Version 6.01

11 February 2025

David March © 2014

H J SMITH

Harry J Smith was listed in the 1916 Saskatoon Henderson Directory at #9 521 18th St W. From 1917 to 1919 a man with the same name was listed at 118 Ave F South and was identified as an engineer with the Canadian National Railway (CNR). The addresses listed in 1916 and 1917 were located in the 1916 Saskatoon Census, but Harry was not living at either of them. Possibly he arrived in Saskatoon too late in 1916 to be enumerated in the census.

Henry (Harry) John Smith was born on 1 December 1896 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to an unknown father (died before 1901) and Mary Elizabeth Hill (b 1867). Harry had three elder siblings, Ida Edith (1889-1997), Jacob (Jack) (b 1892) & John Charles (1894-1965). Harry’s parents came to Canada from their birthplace of Russia in about 1892. Harry grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba until he moved to Abernathy, Saltcoats, Saskatchewan in 1916 and found work as a labourer. On the census he gave his religion as Lutheran.

On 13 June 1918 Harry enlisted in the CEF when he gave his address as Morse, Saskatchewan and his next of kin as his mother who still lived in Winnipeg. He gave his religion as Methodist and occupation as salesman.

In 1921, Harry lived with his married sister Ida at 501 Boyd Ave, Winnipeg and was employed as a woodworker for CPR. The following year Harry moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, US and in 1930 was married to Otelia and they had a one year old daughter, Muriel J. Harry and Otelia had two further children, Arlene and Roger. In 1942, Harry enlisted for WWII when his address was 6369 Paulina St, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

No further information has been found to directly link Harry to Saskatoon.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave Smith 7 Tree.

Because H J Smith’s name was so common, without an age or other identifying information, it was impossible to trace his lineage. Although several H J Smiths were found who lived in Saskatoon or were buried there, generally they either died too early to have been a signer or were well established in communities far from Saskatoon at the time that the quilt was being signed.

Two possible candidates are given below. If anyone can help to identify a H J Smith who was living in Saskatoon in 1918, please contact us so that we can obtain more complete information about the H J Smith signer.

Candidate 1

Candidate 2

Signature from enlistment papers, 13 June 1918
Courtesy of Ancestry.com