Grandpa John G Williams 130th birthday!

130 years ago today, February 17, 1888, my paternal Grandpa, John Griffith Williams was born to Joseph and Elizabeth Williams, in Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales. 

He seems to have been quite a character. He immigrated to Canada in 1910 at the age of 23. He was the only one in his family to do so. He never went back to Wales. 

He married Ellen Egerton in approximately 1918 or 1919. She was also from North Wales, so I have a hunch they met over there. They had 2 sons together, but sadly one of them died in 1925, and then Ellen died in 1926. 

Thankfully for me, Grandpa re-married Alma May Palmer in 1928 when he was 40, and their first son, my Dad, John Herbert, was born in 1929. Grandpa had 6 more children, 9 in total.

This photo shows my grandparents in my parent's home celebrating their birthdays together. Grandma was born January 20, 1908. She was 20 years younger than her husband.

Grandpa on the left, Robert in the middle, William on the right. Blaenau Ffestiniog, Wales, approximately 1910.

A young Grandpa on the prairies, probably Alberta.

He lived there for a while, then moved to Spalding SK.

He loved horses all his life, winding up taking care of the horses for Crystal Dairies in Vancouver BC in the 1940's.

This is my favourite picture of Grandpa. You can tell he was a real character. He moved to Vancouver in 1941, and began a new life working at Burrard Dry Docks during WWII, and having 3 more children here. By the time I knew him, he was a very quiet man, and quite frail. At least that's how he appeared to me. He died in June 1974. 

Happy birthday, Grandpa! Thank you for your adventures which led you to Canada.

By Loretta Williams Houben

Another genealogy article written for the RCC newspaper.

I had another genealogy article published in the RCC newspaper this month!

I had missed writing the articles, so came up with this idea on how to solve the mystery of an un-known maiden name. I had thought you needed to find the person's marriage certificate, but voila! You can also find the maiden name on a DEATH certificate! Usually this involves a fee of around $50 but I found out the mystery for FREE thanks to a kind volunteer at the Naicam SK museum.

I had wondered for many years what Nellie's maiden name was.

No one had thought to ask my Grandpa when he was alive, and he died in 1974, so this mystery has gone unsolved for many years.

There are only two photos of Nellie, which was a nick name for Ellen.

The one above which was published in the paper isn't good resolution due to its small size, but it's a photo which has always intrigued me.

I'm thrilled that I cracked the mystery of Nellie's maiden name: EGERTON!

One thing has led to another, and I now have quite a few more clues about Nellie and her life in Canada, plus a few more mysteries.

Here is a copy of Nellie's death certificate, January 6, 1926, age 38.

By Loretta Williams Houben

Christmas 50 years ago...

Christmas Eve 50 years ago.

I still remember the excitement of staying in our bedroom with the door closed, while my parents went downstairs into the basement and brought up our large gifts and put them beside the Christmas tree.

We couldn't figure out what they were up to.

Then they called us into the room and said to keep our eyes closed.

Leona and I were so surprised to see the beautiful shiny blue doll buggies, with diaper bags.

Tee hee....I'm wearing mine around my neck!

We played with those buggies for hours. We rolled them around the basement on rainy days, and outside in the yard around the house, and up and down the front street, on sunny days.

I still have mine. They were very well built, of blue aluminum. The hoods could fold down like a real buggy.

Marlene was 5 months old, and our new little sister that Christmas.

She had nearly died of whooping cough in October, so we were very fortunate to have her.

Christmas Day in 1965.

My mom made the dinner. My Grandma May Williams never ever had us over for Christmas dinner. I have no idea why. She was 57 in this picture, and grandpa John was 77. Uncle Dennis next to his mom on the left was 16. (he is 20 years younger than my dad) My Dad was 36. I was 5, Leona 3, and Marlene 5 months old. My dear mom is rarely in photos. I can't remember how old Uncle Bob would have been. He sure looks like Colin in this photo!

I have such happy Christmas memories.

By Loretta Houben

40 years ago...my Grandfather, John G Williams, died.

My paternal grandfather, John Griffith Williams, born on February 17, 1888 passed away on June 28, 1974, 40 years ago today. In my little diary I wrote: "Grandpa died. Aunt Audrey phoned up and told us Grandpa had an attack and they rushed him to the hospital and he died. So Dad is going to a graveside service." We had just arrived at my Uncle Ed's home in Oregon on that day for our summer vacation. Grandpa had been fine before we left. He had a heart attack. It turned out that no one was able to see Grandpa's body, and there wasn't a service after all, so my Dad didn't go back to Canada by train as he was thinking of doing. It was so expensive to travel in those days and having just arrived in Oregon we weren't going to turn around and go back right away for nothing. We stayed for two weeks. On July 11th I wrote: "Grandma is taking the death of Grandpa hard." She was 20 years younger than him; age 66. She died in July 2004; 30 years later.

My Grandfather was an adventurer. He was the only one from his family in North Wales to venture to the barren wilderness of the Canadian prairies in 1910. He lived for a while in Three Hills Alberta, and then moved to Spalding Saskatchewan in the 1920s. I love the photo above.

