Category: Irene Matthew

Celebrating Five Generations of Mothers: A Tribute

On By Vicky BriggsIn 2025, Dixon, Elizabeth Dixon, Irene Matthew, Irving, Lasher, Mary Irving, Matthew, May 2025, Press, Stella HartfordLeave a comment

Mother’s Day began back in 1908, when a daughter wanted to celebrate and recognize her late mother. What a concept!

Today’s message is simple – I would like to celebrate all the mothers that came before me – one of the main reasons why I’m here today.

Jeannette GobinIrene MatthewMary IrvingEffie Press
Marguerite RicardStella HartfordCynthia LasherElizabeth Barnard
Marie KervinioEmma MatthewElizabeth J. DixonElizabeth Beevor
Marie CarrièreMartha TuckSarah MannEliza Lord/Loyd
Marie DacquayAnne ThomasHannah SharpElizabeth Howard
Judith GauthierJane TreloarMary RaeElizabeth Barker
Adeline JacquesSarah ThompsonSusan CoppleMary Ann Elvin
Marie-Ann Le RouxDrucilla BradleyCatherine MessickSophia Banham
Marie PhilippeMargaret HillBeta Van AlenElizabeth Bradfield
Marie-Madel MorinSarah EddyElizabeth ConstableAnne Riches
Angélique GirardCharity WilliamsAnna DeterickJemima Mear
Marie EmeryJennifer MartinAlida Van AlenSusanna Youngman
Ursule LetourneauDorothy BurkAnnatje VanDeusenEsther Cross
Mathurin KerhalgandSara ByrneRebeckah HotchkissSarah Bullen
Anne Le DilhuitMartha BolterElizabeth DixonSarah Archer
Marguerite HemonDeborah TrippCharity MalloryLydia Porter
Yvonne PeuronAnna WilheimMary Rayson
Elizabeth Pfautz
Mary Waymire

All these women are mothers, and span over five generations in my family tree that have brought me to where I am today. Many of these women lived under very rough conditions, lost children and husbands, and left us way too young. However, without these women before me, I would not be here today.

There are many mothers in my life through extended family and great friends. They are a true support to all mothers around them and especially to me. There are countless women in my family and friends that do not have children. They are equally a very strong support in my life and many others. Whether they are related or not, mothers help mothers – it’s the way of women!

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers in my life today and in the past that have brought me to where I am today. Thank you to all these strong women for continuing to support myself and other women around them.

I am here today because of you.

Cherished Family Memories: Sunday Dinner Reflections

On By Vicky BriggsIn Briggs, Evelyn Briggs, Grant Briggs, Irene Matthew, May 2025, Richard BriggsLeave a comment

Picture this…..

It’s a balmy spring afternoon, the sun is out, the piano is playing in the background, there’s conversation all around, kids are playing outside in the backyard, maybe collecting apples from the tree, playing tag or maybe even downstairs sliding back and forth on the rec room floor, adult siblings joking around fighting over their favourite cookie that their mother made and a beautiful lady sitting, listening, looking around at all her family gathered in her home for Sunday dinner.

That’s what it was like when we visited my grandma (Irene Stella Hartford Matthew) in her house in Delta on any given Sunday. My grandpa (Stanley Leonard Briggs) passed away at the age of 53 when I was young (6 years old) and I don’t really remember much about him. I don’t really remember having these dinners until I was a bit older.

My family (my dad, mom, brother and I) were living in New Westminster when Grandpa passed away in 1969, not long before my youngest brother was born. It was unexpected after having heart surgery, which was supposed to fix the problem he had, but had a heart attack about four days after the surgery and didn’t make it. Grandpa passed away 56 years ago today.

Grandma came from a large family where she was the youngest of nine while Grandpa was an only child. Grandpa did most of the household finances, shopping, cooking and other household chores as she was not raised to do those kinds of things. Grandma didn’t go to school as she had an illness when she was quite young, and her parents decided she would stay home and be schooled by her father who was a teacher. Her mother passed away when Grandma was only 14 years old, and three of her sisters ended up taking care of her. She married when she was 22 only to be divorced a short five years later. She married my grandfather a couple of years later.

They had three children – Grant Irving (1940), Irene ‘Evelyn’ (1943) and Stanley ‘Richard’ (1944). All three married and curiously enough, each had three children, just like their parents.

After Grandpa passed, my dad moved our family to his parent’s home. My parents took it upon themselves to show Grandma how to take care of her household which included finances, cooking and outside chores. We lived there only a year, but it is something that I remember quite vividly.

Going back to the ‘picture’ above I asked you to try and see, you can imagine the family gatherings at the house with my dad and his brother and sister, fighting over the cookies (my grandma’s famous heavy cakes), their spouses thinking their crazy, and all nine grandkids playing in different areas of the house and outside.

Grandma always made dinner and if it was someone’s birthday, there was always a homemade angel food cake with that person’s favourite icing and goodies in the middle (mine was Smarties!).

The reason I wanted to do a post like this was to ensure those memories remain for me. I know for my siblings and cousins, the Sunday dinners may have some different memories, but I hope this will help to bring some of the wonderful memories back.

Happy memories! Oh, and Happy 65th Birthday to my beautiful cousin, Sandy!

Who Shares Your Anniversary?

On By Vicky BriggsIn Briggs, Irene Matthew, Mar 2022, Matthew, Stanley Briggs5 Comments

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted but I’m hoping to get back to trying to post at least twice a month.

