Mary Olevia Wilson was born on Jan 15, 1892 at the farm house at the “front of Sidney Township”, Hastings County, daughter of Francis Wilson and Elizabeth Blakely.

She was educated locally, was a graduate of the Nursing School at the Kingston General Hospital in May 1916 and was soon named the Head Operating Room Nurse. Miss Wilson resigned in Oct, enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on Nov 1, 1916 and served initially at the Ongwanada Military Hospital in Kingston.

Height: 5’ 3”

Weight: 115lb

Age: 24

Nursing Sister Wilson went overseas in Mar 1917 and served in the hospitals in Westenhanger, Shorncliffe and Orpington England and then with the # 7 Canadian General Hospital at Étaples, France until the Armistice; she was admitted to hospital in Le Touquet, France with influenza.  Miss Wilson returned to Canada setting sail on Aug 8, 1919 aboard the S.S. Megantic and was discharged on Aug 17, 1919. She followed the practice of her profession at Vancouver and San Francisco before returning to Kingston in 1924 in charge of wards at KGH and to administrative staff. She served as Acting Director of Nursing and was Assistant to the Superintendent of the Hospital until her retirement in July 1961. “Her ability and her personality made staff, students and patients remember her with respect and affection”.

Mary Olevia Wilson died at Trenton on Dec 16, 1981 aged 89 years 11 months 1 day. She is interred at the Belleville Cemetery Section J Row 4 Grave 11.

Ann Maria Williams was born in Manchester, England on Feb 18, 1888 daughter of John Williams and Maria Lever.

She was educated locally and graduated from the Nursing School at Salford, England on Apr 9, 1912. Miss Williams enlisted with Britain’s Territorial Nursing Service at the height of the War in 1915.

In 1916 she was sent to the Western Front to serve at a British Army base hospital in France. Her individual contribution was such that she was mentioned in despatches for “gallant service” by the British Commander, Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig. In 1919, Miss Williams was awarded the O.B.E.

She immigrated to Canada in Oct 1920 aboard the vessel Victorian, was first employed at the St. Andrew’s Hospital in New Brunswick and later at the Tuberculosis Mountain Sanatorium in Hamilton, Ontario. Miss Williams was united in marriage on Apr 21, 1923 to CAMC Veteran Arthur Rawson and settled at St Catharines, Ontario removing to Belleville about 1929, residing at 27 Sinclair Street. Here the couple raised their family and she became the first woman charter member of the Army, Navy and Air Force Veteran’s Association. After the death of her husband Mrs. Rawson resided at 19 Yeomans Street.

Ann Maria Rawson died at the Belleville General Hospital on Dec 13, 1967 aged 79 years 9 months 25 days. She is interred at the Belleville Cemetery Section B Row 4 Grave 43.

Margaret Ann Whitfield was born at the farm house on Concession 7, Lot 4 near Fraserville, North Monaghan Township, Peterborough County, Ontario on April 13, 1893 daughter of Wesley Whitfield and Jane Chambers; there is a Whitfield Road in Fraserville.

She was educated locally, was a graduate of the Nursing School at Belleville in 1916 and was living at 292 Charles Street. Miss Whitfield enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on May 7, 1917 at Kingston.

Height:  5’ 5”

Weight:  135lb

Age: 24

Nursing Sister Whitfield served at the Duchess of Connaught Canadian Red Cross Hospital in Taplow and hospitals in Buxton, Orpington and Granville, England; she was hospitalized in Nov 1918 with influenza. Miss Whitfield returned to Canada setting sail on Sept 6, 1919 aboard the S.S. Orduna and was discharged on Sept 15, 1919. She established herself in the practice of her profession at Windsor, Ontario and was united in marriage on Aug 16, 1921 to Howard Lough, a graduate of the Ontario College of Pharmacy in 1916 and a native of Marmora. The couple lived in Brantford, Ontario until 1960 when they removed to Calgary, Alberta.

Margaret Ann Lough died on Aug 3, 1986 aged 93 years 3 months 20 days. She is interred at Union Cemetery Section L, Lot 8, Block 6.

Grace Brown Waters was born on June 15th, 1881, at the 9^th Concession, Lot 34 in Brighton Township, Northumberland County near Campbellford, Ontario, daughter of David Waters and Margaret Keith. The family removed to Belleville about the turn of the century, the father of our subject employed as a tailor and living at 27 Forin Street.

