Christmas 1916

A post card Christmas card sent to my grandfather, Horace Nevard. Sent from his mother's house at Lexden, Colchester, Essex, U.K. to somewhere in France.

November 1951, Business as Usual At Fort San

November 16: Dad went to Regina on the bus today and bought a new coat and several other items. We had a union meeting at Birn's house tonight but not many there.

November 17: I went to Lipton on the bus this morning. Charlie Bull also went to Lipton and Cecilia Tomack went on to Regina apparently. I went to the Post Office to try and trace the missing money order I had sent to Uncle Arthur. I also visited Fishers and Mrs. Fisher told me that Kenny has another son born on the 9th. I started walking back to the San but got a ride on an oil truck most of the way. There was an amateur hour on in Lipton tonight. Bob Smith and Darlene took part in it.

November 18: Sunday. Dad went to a morning service in Lipton with Mr. Corkhill. Dick and I walked down to an evening service at St. John's and rode back with Mr. Stiff. Laura Motherwell also got a ride back to the San. Sandy Goff came along tonight to ask Dad to go to Lipton tomorrow and help them fix up their furnace so Mr. and Mrs. Goff can move into town.

November 19: Dad went to Lipton to help Goffs fix up their furnace. He missed the bus so Sandy came and fetched him and he came home on the bus at night.

Building T. Goff house in 1951. From left: Ernest Nevard, Mary Goff, Grace Hobetzeder, Les Goff, Horace Nevard. 

65 Years Ago In Bill's Journal

1952
November 5: The two Indian women recently admitted to East 3 are Mrs. Nellie O'Watch and Lena Peigan. The latter being Tommy John's cousin.
Dick voted at Bye's today. Dad and I got driven to Balrobie in Sandy Goff's car to vote. Mrs. Wheale and her grandson, Wayne Fushtey, went with us to vote. Then he drove up back to Lipton where Dad bought some groceries. Roy was in town with both Uncles. We had supper at Tom Goff's , then waited for Sandy to drive us home, which he did eventually. We got home around 9 pm. Fred Senft got elected as reeve but the contest between Sandy Goff and August Zielke was in doubt.

Sandy Goff and his Model T Ford with a few friends a few years earlier. 

Tears Of Israel

Every year at this time, the Jewish holidays between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I'm reminded of a quote that (great) uncle Ernest Nevard would mention. It is a common belief that it will always rain during the Jewish holidays so farmers liked to be done harvest before that time if possible. Or they expected to be shut down by rain for a while until the crops dried enough to re-start harvest. Uncle Ernie used to refer to the rain (when it fell) as "the tears of Israel". I don't know if there is a story behind that saying and there is nobody to ask now. I only recall this from stories told to me by my parents as I was not even 4 years when uncle Ernie died.
This photo of him from the late 1940s Ernest left and son, Bill, on the right.

Grandpa Nevard's Birthday

Late in the day but I just remembered that today (Sept. 13) was Grandpa Nevard's (Horace) birthday. Born in 1885 in Essex, U.K. I thought about him today while harvesting on the same land  where he used to harvest. As seen in this 1910 photo.

Vimy Ridge

Today, April 8 being the hundredth anniversary of the beginning of the battle of Vimy Ridge, is a good time to post a photo of Grandpa Nevard. I never paid enough attention or bothered to get the details from him but family history has it that he was in the battle. He enjoyed talking of his war time experiences but at the time I just was not that interested and can remember only a few details. He used to point out this photo and comment that he was the only one in the photo that survived WWI.
I wonder if he knew or met these "Boys from Balcarres"? The video should be interesting when it comes online soon. Boys From Balcarres

Grandpa is far right in the back row.

Kelsale Saxmundham

This post card sent from Kelsale, Saxmundham, Suffolk, U.K. to Canada in January of 1908 was sent by Alice Hall who would later marry Horace Nevard to become my grandmother. I don't know how they met as the Nevards were from Lexden, Essex. That is not so many miles today but in 1908 travel  was on foot, bicycle, or if you could afford it, train. Possibly Ernest Nevard, in his chosen profession of brick layer had a work project in Saxmundham, who knows? In any event, he met up with Mary Hall at Kelsale who later became his wife. From that point on it would not be too surprising if his younger brother, Horace (my grandfather) tagged along and met up with Mary's younger sister, Alice Hall in the early 1900s. Although they did not marry until 1918 after WW I ended.
It can be a complicated family tree to follow. Even more so when you consider that one  of  the  Hall girl's brothers, William, married the Nevard boy's sister, Louisa. Confusing  enough to follow? It is a good thing I have it all down on paper to refresh my memory sometimes.

Non Pareil

While working on one of my projects recently I pulled out one of the antique hand saws that I seem to have accumulated here over the years. I know there are power saws that will do the job better, faster and with less effort but in the spirit of making do with what I have I went with this one.
Although after a  few minutes I found it did not work well at all it was still interesting to read the fine print on the saw.

It has "H.W. Nevard" stamped on the handle so I'm guessing it was one that my grandfather brought from England when he first came to Canada in 1905. Probably one that he acquired while working as Carpenter's Apprentice in Lexden, Essex, U.K.  It shows signs of hard use with a break in the handle.
W. Tyzack and Turner & Sons stamped on the frame as well as the name "Non Pareil" over the little elephant image. No doubt a brand name from long ago.

I was thinking of a fellow blogger, Gorges Smythe when I took the saw photos since he appreciates a good wood working tool and writes an interesting blog you might like to check out some time.

Visitors From The City

From left: Roy, Alice, Horace at back. Front row Donald and Joy. Seated on the running board?Arthur? Ernest Nevard?

Notice the "HSD" patch on Donald's overalls which stood for Headlands School District.

As seen above, my Nevard grandparents, mother and  two uncles. As none of the Nevards owned a car at the time, approximately 1937,  I'm guessing the occasion was  a  visit from  the Regina relatives, Uncle Eddie and Aunt May Edwards. May was a sister to Arthur Nevard's wife, Daisy. I don't even know if they owned a car but they always had a neighbour drive  them out to the farm for a  visit each summer. Here is an entry from Bill Nevard's journal which describes the day,or one much like it.
August 3, 1937: Dad left off cutting the pasture 20 acres and started on the basement 13 acres. Uncle Arthur and Roy went to Lipton and Uncle got his wagon wheels fixed. The Normans and Billy West came up from Regina in their car bringing Uncle Eddie and Aunt Flo with them. They arrived about dinner  time and had dinner here, going up to Silver Birches (H. Nevard's farm) after dinner for a visit. After they had left Dad went back  and cut wheat for about an  hour.

From The Old Nevard Album

An interesting old Nevard photo although these ladies were all born with the surname Winstanley. Centre back is Margaret Montagu Winstanley who married Arthur Nevard when she came to Canada in 1910. Known to most as "Daisy Nevard".  The other two in the photo must be sisters May and Flo.