Happy New Year! 2011 ~ Celebrate!

SOURCE: Public domain.

Happy New Year! 2011

A happy New Year!

Vintage card 1900.

SOURCE: My vintage card collection.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Snowed In ~ December 1996

Brrrrrrr!!!
A record snowfall for Southern Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It started to snow on Christmas day, December 1996, and it just kept snowing and snowing and snowing. These photos were taken about New Year's day. The mound of snow to the right of the telephone pole, in front of the house across the street, is actually a car that's buried.

The second photo is taken at the back of the apartment. Those two pyramids of snow are actually two cars that are parked in the lot behind my building.

In the Pacific North West at lower elevations, particularly Vancouver and Victoria, we usually get rain rather than snow. However, this time the City was completely shut down. A local radio station coordinated help for the elderly, those shut-in, and others in need by arranging to get groceries and prescriptions, etc. The last snow fall like this was in the late 1930's.

Actually it was fun too. People snow shoeing and skiing down the middle of what was usually a very busy street.

The world-wide weather just keeps getting crazier and crazier.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Vintage Merry Christmas

SOURCE: Collection of vintage Christmas cards.

Tombstone Tuesday ~ ACHESON ~ Ireland

IN LOVING MEMORY of

ALEXANDER W. ACHESON

LATE LIEUTENANT 65TH REGT

ALSO DEPUTY COMMISSIONARY

ARMY SERVICE CORPS

WHO DIED 20 JULY 1914

* AGED 82 YEARS

AND HIS GRANDSON

ALEXANDER CHARLES

25TH NOV 1929

AND HIS WIFE CATHERINE

DIED 26TH MAR 1938

** AND HIS SON ALLEN PORTEOUS

 LATE QUARTERMASTER SARGENT

ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY

DIED 26TH SEPT 1967

AND HIS DAUGHTER-IN-LAW

CHARLOTTE ELIZABETH

DIED 29TH NOV 1986

"THY WILL BE DONE."

* The father of this family, Alexander W ACHESON, who was aged 82 in 1914 at the time of his death, would have been born in 1832.

** Quartermaster-Sergt. A. ACHESON

Photo by A. NACHN, BRADFORD.

The ACHESON clan: There is some question as to whether this  ACHESON family is in our line of ACHESON relatives. However, it is an interesting headstone with five family members and three generations. Burial dates are 1914, 1929, 1938, 1967 and 1986.

SOURCES:

 1. There is a reference to **Allan Porteous ACHESON in "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950, published in 1951.by a committee of ten family members.

"Communications with **Allan Porteous Acheson, of Derrygonnelly, near Enniskillen, has brought to us a fund of information, since he, too, is deeply interested in the history of the Acheson Family,  . . ." Page 4.

2. Photographs and the booklet - "The Acheson Family 1850-1950" - courtesy of an ACHESON cousin.

NOTE: Due to the difference in colour of the top and bottom stone, I wonder if the original top part from 1914 was added to in order to make a larger stone and provide room for the inscriptions of the descendants.

Actually, I had a closer look by magnifying the photograph. It looks like all one headstone that may have been sanded down a little to provide a cleaner surface for the inscriptions of the descendants.

Christmas is Coming! Vintage Christmas Card

Collection of vintage Christmas cards.

Mystery Monday ~ Mary Jane ACHESON and Christopher JOHNSTON and family

Christopher JOHNSTON and Mary Jane ACHESON

Homestead Lot 210, Concession 2, Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario Circa 1891

Acheson-Enniskillen Corners

"A Special Occasion" ~ Note the corsages being worn.

This is the home of Christopher & Mary Jane. It was build in 1975 just after their marriage in 23 December 1874. That was 2 years and 7 months since Christopher's first wife, had  died.

Christopher`s first wife, Margaret SCOTT, died prematurely in 1872, at age 30. When Mary Jane & Christopher were married in December 1874, her step-children were: Jane Ann 11, Margaret Marie 10, William Henry 9, Katherine Kelso 7, Mary Eileen 5.

Mary Jane & Christopher had 10 children during their 26 year marriage.

When Mary Jane died suddenly in 1901, after contracted Typhoid Fever, Christopher sold their homestead to Mary Jane`s sister Rachel & brother-in-law, James McMILLAN.

