52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - Valentine

George Washington Smith and Marjorie Elizabeth Dean

Their marriage certificate.

In a recent post about my maternal grandmother, I wrote a bit about the relationship between her and my grandfather. They met when she was briefly dating one of his younger brothers.

Other than that I never heard any stories of my grandparents' romance. I do have a few letters between them from WWII in which they use nicknames for each other, and also the most romantic item in my entire genealogy collection, the very photo of my mother and grandmother that my grandfather carried with him overseas.

My grandfather carried this photo of my grandmother and mother while he was overseas during WWII.

A few weeks ago, while we were going over some of my grandfather's military documents, my mother told me a story I don't remember hearing before.

By November of 1945, my grandfather, Lt. Col. George Washington Smith, O.B.E., E.D., C.D., had been overseas for three years. My grandmother had been worrying about him, about three of his family who were in Europe and her own brother who had been killed shortly before V.E. Day. She was more than ready to see her husband again.

Grandpa's ship from overseas landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia and from there he took a train to Montreal. My grandmother and mother traveled the 140 miles there to meet him.  As the train pulled in, my grandfather was in the doorway of his car, waiting to jump down and find his family as soon as he could. My grandmother, anxiously scanning windows and doors of the train for his face, spotted him while the train was still moving and as a band began to play "God Save the King." You must understand that you don't move a muscle during the playing of "God Save the King," that is unless you're my grandmother and you haven't seen your husband in more than three years.

People tried to stop her as she ran down to my grandfather's car, practically dragging my eight-year-old mother down the platform in the process, but she did not care. She would be waiting directly in front of that doorway, in her new black straw hat with the pink ribbon, when he was able to disembark.

And one of these days I may even have documentary evidence of some of the story. Mum told me yesterday that the three of them had their picture in the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph that day. Unfortunately, after doing a little searching I have learned that the year in question is part of a period that is not digitized and can only be found at the library of the National Assembly in Quebec City. Not that I wouldn't welcome a visit there, I would love it in fact, but it may be a while before I can make that happen. I may have to pay someone to dig this up instead, it's just too good!

After my grandfather's return from the war, my grandparents had another 34 years together before his death in 1979. Although I must have heard my grandmother admonish my grandfather with the more than occasional, "Oh, George!" (there are stories about me mimicking this), I don't recall ever hearing a truly cross word between them. They were each other's valentines for 44 years.

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(1) Smith, George W. and Dean, Marjorie E. Photograph taken August 10, 1935, privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2017. The photograph passed from the Smiths to their daughter Janet and was given to her daughter, the author in 2008.

(2) The United Church of Canada, Sherbrooke, The Presbytery of Quebec. Marriage Certificate of Smith, George W. and Dean, Marjorie E. Privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2010. The certificate passed from the Smiths to their daughter Janet and was given to her daughter, the author, in 2010. The church record can be found in Register III, United Church, page 123 Lennoxville, Que.

(3) Dean, Marjorie Elizabeth and Smith, Janet I. Photograph taken ca. 1942, privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2008. The photograph passed from the Smiths to their daughter Janet and was given to her daughter, the author in 2008.

(4) Smith, George W. and Dean, Marjorie E. Photograph taken ca. 1960s, privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2017. The photograph was in an album that passed from the Smiths to their daughter Janet and was given to her daughter, the author in 2017.