I
use the word here generically – that is, it may be equally applied to either
gender.
We
tend to associate the term hero with courage in battles – to individuals who
show exceptional bravery in saving others from harm. But my Canadian Oxford Dictionary defines the
word primarily as: a person distinguished by courage, noble deeds, outstanding
achievements, etc. There is no mention of fighting, combat or conflict of any
kind. So what really defines someone as a hero?
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More
than 3,500 Canadian soldiers (all of them heroes) died in the Battle of Vimy Ridge on April 9, 1917.
There is always a flower blooming next to every headstone, no matter how remote
a corner of the site it may be located. Vimy graves: Paul
Kinsman blogsite; Vimy trench image: Vimy Foundation webpage;
Vimy monument image: Reflections
on Canadian History webpage
In
their search of military records, many genealogists may find individuals in
their families who were awarded medals for their acts under fire during the
many wars in which countries and their people were engaged in over the
centuries. We make great efforts to remember these individuals in monuments and
in naming of public buildings, parks or streets.
I
live in an area of Calgary that was part of a military base during the last two
great wars. Street names include descriptions of military significance, such as:
Valour Circle, Victoria Cross Boulevard and Burma Star Road. This is not
surprising given the area’s history but it tends to reinforce our perception of
heroes as being connected to armed forces activities of the past, not to
everyday life.
Families
can and do have other people who must be considered heroes:
·
a
physician who administers to a community even at his own personal risk from
contagions
·
a
single mother whose focuses her entire life on the well-being of her children;
·
a
wife or husband who dedicates her/his declining years to ensuring that her/his
partner does not suffer unreasonably from a debilitating health problem
·
a
volunteer for a local or foreign charitable organization who offers time and
talents to help others with lessor means or opportunities
·
an
individual who moves to a far-off, or sometimes not-so-far-off location in
order to build a better future for their present or future families (sometimes
enduring great physical hardship and deprivation in the process)
·
a
relative who takes in and takes care of children of a sibling who may have fallen
on hard times
·
an
individual who dedicates themselves to their community, acting as a volunteer
or elected official but who assists those in need through charitable efforts or
his wealth
·
a
person who, in spite of his own mental or physical limitations brings joy and
inspiration to others by their selfless acts
These
kinds of people are true, every-day heroes! They certainly fall under that
category of noble deeds.
I
have found a few people in my family tree that conform to some of the
descriptions I have just listed. I will also say that I have not found any that
were awarded medals for bravery under fire in any battle although there were
many who enlisted when wars came along and served with honour and distinction.
Engaging
in the study of family histories hopefully means learning about the activities
in which our ancestors took part. These are not part of the dates and places we
normally search for, except for how that information might relate to historical
events. We always hope we will find something written directly by family
members that will comment on their lives and families. Letters are rarely
preserved, even those written by our closest ancestors. Parish records might
contain snippets about people from which we can discern details of their actual
experiences or relationships.
One
example I discovered in my genealogical research was a minister who spent weeks
assisting residents in Plympton St. Mary parish in coping with a cholera
epidemic which spread primarily through the urban community beginning in July
in 1832. Reverend William Isaac Coppard later wrote a book on his experiences,
laying out the causes of the spread of disease and the methods he and local
health officials devised to treat the afflicted. The book is title Cottage Scenes During The Cholera: Being
extracts from a diary written in July and August, 1832, originally
published by a number of firms in 1848. The book is available in reprint and
scanned versions from several sources but is also available for free download
from Google books. Rev. Coppard
details his time spent in the homes of families who contracted the disease from
notes he kept during the epidemic
Apart
from military options, family historians might ask themselves what other heroic
deeds have been be unearthed in constructing their family trees.
