Vacation in Waterton

My grandparents had a cabin in Waterton National Park, in Alberta, Canada.  We usually got to go spend a week or two at the cabin each summer. I remember sitting out in front of the cabin and looking across the lake to see the majestic Prince of Wales Hotel.  It was way too expensive for us to stay in, but was beautiful to look at.

Prince of Wales Hotel

At the end of the summer we had to make sure all the shutters were covering the windows as the snow would usually come up to the roof tops.

What is a Beef Ring?

My Grandpa Davies (William George Davies), had several brothers. I only knew one of them, Uncle Glen. When I was a little girl growing up in Edmonton I remember Uncle Glen coming to visit us. .
But this story takes place way before my time. 

I asked my mom how they had meat in the olden days when they didn't have a fridge. She told me that  when she was a kid she saw her mom can meat, just like when she canned vegetables- except that it took at least three hours to get it processed correctly. 

Her mom also had a 20 gallon crock with salt preserving the pork or ham. If she needed a bit of meat she just lifted the lid and pulled out the leg and sliced off a hunk.

Another way they got meat was through a "beef ring".   A "beef ring"  consisted of several farmers who raised beef . Uncle Glen would butcher a cow that belonged to one of the members of the ring. He would cut it up and all those in the ring came by his place to get a share of the beef.  Sometimes if my mom's family were visiting  he would give them a roast or some stew meat.

Make a Timeline

  

Compile a family chronology: a comprehensive list, in chronological order of all major happenings in the family since the parent's marriage.

Update it regularly.

Tracing Your Roots is Exciting

Join me!  Tracing your roots looks exciting, and once you start to think about it your really want to get going.  There is so much information you can become "information overloaded". Don't let it get too confusing - Let me help you reach your goals.

You need to have a plan to be able to achieve your goals, and so you can follow these steps to develop your game plan.

• identify what you wish to research
• break down each task into manageable pieces
•  brainstorm potential information sources
• make a list of the sources you plan to examine
• make a tentative schedule for completing the task
• focus on one task at a time 
• write your plan out in the computer or on paper
• print and file a copy of your plan in your notebook
• refer to the plan often
• revise it as needed
• be flexible, but stay organized
• be methodical
• follow new leads by setting up new plans
• devise a new plan each time you enter a new phase of research

Lists for a New Year...

Write on . . . ?

McGill University

I love lists and projects so this is what I decided to do today- I am going to make a list of high schools and colleges that any of my ancestors attended.

Then I want to write or call at least one of the institutions to  find out what I need to do to get a transcript.

I think it would be really cool to actually have a transcript from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada where my grandfather (Douglas Bradshaw Fowler) went to Medical School.

University of Alberta, Edmonton 

Or a copy of my dad's transcript from University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada where he (Allan King Fowler) went to Pharmacy School.

Let's see what I come up with. . . 

Asking Questions --- Taking Notes...

You will find yourself taking notes as you start researching and discovering new and exciting info about your family and their history.

If you notice that you are actively writing stories, and gathering  information and facts about your family - then that's the time to start paying attention to your notes.  You should develop consistent and systematic note taking methods, and be sure you are using the right materials.

It is only natural to grab whatever is handy to start taking notes when an occasion arises that you can get some family information.

 I did it all wrong - I phoned my mom with every intent of asking her many questions about her mother. I wanted to know what it was like in the day-to-day. I guess I wasn't sure how much information I would  get and how many questions I would ask. I didn't even really have a set of questions to ask. I just planned to let the discussion go wherever it was going to go . 

 I didn't even have a notebook or pen handy.  Once she started to talk I had to grab a used spiral notebook (bad, bad), and a pen that kept skipping,          

Learn from my mistakes - Don't use a spiral notebook, Don't use an old "Big Chief" tablet - they have too much acid and it is good to try to use acid-free or alkaline-based paper. Don't use the back of old envelopes or other scratch paper, stick with good quality 8 1/2" x 11" paper.
Don't use metal clips or rubber bands in with the material you will be keeping for a long time, and don't use transparent tape.

TASK .... Think about note taking and where and how you are going to file your notes:

• only write about one family member on a sheet of paper
• note your source first
• at the top of the page write the name of the family that the notes will pertain to 
• if notes need to go in more than one file, photocopy them to make a second page or put a cross-reference note in the second folder
• since you may need to photocopy your notes it is good to use black ink or s soft-lead pencil (blue ink or hard-lead pencil may not photocopy well)

Caroline McMurray Davies - the stork's visit

Having a Baby - in 1939

An oral interview with my mother, Glenna, about her mother, Caroline McMurray Davies.

Question: Tell a memory you have of your mother.
Answer:

 I was only ten years old when we noticed Mother was getting  bit heavy around the middle. Let me tell you in those days it seemed you were still supposed to think the stork brought babies. My mom's pregnancy was never discussed with us as children.  Shirley being the oldest knew a little more. It was unbelievable when I look back. One time in the fall of the year my dad was off doing some custom combining, and I assume Mother may have had some indication things were not going right so she had Shirley get on the horse a mile and a half to make a phone call and have Dad come home. (we had no phone) this she did, but still no one let on that anything was amiss. Dad came home and they went to see the doctor. She seemed to get better after that but everyone was still concerned after that.

Mother kept getting a bit bigger, but still nothing was talked about. At this time in our lives my sister and I were getting bussed into town for school. I remember that on the afternoon January 30, 1939 while on the bus heading home, the bus driver told s that our dad said we could come home to town with him and to meet him downtown.  When we got down town Dad said mom was in the hospital, but there was still no mention of why, but by then I was suspicious, but we never even talked about it. We visited mom, had supper in the cafeteria but now it was getting late.  Dad had milking to do and other chores so he had to get home, so we left Mother at the hospital, but by now I knew what was going on.


We had no phone, so no communication. Shirley and I took the school bus to town the next morning, but I stayed on the bus and rode downtown to go to the hospital to see how my mother was.  I was met at the door by the head nurse who informed me that I had a new baby brother and that I could go up stairs to see my mom.  I was so excited that I could hardly stand it.  So I guess you could say that I was the last to know, but the first to know about the end result.


Dad came to town as soon as he got the morning chores done. After school Shirley and I went down to the hospital, and of course we were thrilled for a new baby brother.  Mothers stayed in the hospital about two weeks in those days, so it was awhile before we got to take him home. My dad was so thrilled to get a boy.

When I think back to how things were with a new baby in those days compared to new babies today. My mom had sewed diapers, and made some little night gown and little kimonos to wear when it was cold. Parents did the best they could; we were not able to call the doctor over every little problem which came up.  I remember about two times when Murray was a baby that dad went to the neighbors and called the doctor who drove seven miles to our home to help determine the problem.


I remember for about ten weeks Mother had a hired girl come and help in the house to help with laundry and chores, but my sister had to help more after she left. times were tough in those days and hired girls who helped out were paid about $4.00 per week, and helped with other house work as well. I also remember she slept in the same bed as Shirley  and I. the bed sagged in the middle and she slept in the middle.