The Nattrass Family
Nattrass and Vaughan Family from 2000 Golden Memories
Frank Nattrass and Bessie Woodley were Married in Ontario in 1890. Responded to the call of the West and in 1891 traveled to Calgary. Here, the first two of their nine children were born, Beverly in 1892 and Vivian in 1893. They continued their westward trek arriving in Golden in 1894and taking up residence in a log cabin where their third child Bessie was born in 1895. Frank Nautrass began construction of a house for his growing family. This building still stands today, the most easterly of a group of three houses across from the CPR station(still standing in 2024). Three children were born in this house, Sybil in 1900, Rita in 1902 and Edna on May 31st 1904. In 1905 Frank Nattrass moved his family away from the railroad to a new home he had constructed in South Golden. This house remains today at 716 9th Street. This was to be the final residence of Frank and Bessie Nattrass. However, three more children were to be born but this time Bessie Nattrass went to the nearby hospital for their delivery, Howard in 1906, Franklin in 1910 and Agnes in 1914.
Edna Mae Nattrass grew up in a young and boisterous Golden. Her childhood memories include the flood of 1909, how they rescued the chickens, waded in the flood water, and tied a canoe at the front of the house. In 1910, two years before it officially opened, she began classes at the Lady Grey School where she received her primary and secondary education. She recalls the arrival of the Swiss guides and their families in 1912, and the huge forest fire that started the same year showering the town with sparks and smoke that blocked out the sun and drove wild animals across the Columbia River and through the streets of town. Edna remembers the logging trains and the loggers coming down from the camps in the hills to celebrate, and how her mother made her father put up a fence so the tipsy ones would not walk across their yard and garden as they made their way down to the sawmill to catch the train back to camp.
Some of her favorite recollections are of sports, the skating, tobogganing and sleighing in winter. In summer it was basketball and swimming in Reflection Lake and how she won one of the newly minted Canadian gold pieces that were offered as prizes for the May 24th, 1913 Empire Day sports. She tells of how she and her younger brother Howard were allowed to watch the printing of the local paper when Vernon Chapman who had married her older sister Bessie was the publisher of the Golden Star she also recalls the first Sikh Temple and the daring childhood prank of hiding the shoes left outside while the faith faithful worshipped, of canoeing on Reflection Lake and the Columbia River, how her father would maneuver his canoe to ride as far upstream as the big Eddie on the crest of a large wave thrown by the paddle wheel of a riverboat and of the leisurely ride home that would sometimes include a side trip to Deadman’s Channel or Cedar Slough.
Emory Allen Vaughn returned to his native New Brunswick from the war in Europe where he had served in France and North Russia with the 68 BTY 16th brigade CFA. The Russian campaign had delayed his return to Canada until July 1919 and jobs were scarce. In September he and three of his comrades traveled west, by October the harvest work was finished and they heard of work in the Cranbrook area. On route, as they waited in Golden for the KCR Train that would take them south, they were approached by George Patterson who offered them winter work in the logging camps above town. In 1920 after a winter in the bush camps, Emery started work at the Golden Sawmill where, by 1922, he was a gang sawyer. That summer a slim young man started work riding the adjacent head rig carriage. They were to become friends, his name was Howard Nattress.
Emery and Edna were married on November 12th, 1924, and moved into Milhouse #18, next to the JT Wood residence. Vivian their first child was born in 1926. 1927 the mill had shut down and Emery found work with the CPR line gang. A second child, Allen, was born in 1928. The same year they moved to North Bend where Emery was assigned as a signal maintainer’s helper. Spring of 1929 he assumed the job of signal maintainer west of Field where a railroad box car became their temporary home. They settled into the mountain community, Edna active in the church and ladies groups, Emery busy with his job, on call 24 hours a day seven days a week. He dodged the silk trains in summer and battled the Yoho blows in winter. Delbert arrived in 1932 to complete their family. In 1936 Emery bid and received the Golden maintainers job and Edna happily moved back home to Golden this time to a house on Wapta Street.
The 1930s took their toll on Golden, and many families left. Still, there was the church group and women’s Institute for Edna, the Masonic Lodge for Emery, although the Orange Lodge of which he had was WM in 1927 was gone, and the garden, chickens and wood pile for everyone. The Railroad Union, maintenance of way picnic and the 24th of May celebrations were annual events that required time and effort. Now it was Edna’s children’s turn to attend the Lady Grey School, participate in the Mayday celebrations and sports, swim in the front and back sloughs, the Sands, Bluewater and Cedar channel. To skate on the slough in winter and sleigh, toboggan and ski at Moody’s and Vachon’s or climb the hill across the river to carve a telemark in Jake Pinkerton’s field.
Emery could not resist the call to arms and in September 1940 joined the Canadian Forestry Corps. By Christmas, he was in Scotland and would not return until 1945. The war years which were difficult for everyone saw Golden’s population shrink again as men and women joined the forces and families moved away. However, the ensuing years would bring recovery, growth, and incorporation to Golden and in 1958 with their family raised and married, Vivian and Allen in Golden, Delbert and the Caribou, Edna and Emery sold their house on Wapta Street and retired to Vancouver Island. In 1970 Emery passed away and in 1973 Edna returned to Golden, this time to apartment number eighteen in the newly completed Purcell View Complex. In 1981 she moved to the Durand Manor where the view from her window included the House Frank Nattrass built for his family on 9th Street.
In October 1984 she lost her left leg to the arthritis that had plagued her over the years, but the enthusiasm to recall memories and reminisce for yesteryears remained. The first of four generations born in Golden, Edna May Vaughan was truly a “Golden Girl.” Edna passed away in the Golden Hospital on March 18th 1987.
In 1947 Vivian married Paul Hughes, the second son of Walter and Johanna Feuz. They made their home in Golden where their 10 children were born and raised Gordon, Raymond, Patrick, Barbara, Dale, Wayne, Sharon, Gary and twins Beverly and Joanne. Vivian passed away February 4th 1976. Paul and seven of their children reside in Golden.
In 1950 Alan married Jean Feuz, the fourth daughter of Walter and Johanna Feuz. Their five children were born and raised in Golden; Cheryl, Michael, Sandra, Kelly and Mariann. Cheryl passed away in 1980. Jean and 4 of their children reside in Golden. 1957 Delbert married Christine. They made their home at Canim Lake where their three children were born and raised; Shannon, Kenneth and Corrine. Christine passed away in 1997. Delbert and his three children reside in the Houston area of the Cariboo District.