Grandma’s Memories

Grandmas Memories

Written for my Dear Grandson

Elexander Menzie-Smith

(Durward Alexander Smith) written by Eliza M. Wilder

Smith-Stevenson Road

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My grandpa’s picture was taken about June or July of 1909 at my childhood home at Swans Trail – Route 2 Near Snohomish Washington, About 3 miles from Everett. My Parents George Perry Stevenson and Susan Evalena Stevenson. Isaac Stevenson aged about 94 years old at the time. My sister Bertha and brother George Edward Stevenson and myself.

Stevenson Family in 1909 Back row: Bertha Amelia Stevenson (First Married to John Nelson and then to George Elwood Smith), George Edward Stevenson, Middle Row: George Perry Stevenson, Susan Evalena Stevenson, Isaac Stevenson, Front: Eliza Mae Stevenson,Note Eliza Mae Stevenson (first married to Henry Smith and then Richard A Wilder) Eliza Mae Stevenson ~ age about 6 years old at the time when we came from our home in Kansas and Daddy bought our home in Swans trail between Everett and Snohomish Washington. We had 20 acres there a big house and fine orchard. {Photo copyright Gordon Neish}

Isaac Stevenson – 1909

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Grand father had been very sick shortly before we sold our home in Kansas and came here. In fact given up by the doctors, he recovered and lived to a ripe old age. We stayed in Washington for around 7 years in which Grandpa kept himself very busy and happy working an he and Papa cleared quite a large pasture and how he enjoyed seeing the large stump piles as they burned, and he chunked them up and kept the sparks flying, and he often came in carrying a large, rail size piece of wood, and cut it up for use in the large old fire place where he loved to sit an smoke an tell the stories of his life in the many States he had lived in. While the rain and fog made the outside cold and chill after his years in hot old Kansas, where we had lived and farmed for many years. Those years flew by and Daddy decided he would move again and go to Sask. Canada where homesteads were still available and consisted of 160 fertile acres of wonderful land for each person homesteading there.

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So in 1910 all was put in readiness and when the school term was out I left my lessons in school and we all went to Canada. Where indeed we all learned many of life’s lessons. We left here in the spring of 1910. Daddy and another friend and business man and family chartered a rail road car and each took with up our cows, horses and other necessities, house hold furniture and brother Ed traveled with the stock on the trip to care for and feed them on the train. The rest of us got our tickets and went in a passenger train from Washington into Saskatchewan province (or State). It took several days as the trains were very slow up there and as soon as we were on our way we soon reached the mountains that were yet full of deep snow and big storms kept us here and there waiting for hours for the rail road to clear so we could go on. We took with us a large (telescope suit case) in which we packed our family meals or lunches. We made sandwiches bought our coffee made hot by the porter in a large coffee pot and some times when we had to stop for a while at some town we could go into a grocery store for more supplies.

George and Bertha’s Wedding. Photo copyright Gordon Neish

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I sure enjoyed looking out on the winter scenes and many beauties of the trip. Landscape changed as we moved along. At night time full size bed were allowed by pulling out the seats and so we all had good beds to sleep in. I loved to hear the trains whistle and bells ring. We finally got away from the beautiful mountains and out into the wide open spaces as we traveled along through Alberta and different provinces. When we got to Sask., there was many large elevators by the train tracks, where the thousands of bushels of wheat, oats and barley was stored, taken there by the many farmers near by.

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Spring is late up there and there is a rush to get the crops planted as the earth is frozen hard and cannot be worked much until May. So all gardens must be planted as soon as possible and must be harvested likewise in Sept. as the ground starts to freeze solid in early Oct. and November.

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As we got into Sask. we found the country not so settled and we was to our destination, as we unloaded and left the train at a little town called Munster Sask. We found it a small place one street, store and a few other business places, large elevators for grain and a livery stable. A small residential section and out of town a short distance was a large monastery and Nunnery with a smaller log building where the church held its meetings and many came for miles to attend mass and other services very early in the morning.

