Nelson Smith Lived the Twentieth Century

 Nelson William Smith, b. 12 September 1900 at Ridgeville, Manitoba, d. 28 August 1994 at Duncan, British Columbia

Father: Thomas William Smith, b. 15 December 1867 at Barry, Ontario, d. 6 September 1946 at Duncan, British Columbia
Mother: (Minnie) Wilhemena Ellen Tohm, b. 5 October 1880 at Poland, d. 28 September 1957 at Duncan, British Columbia

Spouse: Marie Helen Rhena Peters, b. 12 October 1912, d. 10 July 1998

Spouse: Gladys May Baxter, d. 27 June 1954 at Duncan, British Columbia

Father: Henry Arthur Baxter
Mother: Mahalia Emily Markham

Children and grandchildren:

  1. Marjorie May Smith, b. 1 October 1925 at Duncan, British Columbia, m. Clayton Eugene Brandt, m. Dennis Ellis Humphreys, 9 March 1946 at Vancouver, British Columbia; 1 grandchild
  2. Harold Nelson Smith, b. 19 March 1932 at Cardston, Alberta, m. Madeline Gonzales, m. Theresa Canute, m. Betty Forest, d. 25 December 1986 at Duncan, British Columbia; 5 grandchildren
  3. Jean Gertrude Smith, b. 28 August 1936 at Victoria, British Columbia, m. Raymond John Dysart, 23 October 1954 at Duncan, British Columbia, m. Michael Lukoni, 12 November 1965, div. 1982, m. Joseph Dennis Beaudry, 1987; 3 grandchildren
nels as a small child



(circa 1903)
Nels models baby boy clothing style  of the new century.  

nels circa 1928
Left: Gladys and Nels circa 1928  Right: Nels in 1989, receiving the Order of Odd Fellows
Baxter family in England


Gladys Baxter pictured with her parents (Mahalia Emily Markham & Henry Arthur Baxter) in England, before their emigration to Canada.
Harold and Marjorie



Harold Nelson Smith with sister Marjorie May Smith (circa 1942)

Nels was the first born of Thomas and Minnie Smith at the farm in Ridgeville, Manitoba. About 1907, the family moved to Winnipeg where Nels attended a few years of school. They moved to Duncan, British Columbia in 1920.

Nels married Gladys May Baxter in Vancouver during the early 20's. At the time, he was building grain elevators with Jack Davidson, a cousin from the 'Richard Smith' family. By 1925, when their first child Marjorie was born, they had moved back to the island where Nels worked as a steam engineer, garage mechanic and school bus driver for a few years. The family lived a short time in Alberta where Harold was born. In 1936, when Jean was born, the family had returned to the coast . A series of family business ventures followed: View Royal Store and Auto Court, Crossroads Store and Garage in Pitt Meadows, a cleaning business in North Vancouver. They returned to Duncan in 1949.

Gladys died in 1954. A few years later Nels married Maria Helen Rhena Peters.

Left to right (circa 1942) Marjorie Smith, Nels Smith, Josie Smith, Harold Smith, Gladys Baxter

Nels was a great outdoorsman. (Jean)" As far back as I can remember my Dad only missed a year of two of not going hunting." Between 1949 until 1970, Nelse and brother Les made an annual hunting trip.

Nels left a set of journals of his daily affairs written between 1973 and 1985. The last, shaky entry in November is testimony to the long life of a warm and friendly man: "...met Rob Menzie also Gus Philpott. Lunch at Totem."
nels on a prairie combine Nels tried many jobs in his life time.  The back of this photo from 1948 contains the following:

Nels on the 'new' combine which picks up the wheat which has been swathed and is laying in rows on top of the stubble, and threshes it as it goes along.  The truck draws up alongside and the wheat spills out into the truck box, and is then taken to grainery in background.