1

"Can you keep the bee from ranging,
Or the ringdoves neck from changing?
No, nor fettered love from dying
In the knot there's no untying."
T.Campbell
Quote from front of marriage certificate (acm 1654)

2

Wedding Certificate; Sadie McRury and James Dewar
6 October 1921



Credits:
Dominion of Canada

3

The ideas surrounding love and marriage have changed a lot since the early twentieth century. Today to be married at the age of fifteen is not common. However, in the early 1920's that was about the average age that girls were married, and within a year they would be mothers. For men during this time the average age of marriage was 21.

"I see our friend Nance is wearing a sparkler on the third left"

Many of these young men and women married shortly after meeting and in a sense, grew up together, facing the stresses of raising a family. In this valley, being married meant being married to coal.

4

Nora and Wally Crittall
1935



Credits:
Carla Powell

5

During Drumheller's coal boom, in the early 20's, the population of the valley consisted mostly of men. Many of these men were immigrants who had left wife and family in their homeland. Many of these men travelled to Canada in search of a better job and a better life for their families. Some would be successful enough in the coal mines that in a few years they would save up enough money to send for their families. Some miners however were very persistent, saving and waiting nine years to bring their families to Canada. Others would not be so lucky, and after years of trying ,gave up and started a new family here in Canada.

"In 1928, there was only one married woman in East Coulee. She and her husband ran the poolroom...Wayne was the same at first. Places like East Coulee and Wayne had single men's camps where the men slept in bunkhouses equipped with double-decker beds."
John Sbora, retired Drumheller miner

But as the town of Drumheller grew into a city, more and more merchants moved to the area with families. With those families came daughters.

6

Wedding portrait
Circa 1940
Unknown


Credits:
Atlas Coal Mine Historical Society

7

Personal hand written letter from James Dewar to Sadie MacRury
27 August 1920
Drumheller, Alberta


Credits:
Sadie MacRury