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First
Days of the Stephens and Wilson Families in Manitoba
The history of Manitoba has been made by the many courageous pioneers
who were not afraid to undertake the opening up of the new and unbroken
land of the West.
We would like to tell a little of the story of the Stephens and Wilson
families who sought to have a part in building this community that we
are all proud to share in.
John and Jane Stephens came from England in1880 to Port Hope, Ontario,
and in 1881 came to Manitoba. Some of their family stayed in
Ontario until 1882.
One son, Stephen married Lettitia Thompson there and brought his bride
with him when he came to Manitoba. The Stephens’ only daughter
Fanny (later Mars. Jim Wilson) travelled from Port Hope to Emerson in
1882, and then walked a good deal of the way on foot to Killarney in
the company of the James Clements Sr. Supplies, trunks and other
belongings were in the wagons. Fanny often said she wore out a
pair of shoes on that trip.
The Stephens family settled in the Hullett District on the west side of
the river and later moved further west to section 6-4-16.
In the Hullett District where the first Stephens’ home was located,
Fanny Stephens and Aggie Fowler (Mrs. Pate Finnen) were the only two
young girls – and the only two girls for many miles around. (We
wonder how the competition went among the young men).
Mr. and Mrs. Stephens often told how one winter food was scarce.
The diet consisted of salt and potatoes, then potatoes and salt.
It was some time during that winter the men made a trip to Manitou to
get some flour. It took a week to make the trip there and
back. On arriving home they found, to their horror, that the
flour tasted of coal oil!
Stephen Stephens and his bride settled on section 22-4-16. They
had two daughters, Agnes, the older married Jacob Franck. Mary
married Fred Hayne.
Jim Stephens farmed in the district for a few years and married Alice
Coutts. They had two daughters and two sons.
Will Stephens was with his folks until they moved to their second home
at 6-4-16. He later moved to Montana where he married and had
three sons. These sons still live not too far from Great Falls.
A few years later Mr. and Mrs. Stephens Sr. moved to Killarney where he
was caretaker of the old Killarney School. They lived in the
basement of the school, and when Mr. Stephens died in 1899, Mrs.
Stephens then went to live with her daughter, Mrs. Jim Wilson, where
she remained until her death.
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