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Daddy finally located a small house which he rented an at last we could have a rest while we awaited the furniture and live stock. They arrived in about 2 or 3 weeks and then we must get on by Ox team until we found our home in the wilderness. Daddy looked around several days and found in what direction they would go to look for suitable homesteads and also bought a new lumber wagon and a very large team of snow white Oxen harnesses and equipment to start out in a new part of the world where there was unplowed wilderness and very few if anyone yet living.

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Moving day came, we loaded our few possessions, groceries and tools, 2 large tents, a stove and bedding. Climbing into the lumber wagon somehow we got set and our journey began. We started out of the mall town of Munster and into the neighboring vicinity, about 16 miles out there was another small village with a few business places an store. This town was called Anaheim and had its farmers scattered on neighboring farms where people were just nicely started with their cattle and fields of grain. Going on further we soon come on fewer ranches and roads so we followed along on the edges of the swamp ground and the trees were away from the swamps some giving plenty of room to travel by picking our way. We went by many small shallow lakes full of wild geese and ducks and many noisy water birds. Around these low places many lovely wild flowers grew. By the time we got moved springtime ad really come. It was time we must hurry wish our preparations for a home. However we kept on until we sighted three dwellings and realized that someone else had started there also before we came. So as we didn’t know yet just where we would be, we asked to pitch our tents and look around for a homestead while near these people’s homes. We pitched the two large tents, put up our small stove an made up our beds for night in our jungle wilderness. Sometime later the men got out and found homesteads a few miles north of where we were camped. An old neighbor we had met in Kansas came to us and they too found home sights near by.

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We hurriedly hauled a few popular logs an threw up a cabin for the families for the coming winter, plowed up a small space to put in a garden, potatoes, cabbage, turnips, carrots, beats, lettuce and radishes. Not much else could mature in the short time it would have before the cold weather came on, Our men got out and cut wild hay for the long 9 month winter ahead everyone was busy. They found places and filed on them. Grandpa filed on 160 acres also my Daddy filed on one also my brother Ed filed on one and my sister bertha now married an had a baby son Earl Nelson. Earl and Fred were babies when we left Washington to go to Canada. Earl was about 2 years old and Fred only 4 or 5. I was 13 that spring April 17, 1910.…..
There was much tall wild hay around those lakes and while I and Grandpa baby sat at home the men folks mama and sister Bertha cut hay an turned it if needed, finally loading it into large hat racks which they hauled it home in. stacking it in large stacks by the barn and chicken house for winter feed. A frame was made and covered with a straw stack for a chicken house.

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We milked 3 cows, had our own meat and vegetables, bought grain and had our own flower ground. We dug a cellar under the house floor in which we kept our vegetables and canned fruit. Sending out to a mail order house we bought the things we couldn’t grow and laid in our supply for the long winter months, medicines etc.

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Ed and Fred enjoyed duck hunting up there. There was birds and ducks by the thousands and many of wonderful meal they made. I loved to listen to the wild birds and heart the wild water birds called loons cry, it sounded like they were laughing.

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Mosquitoes were terrible, one could not enjoy the beautiful outside because of them. One had to prepare smudge pots they were so bad day and night, no happy picnics there for sure. If one walked out they got a handful of brush and kept them in the hand to brush on one side an then on the other each step.

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We cleared land plowing it up for the first time with large plows called brush breakers. We planted grain by hand. We drove our Ox teams to town. It took 2 days to get 32 miles to town and back. We had to take time to let the team rest and eat. And we stay in a hotel overnight, collected what we wanted and returned. Oxen can’t go fast like horses do or fly like a care.

