Nevard History February 21

Today, February 21 marks the death of Margaret Montagu (Winstanley) Nevard. Or as most of her friends and neighbours knew her, Daisy Nevard. Wife of Arthur Nevard. Born December 26, 1873 at High Street, Shirley, Milbrook, which appears to be in Southampton, U.K.. Daughter of William Newnham Winstanley and Helen (Baker) Winstanley.
Note from Gifford Harrison: It occurs to me that Margaret Montagu Winstanley may have been born in the Southampton area, but her family probably moved to Lexden (Essex) some time after her birth. That way meeting Arthur Nevard would have simply been a local matter. I say this because Leslie Nevard in his research found school records from Lexden National School which in June 1902 mention a Miss Winstanley who is training as a teacher taking the place of a Miss Theobald who was ill. The note says she is the sister of the District Nurse "who Arthur Nevard married".
Arthur and Daisy named their homestead in Saskatchewan "Winstanley Grove" and we still refer to it by that name today.
At least one Anglican church service was held at Arthur and Daisy's farm house  in 1911. Tom Goff and Mary Lane were married there in November of 1911. Not long after this Arthur and Daisy went to live and work in Regina (as did Ernest).
In 1915 Arthur enlisted in the Forestry Corp of the Canadian Army and went to Scotland. He returned to the farm in the summer of 1919.
Arthur and Daisy adopted a son, Sherwood Eric Holmden in the spring of 1924. He was later known as "Bud" Nevard.
Daisy Nevard became seriously ill in 1927 and went to Winnipeg for treatment. There is no evidence of what the nature of the illness was.
There is no further mention of it until Feb. 6 , 1933 when she fell and injured her leg. She died of a stroke on Feb. 21.
The funeral was held at the Lipton town hall on February 25 and she was buried in Lipton cemetery.

Couple of photos from England

And a photo taken in Canada.

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.

Narratives 12, Into the 1930s

It was about the year 1927 when the Reverend Bowley left and Reverend Linder came and took the Anglican Church services at Headlands school.
In the spring of 1928 I caught pneumonia and Mrs. North kindly came and helped nurse me. My parents called the doctor. He got his car stuck in a mud puddle and Bill and the doctor walked up to Uncle Arthur's for a team of horses. Mr. Linder was there and so he drove them back to our place in his old Ford car. He came to a mud puddle and went flying through it with mud and water flying in all directions. He remarked for the doctor's benefit, "Thats the way to go through a mud puddle". The doctor said to Bill (and they were in the back seat) "some driver!"
Reverend Linder left in the fall of 1929 and the Reverend Horne came the following spring.
In December of 1930 Bill and Uncle Arthur took wheat to the flour mill in Keliher to be ground into flour.
In mid February of 1931 Mother and Aunt Daisy went to Regina hospital where mother had a goiter operation. This meant no school for me for a month. I stayed home to help Dad and Bill with the chores. Dad did the cooking. One of the puddings he made was so rich that it acted as an excellent laxative.
The Reverend Horne left in the spring of 1931 and the Reverend Robertson came to take his place for Church services at Headlands.
June the 14th was a Sunday in 1931 and Bud and I were confirmed in St. Michael's Church at Lipton. About ten others were also confirmed that day. Reverend Robertson only stayed one year. In 1932 the Reverend Badham came with Reverend Brown as his student minister and assistant.
June 27 was my last day of school. I had passed my grade 8 and it was time to helping Dad and Bill on the farm. It was a good year for Saskatoons and Mother put down 27 quarts of jam. On the third of January Bill and Bud took wheat up to the Keliher flour mill owned by Mr. Humphreys. They stayed the night in Hunter's livery stable.
This quote is from Bill's journal from January 13th, "Old Dan, Aunt Daisy's famous white horse died." February was a sad month for our district. Tommy Goff died at the age of 19 of pneumonia. The funeral was on February sixth, a bitterly cold day with the temperature down to 46 below zero. Aunt Daisy had an accident that injured her leg. Martha North came and nursed her. Aunt Daisy passed away very suddenly. Her funeral was February 25th. It was a nice bright day.