After his first wife, Ellen, died in 1926 along with one of his sons, he married Alma May in 1928 and had 7 more children. Here he is in Saskatchewan on his farm, with Jackie, Audrey and Harry.

The prospering family. Two more children came to join them after this time.

John, Audrey, Glenys, Jackie (my father), Harry and baby Ruth.

Photo taken in 2012. My grandparents final resting place in Mountain View Cemetery at 5455 Fraser Street in Vancouver BC. Until we meet again on the farther shore.

By Loretta Houben

Aristocratic restaurant at Granville and Broadway

This is where my grandpa, John G Williams, worked as a janitor in the 1950s.

I remember driving past here but we never stopped in to eat, as my parents said in the 1970s it wasn't that good anymore.

Here is an interesting article about the restaurant:

Aristocratic

Currently, as of January 2014, a Chapters book store is at this spot, with a neon Aristocratic sign in the window.

By Loretta Houben

My paternal Grandfather, the actor...1928

I found this online, in the book "Spalding Roots and Branches".

I also have this book, published in 1981 and containing everything you wanted to know or learn about life in Spalding SK at the turn of last century, and through the 1970s.

If you look closely at the above Dramatic Club poster, you will spot my Grandpa's name.

He is the 8th person down, "Knox a writ server", name of Mr. J.G.Williams.

The only way I ever spotted this was while browsing through the actual book, and noting my Grandma's underlining of the name! I wonder how well he acted? 

This part below is from my Grandma, Alma May Williams' memoirs. 

I think it belongs with the above poster, as it illustrates the type of entertainment available in the little town of Spalding Saskatchewan in the 1920s.

"In 1927, I had a most embarrassing experience. Jack took me to a concert, it went on for a while and what a shock I got as I heard the man call my name, he said something like this; “Now Miss Palmer will come and play her piece on the piano”. And here I hadn’t played the piano for such a long time, that it made me almost sick with fear, as there was a hall full of people. Well I went with trembling and played the piece called “Robin’s Return” and I left the middle part out as I had forgotten my music. I can say that was an awful experience for me. Jack had put my name down to play the piano. I could have slapped him. I only hoped that there wasn't an experienced piano player in that Hall. He never told me he had put my name down till after it was over. Written by Alma May Williams in 1977"

By Loretta Houben

Williams Family Clues...

While researching my Dad's side of the family tree, I remembered that my Mom had given me this old postcard a few years ago, as I love collecting them. Unfortunately my Grandma loved to cut out the stamps, so the postcard is rather ruined.

But to me it is priceless, because it contains two clues!

The postcard is addressed to my Grandpa, Mr. John G. Williams, of 11 Dorvil Street in Blaenau Festiniog, which is in North Wales. If you enter this address in Google Maps, street view, you can see the house where my Grandpa used to live!

As you will notice, the postcard is written in Welsh, by Maria Williams.

I'd always assumed that she might have been my Grandpa's sister, but thanks to a wonderful website which I discovered a week ago, Ken Davies, moderator of the site has translated it for me.

This is what the Welsh writing says:

"Dear cousin. I'd better send a word or two to you hoping that you are well as I presently am. I received your postcard and thank you for it and I am sending this to you to say that I am a good girl as you were saying, that for me to be . He has commanded his angels for me.

This briefly is from your cousin. Maria Williams. XXX"

Isn't this simply fantastic?

I am so thrilled after all these years to learn that Maria is my Grandpa's cousin, and to know what she wrote to him. I'm sure she was referring to a Bible verse,

"He will give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways."

Psalm 91:11

Here is Ken's website:

PENMON

I found it by entering the words "Blaenau Festiniog" into the Google search engine.

I just adore the internet! Ken's wonderful website popped up, and over the course of one week, he has helped me trace more clues and find information regarding my great uncle William Williams, and also found information from the 1891 and 1901 census.

I hope to learn even more over the next few weeks.

Here is a photo of my Grandpa, John Griffith Williams, as a young man.

He emigrated to Canada in 1910, according to an old income tax document that my Mom found last week. He was married in 1919 to Ellen Egerton. They had a son, Harry, in 1920 and another son, Wallace, in 1922.

 Harry died in 1925 and Ellen died January 6, 1926.

My Grandpa remarried in 1928, to Alma May Palmer, and they had seven children, my Dad being the eldest.

I've put together a binder for my Dad with all this new information. I think he is quite pleased!

By Loretta Williams Houben

Happy birthday, Grandpa!

My paternal Grandpa, John Griffith Williams, was born on February 17, 1888.

He would be 123 today!

Here is a picture of him and his wife, Alma May, 20 years his junior.

This was taken in 1941, which was 70 years ago.

He is 53 in this photo.

He was born in Cardiff Wales and moved to the prairies in Saskatchewan when Canada was encouraging people to immigrate from Wales and England in order to settle the land and farm.

Alas, dear Grandpa wasn't much of a farmer, so they sold everything and moved out West to Vancouver BC in 1941. You'll never know how glad I am about that!

I'm not sure if I have any photos of him by himself.

Leona once exclaimed when we were watching old family movies (without sound) many years ago:

"Do you mean that Grandpa was ever a baby?" It was so funny and we never forgot that saying. We always thought our Grandpa was so old.

By Loretta Houben