NOTE: 2008 I was asked if I could identify who the children were in this photo with Christopher & Mary Jane.

So using birth years of their children, this is my educated guess!

SOURCES: This photograph was among the belongings of some of Margaret SCOTT and Christopher JOHNSTON's children. They would be step-siblings to my grandfather, George Albert JOHNSTON.. So my mother's step-aunts and uncles.

PS need to come back to finish the list of their children.

Sunday's Obituary ~ William ACHESON

                                     The Dundalk Herald
                              Dundalk, Grey County, Ontario
                                         13 January 1910

William ACHESON,

Born February 1st, 1821 in County Fermanagh, Ireland,

Died January 15th, 1910, Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario

The Dundalk Herald

Jan. 13, 1910

The Late William ACHESON ~

William Acheson, who died on New Year`s day, was born in the County Fermanagh, Ireland, Feb. 1st, 1921, and married to Christina Fallis on Feb. 28,1847, who died Jan. 15th 1907.

He left Ireland on April 14th,1850, coming across in 28 days. He stayed at Madoc for some time, then came to Caledon where he lived 3 years.

In 1853 he settled on lot 205, 2nd range, Artemesia. Some years later he moved to the farm now owned by Mr. Aaron Jordan at Inistioge. While here he gave his heart to God and joined the Methodist Church at Inistioge, of which he has since been a member. He loved his Bible and death had no terrors for him.

In 1863 he moved to Lot 205, 3rd range, Proton, where he resided until his decease.

He was a strong man both mentally and physically and enjoyed almost unbroken health up to the last. Death came naturally from old age.

Of a family of 11 children, four sons and four daughters survive, namely: Wm. G., John and James on adjacent farms and Robert on the homestead.; Mrs. J. Duncan, Mrs. Edgar Duncan, Mrs. Jas. McMillen settled on neighboring farms and Mrs. Geo. Hutchinson at Kimberley.

Interment took place at the Bethel cemetery on Jan. 3rd where an impressive service was conducted by Revs. T. Laidlaw, of Inistioge, and J. J. Ferguson of Dundalk. Those who attended from a distance were: Mr. and Mrs. John Agnew and Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Fawcett, of Alliston; Mr. Geo. Rutherford and Miss Elitha, of Shelburne, Mr. Gilles of .....(bottom torn off)

SOURCES: This is a page from the 90th Birthday Album for my mother, 2003.
Copy of newspaper clipping courtesy of an ACHESON cousin,  Ontario, 2003.

William ACHESON's daughter, Mary Jane ACHESON, was the mother of my maternal grandfather, George Albert JOHNSON (born JOHNSTON). So he would be my great great grandfather.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories - Christmas Shopping

From my collection of vintage Christmas cards.

Some of my favourite Christmas presents as the ones that my Grandson buys me
Some are from his school's Christmas Bazaar and other craft fairs. The rest are from the mall.

 He's bought me a little blue stained glass church;

a cute little reindeer candle holder with wiggly legs that matched two wine stoppers I already had;

 a 3" crystal ornament - the ones that have the engraving inside, the one he chose was a little flower fairy with Lady Slipper blossoms;
 a little blue angel with fluffy white hair handmade from an upside down flower pot ;

a 3" crystal reindeer hanging ornament;

a 12" brown reindeer, we've hung my Christmas earrings on the antlers;

a 3" purple crystal teardrop hanging ornament.

He's a Christmas shopper extraordinaire!


I can't wait for Christmas!!

Surname Saturday ~ The ACHESON Clan

The ACHESON Reunion ~ August 23, 1921

* 131 in attendance

FIRST ACHESON RE-UNION, held on August 23, 1921, at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Duncan, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the marriage of two couples: Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Duncan (Margaret Acheson) and Mrs. and Mrs. John Acheson (Margaret Ludlow). The next re-union was held five years later, when these couples marked their Golden Wedding Anniversary. SOURCE: THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950; published by a family committee of ten; June 21, 1951; page 32.