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The year I was married 1912 I helped papa break new ground, several acres with the oxen. One has to plow right through big willow bunches sometimes breaking the plow or harness. One ox gets tired or mad an lays down, one has to get him up an coaxed to go, by that time the other one probably rams through the harness tearing it to pieces or lays down in it and refuses to get up. Finally night comes and weary with the toil of a hot day unlosses the oxen from the plow and heads for the barn with millions of mosquitoes following like swarms of bees. The team taken and rubbed down to roll the mosquitoes off their sides. Then they are turned loose fed and watered for the night and rest for the same procedure on the morrow. While daddy and I tired out worn thread bare and cross from shear aggravation, clean up and wash away the sweat and dust and try to rest our weary bones too. Mama would have a nice warm supper for us and when the milking was done and dishes were done, we were glad to crawl into our beds and sleep till morning.

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In fall we would take the team sometimes and go to the shallow lake sides and gather sacks of big brown cattails a reed that grows even here on swampy land. These we hauled home and we took the plush of off them to make pillows and bed ticks from. We dried them, shelled the fuzz from the stems an stuffed it into pillow ticks for pillows and into large ticks for substitute mattresses. These was placed on top of large ticks filled with fresh clean straw. We bought heavy woolen blankets and made our own sheets and pillow cases and quilts. Any good clean pieces of material was made into peaced quilt tops an old blankets or wool or cotton used for padding, then lined with any good material. They were pretty nice in 30 or 60 below weather, before our 9 months of winter was gone. Believe it or not.

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In summer smudges was necessary around our meager log houses to drive out the countless mosquitoes and many kinds of biting flies and was carried into the houses so we could smoke the insects out before retiring.

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About 2:30 AM or 3 o’clock morning would come with the bright dawn the frogs wake up an hundreds of water birds songs filled another beautiful sun shinny morning and mostly all day. And became hot real hot in summer time many beautiful flowers and gobs of mosquitoes was our daily torment. Sometimes I would venture out an get a bouquet of lilies and wild roses and take with me a bunch of willow limbs to brush the attaching army of mosquitoes fallowed right with one every step of the way. It almost seemed the wild flowers grew thick along the shallow Sask. Can. lakes and swamps by the time the snow was gone. Some flowers was blooming in the little open spots and was welcomed as was also the frogs song and singing birds after the long nine month winter usually about 35 an 40 below zero, but some winters as low as 64 below in February where we were.

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The years of 1911 and 1912 was very wet years when the snow finally melted and was gone it turned to raining and much thunder and lightening storms all around us. It rained and it poured and one could see to read many times when the lightening flashed from many directions all around us. Waking up in the night to find the roof which was covered with sods from the land near the lakes as people did in Kansas years before, had soaked up its capacity of water and finally it poured out wetting up whatever was beneath it. So out of bed we would scramble using whatever was available to catch the water so we could again get back to sleep a bit longer for day would soon come and there was much work and chores to be done every day. Milking, feeding, gardens to plant and tend by hand, everything to make at home for the homesteaders who had gone to get a start in the fields of a new homesteading area in Sask. Canada. This rainy weather was about like Washington some years. Terrible for many homesteaders had no money for tools machinery or even horses let alone cars or trucks. They were poor folks having to get along as best they could and be thankful.

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The doctors which was few was from 32 miles to 70 miles from us, so were seldom called on. In emergencies someone would go for a doctor as far away as 70 miles in the terrible weather 64 below zero.

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Grandpa Stevenson was buried up there also sister Bertha, Earls mother. Lena (Hilda) Ed’s wife and baby Woodrow and my baby Howard.

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After the homesteads were finally taken and each family each family knew where they were to live houses had to be built. On Grandpas place which joined daddy’s homestead, a little further to the east was Bertha’s place and Ed’s was farthest north. Henry’s place joined Bertha’s and Mr. Smiths joined ours. Later Fred Smith bought Grandpas place and George Smith Jr. lived north of his dad.

