest town between Belhaven and Toronto, The Newmarket Era printed tidbits of information from the surrounding area. Here's what I found in my search about John Prosser and the Fox Island Lighthouse:

The Newmarket Era. February 19, 1897 - Page: 3

Fox Island Lighthouse, courtesy of www.lighthousedigest.com

The Newmarket Era. April 23, 1897 - Page: 6

The Newmarket Era. April 30, 1897 - Page: 6

The Newmarket Era. October 22, 1897 - Page: 6

On the left below is an article about an excursion on Lake Simcoe including a stop-over at Fox Island Lighthouse for Tea. It doesn't give credit to the author, but I can only imagine that the person who was so cordially received by the Lighthouse Keeper was a member of the wide-spread Prosser family, since Queensville is only a stone's throw from Belhaven. Not only that, but I'd assume it would be lonely for a father of over a dozen children to suddenly be alone.

The Newmarket Era. August 27, 1897 - Page: 7

The following news items show us John Prosser working the Fox Island Lighthouse from 1902 - 1910, except for 1909 when his son, Leslie takes over.

The Newmarket Era. April 4, 1902 - pg. 2

The Newmarket Era - Mar 7, 1902 - Pg. 7

The Newmarket Era. April 3, 1903 - Pg: 7

The Newmarket Era. March 28, 1957 - Page: 2. Under the heading, 50 YEARS AGO. (1907)

The Newmarket Era. Oct 29, 1909 - Pg: 6 (Leslie is recorded as a Blacksmith on the census records.)

The Newmarket Era. Mar 4, 1910 - Pg: 6

The Newmarket Era. May 12, 1911, p. 6 (Should be Leslie vice Lester)

The Newmarket Era. May 31, 1912 - Pg: 8

I couldn't find any further news items in The Newmarket Era mentioning the
Fox Island Lighthouse.

One further note to the story of John Prosser and Lucretia Emes... in Ethel's 1911 letter above, she's going to visit John and Lucretia because they've been 'down'.

They will recover. I know, because of this:

John Prosser died in his Belhaven home on April 30th, 1916 at the age of 91 yrs. The immediate cause of death is listed as Sclerosis of Arteries, in part due to 8 months of Senile Decay/Old Age.

Lucretia Emes died on May 9th, 1916, just 9 days later. Her death record is listed next to John's and states that she died, at 81 yrs of age, in Belhaven, after 9 days of Pneumonia.

Both John and Lucretia are buried in Queensville Cemetery, Queensville, Ontario.

1911 Courtship: Mar 6, Dear Ethel

9/17/2012

If you've missed some of the courtship letters, use the drop-down menu under Blogs and then slide to the right of Author Memories, or click here.

Our last 1911 Courtship letter was Mar 5, Dear Noah. This week's letter is dated the day after that as Ethel and Noah's letters cross in the mail somewhere between Belhaven, Ontario and Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan.

Author of Letter: Noah Clement Draper
Dated: 3. 6-11
Addressed to: Miss E. Nelson, Bellhaven, Ontario
Mailed from: Grand Coulee, Sask
Relationship: Courting
Profession: Farmer
Writing instrument: Fine point pen, Black ink
Writing Paper: Thick, textured, linen-like paper, 9 inches x 6.5 inches. Paper is folded in half and usually written starting on the front as page 1, then inside for 2 and 3, and
ending with page 4 on the back. Noah has changed the way he fills the inner pages again by turning the paper in a vertical position and writing across, and all the way down over both pages.

Mentioned in this letter:
- Joe & Eva - Joseph and Eva Amelia - one of Noah's sisters and her husband
- Maud (Victoria Maud) sister of Ethel's mother, Ida Amelia Glover
- Percy - Noah's older brother
- Arley - no idea who he is yet
- Mother - Sarah Sophia Deverell
- Ethel (Ethel Maud) another of Noah's sisters
- Louie - see the Genealogy notes for a new development!
- Veda - 16 yr old daughter of Joe & Eva
- Fanny - Joe's niece

Grand Coulee, Sask. 3. 6-11.

Miss. E. Nelson,
     Belhaven, Ont.
Dear Ethel; -
     Well Ethel another week
has slipped away and a nother
day of rest is here but not much
rest. Ha. Ha. Was down to church
this morning & over to Joes for dinner
& tea then back to church &
now home. clock just struck
nine.
     Well Ethel I missed your letter
this week but guess I know the reason.
How do you like it at Maud's?
     Have been at office 3 times
& Percy has been down twice
but all th                        was a

Post Card from Arley. Havent saw that
yet Percy has it. but he could not keep
your letter if there had been one.
     Was in Regina last Tuesday with
Mother & Ethel ordered mother a fur
coat made it is to be finished next
Saturday.
     Well I have found plenty to do
since I came home & will not run
out of a job for some time i guess
dont you feel sorry for me. Eh?
     Saw Louie at church today & was
to go home with her this morning but
got over as far as Joe's and Joe & Eva.
went so I stayed there to run the
house & I had a hard time of it I
can tell you. between Veda & Fanny,
Joes. Niece they keep things lively.
     Say Ethel when I got home them
post cards I was telling you about
of the engineer & I were at Percy's
so I am sending ne. Hope it
won't scare you to death. You
know me as I am not as it shows
me. Ha. Ha.
     Say Ethel mother gave. Ethel her
organ & Ethel sold hers so I will
have to whistle for music all next
summer. but never mind I like a
pianno. dont you.

