Martha (Knechtel) Weir (1895 - 1957)

Born 1 Jan 1895 in Eichwald, Teplitz, Bohemia, Austria

Wife of George Russell Weir — married 8 Mar 1914 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Descendants

Died 10 Feb 1957 at age 62 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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Biography

Martha was born on New Year's Day, 1895, the fourth daughter and seventh child of Heinrich Knechtel and Emilie Köhler.^[1] While continuing to live at Eichwald, Martha welcomed sister Minnie in 1898.

Along with her parents and three living sisters, Martha immigrated to Canada aboard SS Montrose, arriving in Quebec in May 1905, with destination Winnipeg.^[2] The group relocated to Strathcona, Alberta, then a separate town on the south side of the North Saskatchewan River opposite Edmonton. The 1906 prairie census found Martha living there with her parents and sister (with surname "Nechtel").^[3]

In Strathcona Martha and her younger sister Minnie attended the Grandin Street School, later known as the Fourth Street School East.^[4] By 1910 Martha was working at the Richelieu Hotel, just across the Lower Level Bridge, in downtown Edmonton.^[5] At age 19 in winter 1914, Martha married 19-year-old Ontarian Russell Weir.^[6] Seven months later their first child, Richard, was born.

Husband Russell enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1915.^[7] Daughter Lillian was born the following summer, while Russell was overseas. At that time Martha lived with her parents at 9749 98th Street, Edmonton (ex-Strathcona, the off-grid street was later renumbered 97th, then 97A).^[8] After the war Russell returned home, and Martha's family lived nearby her parents' address, at 9743 97th Street,^[9][10] although for a time the elder Knechtels farmed with the Heitmanns at Cooking Lake.

By 1923 the Weirs moved to the Knechtel address at 9749.^[11] Remaining at that address, Martha bore her third and final child, Gordon, in 1930.^[12] Maintaining close living arrangements with her parents, Martha's mother passed away in 1934, and her father in 1941.

The following year, Martha, Russell and young Gordon left Gallagher Flats, and followed daughter Lillian who had married and relocated to Rocher River, NWT. Russell passed away there in early 1943, so Martha and adolescent Gordon moved back to Edmonton, living first at 15620 100A Avenue.^[13] They then lived at 15611 100A Avenue.^[14]

Martha Weir's final years were spent living at an apartment at 9540 101 St,^[15] where she passed away in winter 1957.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Baptism Register for Eichwald, Austria, 1895, page 269, http://vademecum.soalitomerice.cz/vademecum/permalink?xid=09ddd7cea03b9b8d:30bdd2c7:1201ea2ef5b:-7255&scan=39cc3fc52f4f43529d9150a0326201f9
2. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, Passenger Lists, 1865-1922, Passenger lists of the MONTROSE arriving in Quebec, Que. on 1905-05-10, page 19, http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?id=e003657217&op=img&app=passengerlist
3. ↑ Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, 1906, Alberta, District Strathcona, Sub-District 45, page 69, lines 23-26, https://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1906&op=pdf&id=e001214330
4. ↑ "Strathcona News", Edmonton Bulletin, December 27, 1907, page 2, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/newspapers/EDB/1907/12/27/2/
5. ↑ Henderson's Edmonton city directory, 1910, page 266, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2962.5/292.html
6. ↑ Province of Alberta, Marriage Record, Reg. No. 675R/1914
7. ↑ Library and Archives Canada, Personnel Records of the First World War, Reg. No. 437292, https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/first-world-war/personnel-records/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=305668
8. ↑ Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, 1916, Alberta, District No. 42 Edmonton South, S. District No. 18, Enumeration District No. 18, Edmonton South, page 19, lines 10-18, http://central.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=Census1916&op=pdf&id=31228_4363983-01019
9. ↑ Henderson's Edmonton city directory, 1920, page 556, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2962.14/558.html
10. ↑ Sixth Census of Canada, 1921, Alberta, District No. 11, Enumeration Sub-District No. 43, Edmonton, page 60, lines 43-46, https://central2.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?app=census1921&op=img&id=e002865302
11. ↑ Henderson's Edmonton city directory, 1923, page 558, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2962.17/548.html
12. ↑ Seventh Census of Canada, 1931, Alberta, Electoral District Edmonton East 218, Enumeration Sub-District No. 10, Edmonton City, page 20, lines 21-28, https://central2.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?id=e011750492&app=census1931&op=img
13. ↑ Henderson's Edmonton city directory, 1945, page 615, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2962.39/570.html
14. ↑ Henderson's Edmonton city directory, 1946, page 687, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2962.40/649.html
15. ↑ Henderson's Edmonton city directory, 1956, page 1074, http://peel.library.ualberta.ca/bibliography/2962.50/1074.html
16. ↑ Province of Alberta, Death Record, Reg. No. 1624/1957