James (Arthur) WILLDER = Mary Dundas HARRIGAN
Married 15 Sep 1909, Melbourne?, Ontario
James (Arthur)
Born 19 May 1882, [Bury]
Died 20 Dec 1959
Buried Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Ontario
Occupation: farmer of Ontario
RW#: 1/442
According to Dava: Born May 19th, 1882 in Bury (recorded as 1881, but when he sent for his birth certificate, he discovered that he in fact was born in 1882). Dava refers to James Arthur, but Ray has no record of 'Arthur'. Query if this is same person. ?
Lineage of James courtesy of Dava Lynne.
Dava writes:
While James was still very young, his mother Susan died and his father remarried. Since they were both alcoholics, Jim became undisciplined and unmanagable. His two older sisters Maude & Maggie tried to raise him but he kept running away. He was then sent to the Dr. Bernardo's Home for Wayward Boy and Orphans (perhaps Blackpool). When he was 14 years of age, a Canadian farmer whose last name was Elliott from Melbourne, Ontario sponsored him and he was brought to Canada to work for him.
Dava writes:
The family moved to Chatham, Ontario in 1929. James worked for the British Leaf Tobacco Company and had to quit due to health problems. He then became Steward at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28 and worked there until his retirement in March of 1949.
Jim died of pneumonia on December 20th, 1959. He is interred at the Maple Leaf Cemetary, Chatham, Ontario, Canada. Mary died on January 18th, 1972, and is buried beside her husband.
Mary Dundas
Died 18 Jan 1972
Buried Maple Leaf Cemetery, Chatham, Ontario
Occupation: Mother's helper of Ontario
RW#: 1/442w
Dava writes:
While in Alberta, Jim joined the army. We do not know the date, but judging by a picture that we have, I would say somewhere in the 1915's because Jeannie looked to be around 1 year old. Mary had to come home to Ontario on a train by herself with her small brood. I recall Evelyn saying how Jeannie cried most of the way home. Mary was relieved by a kind lady who took Jeannie some of the time.
Evelyn Maude = Lawrence JEFFREY > Family
Married EST 1920
Evelyn Maude
Born 21 Feb 1910, Melbourne, Ontario
RW#: 1/605A
Lawrence
Occupation: of West Lorne, Ontario
RW#: 1/605Ah
Thomas Austin = Blanche RUDOLPH > Family
Married 18 Mar 1935
Thomas Austin
Born 23 Dec 1911, Melbourne, Ontario
RW#: 1/605B
Blanche
Born 16 Jul 1912, Sherbrooke, New Brunswick
RW#: 1/605B
Jeannie Louise = Edward (or Eddie) CAMPBELL > Family
Married EST 1924
Divorced EST 1938
Jeannie Louise
Born 12 Sep 1914, nr. Didsbury, Alberta
RW#: 1/605C
Dava writes (presumably quoting her mother):
Jim’s former boss Elliott bought a ranch in Alberta and asked Jim to move out there to work for him.
While they lived in Western Canada, Jeannie Louise was born Sept. 12th, 1914. Since the nearest doctor lived 20 miles away in a Hamlet called Didsbury, there was no time to go for him by horse and buggy. It was up to Jim to act as a mid wife. He had a booklet on midwifery that had come with a medical book which Mary had bought and paid $8.00 for. At the time Jim had chided Mary and told her she had more money than brains. He changed his story that day as he used the booklet that came with the medical book which gave him step by step instructions on how to deliver a baby. I (my mother Nettaline Willder) can recall him saying how nervous he was when he had to cut the umbilical cord. I imagine he ate his words many times as that book came in handy often during a crisis.
Edward (or Eddie)
RW#: 1/605Ch(i)
= George HANSON > Family
Married EST 1940, Eagle River (Ontario?)
George
RW#: 1/605Ch(ii)
William Charles = Nettaline Louise KELLER > Family
Married 4 May 1940, St Philip's Parish, Big Point, Dover, Kent, Ontario
William Charles
Born 28 Feb 1920, Stratford, Ontario
Occupation: Fire-fighter of Chatham, Ontario
RW#: 1/605D
Dava writes:
They [Jim & Mary] lived in the Glencoe, Ontario area until Jim’s return from overseas. Since Jim had medical problems from the British climate, he never went into action on the main continent of Europe. On his return, they moved to Stratford, Ontario, Canada. That is where my father, William Charles Willder was born on Feb. 28th, 1920. From there they moved again to the Glencoe area, and Jim was employed at a furniture factory.
Nettaline Louise
Born 1 Apr 1922
RW#: 1/605Dw
With Dava, provided details of this branch of the family, 2000
James Edward = Elsie JONES > Family
Married ABT 1944, England
James Edward
Born 23 Aug 1923, Tate's Corners, Middlesex County, Ontario
Died 28 Apr 1945, Germany (in WW2)
Buried Apeldoorne, Holland
Occupation: Soldier
RW#: 1/605E
Dava writes:
They then moved to a farm at Tate’s Corners in Middlesex County where James Edward was born on August 23rd, 1923
Elsie
RW#: 1/605Ew
Born May 1926, Tate's Corners, Middlesex, Ontario
Died ABT Dec 1927, Tate's Corners, Middlesex, Ontario
Occupation: infant
RW#: 1/605F
Dava writes:
They had another son John Raymond (Jackie). I believe he was born in Tate’s Corners also. He was born in May 1926, we don’t know the exact day. He died of croupe at the tender age of 18 months.
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