Friday, November 11, 2016

Lest We Forget – Men who served in the (CEF) WW1


Remembrance Day is a day to remember those men and women who have served and those who are serving today. Here are some of the men in Robert’s and my families who served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force during WWI. I’ve included links to the Library and Archives Canada website where the personnel records are being digitized These are the names of the ones that have been digitized with a PDF file where you can find more information.
Sydney Wedford Black (married my grandaunt, Frances Edlora Belknap)

Sydney was drafted under the military service act of 1917. He signed a declaration of recruit in Calgary, Alberta on May 21, 1918 at the age of 23. He served as a private in the 2nd Canadian War Graves Detachment. Regimental # 3211766. Sydney was discharged on August 19, 1919. Sydney married my grandaunt in 1936 and had a large family of nine children. He died on April 10, 1980 at the age of 84 and is buried at the Northwood Baptist Cemetery in Saint-Lina, Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Canadian War Diaries - Miscellaneous Diaries
WW1 personnel records
Find A Grave

Henry Archibald Danskin (my 2nd cousin twice removed)

Henry enlisted on July 16, 1915 in Calgary, Alberta at the age of 25. He served as private in the Field Ambulance Depot. Regimental # 322659. Henry was discharge on June 2, 1919. He married later as his death registration in 1958 lists his wife as May Ellen Hutchinson. Henry died on January 16, 1958 at the age of 68 in the Provincial Mental Hospital in Coquitlam, B.C. Canada. He is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Burnaby, B.C., Canada.

Canadian War Diaries - Medical Units
WW1 personnel records
Death Registration
Find A Grave

Arthur William Danskin (my 2nd cousin twice removed)

Arthur’s military service was very brief. He was a private in the 84th Battalion, Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment). Regimental # 163261. He died at the age of 34 on December 22, 1915 in the Brantford General Hospital at Brantford, Ontario of bronchitis, typhoid and pneumonia. He never even made it overseas.


WW1 personnel records
CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)
Find A Grave

Seward Cephus Foster (Robert’s great granduncle)

Seward enlisted on April 4th, 1916 in Berwick, Nova Scotia, Canada at the age of 31. He served as a sapper in the 219 Battalion. His regimental # 283381. He was discharged on April 5th, 1919 with the war service badge. Seward returned home to his wife Annie Creemer. He died at the age of 51 on 26 April 1937. He is buried in the Aylesford Union Cemetery in Aylesford, Nova Scotia, Canada.

WW1 personnel records
Find A Grave

Andrew Graham (married my grandaunt, Edith Greenlees Paterson)

Andrew enlisted 16th December, 1914 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada at the age of 19. He served as a private in the 32nd Battalion and 10th Battalion. Regimental # 81330. Andrew was honorable discharge on May 19, 1919 with the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. He married my grandaunt on July 2, 1927 and had three children (one passing away young). He died on February 5, 1982 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and is buried at the Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The Story of the Tenth Canadian Battalion 1914 -1917
WW1 personnel records
Find A Grave

Allan James Levy (married Robert’s grandaunt, Emelia Alberta Stoddart)

Allan enlisted on July 13, 1915 at the age of 27 in Valcartier,Quebec. He served as a Lance Corporal in the 60th Battalion. Regimental # 415512. Allan was killed in action on June 15, 1916 while in the trenches at Sanctuary Wood. He left behind his wife and four small children. He has a memorial at Ypres (Memin Gate).

60th Canadian Overseas Battalion
WW1 personnel records
CWGC (Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

George Outhit Lutz (Robert’s 1st cousin 3 times removed)

George was drafted under the military service act of 1917. He signed the declaration of recruit on June 14, 1918 in Aldershot, Nova Scotia at the age of 29. He served as a private in the 17th Reserve Battalion. His regimental # 3189848. George was discharge on July 18, 1919. He returned to his wife, Annie Lamb, whom he married just months before his enlistment. He died on July 13, 1961 at the age of 72. He is buried in the Morristown cemetery in Morristown, Nova Scotia, Canada.

