Joe and Anne Greenwood's lives had centered
around Harrogate, Yorkshire, England prior to
coming to Canada in 1908 to make their home.
Born in 1971, Joe had gone to work at twelve years
of age in the mills as an apprentice working long hours
with little pay. And what did the mills produce? rugs
of all types from small scatter rugs to those with large
elegant pile with fantastic design. With the passage of
time, Joe earned more money as his skill and ability
improved. This meant threading up the looms and filling
any shuttles needed, as well as running the looms. He
became very knowledgeable and even after many years
when I first knew Joe he could tell me anything I wanted
to know about rugs.

I don't know the date of Anne's birth but she and Joe
were very nearly the same age. At a very early age she
also went to work. After she and Joe were married she
continued to work, until the birth of their son, Fred,
but she returned to work as soon as he was well on
his feet.

Joe and Anne decided they would come to Canada
where life might be easier and they could acquire a
home of their own. This meant living frugally in order
to save money for passage fare.

In the very early spring of 1908, Joe, Anne and Freddy
set sail. Joe at that time was thirty-six years old. While on
the boat they became acquainted with Billie and Gertrude
Sevier who were recently married. They became lifelong
friends. Joe and Anne got off the train at Lethbridge but
the Seviers went on to Seattle, Washington. Billie was a
plumber by trade and hoped to obtain employment there.
A year or two later the Seviers returned to Canada and
came to the Spring Coulee area to be near Joe and Anne.

In the meantime Joe and Anne had both been hired by
John C Thompson of Spring Coulee. At that time John
was unmarried so Anne became cook for John, Joe
and other men hired to work the two section farm. This
was before the days of tractors and large machinery.
Horses provided the power, although unaccustomed
to this type of work, Joe was willing to learn. At this
time Freddy was a lad of about twelve or thirteen.

Joe and Anne saved their wages toward the time when
they could purchase land. This opportunity came in
1921. John had married at Christmas of 1920 and he
and his bride spent the winter in California so now
he would have no further work for a housekeeper.
Joe and Anne put their savings toward the purchase
of an adjoining one-half section. After thirteen years of
working for John they became farmers and had a home
of their own. Crops were good and the price of wheat
was also good. This helped them pay off any balances
owing.

It was about this time they suffered the loss of their
only child, Freddy. He passed away as the result of
being gassed with poison gas while serving on the
battlefront with the Canadian Army during World War 1.
I think it was about 1924 when this happened - before
I arrived in Spring Coulee.

Joe and Anne lived very quietly and never travelled far.
They never owned a car and they were both getting
older. Anne lived to be in her seventies, passing away
in the early 1940s. Joe passed away sometime in the
first half of the 1950s. He had lived to be eighty
eight years past.

Joe and Anne are buried beside each other in Mountain
View Cemetery in Lethbridge.

Return Pioneer Histories