When she (Margaret Ann (Acheson) and her husband (John James DUNCAN) were forty-five years married she invited John and Margaret Acheosn and all the relatives to meet at her home to celebrate this worthy occasion. This was the beginning of our Acheson re-unions. SOURCE: THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950; published by a family committee of ten; June 21, 1951; page 24.

These two couples were married 23 August 1876 in Orangeville, Ontario. The marriage ceremony was performed by Reverend M. Johnson.

SOURCE: THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950; published by a family committee of ten; June 21, 1951; pages 20 and 24.

* NOTE: My mother's grandfather, Christopher JOHNSTON, is the man in the upper far right corner, standing beside the woman in the white dress. She is Agnes WRIGHT, his third wife. His first two wives died prematurely, the first, Margaret SCOTT, in 1872 at age 30 years; the second, Mary Jane ACHESON, in 1901 at age 45 years.

SOURCE: The booklet, THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950, was generously provided to me by an ACHESON cousin. In February 2003, when I was researching our family tree for my Mother's 90th birthday, 8th March 2003. She also provided a CD with a collection of her own father's photographs, the ACHESON family.

Funeral Card Friday ~ Henry JOHNSTON

In Memoriam

DIED

In Dundalk on Sunday, December 7th, 1913,

Henry Johnson

*Aged 86 years.

Henry JOHNSON was the eldest son of John JOHNSTON and Cathern (RUTLEDGE) JOHNSTON who emigrated from Ireland between the births of two of their children, Ann - born 1836, and John - born 1838. The 1852 Census Record below shows Ann born in Ireland and then John born in Canada.

This is the JOHNSTON family that were my Mother's paternal great grandparents.

1852 Census Canada West (Became Ontario);
John JOHNSTON, head of household; farmer, born Ireland, Episcopalian, age 52,
wife Cathern born Ireland, age 48;
*Henry born Ireland, age 20;
and Ann born Ireland, age 16.
John born Canada, age 14;
Christy born Canada, age 11 and
Joseph born Canada, age 8 born.

`Christy` would be Christopher JOHNSTON Senior, George Albert JOHNSTON/JOHNSON`s father. According to this Census Record Christy would have been born in June 1841.

*NOTE: The discrepancy of 5 years between the dates of birth on the Funeral Card and the 1852 Census Records are calculated as follows: Funeral Card - subtract 86 years from 1913 = 1827 and 1852 Census - subtract 20 years from 1852 - 1832. This discrepancy also shows up in other family trees and PAFs.

SOURCE: AutomatedGenealogy.com/census52/
NOTE: It states on the site for the 1851/1852 Census Records that almost 80% of the documents were either lost or destroyed. I consider myself lucky to have found this record for my 2nd great grandfather and his family
Searched 16 July 2009 by CG

SOURCE: This Funeral Card was lent to me by my first cousin K. Johnson. It was in "Grandpa JOHNSON's suitcase of memorabilia" which was passed on to his son by George Albert JOHNSON, sometime in the later years of his life. George died January 1964.

NOTE: The family surname was JOHNSTON, but was often misspelled as JOHNSON. Some of the family did use the spelling JOHNSON, including my Mother's father George Albert JOHNSON. George Albert was born George Albert JOHNSTON, but dropped the "T" after moving West to Saskatchewan in 1905.

It just adds to some of the usual confusion in researching for ancestors!

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ ACHESON Log House circa 1865

~ ACHESON Homestead ~ Proton Station, Proton Township, Grey Country, Ontario ~ circa 1865 ~
There is a woman and a child standing on the porch.

One of the family Treasures is our Grandpa George Albert Johnson's suitcase. Early 1960, nearing the end of his life, George gave a suitcase with various documents, funeral cards, photographs and other memorabilia to the eldest of his two surviving sons at this time. This son, William JOHNSON, passed his suitcase on to one of his five sons at the time of his own death in 1995.

In January 2003, I began contacting relatives to help celebrate my Mother's 90th birthday, March 2003. The cousin I mentioned above, sent me a package with funeral cards and photographs from Grandpa George's suitcase.

This log house was one of those photographs. Although there was nothing written on the back, I'm certain that it belongs to George's ACHESON family in Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario. There are other photographs and postcards from the ACHESON family to George in Saskatchewan.

