BYERS ROOTS
                                                                                                                                                                    A family tree can wither if nobody tends its roots

BYERS   McCONNELL   SWALWELL   PERRY   BANNING      MAIN ROOTS PAGE


Like branches on a tree, our lives may grow in different directions, but our roots remain as one.

This page last updated June 3, 2008

Click a family name from the menu at the top of this screen or scroll down for articles and links.

Of "relative" interest:

Keeping Memories Alive: The Family of Terry & Val Hvidston (my McConnell cousins)
826 Mechanic Street (my Swalwell cousins)
The Banning Family (line of an American cousin)


Obituaries, Stories, Announcements and Sources

Obituaries:

Annie Bertha Banning

The funeral of Miss Annie Bertha Banning took place on Thursday, July 30. After a short service of prayer with the bereaved at the house, the body was conveyed to St. George's Parish Church, where the Burial Service was conducted by the Rector. The proper lesson was read by the Reverend G. A. Brunet, Rector of Pakenham. From the church the body was taken to St. George's Cemetery where interment was made in the family plot. The pall-bearers were Messrs. W. E. James, George Robertson, Newton Halpenny, Thomas Thompson, George Bolger and Arthur Nolan. Among those present at the funeral from a long distance were Mr. and Mrs. Bob Anderson, Mrs. Tom Coulter, Mrs B. Coulter of Ottawa, Mr. and Mrs. Bowland of Carleton Place, Mrs. Willis of Arnprior, Mr. and Mrs. Drummond, of Renfrew, and many friends from Almonte. Miss Banning, who had been ill for a period of five years, was in her fifty-fourth year. She was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ozias Banning of Clayton, and was held in most high esteem by all who knew her. She was all her life a most consistent and devoted member of the Church of England. She leaves to survive her, her brother Mr. William Banning of Winnipeg, and Mrs. John Bowland, her sister of Clayton. "Resquiescat in pace."

Ellen (Banning) Byers

The Renfrew Mercury
September 6, 1907

Douglas - August 28, 1907
The funeral of the late Mrs. William Byers, formerly of this neighbourhood, but lately of Nipissing District, took place from Grand Trunk Station on Monday, the 26th of August, at 2:30 o'clock, to the Douglas Cemetery. Rev. Mr. Moore conducted the service at the grave. The deceased's maiden name was Ellen Banning.

Florence Mary (Perry) Byers

The North Bay Nugget
November 13, 1939

Callander: Many residents of Callander district attended the funeral Saturday afternoon of Mrs. John Byers, one of Nipissing's earliest residents, at Callander. Miss Nellie South and Miss Katie Robinson officiated at the service. The pall-bearers were Gordon and Allen Grawbarger, Wesley and Percy Watson and Carl and Llloyd McDaniel. Interment was in Nipissing Cemetery. She was in her 67th year. Mrs. Byers died Thursday night at the home of her son, Irvin Byers, in Callander. She had been ill since last April. She was born at Parham, Ont., the former Florence Mary Perry, daughter of Parker Perry and the late Mrs. Perry. She moved to the Nipissing district at the age of six years and resided in the district since that time. Her marriage took place June 8, 1897. She is survived by her husband, four daughters, Mrs. S. Grawbarger of Larder Lake; Mrs. A.W. Radkey of Larder Lake; Mrs. Bert Johnston of Callander; and Mrs. W.I. Clark of Sturgeon Falls; and six sons, William and Enos of Nipissing; and Alex, Levi, Gordon and Irvin of Callander. Also surviving are her father, four sisters, Mrs. William King of Nipissing; Mrs. A. Stark of Shingleton, Mich.; Mrs. R. Atwood of Grand Rapids, Mich. and Mrs. W. McCollan of Emsdale; and two brothes, George of Nipissing, and Hiram of Greensville, Mich. Attending the funeral from out-of-town points were Gordon and Allan Grawbarger of Asterville, Wesley and Percy Watson and Carl and Lloyd McDaniel of Nipissing and others.


John Alexander Byers

The North Bay Nugget
Tuesday July 13, 1948

Powasson: Funeral services will be held at Powasson, Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock for John Alexander Byers, who died Monday at his home in Powasson. He was 86 years of age and was ill for only two days before his death. The service will be held at the home of his son, Irvin, with Rev. Knowles officiating, and interment will take place in the Nipissing Cemetery. Mr. Byers six sons will act as pall-bearers. Born at Eganville, son of the late Mr. and Mrs. James Byers, he moved to Nipissing in 1894 and lived there until two years ago when he moved to Powasson. One of the best known residents of the Nipissing area, he worked as a sawmill employee and farmer most of his life. Mr. Byers was predeceased by his wife, the former Florence Mary Perry nine years ago. He is survived by four daughters, Mrs. Clinton Turcotte, North Bay; Mrs. S. Grawbarger, Callander; Mrs. A.W. Radkey, Larder Lake; Mrs. Bert Johnston, Simcoe; and six sons, William, Mimico; Alex and Levi, Callander; Enos, Gordon and Irvin, Powasson. Two brothers Thomas, Powasson and Robert, Pittsburgh, Penn., also survive.

William James Byers

The Renfrew Mercury
August 6, 1920

Rev. D.H. Hodges of Admaston has been called on to officiate at two funerals this week. The second was Mr. William Byers of Nipissing whose remains were brought here for burial on Tuesday evening.


