While at the Catholic cemetery in Bishop’s Falls I came across a grave marker that really got me thinking. It was a tall square-shaped stone like a pinnacle style. On the front it read "In Loving Memory of Margaret wife of George Ivany. Born March 11th 1916, Died Nov 25th 1943." On the right side is engraved "Their Sons James, George, Gerald, William, Died Nov 25th 1943." On the left side is engraved "Their Daughters Agnes, Catherine, Gertrude, Marie, Ann, Died Nov. 25th, 1943." I assumed that their deaths came about as a result of a tragic house fire. Then I realized that Margaret was only 27 years old and was the mother of nine children. I suppose this was not uncommon in those days. But I began to imagine the hard times this family may have known starting out during the depression years. My own mother was age 26 at that time and she already had four children and one on the way. Our family was lucky because my father worked at the pulp mill in Bishop’s Falls through the depression years. But times were hard and there were shortages and rationing. I wonder how George and Margaret fared, and what ever became of George after the terrible loss he suffered. I did some looking online and couldn’t find an Ivany family in Bishop’s Falls in a 1935 census, but for a census taken in 1945 I found a George W. Ivany aged 32 who was listed as a boarder with a Cooke family. It also listed that he was born in Trinity. Did he bring his young family to Bishop’s Falls so he could find employment? Maybe some of your readers who are relatives of this family or someone who may know more would be willing to tell us all about this forgotten tragedy.   Submitted By: Randy Smith