Back row: Eleanor (Andrew) Jones, Nell and Harry Andrew, baby Kerry Jones, Mabel Andrew.
Sitting in front: Fred and Mabel (Andrew) May.

This old family photo shows 3 generations of Claudia's maternal Andrew relatives. It was taken at Christmas time in 1950 in the Cowichan Valley, in or near Duncan on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It shows Claudia's mother Mabel Andrew on the right, Mabel's sister Eleanor on the left, their parents Nell and Harry Andrew holding their little grandson, and Harry's sister Mabel with her husband Fred May. Yes, there are 2 women named Mabel, and 2 women named Eleanor in this photo.

All of them except the baby had made the long journey across Canada from Prince Edward Island (PEI) to Vancouver Island after the war.  Most arrived about 1946, but Claudia's grandmother Nell (born Eleanor, 2nd from left) had stayed behind in PEI to care for her elderly parents.  We don't know exactly when Nell made the journey west, but know it was before both her parents passed in 1951.  So it is very likely that this picture was taken during Nell's joyful first Christmas in BC, when she was finally reunited with most of her family.  I like to think this was the reason for her extra-wide happy smile! 

This photo is also posted in a blog post about Harry Andrew's life.

In 2015, I wrote a different blog post with further thoughts on this photo, which provides only a glimpse of the family's migration and separation story behind it.

Additional photos and information can be found on the Andrew Family Heritage page.