Mrs and Mrs. F.C. Mansell, Alex, Dorothy, Ivy and Lillian
in the potato patch in the Assiniboine Valley
Mrs and Mrs. F.C. Mansell, Alex, Dorothy, Ivy and Lillian
in the potato patch in the Assiniboine Valley
Elizabeth Mary (Tothill) Lewis, widow with a
young daughter, May, and Frederick Charles Mansell were
married in London, England, on July 20th, 1905.
Fred sailed for Canada alone the following week After landing at
Montreal he came west to Winnipeg. His first job was with the T. Eaton Co. He was offered
the job of secretary to the manager, Gillroy, if he would stay, but he refused, as his aim
was to farm.
He had been given the name of someone in the Russell area by friends in
England, so on leaving Winnipeg came on to Rulssell. He worked at setting up telephone
poles to Shellmollth, and in writing back to his wife in England, he stated, it was a far
cry from lifting a pen in an office Fred's sense of humour was evident by the way he
headed his letters, "Sedgfield Manor", when he wrote back to his wife; she
thought it must be a large estate.
She sailed for Canada in January, 1906 and as he had explained very
little of conditions here at that time in his letters to her, but told her if he wasn't at
the station to meet her, she was to go to the "Grand Central Hotel" which at
that time was just a small frame building. On arriving at Russell on February 1st, her
birthday, he was there with a team and sleigh to meet her. Everything was so different to
what she had been accustomed to, having been born and lived all her life up to that time
in the heart of the city of London. She asked Fred where this "Grand Central
Hotel" was that she was supposed to go to - expecting to see a big
"metropolis". When he pointed it out to her she said, "What, that little
wooden hut!"
As they drove out to the Alex Lorimer farrn, northwest of the village of
Russell, where he was working at the time, she said to him, "I shall be so glad to
get home so I may have a bath" Fred told her, "You don't bath in this country in
the winter time, you'd freeze to death."
She was welcomed warmly and treated as one of the family in this
pioneer household. One of the many things that a amazed her in the weeks ahead was the way
the oldest children in the family shared the work. Kate, who was twelve at that time,
would do the family washing.
Fred continued to work at a number of places in the following years,
learning the work of farming. Mrs. Mansell was at Tom Simm's in 1907
where Fred was working when their first child, Alexander Wilfred was born
on April 20.
Two years later on May 17th, 1909, their second child, Mabel
Ivy, was born at that time Mrs. Mansell was staying at the Frank and
Daisy Burley farm.
Three years later when Fred worked for Andrew and Willie
Wallace in the valley near Shellmouth, their third child, Dorothy Pitt,
was born on March 30th, 1912. Mrs. Joe Norquay who was noted for her willingness to, help
but at times of child-birth was there to assist.
About June of l912, the family moved to Fred's homestead in the
valley, on the banks of the Assiniboine Rivers. This was the N.E. quarter of 22-21-29.
Fred continued to works out to get money to buy horses and equipment. Harold
Russell, who was their neighbour to the north, would help with the seeding and
harvesting until such time as Fred was able to do it himself. It was here on July 19th,
1915, that their fourth child, Lillian Maud was born.
In the winter of 1916, the family again lived at the Wallace brother's
place, looking after it and the stock while they made a trip back to England to visit. In
the spring of 1917 Fred again worked for Tom Simms, and the family lived on the Tommy
Jackson farm nearby. After that they moved back to the homestead, where they continued to
live and farm until Fred's sudden death in August, 1924. Farming was mixed, grain, cattle,
pigs and hens, all on a small scale.
Alex, who was working at Dropmore for Ed Comfort at this
time came home and took over the responsibility of the farm at the age of 17.
The children attended school at Endcliffe, having nearly four miles to
go, walking in the early years, leaving home at 7:30 a.m. and missing most of the winter
months. Later on horses were either ridden or driven, making it possible to attend all
year.
Dorothy Mansell married David Cusitar in
May of 1931, living on Davids farm, 1-21-29 in the Brightside district, west of Russell.
On May 2nd, 1933, their first son, David Roy, was born, and on June 14th,
1944, their second son, William Frederick. They attended Brightside and
Russell schools.
In October of 1958, David and Dorothy and son Williams along with Mrs.
Mansell, who had resided with them since 1946, moved to the town of Russell to live, and
on October 26th of that year, Roy married Margaret Ida Hertlein of
Minniska and they carried on the farming. They have a son, James Frederick,
born December 4th, 1959, and a daughter Linda Michelle, born May 7th,
1961, and a daughter Dorothy Shannon, born February 16tht 1965.
After moving to Russell, William finished his high school and is now in
training at the Manitoba Institute of Technology in Winnipeg.
Mrs. Mansell died in October, 1962, in her ninetieth year, remaining
active until near the end.
Family of Frederick Charles Mansell:
Alex, married Edith Dunkin, six children: Joan,
married Eric Ireland and has three children, Timothy, Lenore and
Douglas; Shirley married Lyle Schwalm and they
have four children, Bob, Connie, Penny and Pat (twins); Bill;
Clifford married Sandra Brown and has three children, Candace,
Gordon and Lori; Douglas married Marni Cochrane;
and youngest daughter, Janet.
Ivy married Jack Shipp, has one boy, Harold
who married Carol Duke and they have one son, Vernon.
Dorothy married Dave Cusitar two sons - Roy
married Margaret Hertlein and has three children, Jim, Linda and
Shannon; and Bill.
Lillian married Thomas Bennett, deceased; Lillian
remarried Walter Roulston.
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