Today's Birthday

January 19 (yesterday) marked the birthday of my grandmother's sister, Mary Nevard, (born Mary Hall) in Swefling, Suffolk, England 1876. She had already seen a lot of miles by the time this photo was taken about 1918 or so. She married Ernest Nevard in 1901.
Almost 2 years later she bid him farewell as he and brother Arthur Nevard boarded the S.S. Lake Manitoba at Liverpool bound for Canada with the rest of the Barr Colonists. Mary remained behind with their son Bill (young Ernie), just over a year old at the time, to wait and see how they made out in the new land. For the next three years their only communication was by mail. In April of 1906 Mary and son Bill sailed for Canada travelling along with Ernest's younger brother, Horace.
The little log house in amongst the poplars may have been a welcome sight when they finally reached their homestead later that year.
It was a hard life no doubt and it took its toll as Mary died relatively young at age 67.
This photo , scanned from a negative shows their family as it was about 1918 with Mary at left, Ernest centre, oldest son Bill at right and youngest son, Richard front and centre.