In a booklet entitled "The Acheson Family 1850-1950," there are various references to the first log homes that the ACHESON families build when there arrived from Ireland in 1850.

"In 1863, they [William ACHESON and his wife Christina FALLIS] moved again, this time to what was to be knows to future generations as "the Acheson homestead" - Lot 205, Range 3, Proton Township, in Grey County - then covered by virgin forest."
SOURCE: "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950" page 11.

"They [Acheson pioneers] knew nothing of luxury in those early days; everything they had was acquired only by had work. Even the logs from which their homes and stables were made had to be labouriously hewn by hand, the simple household furnishings usually being also homemade."
SOURCE: "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950" page 12.

". . . a log cottage on the groom's fifty acre farm." [1896]
SOURCE: "THE ACHESON FAMILY 1850-1950" page 23.

Christmas is Coming! Vintage Angel Card

Sweet little Angels with mistletoe wishing

a Merry Christmas - circa 1960

My collection of vintage cards.

Treasure Chest Thursday ~ Winter in Saskatchewan ~ Circa 1916 and 1928

         PIONEER LIFE AND WINTER TRANSPORTATION

Joseph Samuel JOHNSON Circa 1928

 Homestead: Section 34,Township 20, Range 11, West 3rd.

 The Village of Milden, Saskatchewan, incorporated 1910.

Uncle Joe with his team of prise winning horses and cutter.

He was and avid horseman and showed his horses at local county fairs and won many ribbons.

Jane "Jenny" Victoria (MORTIMER) JOHNSON - 1916

holding Arlive Mortimer JOHNSON
Handwriting at top is Jenny and Joe's daughter, Hazel Bernice.

In about 1910, my Uncle Joe headed West to join his elder brother, George Albert JOHNSON. Joe and his wife, Jenny, homesteaded on an adjoining Quarter Section. When George and his wife, Emma CLARK, arrived in 1905, the only source of building material was the Prairie sod. George and Emma lived in their sod house from 1905 to 1908, when they were finally able to build a frame house.

The little homesteader's shack became the chicken coop after Joe had proved up his farm and then built the home that the family lived in for the rest of their years.
The two JOHNSON brothers farmed their homesteads for their entire lives.

SOURCE: Photographs provided by Hazel (JOHNSON) DISHAW. Collection of my Mother's photographs. Family story told by my mother Eva (JOHNSON) GATES.

Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2010 ~ Grab Bag

I've missed the first few days of the Advent Calendar, so I'm going back to the Christmas Cards.

These two are from Grandpa George Albert JOHNSON's suitcase of memorabilia. When Grandpa George was nearing the end of his life in the early 1960's, he gave the suitcase to one of his four sons, William "Bill" Lester JOHNSON. Uncle Bill was the eldest of George's two surviving sons at that time.

William Lester JOHNSON, was born 22 January 1911 and died 21 January 1995, aged 84 years.

George Albert JOHNSON, was born 2 November 1875 and died 29 January 1964, aged 88 years, 3 months.

Several photographs, greeting cards and Funeral cards were lent to me in early 2009 by Uncle Bill's son,  who is now the caretaker of this suitcase. He's one of my first cousins.

To You and Yours

As on this joyful Christmas Day

the bells are gladly ringing

A wish sincere, to you and yours,

this little card is bringing.

Mr. George A Johnston

Milden Sask

Dec 1921

Christmas Greetings

to my Dear son George i send you

my love and good wishes i

hope you will be

good and happy all your life.

from your Dad

In 1921, Christopher JOHNSTON was 80 years old. George Albert was 46 years old. George was Christopher's eldest son with his second wife Mary Jane ACHESON.

Christopher lived to be 83 years and 7 months old.

George lived to be 89 years and 2 months old.

  

Still closer Knit in

Friendships ties

each passing year

Christopher "Christie" JOHNSTON ~ Circa 1930

Proton Township, Grey County, Ontario
(Text added by me.)

This photograph was pasted over top of a verse and someone elses' signature. Perhaps recycling during the Depression!

Inside left front.

Inside verse.

Xmas comes with joys abounding,
Happiest, best of Days,
May it fill your home with gladness,
And your heart with praise.
A. G. Fisher.