Rural Rootz Nature Reserve (Near Wiarton, Ontario off County Road 13)
© 2009 Janet Iles photos August 5 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - Rural Rootz Nature Reserve
Rural Rootz Nature Reserve (Near Wiarton, Ontario off County Road 13)
© 2009 Janet Iles photos August 5 2009
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wordless Wednesday - Larkwhistle Garden
August 2009 at Larkwhistle Gardens (Dyer's Bay, Ontario)
© 2009 Janet Iles
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Carnival of Postcards - Water
I have quite a few postcards in my collection so I found quite a few with water on them. Some were more recent ones so I couldn't post them.
The above was sent by mother to my father the year before they were married. My dad was overseas serving with the Perth Regiment. My mother is on holidays up on Manitoulin visiting family. The family property went right down to Lake Mindemoya.
The postcard was written July 25 1945
Dear Bob
I can't seem to get around to a letter but will later.
The weather has been grand and I'll be telling you what we have been doing.
As always
Marion
to 911559
Sgt Iles HB
Perth Regiment
Canadian Army Overseas
The other entries in the Festival of Postcards - Water are now available at this link
© 2009 Janet Iles
Friday, August 14, 2009
Productivity - Did our ancestors worry about it?
I have been reading a series of posts over at Carole's Canvas about productivity and how she is planning to think about what she has accomplished during the day and to decide on three things she wants to do the next day. She is planning on blogging on them, not necessarily every day but regularly to help with productivity.
She mentions thinking about this before you go to sleep. Wise plan! As I was waking up this morning, I was thinking about productivity. (Yes I should have thought about it before I went to bed.) I have a number of projects on the go right now. I have several historical society projects and some client work that I must focus on.
One very important one is my soldiers' project. I thought I'd done more on it. Yikes! The deadline of September 14 is only a month away. I thought I'd done all the research as I have two binders of information. I only had written about three or four soldiers and these needed polishing and citation clean up. I had put it aside and had not done much work on it during the past year.
Last night, when I started to write about another one, I realized that I didn't have enough information about Alexander Gunn, son of John Gunn and Joanna McKay. His sister (Mrs. L. Penner) is listed as next of kin on his attestation papers. What happened to his parents? Did he have any other relatives that mourned his death when he was killed?
I do not have an obituary for him. All I have is a photograph from the newspaper, with a few details saying that he was missing in action and that he had worked for the local fire department before enlisting . It was too late by this time to head to the library to do further research in the newspapers.
I did find his parents marriage registration and his mother's death registration and possibly a second marriage for his father on Ancestry.ca. Alexander is living with his aunts Mary and Betsy McKay according to the 1901 census in Sydenham Township and in 1891 at the age of 7, he is listed in the household of William and Isabella Cullen. Alexander is listed as the nephew of William. Mary McKay and Betsey McKay, also in the same household, are listed as sisters-in-law to William.
For Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War, two websites are very helpful for this type of project. - CWGC (Canadian War Graves Commission) and Veterans Affairs site - Canada Remembers- Canadian Virtual War Memorial. It is wise to visit both sides to compare information. On the CWGC site, he is listed as Andrew McKay Gunn with the 44th Bn (Battalion). On the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, he is listed as being with the 25th Bn (Battalion).
Alexander McKay is remembered on the Vimy Ridge Memorial. He is also remembered on two plaques at Knox United Owen Sound.
To get things done, I will set a goal for each day. I will watch what new projects I take on during the next few weeks. I will still make time for myself to enjoy each day.
Did our ancestors worry about productivity? Did they set goals?
© 2009 Janet Iles
She mentions thinking about this before you go to sleep. Wise plan! As I was waking up this morning, I was thinking about productivity. (Yes I should have thought about it before I went to bed.) I have a number of projects on the go right now. I have several historical society projects and some client work that I must focus on.
One very important one is my soldiers' project. I thought I'd done more on it. Yikes! The deadline of September 14 is only a month away. I thought I'd done all the research as I have two binders of information. I only had written about three or four soldiers and these needed polishing and citation clean up. I had put it aside and had not done much work on it during the past year.
Last night, when I started to write about another one, I realized that I didn't have enough information about Alexander Gunn, son of John Gunn and Joanna McKay. His sister (Mrs. L. Penner) is listed as next of kin on his attestation papers. What happened to his parents? Did he have any other relatives that mourned his death when he was killed?
I do not have an obituary for him. All I have is a photograph from the newspaper, with a few details saying that he was missing in action and that he had worked for the local fire department before enlisting . It was too late by this time to head to the library to do further research in the newspapers.
