Monday, July 02, 2012

July 2nd, 2012

My Maiden Aunt






Hildred Evelyn Thompson  ca 1918
Bd. July 2nd, 1903
D.  Nov. 26th, 1994




My grandparents were both descendants of United Empire Loyalist who had settled
on land in Southern Ontario after the American Revolution.

Before they came West they lived in Chesterville, where this picture of
Hildred, their youngest daughter, was taken.

and here, the family  in a visit to say goodbye to her Grandfather, before 
the journey west to Calgary.

Before a half a dozen years had passed my father, leaning on the left side of the post
had been wounded at Cambrai in the First World War,
and Harriet and Edith,  my other two Aunts at the right had married
and then tragically died in the Influenza Epidemic of 1918.


When my Aunt Hildred had finished school she became a secretary, working for the
 United Grain Growers of Alberta.   She became engaged, but didn't marry when her fiance turned 
out to be a  rascal and a bounder, so that when I began spending childhood summers in Calgary
she was there, at my Grandparents' home, beloved of all her nieces and nephews.



The epitome of kindness, love, generosity and patience.

I loved her dearly.



The last gift of all is Remembrance and I hope I can pass that on to my family
so that her memory is cherished at least for another generation. 

4 comments:

Barb said...

You take after her in personality maybe? I like the old photos., Hildred.

Morning's Minion said...

When I began researching vital statistics on my father's family I was startled to find the losses to the Influenza Epidemic. My father was born in 1916, so perhaps never knew either.
I have been gathering information for about a dozen years, collecting old photos, writing down the family stories. We keepers of the family history all hope someone will later be interested and glad we have done this.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

A lovely post! You are keeping your Aunt's memory alive (and you are her namesake I assume)....

Dimple said...

I love these old photos, Hildred. I also love that you have written a small part of your aunt's story--I hope others enjoy it, as well.