Narratives 11 School Days

A few days later Aunt Daisy took across Section 26 and the southeast of 35 to Headlands school which had been moved a mile east to the southeast quarter of 34 that winter. Aunt Daisy drove us with Dan and the buggy for a few days until we got to know our way. She put about 3 flags or rags on long poles to guide us. I did not go to school much the first year due to illness and other things. I did not learn much. The things I was most interested in were the songs and games. These were the things I told Mother about when I arrived home. Mother wanted to hear of the serious side of my education.
There was some excitement in the district that summer when some of the pupils came to school one morning telling us of a lunatic being at large in a nearby district. Mother had dad's rifle across a cream can although she did not know how to use it. Bill and Dad went to bed armed with clubs. One night Bill's club rolled off the bed on to the floor causing Dad to awake and wonder what was up.
The fall of 1924 was a wet one with lots of water in the sloughs. There were lots of ducks also and they raided the stooked wheat. Uncle Horrie was especially bothered as he had a big slough on his SW quarter of section 30. Some duck hunters came up from Regina and camped in Uncle Arthur's yard. Just at that time my cousin Joy was born. Mr. Cresweller, one of the hunters went in his car to phone for the doctor. Bill went with him to the gate with a stable lantern so the doctor could find his way in. They had just begun threshing our wheat but we were stopped for a wet spell.
Just after that I had my adenoids removed using the kitchen table as an operating table. There was no more school for me that year.
The Reverend Bowley started holding Church services in Headlands school. The first service was held on a week day evening in the fall of 1924. During the service, the lamp which was suspended from the ceiling, fell to the floor. Aunt Daisy grabbed Mrs. Creaser's coat and smothered the flames. Mrs. Creaser was not pleased over her coat being used for such a purpose.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowley slept at Uncle Arthur's and Aunt Daisy's home that night and did some visiting the next day.
In the spring of 1925 I started back to school again and attended more regularly. At Christmas that year I took part in my first Christmas concert. I had learned a recitation for the concert the year before but the weather was too cold for us to attend. I will never forget my first concert in 1925. I got so far and then got stage fright. I could not think of the next words. It seemed like ages before the teacher, Miss Mill, came to my rescue with the next word. Mother knew it by heart. Aunt Daisy said later that she should have come to my rescue and prompted me. In 1927 Aunt Daisy took seriously ill and went to a hospital in Winnipeg where they put her on a diet containing liver. In July of that same year my cousin, Donald, was born to Aunt Alice and Uncle Horrie. Mrs. Orford nursed Aunt Alice.

Arthur and Daisy Nevard

Narratives Ten

That year Dad had a large steer butchered for beef. Charlie Gregory came to do the job. He shot Goliath (the steer) and the beast went down but did not stay down. Dad was standing close by and Charlie said , "jump on it". Dad was close enough but did not think they could have held down an animal that size. Goliath headed north for the bushes.  Charlie had a high powered rifle and used it. I think they used Tom, the horse, to drag the carcass back to the yard. Dad had the hide of Goliath tanned and lined and made into a robe.
That same fall we had a severe frost in early October and the potatoes were frozen in the ground.
In 1920 Uncle Horrie built his house and Dad helped. I was up there one day with Aunt Alice. The men were building the rafters when I asked, "Aunt Ack, is that where your children are going to play?"
That was the summer that the first plane flew over the district. Aunt Alice and Uncle Horrie were working on the house and were used to seeing planes fly over in England. Aunt Alice waved and called out, "have you any mail for us?"
Gordon Lawson came out and worked as hired man for Uncle Arthur. Dad had sciatica that year and was layed up for most of the summer. The sciatica never left him until he went to Regina and had all his teeth removed. He was never bothered with it after that. Dad never got dentures until many years later. He would cut the food up fine and was able to eat his meals faster than the rest of us.
Christmas day of 1920 the family gathering was at our house. The day after Christmas, boxing day, being Aunt Daisy's birthday, we all went to her house. Uncle Horrie and Aunt Alice stayed there.  On New Year's day of 1921 my cousin Roy was born. First child for Uncle Horrie and Aunt Alice. They got Dr. Hall from Fort Qu'appelle. Kelsey brought him up by car. Kelsey caught a coyote at our gate. Uncle Horrie held the coyote up to the window for Aunt Alice to see.
After a short stay at Winstanley Grove Uncle Horrie and family went to live in their new home which they called, "Silver Birches".

