52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks - On the Farm

Well isn't this a fitting theme for this week since I have just returned from North Hatley, Quebec and the farm I've written so much about.

I wrote a long post about the farm and farmhouse for The Old Homestead theme in April. Missing from that post were photos of the aftermath of the tornado that hit the farm in 1926. The photos themselves are in a magnetic album that belongs to my cousin. This week I was finally able to scan them with my Flip-Pal scanner.

These photos show what was left of the barn after the tornado hit.

And these show the construction of the new barn.

I'm about 99% certain that the man standing on the viewer's left in the photo below is my great-grandfather, James Louden Dean. Notice the bushy mustache and the empty-looking right sleeve. You may remember that he lost his arm in a farming accident in 1912. I believe the boy is Lawrence, the youngest child of his first marriage, who was killed in WWII. He would have been twelve here. The last person I was able to identify is seated in front of Lawrence and is my great-uncle Ken who took over the farm after his father's death in 1935 and would have been 20 in 1926.

And here is the finished barn.

It still stands today.

War Memorial - North Hatley, Quebec

I have been visiting North Hatley, Quebec since I was very little. I have no idea how many times I have been to the farm that my 2nd great-grandfather founded 150 years ago and where my maternal grandmother was born. I've been to and through the village of North Hatley on the beautiful and picturesque Lake Massawippi just as many times, and yet I had to ask the location of the North Hatley war memorial last year in order to take photos. Even more ridiculous, the memorial is located right across the road from LeBaron's General Store which I have also visited many times.

Last year's photos weren't good enough for transcription, but I finally visited again this week and can now transcribe the names here.

This memorial commemorates the service of all who served, with a cross or star next to the names of the men who were killed. I also just noticed that there are names on the WWI plaque with U.S. next to them. My mother thinks perhaps those men came to Canada to fight between 1914 and 1917 before the strongly isolationist United States entered the conflict. I think she's probably right, but I will have to contact a local veteran's group and or the historical society to see if they have a definitive answer. Also, to see if they have the full names of the men who served in WWII and Korea; they are listed on the monument with only first initials.

World War I

    Hamilton F. Armstrong - U.S.

    T. Gardner Aspinwall - U.S.

✚ Henry M. Atkinson, Jr. - U.S.

    Cyril G. Ballin - U.S.

    Harold R. Ballin - U.S.

    Ernest W. Bamping

✚ Alfred Beach

✚ Adelbert Bean

    Charles W. Bennett

✚ Fred A. Bennett
    Octave Blake - U.S.
    Henry Breckenridge - U.S.
    Lucien Breckenridge - U.S.
    R. A. Brock
    Frank Daves Brown - U.S.
    Charles D.F. Brune - U.S.
    Emmons Bryant - U.S.
    Ervine L. Burns
    Andrew L. Cinnamon
    Earl H. Cinnamon
    Charles. S. Clark
    Humphry Cobb
    Eli Copeland
    Donald Dick
    Jackson P. Dick - U.S.
    William J. Dick
    Albert B.C. Dooley
    Arthur N. Dutton
    Charles J. Edgar
    Clifford E. Force
    William J. Gagnon
    Reginald Gallagher
    George Gardner
    Ambrose Gordon - U.S.
    Frank Gosnell , Jr. - U.S.
    H. Allen Gosnell - U.S.
    Dalby M. Grainger
    A. E. Wilson Harrison - U.S.
    Randolph C. Harrison - U.S.
    Charles A. Hawes
    James Hopkins
✚ Kenneth D'O Husband
    William Husband
    Herbert Jacques, Jr. - U.S.
    James Jardine
    H. Holman Ketcham - U.S.
    John B. Ketcham - U.S.
    Simon R. Kezar
    Wilfred J. Kezar
    Oscar M. Kilby - U.S.
✚ Adelbert LeBaron
    Grant A. LeBaron
    Joseph A. Leduc
    John G. Livingston - U.S.
✚ Gordon Lockwood
    Patrick Lynch
    Arnold C. Mayo
    Ashley W. Mayo
    Clifford W. Mayo
    Albert Matthews
    Harry B. Moss
    Herbert A. McCrea
    A. Lee McKay
    John R. McKay
    Robert McVittie
    Thomas C. Parker
    E. Willing Peters - U.S.
    Thomas Phillips
    Sherwood Picking - U.S.
    James R. Pond
    Harford W.H. Powel - U.S.
    Howard H. Powel - U.S.
    Chilton L. Powell - U.S.
    Paul R. Powell - U.S.
    Verner H. Putney
✚ John Ramsdell
    Frank McN Ransom - U.S.
    Warren A. Ransom - U.S.
    James S. Robertson
    Harry Robinson
✚ Arthur E. Seguin
    Augustus Seguin
    J. Adolph Seguin
    Alphonse Sigard
    Fred Sprigings
    T. Ellis Stebbins - U.S.
    E. Vail Stebbins - U.S.
    Sidney M. Taylor
    Clinton E. Woodward
    Andrew Wylie - U.S.
✚ Alton Young
    Clarence F. Young
 