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We built on our place not far from Berthas. It was a beautiful place, we were about 9 miles from a wilderness store but had to forge a 2/3 mile lake to get to this store. This store was a short distance from our house. By this time we had learned never to trust going from home without food and bedding as the climate is very treacherous up there especially in cold weather. No roads and only Ox team and one never knew what might befall on even a short trip. We made it 9 miles to the store and returned soon as we had got our supplies only to find that we were on the far side of the lake from home and it had frozen over so hard we wee unable to drive back through the lake as we had come a few hours before. We drove down to cross back home but the Oxen could not make it. They went into the water with their front feet but could not break the ice to continue an pull the heavy lumber wagon through the lake. Only a mile and a half from home. We finally gave up and managed to get safely back on the land out of the lake an realized we must make camp and stay until the next morning. Luckily there was still part of a grainy building the people that had had the place had burned out. So we quickly loosened our team and got ready to make the best of the situation. We were thankful to have food and bedding with us and there was old hay to make a place to sleep under the roof. We managed to keep fairly warm. Next morning we awoke and found we would have to travel several miles among the trees along the swamp and strike a road coming down another way to get home. Believe me we learned never go anywhere unless you went prepared for any emergency.

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Another time we started out to go 32 miles to the depot to pick up uncle Cabe when he came to Canada. Mr. Smith and Fred Smith was with us but our team got sick, refused to travel an Fred and his dad got out and walked into town and when they found Cabe they started walking to find us But we didn’t get home for several days, until after they got home. This time caused by the old Oxen getting sick.

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Another time we had a sick team coming home on April 1st. This time we was 5 mile from home when we just couldn’t get them to continue. We went into a school house and managed to keep from freezing. The weather had got colder and we were surely thankful to find the doors unlocked and plenty of wood to keep us warm. Also another poor hitchhiker that caught a ride with us, we got home next day.

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Henry and I stayed in Canada until 1914 and when Elma a few months old we came back to Everett where we remained until 1917 and went back to Canada. Our house was burned down and we faced a 9 month winter with out a place of our own. Then we later put up another house but sold the homestead and returned in 1919. We rented a place in Everett Washington.

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But I liked Canada. It may have outgrown some of the hardships. The shallow lakes dried up as the land became tilled an great crops of grain now raised there. I have never got to go back.

Written by Eliza M. Wilder for my grandson Buzzie Smith

Buzzie, Pat said she would like to copy this, Maybe you would let her copy this.

Thank you,

Grandma.

 

Tribute to Gordon Neish July 20, 1954 – June 14, 2020 You Tube

See also Smith-Stevenson Road  and more submissions by Gordon Neish about the Naicam, Saskatchewan area

Rural Municipality of Pleasantdale No 398, Gordon Neish, Kermaria SW 16-41-19-W2, Lac Vert SW 2-41-18-w2, Ambles NE 16-40-20-W2, Naicam NW 2-40-18-W2Saskatchewan, Canada, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada, photographs, photos, Kermaria SW 16-41-19-W2, Lac Vert SW 2-41-18-w2, Ambles NE 16-40-20-W2, Naicam NW 2-40-18-W2, STEVENSON George Edward, SE34-40-19-W2, Great uncle,
SMITH George Elwood , NW27-40-19-W2, Grandfather,
SMITH George Israel , SW27-40-19-W2, Great Grandfather,
SMITH Henry Ernest, SE27-40-19-W2 , Great uncle,
HOWE John, NE21-40-19-W2 , ,
STEVENSON Isaac , NW22-40-19-w2 , Great Great Grandfather,
NELSON Bertha Amelia , NE22-40-19-w2, Grandmother,
STEVENSON George Perry, SW22-40-19-w2 , Great Grandfather,
SMITH Lott Cabe , NE23-10-19-W2, Great uncle, Smith Stevenson Road,

Bibliography: To: saskgenweb@yahoo.com From: Gordon Neish Subject: More school Photos