Alice and son, Roy Nevard in front of "Silver Birches"

In 1922 Dick Winstanley came out from England to work for Uncle Arthur. In the winter of 1922 there was a concert at Shawlands School. One item on the program was a play entitled "The Entomology of The Black Beetle". Thought up by Dick Winstanley. Bill watched them practicing and also saw it at the concert. I never saw the play but Bill related it all to me and it did not take long for me to have it memorized. The results, when Dick Winstanley came along I repeated the play to him. Mother said she did not think Dick was very pleased. He thought I was making fun of him, but such was not the case.
In the 1920s there was not the amount of entertainment that there is today. I remember hearing Aunt Daisy remarking to Mother that the Chautauqa had been in Lipton and May and and Annie Fox had gone to see it. She used a tone of voice that indicated this was a great society event.
One Sunday afternoon Harry Creaser came for a visit and entertained us with some of the popular music. He played some of them on my harmonica. "It Aint Goin To Rain No More" had sharps and flats and could not be played so he sang it instead.
In the fall of 1922 the Goffs and Nevards dissolved the partnership in the threshing outfit which had begun in 1910. We took over the portable engine and bought a smaller separator in 1923. That year we threshed for Bob Grainger and Syd Fox.
In the spring of 1924 cousin Bud (Sherwood Eric Holmden) came to make his home with Aunt Daisy and Uncle Arthur at Winstanley Grove.

Narratives 8 The War Years

On April 3, 1916 Uncle Horrie enlisted in the 195th battalion of the Canadian Infantry Corp. In November he sailed on the Empress of Britain for further training in the U.K. and by the end of the month he had landed in France to join the battle.
Uncle Arthur joined up in August of 1916 with the 238th Battalion of the Forestry corp and went to Scotland.
Reverend Moffat was now taking the Church services at Balrobie. He came in 1915 and had the loan of Uncle Horrie's horse, Captain. Bill was confirmed while in Regina in 1915 at Grace Church by Bishop Harding.
Around that time Dad built a log stable for the livestock. For the first years he had a sod stable. In 1917 he added on to the log stable. I was just beginning to get about outside by that time and very helpfully put my foot in the freshly mixed plaster Dad was using on the walls. He carefully washed my foot saying, "it would not do for your mother to see that".

Bill Nevard by new barn.

We had a dog named Nell and her pup, Frank. Mother said that when I was out playing with the dogs she could hardly tell boy from dog. In that year Mr. North bought a pair of pigs from us. They came for these one Sunday morning. Mr. North had his two sons, Tom and Ed with him. Tom Smith was also along with  him on this occasion.
That summer Aunt Daisy came up from the city for a while and lived in their house on the farm, Winstanley Grove. Our farm was named "The Poplars'. Mrs. McNeil had suggested calling it "the bluffs" but Mother did not agree. Mrs. McNeil had named their farm "Murdock" after a place in Scotland.
On the southeast quarter of section 12 just south of McNeils's lived Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson and their daughter Shatty. In 1917 at haying time Mr. Ferguson had his team run away with the hay rake and he suffered bad head injuries so Shatty came over to our place to get Dad to drive them to the station to catch the train for Regina. Mother had Shatty stay the nights at our place while her parents were away. That year we had Christmas at Fergusons. The next year they came to our place. Mrs. Ferguson said she was going to keep me. I thought she meant it and was quite worried. Actually I don't remember it, being aged two at the time, but have heard it referred to since.
Aunt Daisy held a picnic at her place in 1917 in aid of the Red Cross. I imagine all the neighborhood would be there. I remember hearing that the North family were there. Ed North told me that he remembers sitting on the running board of Tom Goff's Model T Ford.

                   Goffs and Nevards. Model T in background.

