Eli Pollard was born on September 27, 1873 in Ethel, Huron County, Ontario to William and Mary Pollard.
He spent the first few decades of his life in Ontario before eventually moving to Manitoba in 1902 where he received a homestead grant for southeast Manitoba. He came to Winnipeg a few years later and in 1910 he was married to Clara Alberta Bickford. Bickford was a widow of Walter Edward Town, who she had married in 1898 but passed away just eight years later.
Prior to his passing, the two had four sons together, William, George, Albert, and John. After the Pollard-Bickford marriage, Pollard adopted her children as his own, and the couple moved to 476 Bannatyne Avenue.
Soon after, the two had their first and only child together, Eileen Roberta Josephine, on August 14, 1912.
Pollard served on the front lines of both England and France until the end of the war, and achieved the rank of Private. In his official discharge papers from December 5th of 1918, it makes note of his “front line service effect.”
After returning from war, Pollard kept a lower profile and soon retired. His daughter Eileen was married on July 23, 1932 to Elias Johns. Pollard and his wife eventually moved in with the couple and by the mid-1940s they lived at 226 Burrin Avenue in West Kildonan.
People continued to search over the coming days, weeks, and months, but to no avail. The winter came and there was no sign of Pollard.
On April 22nd of 1946 as newspapers announced the previous weekend’s celebrations of Easter, a gruesome discovery was announced. As John and Fred Reinich were canoeing near the Bergen Cutoff Bridge they noticed Pollard’s body floating in the river.
While a sad and unfortunate end, it likely gave closure to Pollard’s family. Clara continued to live into her mid-90s and eventually passed away at the age of 93 in 1969.
Private Eli Pollard’s grave sits at Brookside Cemetery as a reminder of the horrors of war, and the sacrifices our veterans made.
