Theme: Plowing through
My grandfather Harry C ANDREW Last week I wrote about the hardships that my paternal grandfather faced during his life, so it is only fitting that this week I talk about his counterpart: my grandfather on my mother's side who had to “plow through” his own struggles as well as the red soil of his family farm in PEI, Canada.
My grandpa, Harry Charles ANDREW, was a quiet mannered, down to earth and seemingly calm individual with a great sense of humor and lots of patience with his many grandchildren. My mother, sister and I lived with my grandparents for most of my preschool years, which made our bond very special.
I have very fond memories of my grandpa playing card games with us; he taught us to play Rummy (his favorite) as well as Go Fish and other games. He was also a great story teller, and again I have fond memories of sitting on his lap, avidly listening to the tales of the "Big Brown Bear". Unfortunately most of the details of these highly anticipated and entertaining tales have been forgotten, even though we heard them so often as children that we had them memorized and would often correct Grandpa when he ‘got it wrong’. Of course it was done on purpose, with a twinkle in his eye and a slight hint of a smile. It was part of the game, the entertainment! On the other hand, we appreciated it when his stories were personalized to include the names of his varying young listeners.
Grandpa was also good at "Dolly" stories, using an actual doll as a prop. Dolly (probably a "Betsy Wetsy") went for a walk ‘down street’ (along Grandpa’s leg) and midway Dolly would freeze in horror, lift one little leg and wipe her shoe off furiously on the ‘sidewalk’, exclaiming “Dirty little dog!”. Such bathroom humor is always popular with kids, it seems, so naturally this got rave reviews and was often requested. Grandpa liked to doze off in his chair, even during story time, and I fear at times we got a little too persistent with our demands for his wonderful stories.
My grandpa, Harry Charles ANDREW, was a quiet mannered, down to earth and seemingly calm individual with a great sense of humor and lots of patience with his many grandchildren. My mother, sister and I lived with my grandparents for most of my preschool years, which made our bond very special.
I have very fond memories of my grandpa playing card games with us; he taught us to play Rummy (his favorite) as well as Go Fish and other games. He was also a great story teller, and again I have fond memories of sitting on his lap, avidly listening to the tales of the "Big Brown Bear". Unfortunately most of the details of these highly anticipated and entertaining tales have been forgotten, even though we heard them so often as children that we had them memorized and would often correct Grandpa when he ‘got it wrong’. Of course it was done on purpose, with a twinkle in his eye and a slight hint of a smile. It was part of the game, the entertainment! On the other hand, we appreciated it when his stories were personalized to include the names of his varying young listeners.
Grandpa was also good at "Dolly" stories, using an actual doll as a prop. Dolly (probably a "Betsy Wetsy") went for a walk ‘down street’ (along Grandpa’s leg) and midway Dolly would freeze in horror, lift one little leg and wipe her shoe off furiously on the ‘sidewalk’, exclaiming “Dirty little dog!”. Such bathroom humor is always popular with kids, it seems, so naturally this got rave reviews and was often requested. Grandpa liked to doze off in his chair, even during story time, and I fear at times we got a little too persistent with our demands for his wonderful stories.
But what of Grandpa's early life? Harry was born in 1889 in North St Eleanors, Prince County near Summerside, the 2nd generation of ANDREW's to be born on PEI. (See also the story of Harry's grandfather Charles ANDREW who emigrated from Stratton, Cornwall, England in 1842.) Harry was the ninth and youngest child of William ANDREW (1848-1920) and Harriet Washbourne COMPTON (1849-1923), born when his mother was 40. He had only 2 brothers and the other 6 were sisters, all of whom were raised on the family farm. He had a love of animals, as depicted in two precious photos that have survived from his early years. One shows young Harry with his dog, and the other with a colt. The youngest photo we have of him is a small portrait with his sister Sadie, who was closest in age to Harry and who tragically died at the age of 20 from cancer.