Narratives 7

That same year, Tom Goff and his  bride, Mary Elizabeth Lane were married in the Arthur Nevard home on November 27.
1911 was also the year of the earthquake. It happened on a Sunday afternoon. Dad, Mother and Bill were visiting at Braithwaite's (the farm that Hobetzeders bought later). There was an earth tremor that rattled the dishes in the pantry.
The Leslies homesteaded on the northeast quarter of section 26. They were burning some rubbish one day when the fire got away and traveled across Uncle Arthur's land and burnt his shack down. On the Sunday the Leslies followed the path of the fire finding out that Uncle Arthur's shack was no longer there. They paid him for it.
In 1911 the crop was hailed. Now the next paragraph will sound a little inconsistent but according to what I was told, Bill shoveled grain for Uncle Horrie. Uncle Arthur had an accordion and Bill played it so naturally he wanted one of his own. Uncle Horrie promised him that if he shoveled the grain for him he would buy Bill an accordion. Mother remarked that Bill got a little weary so Uncle Horrie would make the motions of playing an accordion to encourage Bill to continue on with his shoveling.
Aunt Daisy enjoyed company so one week a couple of young women came and spent a few days with her. When Mother and Dad got the mail and weekly paper there was a letter written by Aunt Daisy stating that there were lots of bachelors around and Aunt Daisy closed the letter with, "Come along girls".
I believe it was that fall when Uncle Arthur and Aunt Daisy went to live in Regina. The crops were hailed again in 1912. I think Dad worked in Regina that year. He worked on the jail one year, the Normal school another year , and lastly, the Regina General Hospital.

The Reverend H.A. Lewis came as rector of St. Johns Church in Fort Qu'appelle in 1911. He began holding Church services in Balrobie school. He came to our home Saturday evening, spent the night there and held the service the next morning. While here he would give Bill lessons. One day Mr. Lewis came along and Bill did not see him approaching while he was stooking. The stook fell down and Bill got rather angry at the miserable stook. Mr. Lewis said "too bad" and helped Bill to put the stook back up. They sat on some sheaves and Bill had his Sunday school lessons. Bill did all the stooking in 1913 when he was eleven years of age.
In 1914 Uncle Horrie worked in Regina. That was the year that war was declared in Europe. In February of 1915 Mother and Bill went to Regina. Bill went to Wetmore school until the end of June. Yours truly was born March 4, 1915 on Atkinson Street. I believe it was in the 2100 block. On the fourth of April I was baptized in Grace Church , Regina. That is where St. Matthews Church now stands. The Reverend Erp was the minister. Mother wanted Bill to be one of my god-parents but he was not well that Sunday as he had just his tonsils removed the day before. On the Monday, Mother and Dad brought me home to the homestead. Uncle Horrie was there to meet us and take us home from the train. The big item of news that day was the Jack Johnson-Jess Willard world championship heavy weight boxing match. As there were no radios in those days the news came over the rail station to telegraph wires. As the train stopped at each station they heard how the fight was progressing. The match was over before they arrived at Lipton so they were not kept in suspense. Jess Willard won in twenty or more rounds.
Dad made a cradle for me but I would not sleep in it. The cradle was used as a newspaper stand or holder instead. The Sunday following my arrival home was a nice day so Mother took me to Church at Balrobie school. The Reverend Lewis asked Mother about having the baby baptized. Much to his surprise Mother told him that it was already done. I understand the reason for my baptism in Regina was because they heard Mr. Lewis was leaving and there was a possibility of not having a replacement for a while.

Narratives 5 Winstanley Grove

In 1909 Dad bought a  binder from Cassidy, the Massey Harris agent in Lipton. Also in 1909 Aunt Daisy (Margaret Montagu Winstanley) came out to Canada. She and Uncle Arthur were married in St. John's Anglican Church in Fort Qu'appelle July 15th of that year. They came to the farm and lived in Uncle Arthur's shack. Uncle Arthur was busy building his house but was not ready in time for the wedding. They named their home, "Winstanley Grove".