I did find his parents marriage registration and his mother's death registration and possibly a second marriage for his father on Ancestry.ca. Alexander is living with his aunts Mary and Betsy McKay according to the 1901 census in Sydenham Township and in 1891 at the age of 7, he is listed in the household of William and Isabella Cullen. Alexander is listed as the nephew of William. Mary McKay and Betsey McKay, also in the same household, are listed as sisters-in-law to William.
For Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War, two websites are very helpful for this type of project. - CWGC (Canadian War Graves Commission) and Veterans Affairs site - Canada Remembers- Canadian Virtual War Memorial. It is wise to visit both sides to compare information. On the CWGC site, he is listed as Andrew McKay Gunn with the 44th Bn (Battalion). On the Canadian Virtual War Memorial, he is listed as being with the 25th Bn (Battalion).
Alexander McKay is remembered on the Vimy Ridge Memorial. He is also remembered on two plaques at Knox United Owen Sound.
To get things done, I will set a goal for each day. I will watch what new projects I take on during the next few weeks. I will still make time for myself to enjoy each day.
Did our ancestors worry about productivity? Did they set goals?
© 2009 Janet Iles
Where were you when the lights went out? - 2003
Where were you when the lights went out on August 14, 2003?
On August 14, 2003 about 55 million people in Northeastern United States and most of Ontario lost electrical power, some for more than twenty-four hours. It was about 4:40 Eastern. I had finished my supper as I was working 1 to 9 and was heading back into the library to cover the reference desk for the evening. I didn't know that it was wide-spread until I reached the library and discovered they were closing up. The custodian had heard on the radio that the power outage appeared to be widespread and it might be awhile before it was restored.
So back home I went. It was a beautiful evening so I went outside on the deck and read as long as I could see. In Toronto and other localities, people had impromptu gatherings and visited with neighbours.
Earlier that day, the window installer had just finished the work on my new bow window. I was happy that work had been completed.
I was a fortunate one and I had power restored before I went to sleep. Others were not so lucky.
Power was back on in most of Owen Sound, so it was back to work the next morning. We were advised by the city management to use as little electricity as possible as the power situation was still precarious. We turned on only those lights and computers that were necessary for people to work efficiently and safely. The computers at the reference desks and the circulation desk were needed but we were prepared to hand check out materials if we lost power.
We provided no public access to the computers. I remember one woman in particular who was very angry about this, but most were very understanding. We directed those who needed Internet access to go to a local "Internet Cafe" in a downtown business. We were on limited service for the rest of the week.
Every time, we have a major electrical power outage that lasts more than an hour, I get to thinking of my ancestors who had no electrical power at all to do their daily tasks. How did they manage? What did they do?
Today, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. is the Count me in Energy Challenge. I am going to try my best to limit my energy usage as best I can.
© 2009 Janet Iles
On August 14, 2003 about 55 million people in Northeastern United States and most of Ontario lost electrical power, some for more than twenty-four hours. It was about 4:40 Eastern. I had finished my supper as I was working 1 to 9 and was heading back into the library to cover the reference desk for the evening. I didn't know that it was wide-spread until I reached the library and discovered they were closing up. The custodian had heard on the radio that the power outage appeared to be widespread and it might be awhile before it was restored.
So back home I went. It was a beautiful evening so I went outside on the deck and read as long as I could see. In Toronto and other localities, people had impromptu gatherings and visited with neighbours.
Earlier that day, the window installer had just finished the work on my new bow window. I was happy that work had been completed.
I was a fortunate one and I had power restored before I went to sleep. Others were not so lucky.
Power was back on in most of Owen Sound, so it was back to work the next morning. We were advised by the city management to use as little electricity as possible as the power situation was still precarious. We turned on only those lights and computers that were necessary for people to work efficiently and safely. The computers at the reference desks and the circulation desk were needed but we were prepared to hand check out materials if we lost power.
We provided no public access to the computers. I remember one woman in particular who was very angry about this, but most were very understanding. We directed those who needed Internet access to go to a local "Internet Cafe" in a downtown business. We were on limited service for the rest of the week.
Every time, we have a major electrical power outage that lasts more than an hour, I get to thinking of my ancestors who had no electrical power at all to do their daily tasks. How did they manage? What did they do?
Today, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. is the Count me in Energy Challenge. I am going to try my best to limit my energy usage as best I can.
© 2009 Janet Iles
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wordless Wednesday
Interesting "sculpture" at Hope Bay Ontario The Frog & Nightgown Gardens
© 2009 Janet Iles
Saturday, August 8, 2009
August 8 (World War I)
August 8, 1918 marks the date that my great uncle Harold Edward Iles was killed during the First World War. I wrote about him here.
I have two postcards in my collection dated August 8 in France but no year but they would have been written between 1916 to 1918. The postcards were written by my grandfather, William Iles, to his wife and family. He chose this one because he thought that it looked like his eldest son, Clarence.
