Blinded By The Light

For one semester in the late 1970's my Dad attended Ricks College in Rexsburg, Idaho and as with many youth who go away to school there are great stories. One story almost resulted in my Dad's deportation from the US. Out late one night around Halloween with some class mates in Dad's 1970 Cutlass. While driving along the main drag a group of youth in an old 4x4 blew by Dad's car pelting it with eggs and Dad was quick to pursue. Speeding through the Idaho countryside Dad kept pace with the truck until one particular corner. Hugging the inside edge of the corner both Dad and the truck were in the wrong lane when all of a sudden the truck vered off to the right into a field and Dad was left facing oncoming headlights. The oncoming car made for the ditch, Dad swerved to the right. Through the fog of dust, in his rearview mirror Dad saw them, the telltale blue and red of a police car. The cop threatened every harm upon Dad that he could and promised that if he were ever in trouble again that he'd be deported post haste.

Ryder Creek

As of November 11, 2000 a creek east of Kelowna was named for Samuel John and Herbert Henry Ryder.

Information about the creek.

Latitude: 49°53'35"
Longitude: 118°53'15"
Gazetteer Map: 82E/15 Position: at Mouth
Relative Location: Flows SW into head of West Kettle River, SW of Jubilee Mountain, Osoyoos Division Yale Land District

I'm hoping to get out there for some pictures soon

Uncle Keith's Moon

My Dad often retells a story that took place about a year before I was born. At the time he, my mother, Grandparents and Uncle Keith were driving to Red Deer, Alberta (I believe) to see my Great-grandmother (lovely lady). My Grandparents and Uncle Keith were in my Dad's brown 1970 Cutlass coupe while my parents were driving Dad's turquoise 1970 Cutlass coupe, as they approached the narrow windy section of highway past Golden, BC they encountered a slow moving RV. Unwilling to wait for a straighter passing section they found the nearest clear section to safely pass and went around the RV in the opposite lane and the shoulder. As they pulled around to pass Keith (known as Keefer) mooned the elderly RV occupants. Delighting in his full moon rising, Keefer did not brace himself for the lane reentry that followed when the car was by the RV and fell bare rear in the air.

Samuel John Ryder

Samuel John Ryder, eldest son of Samuel Bagshaw Ryder, moved to Kelowna with his parents in 1912 from Earl Grey, Saskatchewan. While in Saskatchewan, his father had received a letter from an old friend from England, who himself had just moved to Canada and settled in the Okanagan. In this letter the family friend told Samuel Bagshaw to get out of Saskatchewan and move to "paradise" in the Okanagan Valley.

After settling in the valley and before going to war, Samuel John played banjo around town at various parties and was known as a ladies' man.

Once WW1 had started Samuel John answered the call to arms and enlisted in the Canadian Expeditiary Force to fight for the British. Before departing his packed up his worldly possessions in a barrel, including this remaining ivory handled revolver; the barrel was never found again that I know of.

Samuel, once back in England (his parents and family had moved to Canada in 1907), came across old friends from Essex where he had grown up and while getting reacquianted missed his train and accidentally became a deserter. To avoid possible execution Samuel reenlisted with the British Army using the last name Adams. We believe he chose the last name Adams because it was the last name of his parents' neighbours in Kelowna and if something would happen to him it'd be easier for his family to know that way. Pretty wise.

When Samuel was killed during the Battle of the Somme in 1916, the Adams received a letter announcing the death of their son, Samuel John Adams. Not having a son by that name there was some confusion until they figured out it was Samuel Bagshaw's son. Truly a sad day in both homes.

To this day Samuel John Ryder is immortalized at the Thiepval Memorial in France as Samuel John Ryder (Served as Adams). 

Samuel Bagshaw Ryder and Herbert, His Son.

In 1914, Canadians, as part of the British Empire, rushed off to fight the Germans and their Allies. The Ryders were no exception. Enlisting in the home guard Samuel Bagshaw Ryder (my Grandfather's grandfather) would be called to guard railway bridges in the Rocky Mountains. Samuel's two eldest sons, Samuel John and Herbert Henry, both enlisted in the forces to fight eventually reaching the trenches in France.

There are several more stories which I will later share however, there is one story in particular that I want to share here.

Samuel John enlisted into the army first, Herbert sometime after. Like other recruits Herbert went through training at the Vernon military camp before being shipped to Vancouver where his unit boarded a train and was then sent out East before boarding a ship and off to Europe.

As Herbert was preparing for his departure to Europe, his father, Samuel, was on the move as well, being sent to guard railway bridges. Samuel Bagshaw was in the Rockies long enough that Herbert knew he was there and where to see him. When Herbert's train reached his father's bridge Herbert and Samuel were able to touch hands one last time.

In April 1917, Herbert was killed at the Battle of Vimy Ridge with hundreds of other Canadians. An older gentleman that my grandfather knew said he remembers watching Herbert "go over the top."

Herbert on the left

Samuel Bagshaw on the right

Jabez Harrison Johnson

I recently discovered through a geneological search on new.familysearch.org the parents of my ancestor Jabez Harrison Johnson. As a family several of us have been looking for information on this man for decades. Thanks to a woman named Barb, with whom I have a common, though distant, ancestor I was able to finally acquire his parents' names.

What we know of Jabez is that he was born between 1839 and 1844 in Highland County, Ohio. The dates and specific town vary. The current theory on the conflicting birth years is that Jabez enlisted in the American Civil using an older brother's birth date; we are looking for more info to clarify. The differing townships of birth is explained by the proximity of the townships; Greenefield, Leesburg and Hillsboro, Ohio are mere miles from each other.

Jabez volunteered for the 81st Ohio Regiment in the American Civil War. The battalion saw lots of action, especially around the Atlanta region. Jabez served until 1965 when he was released. His veteran's pension card shows that he was classified as an invalid, largely due to repeated bouts of heat stroke caused no doubt by marching and fighting in the humid heat of Georgia.

I will record later all the locations but Jabez and his family moved several times before ending up in Enderby/Armstrong, BC a few years before his death in 1913.

Jabez married at least twice though someone has suggested that there may be a third wife. His first marriage to Mary C. Smith ended in divorce. His final marriage to Matilda A. Kunce  around 1887 in Iowa would last until his death. Matilda, 15 years (give or take) his junior, was known as a good baker and it showed in her physique. There is a legend in that family that she was a good pianist and due to the family's financial circumstances at the time of Jabez's death she sold her piano to buy Jabez's grave marker; her grave is next to Jabez's but remains markerless.

Jabez was called "Old Red Eyes" by some of his family members, as told to my grandfather by one of Jabez's brother-in-laws. Apparently when he was tired his became bloodshot quickly. He was a blue-eyed, red-haired, nearly 6 foot tall man. There was some affiliation to the Ku Klux Klan at some point in his history and we even had a picture demonstrating this.

Jabez and Matilda's daughter Daisy remained in the Okanagan until her death in 1948 and is my Grandfather's Grandmother. I am not aware of the fate of Harley though he did live in New Westminster for a time.