SPRYS, NEALS, BARLOWS AND WILENS

Letter from David Young

My great-grandfather, Jesse Neal (1854-1915), was Marmora's blacksmith. I think there are still Neals living in the Marmora area. My great grandparents had a farm in the Bonarlaw district, where my grandfather, JohnArthur Wilen, who was working on this farm, met my grandmother Veta Pearl Neal. Veta was born on 20/5/1893, and John was born on 29/07/1897. Their first child, my mother Pearl Elizabeth, was born in Toronto on 28/12/1918, which puts Veta and John meeting on the Bonarlaw farm prior to 1918.

I have attached a few photos from that time. The most historically important is likely the one of Jesse standing outside Marmora's blacksmith smithy/forge.