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NEWNES, Charles and Bessie.
Charles was born in Kinnerton, Cheshire, England, on November second, 1883. Bessie Wilson was born in Clapham, Yorkshire on April seventeenth, 1885. Bessie and Charles met when Charles came to work as a miller in Bentham, the next town to Clapham. They were both very fond of music which first attracted them to each other. They were married at Easter time in 1907 in the Wesleyan Chapel in Bentham. In 1909 a son, Charles, was born. In 1911 Charles Sr. and three pals from the Bentham area came to Canada, to Victoria, BC. After six months Charles returned to England. After World War I Charles, Bessie and young Charlie came out again to Victoria. Work was hard to obtain but Charles got work looking after a summer home on Shawnigan Lake. In 1920 twins were born, Kathleen and Robert. Once again the family returned to England, coming out again in 1924, when they settled on a homestead a mile north and about a half mile west of the church (SW30-53-4-W5). Except for two years in Edmonton and a short time when, for health reasons, Bessie and the twins were in England, Charles and Bessie lived on the farm until their deaths. Now Kathleen and Charlie live there. The Newnes were very Christian living people, well thought of in the neighbourhood. Charles was organist at the Rexboro church for many years, and now his son Charlie has taken his place at the organ. This strikes me as a rather unique continuity as Charlie looks and speaks much like his father.
Charles was born in 1883 and died in 1956. Rev. Crowle officiated at his funeral. Bessie was born in 1885 and died in 1964. Rev. Exham officiated at her funeral.
OSLUND, Baby Doris
I can get very little information on little Doris. She died of diphtheria. She was a niece to Mrs. Clara Welch of Seba Beach. Her parents were Dolly and Oscar.
PRENDERGAST, Mary Gertrude.
Mary Hassard came as a girl in about 1884, with her family, from Raminski in Ontario to Armstrong BC. They travelled in covered wagons, via the United States to reach their new home in BC. In 1895 Mary married a Mr. Winters. They had two children, Frank and Gertrude. Her husband died in 1915. Some years later she married again to Harry Prendergast. The family then lived in Darwell and Canmore. In 1942, when living in Canmore, she was again widowed. Mary then went to live in Vancouver. She there suffered a severe heart attack. Her great wish was to come back to Alberta, which she did against her doctor's advice. She came again to Darwell to her son, Frank Winters and his wife Ida, nee Heath. Mary lived with them only two weeks and died of another heart attack.
Mary was born in 1874 and died in 1947. Rev. Mathews officiated at her funeral.
RUDOFF, Alex.
Alex came from Bulgaria. For many years he worked in the mines at Nordegg. He had no family in Canada. He lived for some time with Frank Schulte and his wife. Through them Alex knew thw Welches at Seba. He died in the Drayton Valley Hospital. Mr. Welch looked after the funeral arrangements for Alex.
Alex was born in 1889 and died in 1962. Rev. Exham officiated at his funeral.
SKARE, Constance Lavina.
There is only very meagre information in our old records concerning Constance. She was born in August of 1938 and died of whooping cough a month later on September the twenty-fourth. Her parents lived at Gainford.
Constance was born and died in 1938. Rev. Scandrett officiated at her funeral.
SPARROW, Ann Guest.
Ann Guest Smith was born in 1878 to a well-to-do family in Bradford, Yorkshire, England. When she was 18 she married Harry Sparrow, a military man with the Imperial Army. Her parents did not favour the marriage. Following her husband's discharge from the army the Sparrows lived in Gloucester, where three of their four children were born; Effie, Fred and Bill. They then moved to South Wales to work in the mines. While there Eric was born. Bill had married, also Effie, to Bert Bryant. Each couple had a daughter. In 1927 the three families sailed for Canada. They had been attracted by the Canadian government's "three thousand family scheme" to get settlers to Western Canada. They applied for a fruit farm in BC but were granted a pioneer farm north of Fallis. At the time they arrived the roads were a quagmire and there were no comforts at the house; indeed there was hardly any furniture! The land was poor and weed infested, so Bill and Bert went to work at the Lakeside mine. To be closer to work the families relocated in the Rexboro district. Ann, Harry and Eric moved to a raw quarter of land four miles north of the mine (SW28-53-4-W5). Here they cut the logs to build a house and barn. The depression years were hard but the Sparrows and Bryants were a very close family and they had many friends so they weathered the bad years cheerfully. Possibly the hardships and deprivations affected Ann's health which was poor for several years before she died in August of 1942.
Ann was born in 1878 and died in 1942. Rev. Cuttell officiated at her funeral.