This is my metaphor for my never ending search. With a little bit of authentic record that I have, I stumbled upon a bit more information that may lead me further into the past. Having in hand a copy of my grandparents’ marriage registration from 1921, I have gleaned information that this was a second marriage for my grandfather Wilson. With a little digging through the 1911 Canada census records on line for Manitoba, I did find a listing for a Charles Henry Wilson living in Winnipeg, married to a “Margreth E” or Margaret E perhaps and this Charles reported his occupation as “chauffeur”, was born in the USA and had come to Canada in 1910. He reports his birth date as July 1882.

I knew my grandfather had served in WWI prior to being married to my grandmother. A previous search of the registrant records for Canadian soldiers in WWI did give me a possible lead. With that information in my mind, I compared the WWI record with the 1911 census record. My “spidey sense” tells me these two records point to the same person. Both records list the birth date as July 1882. The WWI record indicates Charles’ next of kin as his mother “Hannah” which is the first name that is listed on my grandparent’s marriage registration. My gut tells me this is the same person. The wrench in this whole thing is that I’ve been told that my grandfather died just 2 weeks short of his “70th” birthday. Records report that he died in July of 1948 so the month fits the profile. The year though, if he was truly born in 1882, doesn’t; if he was indeed born in 1882 then he would have been just short of his “67th” birthday – that is 3 years off the mark.

Of course, from my calculations, my grandparents were married for 27 years, that being from May 1921 to July 1948. He lists his age at that time as “34″; 34 plus 27 equals 61 which of course doesn’t make 66 much less 69. I do believe that my grandfather fudged on his age when he married. I am told he was “much older” than my grandmother; that is true if he was born in 1882, making him 16 years older than my grandmother (grandma was born in 1898).

My next step then, I have decided, is to attempt to get the WWI records for the “Charles Hendy Wilson” who was born in 1882. I am hoping there is more information there, and perhaps even a picture???

Wish me luck! The road goes on…….