Both postcards had similar covers.
Most messages from him that I have in my possession were very short, but this one surprised me in its details. The family had taken a trip to Barrie. How they got there I don't know.
What strikes me most are his words,
I have two postcards in my collection dated August 8 in France but no year but they would have been written between 1916 to 1918. The postcards were written by my grandfather, William Iles, to his wife and family. He chose this one because he thought that it looked like his eldest son, Clarence.
Both postcards had similar covers.
Most messages from him that I have in my possession were very short, but this one surprised me in its details. The family had taken a trip to Barrie. How they got there I don't know.
What strikes me most are his words,
"I know you have not had many outings, but leave it to me if ever I come home, I shall see you get a good time. I am feeling fine now but longing to be with you all kiss my dear children for me and accept my best love to you all from your ever loving husband Will"© 2009 Janet Iles
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Spanish Flu Did it affect my ancestors?- Carnival of Genealogy
The theme for this Carnival of Genealogy is Disasters. How did it affect our ancestors?
I really do not know if any specific disaster directly affected any of my ancestors. No family stories have been passed down.
So I got to thinking. With all the recent talk about the H1N1 flu, it got me to thinking about the Spanish Flu of 1918.
The Great War was drawing near its end when the Spanish flu struck people around the world. Amid newspaper reports of injuries and deaths of local men in battles, appeared notices of casualties of a different kind -- those stricken with the Spanish Flu.
I turned to two local newspapers The Advertiser and The Sun to see what was being reported. It made for some interesting reading.
On October 10, the Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. A. B. Rutherford said that there were about 30 cases in town but none of them serious but one should not take chances with it.
"if you catch cold and feel any of the symptoms, such as fever and pain in the joints or limbs; got to bed at once, keep warm, and send for the doctor." [1] There were no plans to close the schools at that point.
On October 11, a headline read "Need help in caring for the 'flu' patients. All local nurses were already busy and an appeal was made to the women of the town to "give a helping hand". [2]
I really do not know if any specific disaster directly affected any of my ancestors. No family stories have been passed down.
So I got to thinking. With all the recent talk about the H1N1 flu, it got me to thinking about the Spanish Flu of 1918.
The Great War was drawing near its end when the Spanish flu struck people around the world. Amid newspaper reports of injuries and deaths of local men in battles, appeared notices of casualties of a different kind -- those stricken with the Spanish Flu.
I turned to two local newspapers The Advertiser and The Sun to see what was being reported. It made for some interesting reading.
On October 10, the Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. A. B. Rutherford said that there were about 30 cases in town but none of them serious but one should not take chances with it.
"if you catch cold and feel any of the symptoms, such as fever and pain in the joints or limbs; got to bed at once, keep warm, and send for the doctor." [1] There were no plans to close the schools at that point.
On October 11, a headline read "Need help in caring for the 'flu' patients. All local nurses were already busy and an appeal was made to the women of the town to "give a helping hand". [2]
A week later, The Sun reported that while there were many Spanish flu victims, the local outbreak, according to the MOH, was not serious enough to require the schools to be closed. [3] Well, the schools ended up being closed as well as other institutions, such as churches and the library. [4] School teachers and others volunteered to look after the sick and to work in the diet kitchen. The diet kitchen prepared light nutritious meals for the sick who were unable to prepare food in their homes. In some families all were stricken. [5]
Churches re-opened on 10 November with schools opening the following day.
The epidemic wasn't over. It lasted until the spring of 1919 and returned again in the fall of 1919. World wide it is reported that more people were killed by the Spanish flu than during the War.
In 1918, my grandfather William Iles was still overseas; my dad was just a toddler; his five older siblings ranged in age from 5 to 14.
I have lots of questions. Did any of the Iles and related households get sick with the Spanish flu? I know that there were no deaths. Did any of my great aunts answer the call for volunteers to help out? I am sure my grandmother would have had her hands full just looking after her own children. But did she help others? The older children would be home from school when it was closed. Routines would be different when the churches were closed. Lots of questions but no answers.
[1] "Spanish 'flu' is Not Serious" Owen Sound The Advertiser, 10 October 1918, p. 1.
[2] "Need Help in Caring for the 'Flu' Patients" Owen Sound The Sun 11 October 1918, p. 1.
[3] "Will Not Close Public Schools" Owen Sound The Sun 18 October 1918 p. 1.
[4] "'Flu' Epidemic Still Raging" Owen Sound The Advertiser 21 October 1918 p. 1
[5] "Slight let-up in the 'Flu' Epidemic" Owen Sound The Advertiser 24 October 1918 p.1
© 2009 Janet Iles
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