Harry probably knew my grandmother, his future wife Nell RICHARDSON, since he was a child as they grew up living only a few miles apart. They were also related, second cousins to be exact as their mothers were first cousins, so that likely increased the chances of them crossing paths. According to Granny, she first dated Harry when she was 16 but broke it off. They reconnected again later and were engaged for about 2 years. My Aunt Harriet once told me a story about Harry purchasing her engagement ring: "Dad bought the ring with the money (all of it apparently) that he earned harvesting outside Winnipeg (one season) and then came back to PEI when his father became ill. … [Harry's youngest daughter] now has Granny's engagement ring that was purchased by Grandpa for $50 in Montreal (?).” My Aunt seemed uncertain of where it was purchased, as she also told me that Birks Jewelers had opened a store in Charlottetown about that time. But wherever it was purchased, the ring was obviously well received and is now a treasured family keepsake.
Harry Charles ANDREW and Eleanor Louise "Nell" RICHARDSON were married in St Johns Anglican Church in St Eleanors in PEI on 16 Jun 1915 when Harry was almost 26 and Nell was 21. They lived on and worked the Andrew family farm along with Harry’s parents and perhaps his sister Mabel (before and after her nurse’s training in Charlottetown until her marriage). By this time, the rest of his siblings were married and pursuing their own lives: sisters Alice and Isa were both living near Winnipeg, his brother Albert was a clergyman in Nova Scotia (soon to distinguish himself in WWI), Horace was married and farming his own property near his parents, and sisters Delores and Fanny were married to local farmers.
Harry Charles ANDREW and Eleanor Louise "Nell" RICHARDSON were married in St Johns Anglican Church in St Eleanors in PEI on 16 Jun 1915 when Harry was almost 26 and Nell was 21. They lived on and worked the Andrew family farm along with Harry’s parents and perhaps his sister Mabel (before and after her nurse’s training in Charlottetown until her marriage). By this time, the rest of his siblings were married and pursuing their own lives: sisters Alice and Isa were both living near Winnipeg, his brother Albert was a clergyman in Nova Scotia (soon to distinguish himself in WWI), Horace was married and farming his own property near his parents, and sisters Delores and Fanny were married to local farmers.
Harry happy to be reunited with his wife, Christmas 1950, Duncan BC Harry and Nell started a family, but were eager to move to the west coast to join other relatives. I have been told that they even started packing. When the rest of the Andrew family heard of their plans, they pressured Harry into staying to take care of the family farm and their parents. He was a dutiful son, so they stayed and raised all seven of their children there. Harry’s father died in 1920, and his mother in 1923. In 1921 his father’s brother Thomas died, and according to the newspaper account, Harry was one of his pall bearers.
Fates later intervened, and after the start of WWII, it was decided by the powers that be that an airport and RCAF training base was needed on the Island. The farmlands of North St Eleanors were targeted as the ideal site. According to family stories, Harry and Nells’s farm of about 100 acres was one of the first to be appropriated. In about 1941 when Harry was bed ridden recovering from an accident, Granny was left to negotiation with the men who turned up at their door. They ended up getting a pittance for their property, although others latter held out for better deals. They then bought a house from Mrs. Rhodes in St Eleanors, on the Old Town Road to Sherbrooke. Before the war was over, Harry was working as a boiler man, or heating system Engineer, at the new air base.
During WWII, three of Harry’s sons were old enough to enlist. One was critically injured overseas and eventually made it back to PEI to convalesce. The doctors advised the winter weather was too harsh for him and he would do better in a warmer climate. So in 1945 they sent him out to the west coast of Canada to live with relatives. As Harry no longer had a farm to care for, he quickly made plans to follow his son, thus starting the cross-Canada migration of most of his family, which occurred between 1945 and 1953. His oldest son George settled in Ontario after the war.