She was educated locally, was a graduate of a 3 year course, and was in the first graduate class of the Nursing School at St Luke’s Hospital in Utica, N.Y. on Oct 18, 1905. Miss Waters was a life-long friend and companion of Stella Jenkins and enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on Jan 6, 1916 at Kingston, the same day as Miss Jenkins.

Height:  5’ 5”

Weight:  114lb

Age: 34 (stated age: 32)

Nursing Sister Waters served at the Duchess of Connaught Canadian Red Cross Hospital in England and with the # 7 Canadian General Hospital in Le Tréport, France; she was hospitalized in May 1917 with influenza at Étaples. She returned to Canada setting sail on July 3, 1919 aboard the S.S. Celtic and was discharged on July 15, 1919.

Miss Waters returned to the Red Cross Nursing Service in Utica and in 1921 was appointed Tuberculosis Nurse in the Utica Health Department. In 1924 Miss Waters and Jenkins, as former Bellevillians, welcomed Gwen Lazier to their Genesee Street home as she trekked on horse-back through New York State on her way to Washington, D.C.

In 1936 the two friends attended the unveiling of the Vimy Ridge Memorial to Canada’s fallen soldiers and were then guests of King Edward VIII of England at a Buckingham Palace garden party; the assembled Veterans sang The Maple Leaf Forever. After the death of Miss Jenkins, Miss Waters returned to Belleville and resided at 290 George Street.

Grace Brown Waters died at the Belleville General Hospital on Mar 4, 1972 aged 90 years 8 months 19 days. She is interred at the Belleville Cemetery Section P, Row 7, Grave S5S. Her grave marker gives her year of birth as 1884.

Florence Helena Upton was born in Trenton, Ontario on June 20, 1884 daughter of Richard Upton and Rachel Pepper. The father of our subject was a blacksmith in Belleville in the early 1880s; Miss Upton, and her brother, consistently identified her birthplace as Belleville on her attestation papers and travel documents.

She was educated locally, removed with her family to Saskatchewan about the turn of the century and was a graduate of the Lady Stanley Institute for Trained Nurses in Ottawa on May 28, 1907. Helen was charge nurse of the operating room in the Saskatoon Hospital before establishing herself at Winnipeg, Manitoba. Here she enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on July 1, 1915.

Height:  5’ 4”

Weight: 112lb

Age: 31 (stated age: 28)

Nursing Sister Upton initially served with the No. 1 Field Ambulance Depot, Sewell Camp in Winnipeg and embarked for overseas service on May 19, 1916.

She worked in hospitals in Shorncliffe, England and Étaples, France before becoming ill with bronchitis. After 9 week hospitalization in Étaples and the Canadian Red Cross Special Hospital in Buxton, England she was invalided home to Winnipeg, setting sail on January 31, 1918 aboard the S.S. Olympic; Miss Upton was given a medical discharge on Feb 7, 1919. After the War she was one of 9 Military Nurses employed in the Soldiers Civil Re-Establishment Staff in Winnipeg. She moved shortly thereafter to California where she worked as a nurse for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and was united in marriage to Charles Corlett on January 11, 1945 in Santa Ana.

Florence Helena Corlett died on Nov 5, 1973 in Pasadena aged 89 years 4 months 15 days; her remains were cremated and scattered at sea.

Robertina Lee Thompson was born at the farm house on Concession 3, Lot 21 near Strathroy, Adelaide Township, Middlesex County, Ontario on June 24, 1889 daughter of George Thompson and Christina Lee.

She was educated locally, was a graduate of the Nursing School at Belleville on Dec 3, 1912 and the Divisional School of Military Instruction at Quebec City on March 29, 1915. Miss Thompson enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps on May 5, 1915 at Kingston.

Height: 5’ 5”

Weight: 135lb

Age: 25

Nursing Sister Thompson served with the # 1 Canadian General Hospital at Étaples, France; she was united in marriage to Veteran Captain George Alexander James Bell at St. George’s Church, Bloomsbury, London England on April 11, 1916 and resigned her commission on April 13, 1916. Mrs Bell returned to Canada setting sail in Oct 1917 aboard the S.S. Grampian and established herself in London, Ontario and raised her family, residing at 5 Ardaven Place.

Robertina Lee Bell died at the Victoria Hospital in London on Jan 19, 1963 aged 73 years 6 months 25 days. She is interred at Woodland Cemetery, Section QE, Row 31.

Margaret Tait was born at Thurso, Caithness, Scotland on Aug 9, 1882 daughter of William Tait and Isabella Sutherland.

She was educated locally, immigrated to Canada about 1909 and was a graduate of the Nursing School at the Brantford General Hospital in 1914. Miss Tait enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in Toronto on Jan 31, 1916.

