Kenora Great War Project

 

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The People

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These are the stories of Kenora participants in the First World War.

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Bjornson, Sigmundur

According to his attestation papers Sigmundur Bjornson was born on 5 June 1889 in Ladfjord, Iceland. (His marriage record listed Hnitborg, Gokururhlid, Iceland as his place of birth while a Keewatin history book gave his date of birth as 1 June 1888.) His parents Bjorn Hannesson and Steinunn Eyriksdottir married in Kirkjubaer I Hroarstunga, Nordur-Mulasysla… Read More »

Lauzon, Antoine Napoleon

Private Antoine Napoleon Lauzon enlisted in May 1916 and served in France with the 44th Battalion. He was wounded at the Battle of Valenciennes, in the last days of the war, and he spent more than a year recovering in hospitals. Antoine was born on 17 October 1887 in St. Boniface, Manitoba. His birth was… Read More »

Robertson, William

Corporal William Robertson was 52 years old when he enlisted in July 1916. He served in France with the Canadian Forestry Corps and returned to Canada in December 1917. William was born on 8 November 1863 in Cupar, County of Fife, Scotland. His wife, Bertha Louisa Thompson, was born in Lancashire, England. They were married… Read More »

Storey, Hayston

Hayston Storey was born on 20 March 1892 in Oulton, Cumberland, England. He was the son of Esther Storey, also born in Oulton, and grandson of James and Mary (née Hayston) Storey. Over the years grandfather James worked as a cotton weaver, husbandman (free tenant farmer) and in latter years operated a market gardening business… Read More »

Reeves, Percy Harper

Percy Harper Reeves was born on 27 August 1893 in Parishville, St Lawrence County, New York. His father Samuel Reeves, a barber, was from Brantford, Ontario while his mother Mary Elizabeth (Eliza) Jesmer was from the Parishville area where her family farmed. By the time of the 1891 Canada census Eliza was living in Brantford… Read More »

Love, James Alexander

James Alexander Love was born on 24 May 1885 in Listowell, Perth, Ontario. He was the first born child of Irish immigrants William Love and Mary Ann Scott. Another child, daughter Annie Jane, was born in Listowell before the family moved to the Tenby/Kelwood area in Manitoba to farm, living there by the time of… Read More »

Coppard, Richard

Private Richard Coppard enlisted in February 1915 and arrived in France a year later. He suffered gas poisoning in March 1918 and died in a hospital in England. Richard was the oldest son of Henry Coppard and Maria McPherson of Kenora, Ontario. Henry, also known as Harry, was from Rye, Sussex, England and his wife… Read More »

McMurdie, Edward Alphonse

According to his birth registration*, Edward Alphonse McMurdie was born on 17 October 1887 in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora), Ontario. Born in Lambeth, Surrey, England, father Charles McMurdie had immigrated to Canada around 1870 while his mother Catherine (née Sullivan) McMurdie was from Peterborough, Ontario. Although Charles was found in the Rat Portage area… Read More »

Leyoux, Emile

Sapper Emile Leyoux enlisted three times using three different names (Emile Leyou/Leyoux, Emile Gosselin and Emil Gosling). He served in Canada, Great Britain and France for about 18 months and returned to Canada in March 1919. Emile probably grew up in the district of Nipissing, Ontario but nothing has been found yet about his early… Read More »

Purvis, Thomas Harry

Thomas Harry Purvis was born in 1897 in the Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland registration district, birth registered during the 3rd quarter. His parents were William John Purvis and Sarah Hannah Forster who had married in 1896. Thomas had a younger sister Martha who was born in 1900. It appears that Thomas’ father died in 1910…. Read More »