Andrew and Edna DeLong

I think I would have enjoyed getting to know Andrew and Edna DeLong. Edna has much the same roots as me, being from Wisconsin, and Andrew seems to have been a real "go-getter"

Andrew Jackson Delong is my great grand uncle. He was the brother of our beloved ggrandmother, Catherine Elizabeth DeLong Daugherty (Libby). Andrew was born on 1871 in Whitby, Ontario. He died on 1947 and was buried in North Battleford, Sask.

Notes from the daughter of Andrew's brother (Edward Peter) -probably Edith Mae DeLong Nobel

"Uncle Andy went alone with a wagon & team of horses when I was small and homesteaded in Canada and never came back to visit, nor Dad went up - however they corresponded. When he came (Uncle Andy) to see Dad here in Portland when they were both old - He died not long after he was here. He married Aunt Edna in Canada. I had a picture of them living in a sod house when they were first married. Far cry from today."


From GenCircles - A Family Odyssey by bravecoeur. I forgot who Bravecoeur was. Will check into this.
Andrew was born in 1872 in York County, Ontario, now part of Metropolitan Toronto. As a boy of six or seven years the family moved to Michigan for his father was a farmer but a type of inventor as well. One of the inventions he was in the process of patenting was a rail car coupling. While demonstrating this invention to officials he slipped between rail cars and was killed. Andy was left head of the family of six at the age of 14, so his formal education was limited. The family moved west again to Wessington, S.D. and several moves later when the drought hit the Dakotas in the 1890's , Andy was to immigrate to Saskatchewan, Canada. They lived in a sod house. In March, 1902, he started north alone with the covered wagon and his good team of Belgians. Two weeks later he met the Draper-Jackson wagon headed to Saskatchewan from Oconto, Nebraska. Three wagons were included in the Draper-Jackson train and extra help and companionship were very necessary to everyone especially Andy DeLong.

Note: I remember reading that it was Andy's grandfather, another Peter, that was killed while demo-ing his invention. Aunt Beulah was very positive that Andrew's father, Peter Jr., was lost in a snow storm in Bonilla, SD. Beulah was often right- on with her memories.

Recollections of Andrew DeLong after Edna's passing, send by Doreen Martichenko

He took a trip to Oregon while living with us to visit relatives there.
Edna DeLong (Draper) family did live in Wisconsin before moving to Nebraska. Andrew joined their wagon train in S.D. to come to the Battleford area.
I do not know the reason Susan Powell DeLong's family moved to S.D. My mom & dad took several trips to visit some cousins.

From Lorne DeLong - E-Mail August 31, 1004

"My father (Clarence DeLong) and his 2 brothers never talked much about much about their ancestors, except that Peter and Susan came to Canada, where my grandfather Andrew met his future wife, Edna Draper, while helping her family across the boulder during a huge rain storm. From there they all came here to Saskatchewan and settled down. My dad and his brothers were born here in Battleford. While my dad was quite young, my grandparents moved back to Kentucky for a few years, how many I do not know. Then they all moved back here again and remained here until their passing."

It's incredible to me that Andrew traveled all those miles. I'm hoping that someday Joe and I will be able to drive to Alaska and meet some relatives that still live in Battlesford. I'm also hoping to hear from Lorne, who has been such a faithful correspondent. We're about the same age! I'd love to meet him someday!