Height:  5’ 10”

Weight:  148lb

Age: 33

Nursing Sister Tait embarked the S.S. Olympic on Apr 1, 1916 and served as Matron at the Orpington Hospital, was night supervisor at Shorncliffe, England and was with the No. 2 Canadian General Hospital at Le Treport, France; she was overseas when her father died in Kingston. Miss Tait returned to Canada setting sail on May 23, 1919 aboard the S.S. Megantic and resided at 284 Albert Street in Kingston.

In 1920 she was appointed as Superintendent of the Spadina  Military Hospital in Toronto and in 1921 held that position at the Belleville General Hospital; here she was interested in the work of the community and was a valued member of the local committee of the Victorian Order of Nurses.

Margaret Tait died at the Grace Hospital in Toronto on Mar 14, 1932 of pneumonia aged 49 years 7 months 5 days. She is interred at the Cataraqui Cemetery Section Old L Row 155 Plot S 1/2.

Emily Alexander Stewart was born in Belleville on April 12, 1886 daughter of David Stewart and Hannah Lister, daughter of Dr. James Lister of Belleville. The father of our subject was a lawyer in Belleville and later in Madoc where he was well known in the mining industry and was the owner of the Feigel Gold Mine, among others.

She was educated locally, immigrated to New York City in 1909 and was a graduate from the Manhattan N.Y. Hospital Nursing School about 1912. Miss Stewart enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps in London, England on May 8, 1916.

Height:  5’ 6”

Weight: 130lb

Age: 30 (stated age: 29)

Nursing Sister Stewart served at the Westcliffe Eye & Ear Hospital in Folkestone, at Shorncliffe, England and Boulogne, France. She was ill and 3 times hospitalized for diagnoses including appendicitis, influenza and bronchitis. She returned to Canada setting sail on May 13, 1919 aboard the S.S. Northland and was discharged on May 25, 1919; she received decorations for her War effort including the British War and Victory Medals. Miss Stewart followed the practice of her profession in New York and, widowed by the death of her husband Frederick Wilson, was united in marriage to Rev. Louis Albert Buckley, resided in Kitchener, Ontario, removing to her native city on the death of her husband.

Emily Alexander Buckley died in Belleville on Dec 19, 1971 aged 85 years 8 months 7 days. She is interred at the Belleville Cemetery Section L Row 5 Grave 7.

Harriet Olive Stacey was born at the farm house on Concession 6, Lot 14 near Wooler, Murray Township, Northumberland County on March 10, 1888 daughter of James Stacey and Jane McColl.

After completing high school at Trenton and Campbellford, she attended Model School at Picton, taught for 5 years at Bethel S.S. # 12 at Wooler, Ontario and Ruddel, Saskatchewan; she was a graduate of the Nursing School at Belleville in 1914. Miss Stacey enlisted in the Canadian Army Medical Corps at Belleville on Nov 20, 1914.

Height:  5’ 10”

Weight: 170lb

Age: 26

Nursing Sister Stacey embarked from Quebec on May 6, 1915 and, posted to Étaples, France served as a surgical nurse and later was night supervisor for 2 years. In 1917 she was sent to the casualty clearing station behind the front lines in Belgium; the Hospitals consisted of tents without floors, were sand-banked to keep out shrapnel and bombs and gas masks and helmets were part of the Nurse’s equipment. Diagnosed with pulmonary Tuberculosis, Miss Stacey was invalided back to Canada, setting sail on Feb 27, 1918 aboard the S.S. Ongar and was discharged on June 5, 1918. In Trenton at this time, an influenza epidemic was rampant and she was put in charge of a temporary Hospital set up in the old Library on the east side of the river. After a short time spent working in Hamilton, Montana, Hattie was in the employ of the Belleville General and in 1931 was appointed Superintendent of the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital which was newly opened in Montana on July 1^st; later that decade she returned home to care for her aged mother.

Nursing Sister Stacey passed at the Trenton Memorial Hospital and on her casket lay 3 medals, one of which was the 1914-15 Star; the wearer of this Medal had been called the Contemptibles by Kaiser Wilhelm, a word that in Military circles became a Badge of Honor. With the assistance of the Last Post Fund and the Cemetery, a Grave Marker was provided this Veteran.

Harriet Olive Stacey died on Nov 29, 1971 aged 83 years 8 months 19 days. She is interred at McPhail’s Cemetery, the N.E. ¼ of Lot 7, Line 3.