The Royal Canadian Legion Saskatchewan Command LEST WE FORGET 437 NELSON, Jean Jean was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England. She married Earl Myers, who served in the Medical Corps of the Army, on August 14, 1943 in MacClesfield, Cheshire. Earl left for Wawota, Saskatchewan in 1945 and Jean and their son Bryn left in 1946. After Earl and Jean were married, they often spent their Saturday evenings visiting with Earl’s commanding officer. One Saturday, Earl and Jean weren’t feeling well so they decided to stay home. A bomb dropped close to the commanding officer’s home. Shrapnel broke the window and landed on the very chair where Jean always sat when visiting. She considered herself very fortunate. SMITH, Mary Whiteford Cooper Mary was born in Glasgow, Scotland. She married Private Chester Charles Smith in Libberton near Biggar, Scotland in 1945. She departed Liverpool, England on board the S.S. Georgic on July 7, 1946 and arrived at Pier 2T in Halifax, Nova Scotia and took a train to Davidson, Saskatchewan and a truck to the farm, 15 miles away. On Sunday, July 21, 1946, there was not one person in view – not even a dog or cat. Her brother-in-law arrived in a Red International Truck, put trunks in back and drove 15 miles out in flat country to the farm in Smithburg (Lothian) and there were twenty people there. From 1946 to 1950, she stayed on the farm. The winter months were a very difficult time. From October to April, there was no driving truck or car. It was forty degrees below zero with loads of snow and travel was done by a team of horses in one large sleigh. They went to town “Davidson” for mail and the odd grocery and they heated bricks in the oven the night before and wrapped them in newspaper. They were covered in horse blankets which were placed on the horses when you got to town if the barn in town was full. She now lives in Red Deer, Alberta and celebrated her 90th birthday at the end of November. “The friendly people of Saskatchewan are priceless.” She was a member of The Royal Canadian Legion in Carrot River, SK and is now a member of Legion Branch 35 in Red Deer, AB. THOMSON (MILLER), Grace Pamela Grace was born on December 1, 1913. She was raised in St Mary’s Orphanage, Cheam, London, UK. She worked at Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon where she met her future husband, Joseph King Thomson, at a staff dance. They were married in St Andrews Church in Coulsdon, Surrey on October 19, 1941. Their daughter Sheila was born in 1942. Grace and Sheila came to Canada on June 10, 1946 on the Queen Mary and settled in St Walburg, SK after taking the train from Halifax. When Grace first arrived in St Walburg, she canned everything she could, thinking about the long, hard winters she had heard about (only to be surprised that the local OK Economy Store carried fresh produce even at 40 below). The family moved to Saskatoon in 1949 and she became involved in Girl Guides, teaching Sunday school and singing in the church choir. After Joe’s passing, she moved to Grande Prairie, AB to be near Sheila. She acted in many plays, musicals, pantomimes as well as being a member of the War Brides Association, Life Member of Girl Guides, Grande Prairie Legion Branch 54, Ladies Auxiliary, hospital worker, Sunday school teacher, and church choir. Grace passed away on September 18, 2006.
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