On Jan 29, 1946, Harry came west with his youngest son, and his sister Mabel and her husband Fred May. He settled in the Westholme area near Duncan and Chemainus on Vancouver Island, BC. Other children followed them. Nell stayed behind in PEI for another 4 years or so to look after her own aging parents. The separation was very hard on the family. Sometime before Mar 1948 they bought a home on some property on Herd Road (north of Duncan), but I don't think they were there long. Sometime after Granny arrived (about 1950), they moved into Duncan, just outside the city limits, and bought a little 2-bedroom house on Garden Street where I spent my early childhood. It had a lovely back yard with large maple and Bing cherry trees and a sizable garden where they grew raspberries, rhubarb, asparagus, cucumbers and of course potatoes as well as other vegetables - they certainly knew how to grow and preserve food. For a time Harry worked in the logging industry as a “whistle punk” in the bush near Duncan. He may also have worked with his son in a dairy and creamery, which was just at the end of the street. Their house no longer exists, but the memories do.
Fates later intervened, and after the start of WWII, it was decided by the powers that be that an airport and RCAF training base was needed on the Island. The farmlands of North St Eleanors were targeted as the ideal site. According to family stories, Harry and Nells’s farm of about 100 acres was one of the first to be appropriated. In about 1941 when Harry was bed ridden recovering from an accident, Granny was left to negotiation with the men who turned up at their door. They ended up getting a pittance for their property, although others latter held out for better deals. They then bought a house from Mrs. Rhodes in St Eleanors, on the Old Town Road to Sherbrooke. Before the war was over, Harry was working as a boiler man, or heating system Engineer, at the new air base.
During WWII, three of Harry’s sons were old enough to enlist. One was critically injured overseas and eventually made it back to PEI to convalesce. The doctors advised the winter weather was too harsh for him and he would do better in a warmer climate. So in 1945 they sent him out to the west coast of Canada to live with relatives. As Harry no longer had a farm to care for, he quickly made plans to follow his son, thus starting the cross-Canada migration of most of his family, which occurred between 1945 and 1953. His oldest son George settled in Ontario after the war.
On Jan 29, 1946, Harry came west with his youngest son, and his sister Mabel and her husband Fred May. He settled in the Westholme area near Duncan and Chemainus on Vancouver Island, BC. Other children followed them. Nell stayed behind in PEI for another 4 years or so to look after her own aging parents. The separation was very hard on the family. Sometime before Mar 1948 they bought a home on some property on Herd Road (north of Duncan), but I don't think they were there long. Sometime after Granny arrived (about 1950), they moved into Duncan, just outside the city limits, and bought a little 2-bedroom house on Garden Street where I spent my early childhood. It had a lovely back yard with large maple and Bing cherry trees and a sizable garden where they grew raspberries, rhubarb, asparagus, cucumbers and of course potatoes as well as other vegetables - they certainly knew how to grow and preserve food. For a time Harry worked in the logging industry as a “whistle punk” in the bush near Duncan. He may also have worked with his son in a dairy and creamery, which was just at the end of the street. Their house no longer exists, but the memories do.
Harry Charles ANDREW and family, 1959, Duncan BC In 1959 we had an Andrew family reunion at my aunt’s house in Duncan, and group pictures were taken by my Uncle Charlie. Harry and Nell posed with all their 7 children lined up in birth order behind them. The photo of their grandkids was more chaotic! Some of the 21 grandchildren hadn’t been born yet, while others didn’t make it into the photo. Perhaps it was nap time. I got to meet cousins from Ontario for the first time and play with my other Duncan cousins which made it a very memorable event for me.
Harry lived to be age 96, living in an extended care facility and bedridden for the last couple of years after a series of strokes. He had a good long life, and celebrated many milestone anniversaries throughout his retirement years with his wife Nell and their growing family. They also welcomed visitors (relatives, old neighbors and friends) from PEI and elsewhere to their home, always eager to hear news of the their first Island home. Growing up, I heard so many stories of their life on PEI, and how I wish I could go back and record them all! One day I really must visit their homeland.
Harry lived to be age 96, living in an extended care facility and bedridden for the last couple of years after a series of strokes. He had a good long life, and celebrated many milestone anniversaries throughout his retirement years with his wife Nell and their growing family. They also welcomed visitors (relatives, old neighbors and friends) from PEI and elsewhere to their home, always eager to hear news of the their first Island home. Growing up, I heard so many stories of their life on PEI, and how I wish I could go back and record them all! One day I really must visit their homeland.
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