This month, instead of the normal “Who Shares Your Birthday” post (and, yes, I know I missed last month!), I thought we’d try a little something different as there is an important anniversary to celebrate during the month of March – one that is important to our family.

Let’s start with acknowledging the birthdays we missed from February – happy birthdays to my Dad (Grant) who celebrated his 82nd, and to Bradley. In March, we have several birthdays. Firstly, my son, Dale, then we have Blake, Amber, Lynda and last, but certainly not least, my Aunt Ev!

Now onto the celebration of the month – the anniversary of my grandparents’ wedding – Stanley and Irene Briggs, married March 19, 1938. Today would have been their 84th wedding anniversary. I’d thought we could look at that little journey – it leads us to the base of our large family tree.

No one can know when or how they met those many years’ ago – one can only speculate. However, if someone in our family has a story to tell, we would certainly love to hear it!

The one thing that I have learned from the couple of courses I have taken in genealogy is that knowing a date or having a story does not clearly mark that day in history – having the documentation to prove it, can make a clearer picture, especially if you have pictures!

This leads me to my first piece of evidence – the engagement announcement. This announcement was in The Province newspaper dated 15 Mar 1938 (found on Newspapers.com):

Wow! I was so excited when I found this little gem as it had so much information in it – Stan & Irene’s story was starting to form. Even though we know their life together started well before that announcement, we at least have this to know their life story was beginning.

Well, little did I know that this story was going to become even better with the next item I found – the wedding announcement which was in The Vancouver Sun dated 31 Mar 1938 (found in Newspapers.com):

There is so much detail in this article that I was giddy and nearly fell off my chair! As I’m typing this, I’m a little teary thinking of how they must have felt on their wedding day. The reporter was very explicit in the details especially so with Irene’s wedding dress. Just trying to picture it was wonderful – what is even more wonderful is seeing the actual picture – sigh…..

The details are wonderful and I’m so happy to have found this! Let’s go over some of the information:

  • A.H.P. Matthew’s home is at 1313 Seventh Avenue, New Westminster.
  • Married in the evening
  • It shows Grandma’s full name of Irene Stella Hartford.
  • Grandpa’s father was T.A. Briggs (Thomas Albert)
  • Rev. Sharkey performed the ceremony
  • Miss Lillian Lueken – daughter of Charlotte (“Lottie”) Matthew (Grandma’s sister) and Henry Lueken, therefore Grandma’s niece.
  • W. H. Matthew is William Henry (“Harry”) Matthew – Grandma’s brother could sing!
  • A gorgeous description of Grandma’s wedding dress!
  • Best Man and Maid of Honour are husband and wife, Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Fletcher. Their full names we will learn of later.
  • Mrs. L.D. Craig is Francis (“Frankie”) Matthew (married to Lockart Dolson Craig), Grandma’s sister.
  • Miss Aileen Matthew is Beatrice or “Aunt Lena”, another sister of Grandma.
  • A description of the dress Mrs. Briggs wore – wife of T.A. Briggs – Effie.
  • Hostess aides were:
    • Mrs. W.H. Matthew – Daisy (Grandma’s sister-in-law)
    • Mrs. H.G. Champion – Laura (Grandma’s sister)
    • Miss Beatrice Beagle – Grandma’s niece, daughter of Fred & Alberta (“May”) (Grandmas’ sister).
    • Bernice Matthew – Grandma’s niece, daughter of William & Daisy Matthew.
  • Description of the wedding cake.
  • Description of what Grandma changed into when leaving for the honeymoon.
  • Their residence/home upon returning from the honeymoon – 1716 London Street, New Westminster.

Well, with this article, I feel like I was at the wedding! You can certainly see it was a family affair. Knowing Grandpa was an only child, I’m sure there was family there other than his parents – some aunts and uncles. It would sure be nice to know the guest list!

Well, the next best thing is a picture of the wedding couple! I thought I might try a little something that I have found through an ancestry program, My Heritage. They have tools where you can clean up the picture and even add some colour to see what it may have looked like on that day. They also have an animation feature which I found a little freaky. Anyways, here are the results side by side for you:

Whew, I tell you, what a beautiful couple. Grandpa looks so proud and Grandma – well, what can I say, she’s just so beautiful! The article certainly described her wedding dress to perfection. I am so grateful to have found it.

We’re not finished, I have one more piece to this story – the Certificate of Registration of Marriage:

There is so much information in this one document to the genealogist’s eye that I was…..well there are no words. Let’s go over some further items we have gleaned from this document:

  1. Grandpa’s occupation – Tin Smith
  2. Shows Grandma as divorced – something that I knew of but have now confirmed.
  3. Both of their home addresses at the time of the marriage.
  4. Full names and birth places of both of their parents.
  5. Grandma and Grandpa’s signatures.
  6. The full names of the best man and maid of honour – Robert Leonard and Florence Allen Fletcher of 4224 Bond St., Burnaby. Not sure who these people are but seem to be good friends of Grandma and Grandpa as I haven’t found evidence that they were family.
  7. Name and address of the Reverend.

I think that about sums up the story of my grandparents wedding day. I certainly felt like I could have been there having the wonderful article of their wedding day.

To finish off our story, I have one final picture of the wedding party: Stanley & Irene Briggs, Robert & Florence Fletcher.

I hope I have given you a glimpse into the day my grandparents were married. If you have any other stories from this day, I would love for you to share them.

Happy anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa!

Take care, everyone!