Somehow Related: Maisie

Wednesday, September 4, 2019

School Days in Calgary, Alberta, Canada ~ Mary Elizabeth Thomson

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 36 (SCHOOL DAYS)

This week I share with you my grandma's school days in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

The inspiration for this week's blog is a tea mug that my grandmother brought home with her from the 75th Anniversary of Hillhurst School in 1987.

Grandma loved this mug, and it is still in perfect condition after 32 years. Grandma cared for it until her death in 2005. My father cared for it until he gave it to me several months ago. Grandma was born in Scotland, and took her tea very seriously.The lack of stains suggests Grandma never used this mug. I too take my tea seriously -- this mug will never be used because it just doesn't hold enough tea. This mug has a special place in the heart of my kitchen - as the base for our Google Home Mini beside the glass canister holding the tea bags.

Hillhurst School is now an elementary school, but when my grandmother attended it was a middle school.

All of the schools grandma attended are still standing, and in use as schools today.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Grandma attended Sunnyside School for her Elementary years.

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with her doll and stroller

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with
her older sister Marion Isabelle (known as Maisie) Thomson

Mary Elizabeth Thomson (elementary school age) with
her father Thomas Thomson, and older sister Marion Isabelle (known as Maisie) Thomson

Sunnyside School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Click the link to view the CELEBRATING 100 YEARS at SUNNYSIDE
https://www.btcalgary.ca/videos/sunnyside-school-turns-100/

JUNIOR HIGH (AKA MIDDLE) SCHOOL

Grandma attended Hillhurst School for her Middle School years.

Mary Elizabeth Thomson, about middle school age

Grandma attended Hillhurst School for her Middle School Years.

The present day elementary school once served as a junior highschool.

Hillhurst School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

HIGH SCHOOL

Grandma attended Crescent Heights High School for her High School years.

Mary Elizabeth Thomson, about high school age

Crescent Heights Highschool was built in 1928, and opened on January 7th 1929. Grandma was still in middle school when the highschool opened so wasn't one of the first students to attend.

Crescent Heights High School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The first day she attended Crescent Heights High School she would have walked under the sign labeled as the GIRLS entrance that had been carved by her father, Thomas Thomson.

1 "There were two separate entrances, one for girls and one for boys."

Thomas Thomson was a well known stonemason who traveled all over North America for work. He carved many monuments in the Calgary area. Grandma told me stories of her father carving the BOYS & GIRLS entry signage for a school she attended. Only Crescent Heights had that signage which leaves me to conclude those signs were carved by my great grandfather Thomas Thomson.* Thomas was well known for his Gargoyle carvings. There are many carvings all over Canada and the United States that were carved by Thomas.

Crescent Heights High School Calgary, Alberta, Canada 2

*Not to be confused with the famous Canadian Artist Thomas Thomson - who may be a relative, but whether that is true is currently unknown.

~

Grandma enjoyed her school days. While I was growing up she told me many stories that included her sister, cousins, and school friends. Grandma told me that wished she had pursued journalism. She was a great writer, and wrote many poems. She would be pleased that I am writing the family stories.

Historical information & artifacts bringing stories to life!

This is why I search -

Cause ...

You can pick your friends, but you can't pick your family you know!

***Any errors are my own. Please send me any updates or corrections via the comments at the bottom of this blog post***

Sources:

1 Calgary Public Library, historic, Crescent Heights High School, Retrieved September 4th 2019 from
https://web.archive.org/web/20021221213418/http://calgarypubliclibrary.com/calgary/historic_tours/corner/chhs.htm

2 Alberta Heritage Markers, Way Marking, Crescent Heights High School Calgary, AB, Retrieved September 4th 2019 from
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMZAP2_Crescent_Heights_High_School_Calgary_AB

Links:

Amy Johnson Crow, 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks Challenge
https://www.amyjohnsoncrow.com/

Crescent Heights School
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/CrescentHeights/Pages/default.aspx

Hillhurst School
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/Hillhurst/Pages/default.aspx

Sunnyside School
http://school.cbe.ab.ca/school/sunnyside/Pages/default.aspx

Somehow Related Previous Blogs:

Somehow Related Blog Spot, Remembering - Thomas & Elizabeth Young (nee Slicer) Thomson, and politics,
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/02/remembering-thomas-elizabeth-young-nee.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot, 3 Bricks in the Wall ~ Thomas Thomson (Stonemason, Brick House, Genealogical Brick Wall),
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/04/3-bricks-in-wall-thomas-thomson.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot, Elizabeth & Thomas - Together Again,
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/05/elizabeth-thomas-together-again.html

Somehow Related Blog Spot, School Autograph Books, Calgary: 1927 to 1932 ~ Marion (Maisie) Thomson,
https://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/2019/06/school-autograph-books-calgary-1927-to.html

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include a link to the specific blog and

credit http://somehowrelated.blogspot.com/

My blogs are ©Deborah Buchner, 2014 forward.
All rights reserved.
Please & Thank you!
_____________________________________________________________________

Saturday, June 15, 2019

School Autograph Books, Calgary: 1927 to 1932 ~ Marion (Maisie) Thomson

52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks: Week 24 (DEAR DIARY)

"These are my garden plots
To plant sweet forget-me-nots
~ Maisie Thomson"

These are the words inside the front cover of 1 of the 3 autograph books that were kept by Marion Thomson (known as Maisie) during her schooling years in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Maisie was my grandmother Mary Elizabeth Thomson's sister. She was the only aunt my dad knew he had growing up. After Maisie passed away in 1996 her husband, Wally, sent these along with other treasures to my grandmother. After my grandmother passed away my dad gave them to me. He knew that I would keep them safe since I am the keeper of the stories.

The books are in surprisingly good shape given them are more than 90 years old, and haven't been stored in ideal conditions. The tape on the inside front cover of one has broken, but the other two are in very good shape. The writing is still legible. Most of the ink has held up better over time than some of the pencil. There is even a 1 cent stamp on one page.

There are a lot of pages about future marriages and children. One even references how it would be lucky for Auntie Maisie to have a son as her first born. Auntie Maisie never had any children. It's clear from reading the messages that most young women expected to get married fairly young, and have children.

My favourite entry was from Edra Hines on January 9th 1928.
She wrote:

"Dear Marion
Love many,
Trust few,
But always paddle your
own canoe.
~ Edra Hines"
***she didn't author it, but was passing a fine message along***

My grandmother and aunt were definitely before their time. They both had post secondary education, and careers. Edra Hines made several entries over the years. I feel she was a good friend to Auntie Maisie. Maybe they even stayed connected over the years. I would love to know what happened to Edra Hines.

I was thrilled to find 2 messages from my grandmother to her sister,

and 2 from their mother (my great grandmother).

And their cousins

Plus my X2 great aunt Mary

I was excited to see the famous Nancy Tuttle left a message. I grew up listening to Grandma talk about her friend Nancy Tuttle.
I'm guessing May must have been Nancy's sister.

This is not even half of the pages that the books have, but it is quite a few. I have uploaded them in no particular order exactly how Auntie Maisie's autograph books were. The dates span 1927 to 1932. There are entries for different years in pages next to each other.