World War II
G. Agon
D. Allen
L. Allen
N. Allen
A. Bachand
J. Bachand
A. Bampton
J. Bampton
J. Barrow
K. Bassett
L. Bean
C. Bennett
M. Bowen
R. Bryant
R. Carmen
W. Carroll
C. Cate
M. Cliche
R. Deacon
L. (Lawrence) Dean ★
N. Ditchburn
R. Ditchburn
A. Doyon
O. Fidler ★
P. Gagnon
W. Gagnon
P. Gauthier
M. Gokey
S. Gomes
R. Gordon
C. Guild
J. Guild
L. Guild
W. Guild ★
C. Hartwell
C. Hawes
G. Hawes
E. Humphrey
D. Johnson
R. Jones
D. Kezar
D. Kezar
J. Kezar
R. Kezar ★
R. Kezar
W. Kezar
C. Ladouceur
G. Ladouceur ★
S. Lavoi
L. LeBaron

R. LeBaron
J. Lennon
A. Lusty
C.  Lusty
D. Martin
A. Marlowe
G. Mayo
E. McCrea
F. McCrea
J. McCrea ★
W. McCrea
D. McKnight ★
G. Meigs
R. Merrill
A. Moore
G. Penwill
W. Penwill
W. Raymond
S. Reed
W. Ride
R. Riley
F. Rudd
J. Sampson ★
A. Seguin
G. Seguin
L. Seguin
R. Seguin
H. Sharman
W. Sharman
G. Smith
E. Stiles
F. Stone
G. Sprigings
H. Taylor
K. Taylor
R. Taylor
S. Taylor
P. Trusell
H. Thwaites
J. Voisard
R. Voisard
H. Wheeler
A. Woodward
W. Woodward
H. Wort ★
J. Wort
J. Young

Korean War
E. Bampton
G. Ditchburn
R. Hughes
D. LeBaron
J. Rasmussen
H. Wheeler


I will be sending this link to the Honor Roll Project so that family history researchers might find family members listed here.

Please consider adding your local war memorial to the project so that other genealogists can find their ancestor.

Getting Ready to Share Some History

It's been a rough few months for my genealogy research and education. There just hasn't been time. Now I am forcing myself to make time, though, because my mother and I will be heading to Canada in a few weeks for a family visit, research trip, and conference (BIFHSGO).

Our first stop will be the family farm in North Hatley, Quebec that we visited for a reunion last summer. Our second stop will be Ottawa, Ontario where will be staying with my Godmother and second cousin. Her father was my grandfather's baby brother, William John White "Pin" Smith.

Always on the lookout for ways to share my love of family history with my family, I created this collage print on Snapfish (no affiliation) from my grandfather's photo albums and will frame four copies for my Godmother and her three children.

Uncle Pin is the youngest youngster in all of the group photos. Also pictured here are my great-grandparents and all of their other six children who lived to adulthood.

I'll also be bringing unframed prints of the "official" Smith family portrait.

I'm a bit on the fence about which version of this portrait to share. I prefer the cropped version, but I know the other would be more helpful for those who aren't family historians and need help identifying all the siblings. I don't like the yellowing on that border and don't have the Photoshop skills to make it white, but Donald has me 90% convinced to include it anyway.

I'll also be taking prints of this photo of another generation of the family, my 2nd great-grandparents, and their adult children.

You know I love my photos but they generally don't help you get to know anyone. In order to share a little bit of who Uncle Pin was, I've also made color copies of this letter that he wrote to my grandmother when her youngest brother was killed in the last weeks of World War II.

I hope that all of my cousins will be as touched by this letter as I always am and that they will be interested in getting to know their grandfather and great-grandfather just a bit.

As I make more preparations and have time to share them, I will let you know.

Here is a transcription of the above letter.

13 Apr 45
Capt. W.J.W. Smith Capt.
2 Cdn. Night Vision Tng. & Testing Unit CAO

Dearest Marj:

     I received official notification from Army Records of Lawrence being killed in action, only yesterday, and I cannot tell you just how sorry I was to read the letter. Please accept my sincere sympathy. Time alone can heal the wound of sorrow you must feel. I trust you will have some consolation in the knowledge that his death like that of so many others, is for the salvation of millions.
     Shortly after receiving this letter, Emmy's nephew Ronald, walked in my office, looking remarkably well, if somewhat weak. This, too, was a bit of a shock to me, as I had just received a letter from Canada saying he had been severely wounded for the second time, and that he was not expected to recover. Apparently penicillin & God had worked a miracle, and although he's now short of some important internal parts, he should live to a reasonable age. He'll be returning home before very long.

2

Two fine boys. I couldn't help but thinking of the oft quoted, "One shall be taken, and the other...". I guess faith in God, and the knowledge that Christ, too, gave his life that others might live, can do more to calm the troubled heart than anything.

