Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

LUCY MABEL WHITESIDE

Lucy Mabel Webb was born on 8 September 1870 in Rainham, Halimand, Ontario to James Webb and Mary Ann Root. Her siblings were Florence Irene (b 1862), Jessie Eugenie (1863), Sarah Sophia (b 1865), Bernard Irwin (b 1868), Leslie Lewis (1873-1944), Dobie Ernest (b 1876) and Lottie Ellis (1880-1953). In 1871 and 1881 the Webb family was living in Rainham, Ontario. By 1891 they had moved to Erin, Wellington, Ontario. According to a 1910 USA census, Lucy immigrated to the USA in 1895.

In about 1899 (married 1 year in 1900 census), she married Robert W Whiteside who was born in Ontario in March 1873. A daughter, Mary Irena, was born in Chase Township, Lake, Michigan on 29 May 1900. The 1900 census found the family of three living in Chase Township. Two sons, Edison James (b 1903) and Lloyd Robert (b 1909) were recorded with the rest of the family in the 1910 census for Richmond, Osceola, Michigan. In 1911, Lucy Mabel was born and may have died at birth as the age on her death record dated 26 March 1911 was 0.

In 1916 the family immigrated to land near Birsay, Saskatchewan, on 15-24-7-W3 in the RM of Coteau where Robert was a farmer. They were living on this land in both the 1916 and 1921 censuses. In 1948, Lucy moved to Saskatoon where she died on 17 March 1959. It is presumed that Robert died at an earlier date as he was not mentioned in her obituary.

Although the name on the quilt was L M Whitside, it was felt that Lucy Mabel Whiteside may have been the signer. She was living about two hours away from Saskatoon on land near Birsay. Saskatoon was the largest nearby city so it is not unreasonable that the family may have come to Saskatoon from time to time. Whitside is a very rare name and no LM Whitside could be found anywhere, much less in the vicinity of Saskatoon. We have seen some evidence that names were not always signed by the bearer of the name and so possibly a transcriber may have incorrectly transferred the name to the quilt. Alternately, Lucy may have missed the e when she wrote her name. As she was signing cloth, it may have been next to impossible to correct the error or the embroiderer may have had trouble reading the exact spelling of the name when they embroidered over it.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Whiteside 2 Tree.