NOTICE:  This Rootsweb/Ancestry.com page was saved on Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine by searching for the original page http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cansk/RoadsInSaskatchewan/GrandmasMemories.html!!!  Rootsweb/Ancestry.com is down.  It is the intention of this site to make this historical submission available to persons with a historical or genealogical interest.. There are no service charges or fees for personal use of these photographs, or transcription services and use of this site constitutes your acceptance of these Conditions of Use. These electronic pages and photographs are under copyright may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material commercially, must obtain the written consent of the copyright holders and submitter: Gordon Neish and contact Saskatchewan Gen Web Webmaster, Julia Adamson with proof of this consent.

copyright © Web Publish Date: Fri Dec 18 2015 All Rights Reserved

Many thanks are extended to Gordon Neish for this submission share online.

Rural Municipality of Pleasantdale No 398,

Gordon Neish,

Kermaria SW 16-41-19-W2,

Lac Vert SW 2-41-18-w2,

Ambles NE 16-40-20-W2,

Naicam NW 2-40-18-W2

Saskatchewan, Canada, Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan, Canada, photographs, photos,

Kermaria SW 16-41-19-W2,

Lac Vert SW 2-41-18-w2,

Ambles NE 16-40-20-W2,

Naicam NW 2-40-18-W2,

STEVENSON George Edward, SE34-40-19-W2,

Great uncle,

SMITH George Elwood , NW27-40-19-W2,

Grandfather,

SMITH George Israel , SW27-40-19-W2,

Great Grandfather,

SMITH Henry Ernest, SE27-40-19-W2 ,

Great uncle,

HOWE John, NE21-40-19-W2 ,

STEVENSON Isaac , NW22-40-19-w2 ,

Great Great Grandfather,

NELSON Bertha Amelia , NE22-40-19-w2,

Grandmother,

STEVENSON George Perry, SW22-40-19-w2 ,

Great Grandfather,

SMITH Lott Cabe , NE23-10-19-W2,

Great uncle,

Smith Stevenson Road,

H.W. Balfour’s Truly Impressive Career. Recognized for Outstanding Civic Service and Meritorious Military Achievement.

 

Commander Harold Wilson

Balfour OBE VD RCNVR

Recognized for Outstanding Civic Service and Meritorious Military Achievement.

H.W. Balfour’s Truly Impressive Career.

Commander H.W. Balfour, OBE, V.D., RCNVR (1907-June 12, 1986) born in Balcarres, Saskatchewan and became a naval reservist in the Canadian “wavy Navy”. Being accepted into the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve R.C.N.V.R. as an ordinary seaman, he trained as an able seaman (the equivalent of an army private.) Balfour military of 21 years saw his starting out as a signalman while he was attending high school. Following high school, Balfour attended the University of Saskatchewan, College of Arts.

Balfour served as acting Paymaster Sub Lieutenant on February 6, 1929 and was demobilized December 18, 1945. Previous to his military service he held a position as civic auditor in the City of Saskatoon. Serving as Commanding Officer H.W. Balfour between 1934 and 1940 of HMCS Unicorn he later achieved the post of Captain. Balfour was among 15 top senior officers in the RCNVR. Balfour served in the HMCS Unicorn, a Saskatoon Half-Company with 3,0000 other “prairie sailors”, and was the commanding officer of Saskatoon Half Company as Lieutenant between 1934 and 1935, becoming Lieutenant Commander in 1938.

To earn the rank of Lieutenant Commander, it is necessary to work up from able seaman to leading seaman thereafter reaching a non commissioned rank of petty officer. Going further up the ranks he became warrant officer then an uncommissioned officer, followed by Sub-Lieutenant, lieutenant, lieutenant commander, and commander.

During his time in Saskatoon at the H.M.C.S. Unicorn, he looked toward the river to provide an opportunity to teach boat work. Balfour was allowed a leave of absence from his city accounting position when called for active service in World War II. During World War II, the HMCS Unicorn saw action in the Battle of the Atlantic, on the Murmansk Run, in the Caribbean, and on D-Day.

