MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
Ernest was born in New Hamburg, Ontario, a
Their first daughter was born there in September,
In 1925 the parents and seven youngest children came
Since the boarding house was a part of the coal
In the spring of 1930 the Neidig family moved back
Three of their children, Dorothy, Harold and Alice
German community, January 28, 1878 and came to
Dunmore, Alberta as a child. His father, John was
a carpenter for the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Co
and they moved to Lethbridge in 1887 or 88 where
they established a ranch. When their first house burned
down they build one mostly of stone in the top of a
coulee where the remnants still stand south of the
University of Lethbridge. Ernest lived in this house
with his parents until March 18, 1901, when he married
Isabelle Bell who had come from Ireland in 1899.
The young couple lived in Lethbridge for a few years
where Ernest hauled water for the City.
1902, a son was born October, 1903 and another
son in June 1905. The family then moved to Fernie,
B.C. where Ernest Sr. got a job at Coal Creek mine
where he later became a foreman. Ernest and Isabelle
had eight more children while living there.
back to West Lethbridge to look after the ranch, but
things didn't go too well so they went back to Fernie
late in 1926. Early in January, 1927 they moved back
to take over the boarding house in Coalhurst. They also
had to look after the bunk house as both belonged to
the coal company. It was a good thing that they had
a lot of willing workers to help Mrs. Neidig as there
was plenty to do making meals and lunches for about
forty miners. When the grain elevators were being
built at Coalhurst there were ten to fifteen more
lunches to pack for this crew.
company it was heated with steam from the power
house and it was quite cozy. Renovations were to
be taken care of by the yard foreman, Jim McGinnis.
After a lot of coaxing, Mrs. Neidig persuaded Jim
to have someone plaster the ceiling in the dining room
to cover the drab boards and lighten the room up. This
was done by a local member of the Village and it looked
much brighter for the first day, however, soon after the
evening meal was over and the men had left the large
table, the whole ceiling broke loose and fell among the
dishes. Now, Mrs. Neidig was a very calm lady
generally and was never known to swear, but when
Big Jim McGinnis showed up so did the dear lady's
Irish. Apparently she poured out some profanity
which may have dampened her passage at the
pearly gates.
to Femie where Ernest worked at some of the mines
there until he retired. Mrs. Neidig passed away
November, 1944 and Ernest January 1, 1957.
are now deceased.
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