Thomas Huxtable Ball (1875-1941) and Annie Amelia Turner (1878-1947)

Thomas and Annie Ball were my great-grandparents. They were Welsh, but immigrated from New Wortley, (Leeds),Yorkshire, where Granddad was born. I remember Dad telling me that they were very short, 5', and 4' 10" respectively. However, Granddad was nearly 6 feet tall. Annie and Thomas were Baptists and teetotallers. Annie's nickname was 'Budgie' among our family. Dad remembers that their 'English' accents were different - likely because of their Welsh heritage. Many of the records for them name them as English, but Thomas lived in Wales up to age 24, while Annie came from Monmouthshire, a Welsh county which borders England.

Evelyn Edith Ball (1913-1987) and Margery Ball (192?-199?)

Granddad's younger sisters were Evelyn and Margery. Evelyn's middle name, Edith, was probably inherited from her mother's younger sister, Edith Turner, who immigrated to BC from the UK, and married Richard Edward Steed, another British compatriot. Evelyn married Art Nursery and lived in the lower Mainland area of BC, where they raised a family. Evelyn died 4 April 1987 at age 74. Art outlived her, but I do not know his death date.

Margery married Hugh Phillip Sigismund and also raised a family in the lower Mainland. Hugh passed away on 24 June 1975 at age 63. I don't have Margery's death date, but will post once discovered.

This is a photo of Granddad and his sisters, likely taken in the 1950's:

From left to right: Evelyn, Granddad, Gwen and Margery.

Cheers, K.

Bowell Funeral Home Records

As I mentioned in my last post, I found a wonderful database of Bowell Funeral Home Records on the local history section of the New Westminster Public Library website. It is easily searchable by surname or date and contains a wealth of information on deaths, burials and funeral services in New Westminster, BC. Kudos go to the staff of the Library for putting together this great set of records and for always being very helpful. They have a great information/reference service , which I have used often and would recommend to anyone looking for genealogical data from New Westminster.

Gwendolyn Muriel Ball (1909-1989)

Gwendolyn Muriel Ball was born in 1909, according to the 1911 Census of Canada. She married John (Jack) Hynds in New Westminster, BC on 23 June 1928. Jack was a baker by trade. Jack served as a White Rock, BC city alderman for the following terms: 1959-1961, 1963-1964, 1966-1969. He served as mayor from 1970-1971. Gwen and Jack had two children, Robert Gordon (born 1 January 1932) and another son (living). I never knew about Robert, but stumbled across a reference to him in Gwen's obituary and later found his funeral home record . Bobby died on 9 December 1933 from toxemia and shock resulting from accidental scalding. He was almost two years old. He is buried in the New Fraser Cemetery. Gwen had a keen interest in family history and was the author of the note that set me off on this journey. Jack died on 11 October 1973. Tragically, Gwen was hit by a bicyclist on a White Rock sidewalk and later died of her injuries on 6 July 1989. She was 80 years old.

I don't have many memories of Gwen, as I was quite young when I met her, but do remember her kind face and gentle touch.

Granddad's sisters

Granddad had 3 younger sisters, all born in Canada. The eldest was Gwendolyn Muriel, who was born in 1909.

The next eldest was Evelyn Edith, whose birth date has not yet been found, and the youngest was Margery. This photo shows Granddad and his sisters in his new car, along with 2 young children. I would estimate this photograph dates from the late 1920's.

Vital event data for British Columbia

If you are looking for vital event information for British Columbians, check out the vital (birth, marriage and death) event indexes at the BC Archives . These indexes will provide vital event dates for specified time frames (according to privacy legislation guidelines). Copies of registrations can be ordered for a fee. However, you can also use the dates to track down newspaper announcements and obituaries at the public library.

Memories of Mary Meade McPhee

How to describe Mary Meade McPhee? She was simply "Nana". She lovingly nursed my Dad and Granddad through asthma and cancer. Nana had a very quick wit and loved to socialize. She was a classy dresser and always 'belle of the ball". Dad called her the "Grand Dame of the Ball Family" - elegant, regal and adored by many. I remember how she and sister Naomi would start a Scottish highland fling in anyone's front room, living room, kitchen or basement. Nana loved to laugh and always had a hug for you. She loved to sew, knit and create and patiently spent many hours teaching me (although I never mastered the knitting thing.....) She made you feel like you could do anything if you put your mind to it. She'd fly out to visit with us and would charm all of our friends and family. It was always an event when Mary was in town. I remember "Buttercup" her Toyota Corolla, and the long drive up to 100 Mile House to visit with her friend, Ollie. We laughed, sang songs and gabbed all the way up there and back - a perfect adventure for a 14 year old away from home.

If you want to share your memories of Nana, please feel free to post.

Cheers, K.