A Brief History of Ira Hewes Myers & Berenice Lillian Armstrong
Contibuted by
Eric G. J. Myers
Ira was born at Algoma Mills, Ontario, Canada in the District of Algoma
on August 17th, 1891. Berenice was born in Wales, Ontario, Canada on
June 6th, 1893.
Ira spent his early childhood at Algoma Mills and attended elementary
school until about 16. His father (who was CPR section foreman at
Algoma Mills) employed Ira and his older brother Henry whenever he
could find a day or two's work for them. Ira earned $1.45 per day
while his father earned $2.20 (29 day month in 1908).
Ira and Henry worked as CPR section hands (repairing rails, changing
ties, etc.) until February 1912. In 1911-12, Ira, Henry and Alva
Berridge took turns as a bridge watchman. This was a 24 hour watch
on a condemned bridge west of Thessalon, Ontario; which required them
to watch the bridge and report any trains passing over it as well as
keeping the warning lanterns full and burning.
Ira learned the morse code (key) and tried his hand as an operator
for a couple of years.
Both Ira and Henry joined the operating part of the railway as brakemen
(1913), where Ira remained until retiring as a Conductor. Henry quit
a few years after 1913 and moved.... his whereabouts are unknown.
Ira met and courted Berenice Lillian Armstron, a 19 year old school
teacher at the Dean Lake, Ontario school, 10 miles west of Algoma Mills.
Ira liked to tell the story of how Berenice chased him around the CPR
hand-car house at Dean Lake until she caught him. Berenice, in
rebuttal, says all of the railway crews (including Ira), would drop
boxes of chocolates off at the Dean Lake school.... only to be picked
up by her school children and shared with their classmates.
Ira and Berenice were married in the Central Methodist Rectory (now
Central United Church), on Albert Street, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,
during the evening of December 13th, 1913. They set up housekeeping
at Thessalon with Ira's parents for a few months.
In the spring of 1914, they stayed wtih William John (Bill), Ira's
older brother, in Sudbury, Ontario and later moved to MacTeir,
Ontario for 3-4 months. Since work was short, Berenice went home
to her grandmother's farm in Wales, Ontario, for the summer.
Most of the CPR crews, including Ira, were laid off, so, using
their CPR passes, they went out to Western Canada to help with
the harvest. When Ira returned to Sault Ste. Marie in late fall
of 1914, Berenice joined him. They set up housekeeping on
Albert Street West, where Williard, their first born, arrived
on the scene. After moving to 174 Biggins Avenue in 1918, Lillian
arrived, followed soon after by Betts. In 1922, the family of
five moved to 50 Forest Avenue, where it expanded to six with the
birth of Jack.
Work was short in the 'Soo' end of the CPR division line, so in
1926, Ira moved Berenice and the four children to the other end
of the line: Webbwood, Ontario. This 'Division Point' enabled
Ira to work both the Soo Division and the Sudbury Division.
Making this move garnered a promotion from Brakeman to Freight
Conductor as well. In 1928, Pauline arrived on the scene.
In 1931, they bought a 'cottage' at Cutler Lake; located in
Lee Valley, about 12 miles south east of Webbwood. It wa
actually Berenice who was the principal in the purchase. She
had been cleaning this 'hunting camp' for Mr. Spellman and
when he no longer wanted to keep it.... offered it to Berenice
for free. Berenice said no; but... she would buy it from him
for $5.00. The deal was done and the 'camp' became the focal
point for the family for years.
While in Webbwood, the remaining children were born: Eric
in 1931, Dorinda in 1933, Frank in 1935, and Jim in 1937.
It was in the Second World War year of 1943, that the family
moved back to Sault Ste. Marie. Willard had been living in
the Soo; Jack was in Europe serving in the Army; Lillian
was living in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada, while her husband
George Cressey, was in the Army in Europe; Betts was stationed
with the RCAF (Women's Division) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Ira, Berenice and the remaining five children then resided
at 114 Gladstone Avenue.
In 1949, Ira was thrown from a box car on the railway, breaking
his heel. He was laid up for 11 months.
Ira continued working as a conductor on the CPR until his
retirement on July 1st, 1956. He worked the same division
for fifty years...although the CPR did not recognize some
early months when he was 16 and refused to give him the
'Golden 50' year pass. During his career, he turned down
the easier but lesser paying position of 'Passengar Conductor'.
Ira claimed he did not want to do all the paper work that the
job entailed. The July 1st retirement date was especially important
to Ira. The CPR had asked him to work the month of July prior
to retirement, but Ira siid that after 50 years, he had had
enough....besides, he wanted to enjoy the summer at Cutler Lake.
Ira passed away, quietly sitting on the chesterfield, at
114 Gladstone, just around midnight on November 10th, 1965 in
his 74th year.
Berenice carried on at 114 Gladstone for a few years but the
house got to be too much for her so she sold and moved into
an apartment on Borron Avenue. This was her winter residence.
She eagerly looked forward each year, to her move to Cutler Lake
and managed to sweet-talk someone in the family to move her there
as early as she could. This usually happened in early May.
There she stayed until Canadian Thanksgiving (early October),
when she reluctantly moved back to the Soo.
After Borron Avenue, Berenice moved into a Senior's apartment on
St. Georges Avenue for a few years and then temporarily into
'Pathways' on the Trunk Road, while she waited for an opening
at the Davey Home on Highway 17 North.
Her family and many friends celebrated her 95th birthday with
her at the Davey Home in June 1988. She passed away peacefully,
at the General Hospital on August 2nd, 1988, in her 95th year.
