War bride. Her father left her mother; Heddy was raised by her aunt. her cousins --- Aunt Anne -- were like sisters.

Gary says, 2020-07-20: I visited Mom's brother on one of my bike trips. He owned a liquor store in Terneuzen. I stayed there over night. Mom and Gust did not get along. I don't think he got along with anyone in the family. He said "it was the war".

2021-08: Dan says: I remember Mom doing clothing alterations for a Jewish couple, Jack & Goldie Stern who ran the Jack Stern clothing and shoe store on the left just before you got on the causeway - where the Needs or DTC Natural Store is now. Alison Banks from The Barrington Exchange says, “I remember them selling clothing upstairs and footwear downstairs” Wendy Belliveau says, “He used to operate from the old IOOF hall in Barrington also before they moved to the Causeway.”

Urania Crowell writes: Jack didn’t have any children. Goldie had a daughter by her first husband who died in the war. Both jack and Goldie were in concentration camps I know this because I work for them in Barrington Passage. They were good people and good bosses. They rose above all they experienced and SURVIVED being in a concentration camp. Then came to our little community and started a business. Our community should be so honored to have had these wonderful and determined people among us. 

See the document in Heddy’s photo list, “Canadian Wives’ Bureau - Civilian Repatriation Section” for the document.

Debbie Beavis, marine@beavis.co.uk writes:

As I explained, British passenger lists often do not include the name of the ship. I can however tell you that she sailed on the Aquitania which departed Southampton on 30 August 1946.

As you will see from the image, she was with a group of other women from Belgium and France who had also married Canadian servicemen. I have collected several accounts of voyages from woman who also made the journey from northern Europe. It seems they travelled in groups under escort on cross-Channel ferries then trains to London where they spent the night in a women’s hostel before taking the boat train down to Southampton. They were cared for usually by Red Cross volunteers and VADs (Volunteer Aid Detachments). There are no records of the first part of their voyages, but that account was repeated by numerous women so I have no reason to doubt it.

The Aquitania was a large vessel operated by the Cunard shipping company, requisitioned during the war to carry firstly troops and latterly war brides to Canada and the United States. The women were housed in bunks in groups and travelled in relative luxury compared to some of the women who travelled on smaller, slower vessels in cramped and overcrowded conditions.

The image you have shows the names of some of the women in the same group as your mother. Because of the language barriers, my understanding is that most of the non-British women were berthed together in adjacent cabins. You will notice several headings on the list. Most of them are self evident, including their priority passage number. You will also see a heading for ‘compassionate grounds.’ In order for the women to be processed they were categorised according to the urgency of their need to travel. Your mother was categorised as group N; this was reserved for women whose husbands were still overseas. You will also notice that your grandmother’s name was shown as the person who was to receive her when she arrived, in lieu of her husband.

There is also a heading ‘Immigration File’ which looks to be a file created by the Canadian authorities. However, it appears that nothing ever results from enquiries made by my clients of the archives in Canada regarding this file. I suspect the paperwork, if any, has been incorporated into the husband’s service record but I have no evidence to support that.

I hope this has answered some of your questions now that  you have documentary evidence of her tremendously brave undertaking.

About the wedding pictures, Mike Blades writes: I’ve been looking at the photos below for some time.  They were part of a wedding album put together for Mom.  These people were at her wedding in Antwerp in December 1945.  Her own mother and father do not appear to be among them, which I find strange.  Neither do her two brothers Harry and Gust.

For the upper photograph,  there was a caption.  It said (l to r) Aunti, Ma, Mary, Aunt ? (I can’t read it), Lilianne.  I don’t know who wrote it though.  Betty doesn’t recognize anyone in the photo.  

So who is “Ma”?    “Ma”, the lady with glasses, is too old to be Hedwig who would be 46 in 1945.   It could be one of Hedwig’s older sisters I suppose.    The little girl is Lilianne.  Betty doesn’t know a Lilianne in the family but there are a lot of pictures of Mom with her.   I think she must be the child of the lady at the right in the bottom picture but I am not sure.  The walled courtyard at the bottom has been identified as being in Brussels in other photos.  There are A LOT of photos of Mom with the lady at the right in that courtyard.  And with the little girl too.  And who is the old guy and the older blonde lady who seems to be his wife?

I feel if we can figure out who these people are we will know a lot more about how Mom spent her time in the early 40's.

2021-08 Mike & Gary say Blades write: I don't know but I believe Walters death precipitated a financial crisis. Heddy took a job at Minnie's Hat Shop. Probably the job was created for her to help her out. Minnie Kenney was the sister-in-law of Getrude Kenney, who was Walters sister. I would assume she was paid the minimum wage. Which was $1 an hour in 1958. Mike says: I know that she did seamstress work for the ladies who had the Hat Shoppe near the funeral parlor. There were a pair of old ladies who were related to the schoolteacher Elizabeth Kenny. They were also related to the Kenny who was married to Gertrude Blades. I can’t remember their names but Mom definitely worked at their Shoppe.

Gary Blades says: the reception was at the Victoria Hotel, propietor was Doug Hanks