by Sam McBride

Someone in my family tree who stands out for exceptional, longtime contributions to Nelson and other West Kootenay communities is Elva Hanna Kettlewell (1896-1964), wife of my grandfather R.L. McBride’s first cousin Walter Kettlewell.

Elva was born in Watford, Ontario to Leander Hanna (1861-1932) and Maud Shugg (1871-1952), and came west to Kaslo as a baby when her father wholeheartedly joined the exciting mining boom at the north end of Kootenay Lake. The family moved to Cobalt, Ontario in 1909 for Leander’s mining work, then were welcomed back to Kaslo in 1912.

Elva knew from an early age that she wanted to be a teacher. After attendingVancouver Normal (teaching) school she first taught at Mirror Lake, south of Kaslo, in 1916 and 1917, then taught for three years at the Proctor School, before moving to Nelson to teach at Central School, where she retired in 1962. I was a student at Central School in the late 1950s and early 1960s and hoped to have Elva as a teacher, but I was assigned to other teachers for the grades 3 and 4 which she was teaching.

Elva was well-known in Nelson for her support and involvement in many local organizations, including Camp Koolaree, the Canadian Girls in Training, amateur theatricals, the Trinity United Church, and the Kootenay Music Festival.

Elva’s mother Maud at far left in a Shugg family portrait, standing behind her father William Shugg (1841-1922). To date, I have not found an identified photo of Leander Hanna, who was husband of Maud and father of Elva and her siblings.

Early photo in Kaslo of Maud Hanna (far left) behind daughter Elva. Circa 1898.

News coverage after the death of Elva’s father Leander Hanna in 1932 shows the high esteem in which he was held as a dynamic West Kootenay businessman. Courtesy of the Nelson Archives and Museum.
The story of Elva’s mother Maud was told in tributes after her death in Nelson in 1952.

Elva in costume for Nelson community theatre productions.
Elva and my grandmother Helen Dewdney were very involved in organizing a Nelson pageant in honour of the coronation of King George the Sixth in 1937.
Elva with her students at Central School in about 1925.
Elva organized hundreds of Nelson students to fill out the name Canada, marking the 60th anniversary of Confederation in 1927.
Elva, at far right in front of the students, of a class at Central School in about 1950.

In this photo of “The Lass from Limerick” in 1925, Elva is the maid, fourth from the right, second row.

Elva married Walter Kettlewell in 1930, and their son Don was born in 1933.
The Nelson Trinity United church was packed for the Elva’s memorial service in 1964. Outside the church, police helped to direct traffic for people coming for the funeral.