Mrs. Annie Rudd of Stettler, Alberta, was the 1974 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1974, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On October 9, 1943 her son, Sergeant Francis Rudd, was killed in Hanover, Germany while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On September 19, 1944, a second son, Sapper Thomas William Rudd, was killed in France while serving with the Royal Canadian Engineers.

Mrs. Rudd married Thomas Rudd, Sr. He was an Imperial veteran, having served in the First World War with the British Forces. He was seriously wounded in 1917 and awarded a Military Medal. Their son, Albert John, served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry and was wounded in Italy in 1944. Their grandson, Jack, also served with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, years later.

Mrs. Alta Wilkinson from Ottawa, Ontario, was the 1975 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1975, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On July 18, 1944, her son, Private Arthur Campbell Wilkinson, was killed while on duty near River Orne, France. He was 24 years old and serving with The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

Mrs. Wilkinson, née Campbell, was born on March 30, 1898 in New Richmond, Quebec. She married Curt Lorne Wilkinson and together they raised five children, including Arthur, Dorothy, Richard and David.

She published two books, Ottawa to Caen: Letters from Arthur Campbell Wilkinson, a collection of letters received from her son while serving overseas and Remembrance Association, Silver Cross Women of Canada. Mrs. Wilkinson was the National President of the Silver Cross Women of Canada. She faithfully attended the national Remembrance Day ceremony from 1975 through 1982; missing only one to attend a funeral.

Mrs. Wilkinson died in September of 1990.

Mrs. Olive Rae (Jubb) from Edmonton, Alberta, was chosen 1976 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1976, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On June 25, 1944, her son, Pilot Officer Harold Oliver Rae, was shot down over France and killed while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On March 16, 1945, a second son, Pilot Officer Leslie Elmer Rae, died when his Lancaster bomber disappeared over Germany while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

A third son, Albert Thomas Rae, served in the Royal Canadian Navy throughout the Battle of the Atlantic and survived the war.

Mrs. Mary Boutilier, née Labelle, of Niagara Falls, Ontario, was the 1977 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1977, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On August 29, 1944, her son, Private Douglas Albert Henry Boutilier, was killed while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

On September 10, 1944, a second son, Corporal William Charles Boutilier , was killed while serving with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.

Mrs. Boutilier was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 2, 1900. On August 14, 1917 she maried John James Boutilier and she remained in Halifax until 1923 when he returned from the First World War. She lived through the Halifax Explosion. In 1923, they moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario with their fours sons Gordon, Douglas, William and Fred. In Niagra Falls they has Jackie (died as infant), Grace, Shirley, Ken and Harry.

When the Second World War started her husband John enlisted. He was a Sergeant-major. In 1939, Gordon, Douglas and William enlisted with Fred following shortly after. They left their mom a note saying they wre signing up.

Mary was at home raising five children and involved in the Army Service Patrol, a home front war effort. She started the Ladies Auxillary at Legion branches 479 and 51, as well as Silver Cross mothers in the Niagara region. Two of her great grandsons joined the military.

Mrs. Janet Cantley from Montréal, Quebec, was the 1978 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1978, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On April 17, 1943, her son, Sergeant Alexander Crawford Cantley, was killed in action while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On September 13, 1944, another son, Lance Corporal Charles Robin Cantley, was killed while serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

On August 22, 1944, her son-in-law, Leading Seaman John Edward Ball, was killed in action while serving with the Royal Naval Reserve.

Mrs. Eliza (Elizabeth) Beatty of Carlyle, Saskatchewan, was the 1979 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1979, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On August 19, 1942, two of her sons, Private Melville Douglas Beatty and Private Walter Earl Beatty, were killed in action at Dieppe while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment.

Mrs. Beatty, née Keal, was born on July 25, 1891 in Saskatchewan. In 1911, she married Walter Wellington Beatty and together they raised seven children: Keal, Erma, Lois, Thelma, Melville, Earl and Reginald. Reginald, who also served in the Second World War survived, returning home.

Mrs. Beatty was widowed in 1967. She died in 1985 in Saskatchewan.

Mrs. Greta Steeves of Elgin, New Brunswick, was the 1980 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1980, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On July 7, 1941, her son, Sergeant John Chesley Steeves, died during a training exercise in Northern Scotland while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On October 14, 1945, a second son, Lance Corporal Russell Weldon Steeves, died from injuries sustained while serving with the Carleton and York Regiment.

Mrs. Greta Steeves was born on March 27, 1896 in Meadow, New Brunswick. She married Chesley Weldon Steeves. Together they raised their ten children-- Marguerite, Ethel, Phyllis, Russell, John, Albert, Vincent, Lee, Richard and Stephen.

Mrs. Janet Fraser of Debert, Nova Scotia, was the 1982 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1982, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On August 24, 1943, her son, Flight Sergeant George William Fraser, was reported missing over Germany while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

On October 13, 1944, a second son, Private John Robert Fraser, was killed in action while serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

Mrs. Fraser, née Muirhead, married John Hill Fraser, a First World War Veteran. Together, they raised five children, George William, Robert, Mildred (Millie) Louise, who was a major in the Canadian Armed Forces, Kathleen (Kay) Elizabeth and another son, Dana.

Mrs. Constance Wylie from Vancouver, British Columbia, was named the National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother in 1983. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1983, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On March 7, 1951, her only son, Private Lloyd Wylie, was killed as a result of a machine gun blast while serving with the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, marking the seventh Canadian casualty in the Korean War.

Soon after Lloyd arrived in Korea, his mother wrote him a letter to advise that she was knitting him a pair of wool socks. In return correspondence, Private Wylie informed that he would trade his old socks to an Australian friend for a can of beer. Just a few hours after writing the letter to his mother, he was killed. Mrs. Wylie heard the news three days after his death.

In April 1984, Mrs. Wylie traveled to Korea to visit her son’s grave.

Mrs. Olive (Rumball) Hunter of Summerland, British Columbia, was the 1984 National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother. During the national Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa on November 11, 1984, she laid a wreath at the base of the National War Memorial on behalf of all mothers who have lost a child in military service to Canada.

On January 15, 1945, her youngest of three sons, Pilot Officer Harold Marland Rumball, was killed when his bomber was shot down over Germany while serving with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Born Olive Annie Mann in April, 1897 in Kent, England, she immigrated to Canada with her parents, before the First World War. In Canada, Mrs. Hunter attended college and graduated with a major in music. In 1918, she met and married Lawrence Rumball. Together, they raised three sons, Dale, Leslie and Harold. All three sons served in the Second World War.

In 1919, they moved to Summerland, where she lived for 74 years, to take over her in-laws’ business–a grocery store. Known for her strong work ethic, in addition to working in the family store, she taught piano lessons and managed and operated the fruit orchard adjoined to their property. In the fall, Mrs. Hunter would harvest the fruit, pack it and deliver it to the train station miles away via a horse-drawn wagon. In July, 1959 she was widowed. Ten years later, she married Frank Hunter. Mrs. Hunter died in 1993.

From the time of her son’s death, Mrs. Hunter could not bring herself to attend Remembrance Day Ceremonies. In 1980, convinced by Royal Canadian Legion officials, she took on the role of local Silver Cross Mother, until just a few years before her death. She was honored to be selected National Memorial (Silver) Cross Mother in 1984.