Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthApril 9, 1897
Place of BirthSkone
CountrySweden
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinAlfreda Anderson, mother. Durban, Manitoba
Trade / CallingFarmer
ReligionLutheran
Service Details
Regimental Number2380827
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion52nd Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedConscripted
Address at EnlistmentDurban, Manitoba
Date of EnlistmentMarch 5, 1918
Age at Enlistment20
Theatre of ServiceEurope
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details
Date of DeathFebruary 7, 1973
Age at Death76
Buried AtHillside Cemetery, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba
Plot38055

Anderson, Ernest Ragner

Ernest Ragner Anderson was born on 09 April 1897 in Skone, Sweden.   His parents were Nels Anderson and Alfreda Moller.  He had eight siblings: Berger, Einar, Allan, Leonard, Harold, Gertrude, Margaret and Elsie.

The family immigrated to Canada in April of 1912 and settled in Swan River, Manitoba.

Just before his 21st birthday, on 05 March 1918, Ernest was drafted  in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was with the First Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment (96th Regimental Draft).   During his training period he was hospitalized twice – once for a bout of German measles and then tonsillitis which resulted in a tonsillectomy.  Ernest embarked from Canada on 03 July 1918 and arrived in London, England on 22 July 1918. He was put into the 18th Reserve battalion and spent a month in Frensham Pond Segregation Camp in Surrey. Ernest was drafted to the 52nd battalion on 18 November 1918.  He joined his unit in Overyssche, France on 24 December 1918.  After Christmas the 52nd Battalion marched to Blandain, Belgium and was there undergoing training ‘as per syllabus’ until returning to England on 10 February 1919.  He sailed back to Canada with the 52nd Battalion on 17 March 1919.  His discharge due to demobilization came on 29 March 1919 in Port Arthur, Ontario.

When Ernest returned from serving in WW1 he  rejoined his family  that had moved to Kenora, Ontario.  He worked as a meat cutter for Safeway.  He married widow, Edna Elenor Scherk (nee Lindstrom) in Kenora on 12 March 1925. Her first husband, Christopher Scherk, had been tragically killed  when struck by a train  in 1922. She had a daughter, Mae, from this first marriage. In 1938  Ernest and Edna  relocated to Portage la Prairie, Manitoba due to a transfer to the Safeway store there.  Mae married William Andrich who served as a pilot in the RCAF during WW2.

Ernest died on 07 February 1973 in Portage la Prairie and is buried there in Hillside Cemetery.   Edna died in 1986 and is interred beside Ernest.

Ernest's obituary from the Miner & News

Ernest’s obituary from the Miner & News


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