The Deadman’s Penny-A Medicine Hat Mystery Solved!

I have always enjoyed writing and storytelling, as many of my friends will attest. I have also always had a keen interest in history and more recently genealogy. I have written a number of articles lately and have posted some on my personal homepage William J Anhorn QC-  My venture into genealogy has resulted in some interesting results, not the least of which is establishing a family connection to royalty, or assisting others in the discovery of  a family pedigree, all of which I have documented on the website.

Most recently, my genealogical research and interest in history intersected resulting in this article entitled “The Deadman’s Penny-A Medicine Hat Mystery Solved! ”. Someone, who had come into possession of a rare artifact from WW I, reached out and requested assistance. This resulted in an unusual challenge, which required all of my investigative skills as an amateur genealogist. The challenge- to identify and explain this interesting relic from the Great War, unique to Medicine Hat and to find the existence of a living family member. The request resulted in uncovering an interesting part of history from WWI that has a distinctive Medicine Hat connection. Let me explain.

A Tribute To a True Medicine Hat Hero and Advocate

The Honourable Russell (Russ) Armitage Dixon, Q.C. 
November 14, 1924 – Medicine Hat, Alberta 
December 9, 2018 – Calgary, Alberta 
Russell Dixon, beloved husband of Sheila Dixon (nee Sinton), passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at the age of 94 years.

 

A distinguished lawyer and jurist who proudly claimed Medicine Hat as his birthplace passed away peacefully at Calgary, Alberta on Sunday, December 9th 2018 at the age of 94 years. Read On

The Credit Card “Dilemma” and the Canadian Visitor to the United States of America

As a frequent extended visitor to the United States of America (often affectionately referred to as “Snowbirds”), one of the more interesting conundrums we face is to how to cost effectively and efficiently deal with our day-to-day purchases while in the United States. Despite the advent of Bank debit cards, which are available to Snowbirds through an American-based Bank account (or God forbid using “cash”), many of us still to continue to use a Canadian-based bank credit card for our American purchases, simply as a matter of convenience. For the prudent Snowbird (or even the occasional visitor to the U.S.), it is important to understand implications of such a practice and the various other types of payment options which are available, in order to make an informed decision on how best to pay for your U.S. purchases. Depending upon your own personal circumstances, there are several credit card options available with each having their own advantages and disadvantages that are all worth considering by the Canadian Visitor to the United States of America.Read On

Air Travel and the Canadian Visitor to the United States of America

As frequent extended visitors to the United States of America, (affectionately referred to as “Snowbirds”) it is not uncommon for my wife and I to drive to our destination (in our case, Palm Springs) and fly back to Canada from time to time for various reasons. For example, we routinely return to Canada for the Christmas season and return down south in early January. This is typical for a lot of our Snowbird friends. Occasionally, it becomes necessary to voluntarily cancel or change a flight, which depending on the circumstances can have some severe financial consequences. More often, flight cancellations or extended delays are encountered, which unfortunately occurred on our most recent return visit to Canada. It is therefore prudent for the frequent flying “Snowbird” to be aware of the “rules” relating to air travel to and from the U.S. and the implications these exigent circumstances might create. Hopefully this article will provide some valuable information and provide some guidance for future air travel for the Canadian Visitor to the United States of America.Read On