WW1 personnel records
Find A Grave

Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Lest We Forget – Fred of the 58th Battalion CEF

Fred is a mystery to me, but he wasn’t a mystery to my grandmother, Dorothy Warry. My aunt and I discovered this postcard hidden behind one of my grandmother’s photos. On the front is a photo of the officers of the 58th Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. The postcard is stamped Niagara Falls, August 28, 1915 at 9 am. It’s addressed to Miss D. Warry 14 Thorold Ave. Toronto, Ontario and a note to my grandmother.
  Dear Dorothy, Many thanks for letter. I hope to be home for Sunday. I will phone Saturday anyway. Just getting ready to go to Queenstown. So Goodbye hoping you are well. Yours Fred

Fred may have been a sweetheart of my grandmother before my grandfather, Johnston Paterson. Sadly, many young men never made it back to their sweethearts.

So, who was Fred? We know his first name was Fred or Frederick, he was probably in the 58th Battalion, and he probably didn’t make it back. I’ve tried looking over the Canadian Expeditionary Force, 58th Battalion members who died overseas, but there seem to be quite a few possibilities. So maybe he will always be a mystery to me. Even my grandmother is entitled to a secret. 




Sunday, May 8, 2016

Happy Mother's Day

Mother’s day is the perfect time to write a new post to highlight a few of the mother’s in Robert's and my families. These busy Moms are a few that had over 10 children.  

Florence Odessa Palmer (Lutz) Robert's great grandmother had 16 children.
Florence married Azie Elvison Lutz at Berwick, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1915 at the age of 16. She had her 1st child at the age of 16 and last at the age of 48. All of her children survived to adulthood.

Margaret Ann Nichols (Palmer) Robert’s 3rd great grandmother had 13 children.
Margaret married Thomas Richard Palmer in 1850 at Aylesford, Nova Scotia, Canada at the age of 17. She had the 1st child at the age of 17 and the last at age of 42.

Matilda Gates (Randall) Robert’s 3rd great grandmother had 12 children.
Matilda married Christopher Randall in 1830 at Aylesford, Nova Scotia, Canada at 18. She had her 1st child at 19 and last at the age of 44.

Catherine Muirhead (Paterson) Jacqueline’s 2nd great grandmother had 12 children.
Catherine married Johnston Paterson in 1837 at Glasgow, Scotland at the age of 18. She had her 1st child at age 18 and the last at the age of 42. Tragically few of her children would reach adulthood. Only two would have children.

Agnes Findlay (Danskine) Jacqueline’s 2nd great grandmother had 12 children.
Agnes married William Danskine in 1837 at Cumbernauld, Scotland at the age of 21. She had her 1st child at 21 and her last at the age of 44. Sadly, most of her children didn’t make it to adulthood.

Rebecca Taylor (Foster) Robert’s 3rd great grandmother had 11 children.
Rebecca married Isaac about 1829 in Nova Scotia, Canada at the age of 20. She had her 1st child at  the age 20 and last at the age of 47.

Margaret Clem (Lutz) Robert’s 3rd great grandmother had 11 children.
Margaret married Rufus Lutz in 1854 at Nova Scotia, Canada at the age of 24. She had her 1st child at the age of 24 and last at the age of 48.

Betsey Ann Bristol (Belknap) Jacqueline’s 3rd great grandmother had 11 children.
Betsey married Martin Seymour Belknap about 1831 in New York, United States when she was about 17. She had her 1st child at the age of 18 and last at the age of 43.

Frances George (Fiddler)  Jacqueline’s 3rd great grandmother had 11 children.
Frances married Henry Fiddler in 1846 in Richland Ohio, United States when she was 21. She had her 1st child at the age of 22 and last at the age of 42.

Some of the other mother's in our families:
Sentimental Sunday - Happy Mother's Day

Friday, May 6, 2016

Friday Faces from the Past - John E Kaira

Another one of my mysterious photos with Finnish on the back. I can make out the name E. Kaira John, but I'm not sure how he fits into my tree. 

Looks like a peaceful lake.

More Finnish photos:
Friday's Faces From the Past - Derik Lackello
Friday's Faces from the Past - California 1949
Wordless Wednesday - Rock Lake