UPDATED March 27, 2024: Email response regarding an query I made for information from the E-J Tanner and Shoemake Archive: Thank you for contacting the Syracuse University Libraries. I’m copying our Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) on this message, as this department maintains the papers of members of the Johnson family. The SCRC appreciates your… Read more: Gallsons in Endicott, New York

Post UPDATED… I finally have the death registration of Philip James Peters, Grandma Gallson’s brother and Edith’s twin. It say Philip died March 9, 1907, age 4, of acute capillary bronchitis, pulmonary congestion. Place of Philip’s death is the same address as Grandma’s birth.

SEE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM.  The pictures below are the only toddler pictures we have of my Mom (Joan), Aunt Jean and Uncle Phil.  Its very odd there aren’t more, because the picture of Grampa with Aunt Jean as a baby shows they had a camera.

When I began researching my family history in the 1980’s, the Pennell and Crew lineage were the first surnames where information was readily available. My Aunt Edna (Ollivier nee Smith) had been gathering information about her maternal heritage for years, before personal computers, printers and photocopiers and the internet, when researching involved a pen and… Read more: Pennell, Crew, Bradfield, Hone

Below is a Timeline of John Gallson’s life as my sister, Donna and I have been able to put together using military and life documents. There are many interesting things in this table, some surprizing and some trivial. For me, the most significant year is 1930. Gramma Gallson was committed to a mental asylum in… Read more: John Gallson – Life Timeline

When I found these, I wondered how Grampa Smith got the gas he would have needed to run his tractor.  But I then remembered that he likely used his team of horses.  In my memory, Dad had a team of horses – Duke & Bess – and only later had a tractor. However, in my… Read more: Gas Coupons

The story we were told about Grampa Gallson leaving Estonia was that he stowed away on a ship headed for England and lied about his age.  The more likely story is that he lied about his age so that he could join a group of Estonians headed to Canada to work for the CPR.   Below… Read more: Johannes Õunpuu leaves Estonia

Click here for images of Grampa Gallson’s WWI documents. Below is information that Wayne sent me and I stored for the future. The 52nd Battalion, 1915-1919 No sooner had Canada entered the war against Germany and its allies in 1914 than it was decided to raise an expeditionary force for battle overseas. The local militia,… Read more: John Gaallson’s Army Records

Johannes’ (John Gallson) Father The following is from Malle Jaagoa – May 13, 2002.  Its the register of births and christenings of year 1865.  It is from the church. The first 2 columns translated = day and hour of the birth For Mihkel Õunpuu translation = 25 Sept afternoon The third column translated = day… Read more: Mihkel Õunpuu

 These are records from the archives in Tallinn that Kaido Õunpuu got for me in 1988.  Kaido is Eduard’s son.  I put on the pictures of Karl and Aliise.  You can view all the children in the Photo Gallery.

 After Grampa returned from WWI, December 1918, and was discharged from the Canadian Army January 1919, travelled across the border on June 10, 1919 at Buffalo, and moved to Wheeling, West Virginia. (1320 Water Street).   On December 16, 1920, Grampa filed a Declaration of Intention for Naturalization, then two days later, on December 18, 1920,… Read more: John Joins the US Army

When Grampa file his Declaration of Intention for Naturalization (No. 1914) to the US government, he had 7 years from December 16, 1920 to complete the application.  The application shows a lot of information.  It states he crossed the border from Canada to the US on June 10, 1919.  I search on Ancestry.ca through all… Read more: John’s Post-Army Life in USA

After the death of Joseph Henry Peters in 1910, Hannah would have struggled I’m sure to make ends meet.  Perhaps the Great West Railway helped her out.  My curiosity got the better of my wallet and I paid Find My Past to see the 1921 Census for Hannah.  And I got a BIG surprize! Hannah… Read more: Hannah Louisa Smith

On paper, according to documentation, Phyllis Vera Peters is the illegitimate daughter of Hannah Peters, and sister to Florence Peters, my grandmother. Phyllis Vera Peters showed up on the 1921 British Census, within the family unit of Hannah, Ellen, Edith and Albert Peters.  The mystery is whose daughter is Phyllis REALLY?  Her birth registration lists… Read more: Phyllis Vera Peters

When I’ve been searching the information on the S. S. Metagama, often the headline says the “Famous” Metagama.  Even on Ancestry.ca, one of the welcoming banners talks about someone grandparents fleeing Poland on the Metagama. Below is a painting of the Metagama leaving Liverpool.