3

I hear from George most regularly, and he seems to be getting along very well. He asked me to forward a gift he got for you, which I shall do early next week as I will have a suitable box and wrappings by then. Please extend my condolences to your family. A kiss to Janet for her last card, and love, Pin.

_____________________________________________________________________________

1. Smith family including Smith, William John White "Pin". Collection of photos scanned from albums created by George W. Smith of Thetford Mines, Quebec ca. 1910-1917. Collage photo created by the author, photo albums now held privately by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2018. The album was passed from George W. Smith to his wife Marjorie E. Dean to their daughter to their granddaughter.

2. Smith, George Robert family photo taken on Christmas Day abt. 1914, privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2018. This copy was part of a manuscript about the Smith family that passed from George W. Smith to his wife Marjorie E. Dean to their daughter to their granddaughter.

3. Smith, Benjamin family photo, privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE] Rockville Centre, NY and digitized in 2018. The original came to the author from her mother, a great-granddaughter of Benjamin Smith.

4. William John White Smith, Canadian Army Overseas, to Marjorie Elizabeth Dean, letter, 13 April 1945; Smith Family; privately held by the author [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Rockville Centre, New York.

L/Cpl Lawrence Nimmo Dean

I only have one known ancestor who died serving his country in war, my Grand Uncle, L/Cpl. Lawrence Nimmo Dean, youngest brother of my maternal grandmother, Marjorie Elizabeth Dean. In each post about him, I try to introduce new material and thanks to my mother I do have something new to share again this year, his service medals.

Uncle Lawrence served in WWII, enlisting in Stratford, Ontario on September 28, 1939. His service record told me that he earned six campaign medals: the 1939-45 Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, War Medal, C.V.S.M. & Clasp, and the Defence Medal. Earlier this year I learned that my mother's cousin had entrusted these medals to my mother, and now she has entrusted them to me.

According to Wikipedia, these were campaign medals "instituted by the United Kingdom...to subjects of the British Commonwealth for service in the Second World War."

The 1939-45 Star was issued to those who served at least one day between September 2, 1939, and May 8, 1945, the duration of the war in Europe.

The Italy Star was issued to those who served at least one day in Sicily or Italy between June 11, 1943, and May 8, 1945.

The France and Germany Star was issued to those who served at least one day in France, Belgium, Holland or Germany between June 6, 1944 - D-Day - and May 8, 1945.

The War Medal was awarded to full-time personnel of the Armed forces or Merchant Marines who served at least twenty-eight days between September 3, 1939, and May 8, 1945.

The C.V.S.M. (Canadian Volunteer Service Medal) was awarded to members of the Naval, Air and Military Forces of Canada who served honorably for at least 18 months or 540 days from September 3, 1939, to March 1, 1947. Those who served at least 60 days outside of Canada were also awarded a clasp, a silver bar with a maple leaf at the center.

The Defense Medal was awarded for non-operational service, but I'll refer you to the Libary and Archives Canada site for a detailed description here.

Two years ago, I wrote about a letter that my grandfather's brother wrote to my grandmother after hearing the news of Uncle Lawrence's death. In it, he wrote, "I trust you will have some consolation in the knowledge that his death like that of so many others, is for the salvation of millions."

That thought is comforting, but I am still sad today looking these medals. How many other families have similar artifacts; service medals still in their original boxes because their recipients would never wear them, symbols of unfinished lives, some barely begun.

The medals honor Uncle Lawrence's service, but the boxes illustrate his sacrifice and that of the loved ones that he left behind.

Happy Blogiversary to Me!

Six years ago today, I published my first post. I thought it would be cute to illustrate this post with a picture from my 6th birthday party but I took out the appropriate photo album today to look for one and there was nothing! The pictures go right from September to Christmas, which is two weeks after my birthday. So much for the spoiled only child myth. Looks like that Christmas Baby thing is real after all. Ah, well.

Instead of a cute photo of six-year-old me, I've illustrated this post with the same image that I used on my post six years ago, an obituary of my 2nd great-grandfather, Benjamin Smith, whose parents are as elusive today as they were then. I haven't worked on this puzzle in quite some time, but I'm planning a visit to the NYC Municipal Archives next month to look at some Brooklyn City Directories for clues so we'll see what happens then.

I'll find your family someday, Benjamin!

I'm sorry that I don't have time to write an appreciative post and reminisce about the last six years. Suffice it to say that your visits and comments mean a lot to me and I appreciate your encouragement to keep on blogging in spite of the GDPR. I hope to be back to regular length posts soon.

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I Can't Seem To Hit Delete Just Yet

If this blog is still here, Sunday will be my 6th Blogiversary. That is just one of the things bothering me when I consider hitting that delete button.

The other big one is that I have a couple of posts which are part of Heather Wilkinson Rojo's Honor Roll Project. Her links come back to my posts, so if I delete this blog, those links will disappear, and they have already helped at least one person.

Today before I leave for work I am going to disable comments and remove the contact form. Later I will post a temporary privacy statement.

I may change my mind later, I am still leaning towards moving my blog to another platform, but I just can't hit delete on something I've worked on for almost six years.