                                                     Daisy Winstanley

One day Aunt Daisy was out for a walk and landed up at Captain Boyle's homestead, about 3 miles north of her home. Captain Boyle directed her home. Aunt Daisy often went for walks and met many settler's wives. Grace Hobetzeder told me this amusing little story told by her mother. Her uncles Tom and Alf Goff saw a lady walking into their yard with long flowing skirts. This chickens, cats, and dogs all fled in fright heading for the nearest bush. They had never seen anyone dressed in this English fashion before. This was how Aunt Daisy and Miss Kate Goff met. Kate later became Mrs. Karl Hobetzeder.
In July of 1910 Dad took out a mortgage on the farm. He was able to pay this up in 1920.
Dad had a collie dog named Nell. She had been given to him as a pup at one of the places he was working. He fed her bread and butter. One day mother asked Dad what to feed the dog and he told her. After that Nell was glad to get just plain bread minus the butter.
Nell was kicked by a horse and suffered a broken leg. Dad put her on the front room table and Aunt Daisy set the leg. Some years later a heifer named Lorna broke her leg and Dad set it. Her first calf, Oliver , broke his leg and again Dad set it. The leg had a little twist in it but he got along. Nell was very knowing and intelligent. One evening one of the hens was missing and mother could not find it. Nell knew where the hen was and led Mother to where the hen was stuck between two logs in the old stable.
I believe it was also 1910 that the Nevards all went to a Church service at Spondon. About ten miles east and a little south of our homesteads. The clergyman from Fort Qu'appelle took the service. The Church was built on the homestead of Mr. Jobson. After the service they were invited in to dinner.
The family attended a picnic at Eskdale. Mrs. Dragushen saw Mother's hat and took a fancy to it. Shortly after this Mr. Dragushen came along and wanted to borrow Mother's hat. He presented his case as follows. My frau is going to a marriage. Dad was owing Dragushen a little money at the time , otherwise I don't think Mother would have allowed it. He brought the hat back but Mother never wore it again.

A Difficult February in 1933

80 years ago this month was not a happy time for the family. The extreme cold weather only added to the suffering. As seen in Bill Nevard's journal.
February 4 :Dad and Bud went to Goff's to bring the bull home. Young Tommy Goff had just died of pneumonia that morning.

February 6, 1933: It was 46 below zero this morning and I skied over to Goff's to see if they would be holding the funeral on such a cold day and heard that they were. Dad , Uncle Arthur and Bud went.
Aunt Daisy hurt her leg this afternoon by falling over a stoneboat in the stable.

February 7: A whist drive at Winstanley Grove. It was 56 below zero when Dick and I came home at 4 a:m.

February 10: Another rotten day. I went up to Winstanley Grove at night. Aunt Daisy in bed and Bud gone to Barton's to phone up North's.

February 11: Weather better. Martha North came to nurse Aunt Daisy.

February 12: Sunday. Bud went to phone for the doctor.

February 13: Doctor Stewart came to see Aunt Daisy and stopped in here to see mother on the way back. Martha came with him.

February 15: Milder. Mr. and Mrs. North came to see Aunt Daisy. Moved her into the other room.

February 17: Nancy down in the stable unable to get up. I cut some green wood.

February 20: Uncle Horrie went to Lipton. Dad had to shoot Nancy today. Uncle Arthur's big bay, Paddy, was likewise gathered to his ancestors. I went to see Aunt Daisy in the evening.

February 22: Aunt Daisy died of a heart attack this afternoon.

February 23: Dad and Uncle Arthur went to Fisher's to arrange the funeral. Nonsuch Woodland Seeker of Rockhaven calved today.

February 24: John Senft and Uncle Arthur went to Lipton to fetch Uncle Eddie and the coffin.

February 25
The funeral was held in Lipton town hall. It was a beautiful bright day.

Working At Redpaths

The winter of 1910-1911 Arthur and Margaret (Daisy) Nevard left their homestead at Winstanley Grove to work at the farm of Mr. Redpath in the Parklands district. They received this post card to mark Christmas and Daisy's birthday on the 26th of December. I have been unable to read the name of the sender.
Dear Daisy:
As I wrote you a week or so back I don't think I will write now as I am very busy. But I must just wish you a very happy Xmas, also a happy birthday. You seem to be very happy. Do you like the idea of going to Mr. Redpath's? It seems alright to me and you will be more lively I should say. We all have colds and no wonder with the damp weather we have. Much love to both, your loving sister.....