Before the Second World War broke out, Balfour was identified as a watchkeeper, or one who is qualified to operate a ship continuously. These watchkeepers keep watch on the ship’s bridge and over the running machinery.

Balfour was the Commander of the Port at St. John’s Newfoundland (HMCS Avalon II) between 1942 and 1944. The Ottawa Citizen newspaper announced that Harold Wilson Balfour was to be commander in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve on July 1, 1943. Balfour made the news in May of 1944 in a special report announcing that Balfour “is doing a key job as commander of the port and King’s harbormaster in this active Atlantic base.” During his service as commander, he “supervised the work of extended defence, examined vessels, harbor craft, supervised bomb disposal, and boom defence and other naval departments. ^{Saskatoon Star Phoenix 1944}

“In the 1920s hardly anyone ever gave a though to Canada’ little navy,” Commander Balfour related, “Today [1944] H.M.C.S. Unicorn in Saskatoon is quartered in a substantial new brick building and is considered on of the finest R.C.N.V.R. ‘ships’ in the West.”

This was followed by a promotion to Acting Captain in 1945 and Commanding Officer of RCNB Halifax. In January of 1945, along with 11 others from Saskatoon, Balfour was on the King’s honour list. Commander Harold Balfour, V.D. received the award of Officer in the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.

We shall now eagerly await the triumphant return of those who have fought the fight of freedom on the sea, on land and in the air, and who have survived the vicissitudes of war. What a welcome will be theirs! As long as they live, their welfare should be our first concern. Especially must we look to the well-being of the dependents of those who will never return. We must endeavour to see that no service and no sacrifice is allowed to go unremembered. ~ The Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG PhD MA MA LLB BA Prime Minister of Canada October 23, 1935 – November 15, 1948, May 8, 1945, the day the war in Europe ended

On Friday January 24 of 1958, the Royal Navy unveiled a permanent memorial to the fourteen naval ships bearing the name of Unicorn at a special ceremony honouring Captain Harold W. Balfour, OBE, VRD, RCN (r) (retired). The memorial is on display in the showcase on the quarterdeck of HMCS Unicorn in Saskatoon. Balfour accepted a position in Burnaby, British Columbia as municipal manager and will be starting there in February of 1958. During his time with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, Balfour also served a past president of the Naval Officers Association of Canada.

In 1955 Balfour served as secretary-treasurer and vice president to the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association during his tenure as city commissioner in Saskatoon. It was a dream of Balfour to create a recreational complex in Holiday Park. The design of which was first initiated in January of 1955 coming to fruition in the summer of 1963 after Balfour retired. As a member of the City Amalgamation committee, Balfour negotiated the terms of the amalgamation between the railway town of Sutherland with the City of Saskatoon. Balfour was “known nationally for his able civic administration abilities,” and he was “principally involved in Saskatoon’s land bank – a program that survives to this day and still is an example for the rest of the nation.”^{Loran 1984} During his time with the city administration that the new city hall was erected and the civic administration moved out of the old King Edward School.

Balfour married Louise Seiban and made his residence at 720 Temperance Street. Balfour played guitar with a small Saskatoon band as well as with Art McEwing and his Wauker Oats Radio Orchestra. Balfour became active with the Naval Officers Association of B.C. following his move to Burnaby, and became a member of the hospital board as well as executive on the St. John Ambulance and trustee of the New Vista Society. He passed away in New Westminster, Vancouver, British Columbia at the age of 79.

Only the man who disciplines himself strictly can stand for long the terrific pace of modern war. ~The Right Honourable William Lyon Mackenzie King PC OM CMG PhD MA MA LLB BA Prime Minister of Canada October 23, 1935 – November 15, 1948

H.W. Balfour Awards and Honours.

• Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). Balfour was one of 1,073 distinguished servicemen to receive this honour. This medal is an award engraved with his name upon it. On January 1, 1945 the London Gazette wrote “This Officer has served zealously with marked ability and enthusiasm over a period of five years, in various appointments and latterly as Commander of the Port, St. John’s Newfoundland. He has taken a consistently keen interest in the welfare of service personnel, and has given unsparingly of his time and energy in that connection. Under his chairmanship the past three successive Victory Loans in Newfoundland Command have been outstandingly successful, and he has played an important part in the organization and development of the Naval Central Canteen. “^{B – RCN Paquette Houterman} There are five ranks of medals in the “Order of the British Empire”
  they are all national awards for chivalry. The motto of the Order of the British Empire is “ For God and the Empire. “
• The 1939-1945 Star. Awards were given to those who served six months of active service in World War II during hostilities with Japan which initiated September 2, 1939 when World War 2 began to August 15, 1945 when hostilities against Japan desisted.
• The Atlantic Star was given for six months of service afloat between September 3, 1945 and May 8, 1945. .
• The Defence Medal was awarded for non-operational service in World War II.
• The Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, Complete with Overseas Bar awarded for eighteen months of volunteer service between September 3, 1939 and March 1, 1947. The silver bar or clasp was additionally awarded for service outside of Canada.
• The War Medal 1939 – 1945 was nicknamed the “Victory Medal” and was awarded to those who had served 28 days in World War II.
• The Jubilee Medal 1935 demarked the occasion of the 25th anniversary of King George V ascending to the throne. Only 1,154 medals were issued to those serving with the Canadian Forces recognising the contributions these citizens made to their country and community.
• The Coronation Medal 1952 honoured the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II when she ascended the throne February 6, 1958. Celebrations commenced and commemorative medals were issued.
• The Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve (Officers) Decoration, George VI – GRI Version only 36 medals were issued, and these went to officers of the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. These awards recognized long service as officer in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve. For completion of 20 years of service, the officer could use V.D. after his name. This medal is engraved with the name on the reverse of the medallion.

Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always. – General Douglas Macarthur, Supreme Allied Commander of South-West Pacific (1945)

Author: Julia Adamson

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Saskatoon Sends 51 Men to Naval Units at Coast. New Recruits Bring Local Division to Full Strength of 83. Training Centre to Be Continued Here. Saskatoon Star Phoenix. October 5, 1939. Page 3 and 5. Google News Archive. URL accessed April 5, 2013.

Second World War Medals – Canadian Orders, Medals and Decorations. Records and Collections – Veteran’s Affairs Canada. Government of Canada. 2013-03-07. URL accessed April 6, 2013.

Smith, Betty. City Outstrips Growth Predictions. Saskatoon Star-Phoenix. August 19, 1961. URL accessed April 5, 2013.

Watchstanding. Revision ID number 544032995 revised March 14, 2013. URL accessed April 5, 2013.

Terms of Amalgamation of City and Sutherland Released, Vote to come. Saskatoon Star Phoenix. May 30, 1955. Google News Archive. URL accessed April 5, 2013.

World War II and the University of Saskatchewan – COTC service records :: University of Saskatchewan Archives 26-Apr-2012 URL accessed April 5, 2013.

World War 2 Awards.com – Order of the British Empire 1939-1945 Star Defence Medal 1939-1945 STIWOT (Stichting Informatie Wereldoorlog Twee). 2013. URL accessed April 6, 2013.

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For More Information:

•Saskatchewan Gen Web Military Resources

•Canada In Flanders – The Official Story of the Canadian Expeditionary Force Volume I

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Related posts:

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Michelle Lang. Canadian Journalist. Jan 31, 1975-Dec 30, 2009. Afghanistan Casualty.

Saskatchewan Virtual War Memorial Site Updated

How did pioneers travel to their prairie homesteads?

Where were Saskatchewan Homesteads Located?

How do I locate my ancestor’s home town in Saskatchewan?
Have you ever visited your ancestral home?

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