     Well every body is getting back
from there trips now & I can
tell you they are coming back
to bad roads but nice weather
as a rule. it has only stormed one
day since I got back. guess
I must have some influence
with the weather man.
     Welll I am preety nearly
run out for this time. but
I will look for a long newsy
letter next week & if you dont
send expect a storm. Well I
guess this is all for this time
write soon to your. (What
shall I say) little Boy Brown.
x x x x x           N. C. Draper.

Anybody out there know what 'little Boy Brown' refers to? I can only find a book by Isobel Harris, but it was published in 1949.

Genealogy Notes

I found Fred & Louie - I think! It's amazing how the genealogical facts fall into place once that first piece of the puzzle is found. And now the Fred & Louie puzzle is complete. Here's what we knew as of the Feb 27th Courtship Letter where Fred was first mentioned:
- Louie is the nickname for Sarah Louisa - Noah's sister
- Noah had written, "Was at Joe's last night for tea and also Fred and Louie we
had a big time Louie took mother with her so I had to take the girls. O. Joy."
- as explained in the genealogy notes beneath that letter, I hadn't been able to find out who Fred was because I didn't have his last name.

Earlier this week while waiting for the school bus with the boys, I sorted through a bag of assorted sized photos from Ethel's treasure box and put them in a small album* I'd found. I was disheartened that none of the photos showed Fred and Louie and yet Fred's name was so familiar.

I had found a Fred Coventry in JD's small address book, but discounted it not only because the man lived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan - a 45 min drive at today's highway speeds, but because most of the names in JD's address book were for men and their loved ones in WW2. If JD's Fred had been the husband of Louie, you'd think - as JD's Aunt - he would have put 'Aunt Louisa', or 'Fred and Louie", etc.

Louie's last census appearance was in 1901, age 22, in Ontario. The family's move out west happened about 1904 and since Louie was of marriageable age, I thought she may have stayed out east. During my search, however, I stumbled upon a 1916 census listing:
- Louie Stewart, female, est age 35, married to Fred Stewart, living in Red Deer, Alberta
Our Louie would have been:
- Louie ----------, female, age 37, presumably married to Fred ------------

A further search yielded this Register of Deaths:
- Louisa Stewart, female, est birth 1881, died in York, Ontario, 29 Dec 1919
Our Louisa would have been:
- Louisa -------, female, birth 1879, place of death unknown, (born in York), died 1920

So Louie Stewart in the 1916 census was close, and so was the Louisa Stewart in the death register. And although dates can be off by a couple years, it just didn't feel right. Something kept niggling at me.

I went back to Ethel's treasure box and began searching the dozens of postcards knowing that many were actually photos. An earlier post Early Kodak Advertising showed how simple it was to take photos, label them, and turn them into postcards. Another post Early 1900 Camera Talk showed photos of a camera hubby had received from his father years ago, knowing it had been passed down from his father, Noah Draper. So, many of the photo postcards in Ethel's treasure box were taken from that very camera of Noah's.

So there I was, looking through Noah's postcards of WW1 ships, sailors, English castles, and people he'd come across on his travels... and I came across a ripped photo of a man and his horse and buggy. And a quiver went through me.

Who is this man with his horse and buggy in Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan?

Slowly, I turned the photo over, disappointed to see that it had been ripped out of an album. But wait... something was written on the black paper which I've lightened for visibility...

Fred Coventry, horse & buggy, Grand Coulee, Saskatchewan.

YES! It said, 'Fred Coventry, horse & buggy, Grand Coulee'. It does say when the photo was taken, but it looks like it was kept in a photo album for a long time. That got me to thinking where else I'd seen the name.

The niggle came back and I remembered the little address book in Ethel's treasure box. A quick flip through the pages and I found this:

A note in the back of the notebook says that JD gave Ethel (his mom) the book in 1940, before he went to war. As I said earlier, most of the pages contained names and addresses of soldiers and loved ones. I surmised that Fred Coventry was someone close to JD and his family.

With the knowledge that Fred Coventry was a very real possibilty of being Louie's husband, I went back to Ancestry.com and searched for Sarah Louisa (Louie) Coventry.

And I found her. Or, I should say them... in the 1911 Canada Census. Fred and Louisa Coventry were living on a farm in the Regina area. I continued my search and found a Graveyard notice that Sarah Louisa Coventry was buried in the Kelowna Municipal Cemetery, Pioneer Section. I clicked on the link and found this:

                 IN MEMORY OF LOUISA DRAPER
                               BELOVED WIFE OF
                                 G. F. COVENTRY
                           BORN MARCH 17, 1879
                                DIED FEB. 1, 1920
                                     "AT REST"
                       COVENTRY

Here's what I now know out about Fred and Louie:
1906 - Both lived in the Regina area but not married
1911 - They were married and living in the Regina area
1916 - Unable to locate in the special Western supp census
- no further Canadian census released
- no further record of them until Louie's death in 1920
But most surprising of all, according to the 1911 census, Fred and Louie had no children and although Fred was almost 10 yrs older than Louie, he had never married. So the big question is... Who are the girls Noah is talking about in his letter?

*I'll be adding notes on photo storage and other research stuff gained while searching, to a new page, Archive Storage, which will be available sometime in October.

1911 Courtship: Mar 5, Dear Noah

9/10/2012

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

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

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

Belhaven, Mar. 5, 1911

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

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

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

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

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

Genealogy Notes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1911 Courtship Letter Special: July 14 from Iowa

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: May 21 Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

1911 Courtship: Mar 6, Dear Ethel

1911 Courtship: Mar 5, Dear Noah

Genealogy Notes

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