This is from the Library and Archives Canada website from 2010, which I can no longer find: Settlement Schemes by Glen Wright, Library and Archives Canada Introduction The genesis of post-First World War settlement schemes began in Britain during the war as a plan to settle ex-service men and women throughout the Empire.  An Overseas… Read more: Overseas Settlement Committee

Florence’s time in Canada from February to October will likely remain a mystery but on October 23, 1920, she attempted to cross the American border to Buffalo, NY.  I say “attempted” because there are TWO border crossing forms.  The first one on October 23, 1920 is stamped REJECTED, but is then marked “passed NF 10/25/20”… Read more: Florence – Domestic Whirlwind

In 1976, my sister Carol wrote to the Ministry of Health, St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital, asking for information about Gramma.  At that time, the hospital preferred to communicate with physicians, so instead of answering Carol directly, they sent a letter to Dr. Wall, Carol’s doctor in North Bay. The additional information given here is that… Read more: Florence Hospitalized

Below is a map sketched by Hilda Howard, Mom’s half-sister, when I visited her in Toronto the in late 1990’s maybe. So while she was trying to remember the layout of the Mattawa farm, she also was remembering things about Grampa.

In 1942/43, my Mom went to Toronto to work at the Inglis factory which had been retrofitted for bullet and guns manufacturing in support of the war effort.  It was an opportunity for Mom to make the extra money she needed to pay for her wedding dress. She went with my Dad’s cousin, Iva Rose… Read more: Joan in Toronto

Below is a drawing sent to me by Shelley Canning, who is the granddaughter of Phyllis Vera Thorpe (nee Peters) (I’ll add a post about this later).  Long story short, Phyllis was registered at birth as the daughter of Hannah Peters, Gramma’s mother, so, on paper, Gramma’s half-sister.  Gramma’s older sister, Ellen, and younger sister,… Read more: Florence – the Drawing

Hannah married Joseph Henry Peters on Christmas Day 1890. Because Smith is such a popular name, its important to find a few collaborating pieces of evidence.  So addresses and occupations are important here.Joseph: 23 Walmer Road – Fa:Joseph Peters – Seaman (deceased by 1890)Hannah: 21 Walmer Road – Fa: James Smith (b. 1843) – China… Read more: Hannah Smith’s Rabbit Hole

St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital – abandoned now, in St. Thomas, Ontario. This website has LOTS of pictures of the hospital in its abandoned, run down, condition. St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital – Ontario Abandoned Places (talkingwallsphoto.com) Interesting note on this webpage:  “January 2020 – Actor Jason Momoa intends to film a post-apocalyptic television show inside the former… Read more: St. Thomas Psychiatric Hospital

Mom didn’t remember having any aspirations or dreams – only “to get the hell out of that house!” She consistently described her life as a child as horrible, filled with beatings and abuse by the hand of her stepmother who allegedly made unreasonable and impossible demands that could never be fulfilled.  Stories of sneaking food… Read more: Joan Gallson – The Teenager

Map of the advance of battalions towards Passchendaele on October 26, 1917, which is date Grampa was wounded.  Grampa was in the 52nd Battalion. Note that the 58th Battalion is advancing as well.  George Matthew Pennell was in this battalion.  He was KIA on August 27, 1918.

The facts:Adoniram “Nide” Warner SmithBirth date: Feb 18, 1880, Haley Station, Ontario (not registered, just word of mouth date)Background (what I heard):  Grampa lived with Aunt Edna and Uncle Cliff.  It was determined that Grampa should be receiving the Old Age Pension.  When they applied, the government had no record of Grampa’s birth, so there… Read more: Who Is Nide?