Joseph David King

Manitoulin Expositor
November 28, 1979

A former resident of Little Current Joseph King of St. Catharines died Wednesday, Nov. 7 at Hotel Dieu Hospital, St. Catharines following a brief illness. He was 73. Funeral services were held Saturday at 2 p.m. from Paul Funeral Chapel, Powassan, Ontario. Interment at Nipissing Cemetery. Born, March 21, 1906 at Luther, Michigan. Mr. King was the son of the late Mr. & Mrs. William King. Mr. King was employed with the C.P.R. for 31 years and was a member of the senior citizens Club, St. Catharines, a member of the Orange Lodge at Little Current and a former member of the Little Current town council. Mr. King is survived by his wife the former Thelma Allan whom he married Oct. 13, 1927 at North Bay, one son Gordon of Los Angeles and one daughter Mrs. Clayton (Norma) Taylor of Elliot Lake. Also surviving are five brothers and four sisters, Simon and Daniel of Nipissing, George and Henry of Sudbury, John of Blind River; Mrs. Fred (Ruth Young of Powasson,: Mrs. Rufus (Ethel) Newbatt of Thunder Bay; Mrs. Richard (Florence)Busby of Iron Bridge and Mrs. Jean Yerkie of St. Catharines. Ten grandchildren and twelve great grandchildren also survive.

Stories:

The Byers Story
-- by Mary (Byers) (Clark) Turcott's Memory: (1898-1981)

Great Grand Dad William Byers, father of six sons and two daughters, lived in Bromley, the Township Douglas, Ontario is in. He purchased 250 acres from Elizabeth Bethune in 1848, who had taken it up from the Crown in 1810 at the price of $200. He later acquired 200 more which was the best land in Eastern Ontario. He owned it until 1878. He was classed as a Merchant. He built a beautiful stone home in 1846 (he also built barns) situated six miles from Ottawa, between Richmond and Bell’s Corners.

One of his sons, William, was married in this home and his family was six sons and three daughters; William James Byers born January 8, 1860; Dad – John Alexander Byers born October 19, 1862; Alice Byers born October 24, 1864; Maggie Byers born August 23, 1866; Ozias Byers born January 24, 1869; Thomas Byers born July 30, 1871; Duncan Byers born November 13, 1893; Robert Byers born September 6, 1878; Annie Byers born August 26, 1880; now all deceased.

One of their homes that William (Grand-dad) and his family lived in is still standing in a field where the cows pasture near Douglas, Ontario. William Byers and his wife Ellen (my Grandparents) and his daughter Annie, his son Robert (Bob) moved to the Brule approximately 1888, from the township of Admaston, not far from Douglas. William Byers drove his team of horses and sleigh up the old Cadge road following the Ottawa River. His wife Ellen and daughter Annie came by train. The livestock were loaded in a boxcar and William Byers son Bob stayed with the livestock, they were shipped to Nipissing Junction, from there to Nipissing Village. The snow was deep and roads not opened. They reached King’s place just past Nipissing Village a few miles, and stayed overnight. But not without a cow wedged down in the manger overnight. In the morning Bob had to cut some of the manger to get the cow out. Mr. King was furious, so Bob repaired the manger. Next day he reached his destination, rented Harry Steele’s house for two years in Nipissing Village. He then purchased government land 400 acres in the Brule, built a home and barns. The buildings have since been burned. Barbers became owners of the land, new owners at present. When living on the farm at the Brule, Bob fell the trees and planted grain among the roots and cut the ripe grain with scythe and sycle with the help of his father, William Byers. Mrs. William Byers (Grandma Ellen) dried the wild strawberries and blueberries, cranberries and plums and preserved raspberries, etc. They lived there until Ellen (Banning) Byers passed away August 23, 1907 and have both been buried in the graveyard at Douglas, Ontario. *(William James Byers died August 6, 1921)

Bob eventually sold the place and built Sunset Cove, then he sold and moved to Peterborough, Ontario to a farm with his family, then to Rochester, New York, where he passed away and was buried there. His wife and family still survive, all living in the States. Annie, she married Lorne Byers near Douglas and had a family of four sons and one daughter. The family never married. One of the sons was accidentally shot. The family lived on a farm, the family residence until lately, sold and retired in Eganville. Annie and Lorne both deceased eventually and maybe before the father and mother moved to live in Nipissing. Thomas, Alice, John, William, Duncan, Ozias Byers lived in the vicinity of Nipissing Village or the Brule, and raised their families there, also my father John Byers and his brother William Byers were here in about the year 1882.


Sources:

Currently, my research has come from a variety of sources, most being either family information passed on or from the details of census returns, and birth, marriage and death registries.

Census Returns:

England
A census of the population of England & Wales has been taken every ten years since 1801 with the exception of 1941.  The 1841 census was the first to list names of each individual in the household.  Census records for England & Wales are opened to the public 100 years after each census has been taken.  This means a census will be released every ten years.  The next census to be opened will be the 1911 census in 2012.

Canada
A census of the population of Canada has been reported since 1825.  Census records of Canada are opened to the public 92 years after each census has been taken.  This means a census will be released every ten years.  The next census to be opened will be the 1921 census in 2013.

United States
A census of the population of the United States has been reported since 1790.  Census records of the United States are opened to the public 72 years after each census has been taken.  The next census to be opened will be the 1940 census in 2012.

Other Sources:

Keeping Memories Alive: The Family History of Terry & Val Hvidston
My American Heritage by Mary Banning Friedlander
The Generations Network
NewspaperARCHIVE.com
Northern Ontario Gravemaker Gallery
Family Search
New England Willeys & Some Unconnected Willey Lines


Main Roots page