G9: 1932 Mel Shiels & & Greta Mary Martin

Mel Shiels was born in 1932 and was the eleventh child born to John George Shiels & Pearl Alberta Gerry. He was a ninth generation descendant of Micheal Shiels. 

The following is Mel’s lineage.

  • G1: Micheal Shiels 1671 & Bessie Brown
  • G2: Daniel Shiels 1719 & Jessie Scott
  • G3: James Shiels 1750 & Janet Younger
  • G4: Robert Shiels 1769-1845 & Annie Dickson
  • G5: Thomas Shiels 1795-1839 & Barbara Jean Cranston
  • G6: John Shiels 1826-1908 & Janet McNair
  • G7: Thomas Shiels 1857-1928 & Rachel Ann Brigham
  • G8: John George Shiels 1885-1975 & Pearl Alberta Gerry
  • G9: Mel Shiels 1932-2014 & Greta Mary Martin
    • G10: Gary Shiels 1954 & Annette Martin
      • G11: Jamie Russell Shiels 1985 & Carrie Cline
      • G11: Nicole Leigh Shiels 1987 & Curtis Wood
    • G10: Gayle Shiels 1956 & Tom Burns
      • G11: Thomas Arthur Daniel Burns 1982
    • G10: Tim Shiels 1958 & Cindy Tyler
      • G11: Tim John Shiels 1981
      • G11: Brandy Mary Rose Shiels 1984
    • G10: Paul Shiels 1959 & Marnie Porteaus & Brenda Forhan
      • G11: Justin Shiels 1980-1993
      • G11:Trevor Shiels 1978
      • G11: Edward John Melvin (Teddy) Shiels 1984
    • G10: Terry Shiels 1964-1997
      • G11: Terry Shiels Jr 1989 & Ally Kiolbasa
    • G10: Kevin Shiels 1967-2017 & Lindy Hay
      • G11: Hayley Shiels 1996
      • G11: Melvon Shiels 1998

G9: Mel Shiels 1932-2014 & Greta Mary Martin

Mel Shiels was born March 1, 1932 near Stoughton, Saskatchewan. He was the youngest child of John and Pearl (Gerry) Shiels. He was only 10 months old when his mother died and he was raised by his father and older sisters. The family moved to Manitoba in 1937.

Mel moved along with his father from farm to farm around Napinka, Manitoba. When his dad moved to town in 1947, Mel stayed on the farm with his brother Ken. Their other brother George came to live with them after returning from World War II with his wife Betty. In the fall of 1947 they moved to the old House farm.

In the fall of 1949, Mel drove to Ontario with his friend Orville McInnes. Orville went to join the Mounties and Mel went to see his brother Cliff. Mel was only 16 and got a job with the Canada Packers. He stayed there for a year and then moved to Bowmanville, Ontario where he met his wife, Greta Mary Martin. Greta was born in Bowmanville January 22, 1935.

Mel & Greta were married on December 6, 1952. While in Bowmanville, Mel drove a bread truck and a taxi. He also worked for McGregor’s Hardware for eight years. They had a daughter Deborah Pearl born July 24, 1953. She died on November 16, 1953 and is buried at Bowmanville. The family moved to Oshawa in 1960, which is nine miles from Bowmanville. Mel worked for Whites and remained there for eight years. Then he started with J & H Feed Stores in Schomberg where he sold silos. He sold these silos all over Canada. While working there, Mel recalled having breakfast in Halifax one morning and having supper in Vancouver the same night.

During the time in Oshawa, they had six children; Gary on December 22, 1954; Gayle on September 2, 1956; Tim on April 9, 1958; Paul on November 3, 1959; Terry on April 24, 1964; and Kevin on May 22, 1967. All of the children were born in Bowmanville.

Mel has been a salesman for most of his married life. After selling silos, he started his own family business known as “Mel Shiels and Sons Farm Automation” in 1975. This was really a family business, Mel was the salesman and overall boss and Greta & Gayle work in the office. All the sons have worked in the business at one time or another. Their business was located three miles west of Newmarket. Mel had an accident in 1984, while working on a piece of farm machinery. He broke his pelvis and was in hospital for a long time but did make a complete recovery.

Mel & Greta went on to work together in a new venture delivering the Royal Mail while they still owned his own business. When you are in your own business, you depend on the mail to get the cheques in. After not getting any mail for over a week, Mel went to the post office to find out what was wrong and he found out that the delivery person had quit. He also found out that the previous three had also quit. The postmaster asked Mel if he wanted to try so he agreed to do Holland Landing so that he could get his own mail. This was followed by Barrie and Newmarket. Paul took over the family business and the mail expanded to include Bradford, Aurora and Kettlebe. They had a total of ten different routes at one time and Mel, Greta, Gayle, Paul, Terry, Brenda, Cindy and Audrey all helped out. There are many families in the Bradford/Newmarket area that get their mail using a Rural Route (RR) type address. Mel & Greta would go in to the post office around 4AM to sort the mail and then start delivering so they were done about 2PM. They continued with the mail for 15 years and retired in July 2000 and moved to Carlton Place, Ontario, just a few miles from Ottawa.

Mel also likes to play the guitar and sing. Mel is a very kind and gentle person and is always there to offer help to anyone in need.

Mel passed away on Sunday, February 16, 2014.

G10: Gary Shiels 1954 & Annette Martin

  Gary Shiels was born December 22, 1954. He was the second child of Mel & Greta (Martin) Shiels. He married Annette Martin on February 16, 1980. Annette was born in Glasgow, Scotland on October 5, 1957.

Gary has an university degree in Architectural Technology and worked in his father’s business for a number of years.

Gary & Annette have two children, Jamie Russell born May 10, 1985 and Nicole Leigh born July 24, 1987. They live in Bradford, Ontario.

