I am seeking some advice from someone knowledgable in the resources of the Alert Bay area of British Columbia.

In August 1954, Asahel Willison died in Alert Bay (British Columbia Archives Microfilm B13221/Death Records Index)at the age of 80. I believe that this was the same Ashael Willison (b. ca. 1873) who was enumerated in his father's household in Morgan County, West Virginia in the 1910 federal census, when his occupation was given as a prospector in British Columbia. No further mention of Asahel/Ashael is found in local records. His father's 1933 obituary does not list Asahel as a survivor, indicating that he had died.

I believe there is a strong possiblity that Asahel simply lost contact with his family and that they assumed that he was dead, and that this is the same person. I have not sent for a copy of his death certificate -if he had no contact with his family, a death certificate with information given by someone in British Columbia probably would not name his parents or give any information that would help me connect him to them.

An obituary may give some information on Asahel's life - what he did, when he came to British Columbia, where he had lived, etc, etc, that may help me connect him to this West Virginia family. Can anyone tell me if there was a newspaper in the Alert Bay area in 1954, if it was the custom to print obituaries that were more than fundamental information, and where the repository of such newspapers would be.

Thank you for reading this lengthy query, and any advice that you may be able to give me would be greatly appreciated.

Donald W. Nazelrod