| Sketch of Rueben & Helen Bedingfield
Rueben was born in
Kemptville [Ontario] July 19th 1869. He was a son of "William H.
Bedingfield" and "Amanda Clothier". His mother died in 1871[23 June
1874] and left two children Sophia and Rueben. William married again (no
date). Reuben remembered playing with other children and quite alot about the time
he lived there (Kemptville). Then William moved to Ottawa where he ran a flour &
feed store, because of a card found in the family bible, we think he attended Erskine
Church (Presbyterian).
Rueben left home in his teens and went to California where among
other things he drove a stage coach. He returned to his home area and in the 1890's
he operated the first steam shovel used to deepen and improve the Farrans Point
canal. Here he met Helen Dafoe, daughter of Edgar and Nancy Dafoe who had a family
of ten children - 4 girls and 6 boys.
Helen married Rueben 28th September 1898 in Woodsland
Presbyterian Church by Rev. Norman McCleod. The couple resided in Farrans Point
where their first son William was born, from there they went to Prescott [Ontario] and
then to Hull, Quebec where Wesley was born. Finally in or around 1912 they bought a
home in Farrans Point. Because he was a steam shovel engineer Reuben's work took him away
from home for weeks sometimes months at a time. He was home more in the winter
months and Helen was content to be among her relatives and friends.
They were a musical family. Helen started to play the organ
for St. John's Church when they returned to Farrans Point and this continued until her
last illness. Rueben had a good tenor voice and played the piano. Their son
Bill specialized in the violin. Wesley played the piano, guitar, mouth organ and
almost anything he could get his hands on.
Rueben retired when he was about 60 yrs of age and then worked in
Massena, New York for some time. Rueben developed a heart condition and this forced
him to live quietly until his death in 1950.
Helen had died in 1947; she was never a strong woman. She
had lived with one lung for a number of years.
Verna Marcella Bedingfield
(nee Lane), 12 June 1981
Note: "Reuben" spelt
"Rueben" throughout original. |