b'Orval Nelson(continued from page 43)Orval once wrote, I went up to astayed in England, refusing to leave man working with horses in a smallhersicksisterssidefortwoyears. field in a lovely estate. I showed himAfter Janets sister died of TB, Janet my map so he could indicate exactlywas free to join Orval in Toronto. where I was. However, as I was talk- Colleen was born in Canada, but ing, someone came along, jumped offher brother Roy was born in England, his bicycle, pointed a rifle at me andafterthefamilymovedtherewhenIf yethat was that. I soon found out that IOrval rejoined the Air Force following was in Belgium because they took mean unsuccessful attempt at farming. to Brussels. captured as a prisonerA stay-at-home mom, Janet even- breakOrval wastually pursued a career as an RNA in of war. He spent a few years in captiv- a nursing home.Wilfs dream came true when he bought his own transport inity in Belgium and Germany, wherefaithhe was forced to march.Articlesaboutthefamousfall 1964. oftheHampdenhaveappearedin Legion and Air Force magazines. During the war, Orval correspond- To you, from failing hand,ed with a lovely lady he had met at awe throwdance at Oakham in England, a Miss Janet Hogg. She was working on aThe torch; be yours to farm when a tractor went out of gear, andranoverherlegs.Amazingly,The day before Colleen went in search ofOrvals daughter, Colleen Anderson, last year, with Belgianhold it highJanetsurvivedthisfreakaccident,the historic plaque of her dad, she felt thishistorian, Jhonny Bastiaenses, who revealed the history of the Orval at home in Port Perry in the midand was able to walk again. was a sign as it was touted as the Beercrash and the local situation in occupied Turnhout, Belgium, 1942. If ye break faith with us 90s, before going to a Remembrance DayThe plan was for Janet and Orvalof the day. The beer was not named after service. to marry after the war. But loyal Janethim but After moving back to Canada, the Nelsons settled inwho die,Downsview where they raised their family. Bothofmyparentsfacedhardtimes,buttheyWe shall not sleep, managedtomakeagoodlifeafterthewar,Colleenthough poppies grow REMEMBERING. commented. In 1990, Orval and Janet followed in Colleens footstepsIn Flanders fields.and relocated to Port Perry to be close to their grandchil-dren. Colleen says that they were both devoted to Ian, James and Catherine. All three went to Port Perry High School and they are very successful, Colleen noted. There are five grandchil- VER FORGdren, four boys and a girl, aged one, two, three, four andN E E Tfive. Colleen agrees that it was touch and go whether anyMARK WILLES of them would ever be born, considering the dangers that her parents experienced during wartime.I am so proud of them both, she said.Colleen has never missed a Remembrance Day service. THE COURAGE AND Her dad used to walk in the parades to the cenotaph, SACRIFICE OF attend local Legion events, and sell poppies.It took her father a long time to recover mentally OUR VETERANS. from the trauma he experienced, but he seemed more relaxedaftermovingtoPortPerry.Heenjoyedsmall town life. They lived at 229 Perry St. and my dad was big on gardening; corn, tomatoes and potatoes. My parents were very comfortable and happy here. Life was good. 293 Perry Street, Port PerryRest in Peace:905-985-8660216 Queen St., Port Perry905-985-2171 Veteran Orval Nelson, Sept. 24, 1914June 25, 2000 and 1-800-248-0848www.waggfuneralhome.com Veteran Janet Nelson, June 24, 1923Sept. 30, 2012.Myles G. ORiordan Funeral Director/Owner www.westshorevillage.comBy Lynn Campbell, Focus on Scugog44 FO FOFOCUCSUS S NEOPVTEEMMBBEERR2200126045FOCCUUSS NSOEVPETMEMBEBRER 2 0220016'