Bertha (Bunny) Sawyer

   Cause of her death was brain tumour.

  General Notes:

Written by Kay Would about her mother in 1984 -

"She was the last child born to Ellen and Willard Sawyer in East Dulwich, London, England. Had several sisters and brothers who died before her. Willard worked on Fleet Street, London, for a newspaper - not very wealthy. Mother attended Dulwich College Chapel services on Sundays. She worked at Royal Doulton China, painting designs on china. Was a member of a choir which sang in the Crystal Palace and where she met my father. After marriage, she joined the senior Bates in Canada until Dad came home from the war. I was born in 1920. And twin boys arrived in 1921. (One died)."

The following are excerpts from a letter written by Bertha, to her daughter, Kathleen, on July 29th, 1975:

"I was married in St. Barnabas church Aug. 5, 1917 at 9 a.m.. Only four people present beside myself and your Dad. I thought no one on this earth could be happier. After a meagre meal we took a bus ride to visit some of your Dad's relations. And back to Hindman's Road where we just had a day or two together and away he was ordered. Saw little of him after that until he was sent to Gibralter. And then almost two years before he came to me where I had since joined his family in Canada. We went house hunting in Burnaby, settled on Royal Oak Ave.. The little home costing $800. A fortune to us."

The following are excerpts from notes written by Margaret Bolster, Bertha's niece, to Barbara Would Schaefer:

"Your Grandmother, who was my Aunty Bunny, was a simply wonderful and amazing woman. She always had so much energy that I always felt in awe of her. I used to visit her briefly with Stephanie and Kevin and she always had goodies to eat. She took great interest in my children and they loved seeing her...she always knit a lot of doll clothes and Stephanie enjoyed her dressed dolls. I always admired her for the devotion she had shown to the Bate family. Leaving her parents in England and coming to a new land where she knew no one really except her husband must have been very hard. She was devoted to her church and was very active in Women's Groups."

Bertha married Harry Stanley Bate, son of Harry Symons Bate and Florence Ellen Barnes, on 5 Aug 1917 in E. Dulwich, London, England. (Harry Stanley Bate was born on 16 Apr 1895 in E. Dulwich, London, England and died on 6 Apr 1945 in Burnaby, B.C., Canada.). The cause of his death was Cause of his death was Cerebral Hemorrhage.

Bertha next married George Loomes.