Recently I discovered this photo below in my parent's collection.
My Grandma is on the left (Alma May Williams) sitting with Amelia Lias and Hilda Galley. The photo is taken in Amelia's home in Vancouver BC.
I cropped Hilda's photo above. This is the only photo I have of her, and I was happy to find this!
Hilda, known to me of course as Mrs. Galley, was my Sunday School teacher in the 1960's, at the Apostolic Faith Church on Kingsway. I can still remember her gentle soft voice. She had gleaming sparkling eyes, very piercing, and she wore her long hair in braids coiled on the back of her head. She was quite tall.
The AF church always had testimony services every Sunday evening. Once I recall Mrs. Galley giving her testimony earnestly, and explaining how she had the seeds of murder inside her heart, and when she was sanctified the Lord removed that totally from her. I remember being astonished that gentle Mrs. Galley would have such things in her heart! I didn't understand the effect of a sinful nature at that time.
On another occasion she prayed with me at the altar and shared an experience with me of something which happened to her in her teenage years, but I can't remember it at all. She always seemed to me to be a woman of God, and very sincere in her Christian life.
She gave me a pretty framed picture as a gift one time, with a Scripture on it. Her handwriting is on the back, and if I ever find it, I'll scan it in and add it here.
I looked Hilda Galley up on Ancestry, and a relative has published these lovely photos publicly, so I copied them and will share them here. The above photo is Hilda's husband, Alfred Edward Galley, born May 24, 1894 and died in a terrible logging accident December 5, 1949 after being married to Hilda only 13 years.
The young family; Hilda and Alfred, with their children Phyliss and Patricia Pearl (standing).
Hilda with her children, Samuel, Patricia Pearl, and Phyliss.
A lovely photo of young Hilda Galley.
A snippet of the 1916 Canadian Census showing Hilda age 14 living with her parents in Manitoba.
A snip of the 1921 Canadian Census showing Hilda age 19 living with her parents in Manitoba. Her father was Frederick James Last, and her mother was Sarah Emily Cole. He was born in England and came to Canada in 1885. She was born in Ontario and married Frederick in 1897. Hilda had one sister and two brothers.
I find it very interesting that all of the members of the AF church I've researched so far were born on the prairies!
By Loretta Houben
