I also visited him back and took photos in 2008.
Bertrum Melvin Theodore Belcher was born August 13, 1897 in the town of Park River, North Dakota. He was the son of Daniel Belcher and Elizabeth Jane 'Lizzie' McCoy. I am not sure what they were doing in Park River. But it was a railway junction a hundred miles south of Manitou, Manitoba where his mother's family lived. So it is easy to imagine his mason/contractor American father travelling there for work.
After Daniel died in 1901, Elizabeth and her children moved to Perdue, Saskatchewan and she married Wesley Kee.
After Daniel died in 1901, Elizabeth and her children moved to Perdue, Saskatchewan and she married Wesley Kee.
The first photo shows Bert and his older brother Fred about 1913.
The second shows the young widow Elizabeth Belcher and her children Fred, Bert and Margaret. (Margaret was my grandmother. Bert would have been my great-uncle).
The second shows the young widow Elizabeth Belcher and her children Fred, Bert and Margaret. (Margaret was my grandmother. Bert would have been my great-uncle).
Bert was a farm boy who joined the army in 1916 presumably to defeat the Germans, see the world and attain glory in battle. He didn't get far. in fact he didn't even make it out of basic training or out of Saskatchewan.
Stationed at Camp Dundurn outside of Saskatoon he soon got an infection on the mastoid process behind his ear. Even back in 1916 that should have been easy to cure but he died on April 14, 1916. He was still age 18 and had been in the army less than six months.
Even though he did in Saskatchewan, he was still considered a casualty of the Great War. He is recorded in military records and got a proper military grave marker.
Stationed at Camp Dundurn outside of Saskatoon he soon got an infection on the mastoid process behind his ear. Even back in 1916 that should have been easy to cure but he died on April 14, 1916. He was still age 18 and had been in the army less than six months.
Even though he did in Saskatchewan, he was still considered a casualty of the Great War. He is recorded in military records and got a proper military grave marker.
Plot 40-L021-C1/3 in Woodlawn Cemetery
1 comment:
Thanks for sharing Gregory. I had never heard that my birthdate of April 14 was the date of Bert's death. That must have brought up mixed feelings for our Grams.
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