The birth year 1922 may not quite be right but the 19 th July was the birth date given.
Born "Little Hell"
"Little Hell" is a phrase that has been used by local residents to describe a specific area or place within the town of Atherstone, likely in a historical or informal context, rather than being an official name
FIND A GRAVE with a bio that says he immigrated 1956/57 ?
George Arthur Smith - 19 July 1922 - 23 February 2014
Brooks Cemetery
Brooks, Lethbridge Census Division, Alberta.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/126912112/george-arthur-smith
George Arthur Smith of Brooks passed away on Monday, February 24th, 2014 at the Brooks Health Centre, Sub-Acute Care at the age of 91 years. George was born on July 19th, 1922 in Little Hell, England.
He grew up loving horticulture, and area in which to took training in his late teens.
He moved to Canada in 1956 or 1957 and worked on a tobacco farm in Ontario and later at a greenhouse near Ottawa, where he furthered his horticultural training.
In about 1960, he decided that he wanted to see the Calgary Stampede. He started out west in his truck and late the first evening he stopped at a hotel to sleep for the night. When informed that the cost would be $2.00 for the night he told the owner he didn’t want to buy the hotel, he just wanted to sleep there. After several uncomfortable sleeps in the truck and using hot water from the truck radiator for shaving, he finally got to see the Stampede.
George next worked on several farms in the Hanna area. He began working at the Brooks Horticultural Research Center in the early 1960’s. George’s crowning achievement at work was planting and maintaining the rose garden at the Center. The rose garden which is still in existence today contains many roses developed by western Canadian rosarians.
Sandra
Notice the gravestone to the right - Annie Mary Campbell - 1913 - 2007 (Annie M Jones remarried or coincidence)
Thank you Sandra. You certainly seem to have solved the mystery! Let me fill you in on some details where I can..
Definitely emigrated in 1957. I was told by my mum that he left, came back to collect his family and they'd moved on, so he went back on his own.
https://brooksbulletin.com/bbobituaries/smith-george-arthur-smith/In the obituary
"George is survived by his brother, Gilbert and wife Audrey; his sister, Nina Coadwell; nieces Gloria, Jennifer, Gillian, Josephine, and nephew Michael and their families all of England."
Gilbert and Audrey were my Nan and Grandad. Gilbert "Danny" died in 2023, like you've correctly identified. Nina would have been his youngest sister, she died in 2018 like you've identified. K Smith was George's mum Kate Elizabeth Smith who died in 1965.
Special thank you to Jon as well for the other picture.
I'm in touch with his niece Jenny (also mentioned in the obituary) .. she will be delighted.
Not sure on his age though, he's nearly 5 in the 1921 census
Name: George Arthur Smith
Gender: Male
Age: 4 Years 11 Months
Relation to Head: Son
Orphanhood: Both Parents Alive
Estimated Birth Year: 1916
Residence Date: 1921
Residence Street Address: The Crousshaws, Bentley, Atherstone
