Caroline McMurray Davies - Hauling Water

Water - Easy to Take for Granted

It's Saturday morning, and my firm commitment for family history sleuthing will help me press forward today as I clean my house so latter I can sit unencumbered to work on family information gathering.

I will be thankful for the modern appliances I have that help make my life easier. I just put the linens in the washing machine and turn a few dials. They will be washed (through no effort of my own)and then I can move them to the dryer and in a short time they will be dry and I can  take them upstairs and remake my California King size bed..

My mother told me that while she was growing up, her mother, my Grandmother Davies had to haul all the water she needed everyday into the house,  then she had to haul it all out. They kept a reservoir (steel or tin tub of some kind) on one side of the stove so that they always had some warm/hot water. Imagine for a day that everything you needed water for you had to walk to the well, carrying a bucket, then pump the water or pull it up from the well and carry it inside, then heat for cooking and bathing, and laundry, and for any other needs. Then once the water had been used it all had to be carried outside again.

I have no excuses about getting my laundry done today.  I won't even go into other details of my easy life- that can come later.

Grandma Davies Makes Hot Cereal

"Sunny Boy" for Carol

There are three girls in my family.  I am the middle sister. When we were little kids we lived in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Our parents had to go somewhere for a number of days so Grandma Davies came to take care of us.

"Oatmeal" for Judy

My only remembrance of that time is that she made a different hot cereal for each of us. I only liked  "Cream of Wheat", my older sister liked "Oatmeal" and didn't  like "Cream of Wheat", and our younger sister only liked "Sunny Boy" a wholegrain cereal.     ( I need to ask my mom for a few more details of the when and why and where the parents were)

"Cream of Wheat" for me

I remember thinking it was so special, we all felt so loved... but now I am a grandma myself I realize it was probably the easiest thing to do to keep the kids happy.   I hope I can be as good to my grand-kids.

Friday Family Story... Birth Certificate

Allan King Fowler  -- gold dust, just a little family history tidbit

So I found out that my dad's birth certificate is wrong!

My father- Allan King Fowler, was born on February 28, 1928.  At least, that is what we always thought.
However, in talking to my Great-Aunt Doris, she tells me that he was actually born on February 29th. Doris Fowler Komm was the youngest sister of Douglas Bradshaw Fowler.

Douglas Bradshaw Fowler was my grandfather, but he was also the local family doctor in southern Alberta. So, when his wife, Louise King Fowler was ready to deliver their baby it was actually born on February 29th in a leap year. He didn't want his son to only have a birthday every 4 years, so he just changed the birth date on the birth certificate.

My Dad: Allan King Fowler

Parents: Douglas Bradshaw Fowler and Louise King Fowler

Born: February 28, 1928

Place: Magrath, Alberta, Canada

Gold Mine "Definitions"

"gold dust" -  is just a little story, just a little tidbit of information that I found while mining for family gold

"gold flecks"- gold flecks are also small pieces of information, but that information makes me think more, and sends me on a little quest for more information on that topic

"gold nuggets"- gold nuggets are worth a great deal, and so the gold nuggets that I will find while mining for gold will be family information of infinite worth. I hope you can collect your own gold nuggets

"mine cart" - a mine cart is used to bring gold up from the bottom of the mine - so when I have some information to share I will bring it up in a mine cart

"stake a claim" -  when you stake a claim you own something, so when I will give you the opportunity to search for some information, you will be staking a claim on your own family history

What Names Will I find?

• McMurray
• Orr
• Nowlin
• Davies
• Fowler
• King
• Bradshaw
• Stevenson

Off the top of my head, these are the family names that come to mind- however,  with the exception of my grandparents and  their fathers parents I am not sure exactly how some of the names fit.

I know Jabus Nowlin got his nose shot off in an Indian skirmish- my mom told me that when I needed an interesting ancestor story.  However, I am not quite sure how I am related to the Nowlins.  These are some of the things I want to know.