Amelia Misener

     Amelia Misener was born on 24 March 1835 in Beverly Twp, Wentworth County, Ontario.¹ She was the daughter of Adam Misener and Helen Laine Coleman.¹ She married Albert Kellogg Smith on 6 February 1851.¹ She died on 22 December 1924 in Toronto, York County, Ontario, at age 89.² She was buried on 24 December 1924 in Dungannon Cemetery, Ashfield Twp, Huron County, Ontario.¹

There is a great story about Amelia's marriage to Albert Smith.
It seems that Albert was lame and Adam Misener didn't think him a fit choice for his daughter. Amelia thought otherwise. She proceeded quietly with her wedding plans. A neighbour was making a wedding dress and finally, on the day, brought it to Amelia. She tried it on at once, then began to nonchalantly walk out of this house with it over her arm. Adam twigged. He was up out of his chair and after her. Albert was waiting at the end of the lane with the horse and buggy. They were out of there like a shot. Adam had to hitch up the horse and buggy to chase them. When they got to the church they told the minister that there was some urgency and Amelia was married with her wedding dress over her arm. By the time Adam got there they were married.

Albert's disability may have been rather severe. John Cornell's book, Pioneers of Beverly, has a chapter entitled The Copetown Letter. In it, he shows an actual letter from R.M Cope of Axtell, Nebraska, and Cope is talking about a school teacher, Mrs. Holcomb. He mentions a young man who was crippled and walked on crutches, one Albert Smith. Albert had attended Mrs. Holcomb's school, but his family moved to a farm that was farther away and made his attendance at the school impossible. Mrs. Holcomb's husband had a number of horses and she prevailed upon him to loan Albert a pony so that he might ride to her school. This he did for the entire summer. Cope does not date the era of Mrs. Holcomb's school, but it was quite some years previous.¹