Gary was a site supervisor for the Conservatory Group in Markham, Ontario. He has been there since 1988 and they build houses and condominiums.

G11: Jamie Russell Shiels 1985 & Carrie Cline

James Russel Shiels was born on May 10, 1985, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Annette Martin, age 27, and Garry Lavern Shiels, age 30.

He married Carrie Cline on November 22, 2014, when he was 29 years old.

Their son Ewan was born on April 12, 2016.

G11: Nicole Leigh Shiels 1987 & Curtis Wood

  Nicole Leigh Shiels was born on July 24, 1987, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Annette Martin, age 29, and Garry Lavern Shiels, age 32.

She married Curtis Wood and their daughter Brynn Caroline was born on June 29, 2015.

G10: Gayle Shiels 1956 & Tom Burns

Gayle Shiels was born September 2, 1956. She was the third child of Mel & Greta (Martin) Shiels.

She married Thomas Burns on May 29, 1981. Tom was born in Toronto on September 7, 1951. They have one son named Tad (Thomas Arthur Daniel) born December 23, 1982.

They lived in the Holland Marsh near Newmarket for a number of years and moved to Keswick, Ontario in 1997.

Tom worked for the Highways Department operating a snow plow in the winter and worked for Beamish on road construction in the summer. Gayle worked in the office for her father’s business for a number of years before starting work delivering mail on the rural routes near Bradford. 

Tom died on January 20, 2013, at the age of 61.

G11: Thomas Arthur Daniel Burns 1982

Thomas Arthur Daniel Burns was born on December 23, 1982, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Gayle Louise Shiels, age 26, and Thomas James Daniel Burns, age 31.

G10: Tim Shiels 1958 & Cindy Tyler

  Tim Shiels was born April 9, 1958. He was the fourth child of Mel & Greta (Martin) Shiels.

He married Cindy Tyler on November 25, 1978. Cindy was born in Toronto on September 2, 1960. They have a son Tim John, better known as T.J. born October 31, 1981 and one daughter Brandy Mary Rose born in May 1984.

Tim and Cindy lived in Bradford, Ontario. Tim worked with his dad for many years before starting with the York Sanitation. He went on to become a site supervisor for the Conservatory Group in Markham, Ontario building high-rise apartments and condominiums.

Cindy delivered the mail for many years.

G11: Tim John Shiels 1981

Tim John Shiels was born on October 31, 1981, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Cindy Lou Tyler, age 21, and Timothy (Tim) John Shiels, age 23.

G11: Brandy Mary Rose Shiels 1984

Brandy Mary Rose Shiels was born on March 22, 1984, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Cindy Lou Tyler, age 23, and Timothy (Tim) John Shiels, age 25.

G10: Paul Shiels 1959 & Marnie Porteaus & Brenda Forhan

  Paul Shiels was born November 3, 1959. He was the fifth child of Mel & Greta (Martin) Shiels. He married Marnie Porteaus on March 28, 1980. Marnie was born in Montreal on August 19, 1960. They have a son Justin, born October 7, 1980. Justin died in 1993. Paul & Marnie have been divorced and Paul married Brenda Forhan on February 16, 1983. Brenda had a son Trevor (born August 31, 1978) and they have another son Edward John Melvin (Teddy) born in May 4, 1984.

Paul worked in the family business for a number of years before delivering mail on the local rural routes near Bradford, Ontario. He is now an assistant superintendent for the Conservatory Group in Markham, Ontario. Brenda operates the mail delivery on the local rural routes near Bradford, Ontario.

G11: Justin Shiels 1980-1993

Justin Paul Shiels was born on October 7, 1980, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Marnie Porteaus, age 20, and Paul Arthur Shiels, age 20.

Justin was sick for a long time and died in 1993 when he was 13 years old.

G11:Trevor Shiels 1978

Trevor Shiels was born on August 31, 1978, to Brenda Forhan and Paul Arthur Shiels.

G11: Edward John Melvin (Teddy) Shiels 1984

Edward John Melvin (Teddy) Shiels was born on May 4, 1984, in Newmarket, Ontario, to Brenda Forhan and Paul Arthur Shiels.

He married Timi Lynn Byron on Sept 30, 2017.

G10: Terry Shiels 1964-1997

Terry Shiels was born April 24, 1964. He was the sixth child of Mel & Greta (Martin) Shiels.

Terry worked in the family business and also on the mail routes. Terry went west to Winnipeg one summer and spent a month with his cousins, Dan & Judy Shiels in Winnipeg. They had a great time together and drove back to Ontario together that summer.

Terry died March 8, 1997 and is buried in Bowmanville, Ontario.

Terry had a son Terry Jr born December 26, 1989. Terry Jr lives with his mother, Cheryl Ann Delaney and visited his grandparents quite often.

G11: Terry Shiels Jr 1989

Terry Jr Shiels was born on December 26, 1989, to Cheryl Ann Delaney and Terry Shiels. His father died when he was only 7 years old. 

Terry married Ally Kiolbasa on Oct 31, 2020 and they live in Midlands, Ontario.

G10: Kevin Shiels 1967-2017 & Lindy Hay

Kevin Shiels was born May 24, 1967. He was the seventh child of Mel & Greta (Martin) Shiels.

Kevin married Lindy Hay on December 9, 1994. They have two children, Hayley, born November 22, 1996 and Melvon born May 22, 1998.

Kevin worked on construction and Lindy recently graduated as a health care worker. They lived near Carleton Place, Ontario until Kevin’s untimely death in 2017.

G11: Hayley Shiels 1996

Hayley Shiels was born on November 22, 1996, to Lindy Hay and Kevin Shiels.

G11: Melvon Shiels 1998

Melvon Shiels was born on May 22, 1998, to Lindy Hay and Kevin Shiels.