family history101`

 Well it's been a busy few days, even though i have little to show for it . I have been drawing and done a little painting but nothing worth sharing.  But here follows a bit of Jaggard family history. that connects  "cousin" Ardith to the Jaggard family and has a detailed history. 

In simple terms, my father at the age of approximately 20"ish" took himself on a 3 week voyage across the Atlantic to Quebec and then a long train journey to the prairies of Manitoba and Winnipeg . He went in response to a newspaper ad, hiring men to harvest the massive amounts of grain now being grown there. Somehow or other , perhaps in a working mens  social club he met Frederick Jaggard who hailed from Suffolk, England . Frederick was the father of Edith and throughout my entire childhood in Suffolk England , a Christmas card and letter would arrive at our door. Every year I asked my parents who is Edith, and where is Canada and why does she send us a card and letter.? That was from my earliest memories in the early 50's and  family  news would be shared and occasionally a photo would accompany it . As you might imagine,  even though my father was the connection , it was my mother who maintained the correspondence with Edith.   In 1967 , or there abouts,  my mother who had never travelled outside of UK decided that she and my father would go and meet Edith and family in Winnipeg , Canada  so that the stories of my father in in the 20's could be verified.  The visit was like a state occasion for my family , treated like loyalty and Edith was finally able to introduce her daughter Ardith to my parents , about age 11? (not sure ) My memorable gift from that trip was a 6" wooden totem pole . The artefacts that my father still had from his time in the 20'-30' was a pair of child's s suede moccasins with tiny red, and white beads sewn in  a pattern on the front and also a leather cushion cover with a hand painted "red Indian " profile and feathers. The cushion had large slits in the leather to make tassel like edging. ,no doubt tourist gifts from the 30's when people of First Nation manufactured these things for sale. 

Edith and my parents stayed in touch and the correspondence continued every Christmas until my mother passed away. So that annual exchange had lasted from about 1939, through to my father's passing in 1995, until 2001 .  The baton  had to pass to me because i needed to let Edith know the sad news . And so at this time i was graced with annual letters from Edith and news of the weather , the success of the vegatable garden and the winter weather . Edith sent photos of her daughter Ardith , her husband and the grandsons , all living in Winnipeg . This strange but almost obvious connection , that might have started with my father meeting a man with the same unusual surname from Suffolk , continued. My brother  who followed my mothers interest in genealogy has searched for what feels like the inevitable family connection back in Suffolk , England but  no Frederick Jaggard appears to be available to find .But life goes on and because I live in USA its only a matter of time before Ardith and I start to connect because Edith is aging and her sad demise brings the end of that era. You don't need me to tell the reader that Ardith and i correspond now but more through email, and FINALLY last June I made my first visit to Winnipeg and met Ardith and family at last . That  is about 70 plus years of family history!!!  

AND NOW Ardith and husband came to visit me in British Columbia last week .  I wonder if  need to prepare my daughters and get Ardith's sons lined up to carry the story on . 

The rest of my news will follow but not today as i think i have exhausted all readers . 

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My Cousin Ardith and husband Randy 

at Tower Point Metchosin , BC .