Great Aunt Mary (Min) Stewart Healey Grills

She was an unconventional woman of her time.  Mary (Min) Stewart was a woman who worked as a machinist in the Newfoundland Tannery around 1900. She boarded with her parents while she worked prior to marrying James Healey.

                          Min Healey

There is a James Healey listed as a shoemaker on the South Side Road in 1904. I suspect this was her husband. He and Min married but he died in 1911. They didn't have any children. He was the first president of the People's Club in St. John's. The club erected a headstone in his honor after his death. Members of the Stewart family are buried there with him, Thomas. Mary, their grandchildren Albert, Robert and Mins's child by her second husband, eight year old Jackie Grills.

After James Healey's death, Min worked as a stewardess on the SS Meigle, which sailed between St. John's and North Sydney. In 1915, she married John (Jack) Grills who was eight years older than Min. The wedding announcement was published in the newspaper.

Evening Telegram, Tuesday, May 18, 1915

Wedding Bells:  The wedding of Mr. John Grills, chief steward of the SS Bruce and Mrs. M. Healey, both of St. John's, Nf. took place in North Sydney.  The bride was assisted by her sister, Miss Ida Stewart, the groom was attended by Mr. Barnes, chief engineer of the SS Bruce.

                           John (Jack) Grills

Their first child, Charlie Stewart Grills was born the next year.  Charlie died in Saanich, British Columbia in 1973. Jackie was born in 1920 and died in 1928. 

                                   Charlie Grills

Min stopped working when she married both times, however she worked prior to her marriages. This wasn't that unusual but most women worked as domestics one hundred years ago. Min worked as a machinist, certainly an uncommon occupation at that time. Her father worked at the tannery as an engineer, so I imagine this helped pave the way for Min. She was ahead of her time for certain.

Min's son Charlie worked as a firefighter in St. John's. My Aunt Angela Pretty Woodford said that every time the fire trucks went down the roads or the alarms sounded, Min was upset and worried about Charlie. After she died, he moved to the mainland.

My Aunt Muriel was very close to Aunt Min. She lived with Min and her family for many years and Charlie was like a brother to her. She had fond and loving memories of Aunt Min and Uncle Jack. 

           Charlie Grills and Muriel Pretty