Name: Mary Maimie Muise Rank: Private Service No: W/6453 Service: Canadian Women's Army Corps (Driver) Date of Birth: January 24, 1920 Place of Birth: Springhaven, Yarmouth Co., NS Date of Enlistment: January 8, 1943 Place of Enlistment: Kentville, NS Address at Enlistment: Kentville, NS Age at Enlistment: 22 Height: 5 feet, 4 inches Marital Status: Single Trade: Housekeeping/Waitress Religion: United Church Next of Kin: Mrs. Helen Muise (Mother) Springhaven, Yarmouth Co., NS\ Date of Death: November 30, 1943 Ageat Death: 23 Cemetery: Roman Catholic Cemetery, Quinan, NS The 83rd name on the WWII list of the Yarmouth War Memorial Commemorated on page 197 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance Displayed in the Memorial Chamber of the Peace Tower in Ottawa on April 22 Mary was the daughter of John Felix and Mary Helen Muise, of Springhaven. She was the second of thirteen children, a sister to Peter Muise (aged 24 in 1943; Served with the Canadian Army in Newfoundland), Jarvis (aged 13 in 1943), George (aged 9 in 1943), Donald (aged 7 in 1943), Adele (Mrs. Adele Doucet, Springhaven), Sadie (Mrs. Sadie Grant, Yarmouth, NS), Rosie (Mrs. Rosie Gaudet, Shelburne, NS), Delcie (aged 17 in 1943; Little River, Yarmouth Co., NS), Agnes (aged 16 in 1943; Raynardton, Yarmouth Co., NS), Marie (aged 15 in 1943; Springhaven), Margaret (aged 11 in 1943; Springhaven) and a half sister to Frank Muise (Digby, NS) and Rose (Mrs. Rose Gidney, Yarmouth South, NS). Mary completed Grade 8 at age 13. She attended schools in Yarmouth and Digby. Reading was her best subject. She left school for work and was a waitress in a hotel for one year. She then obtained employment as a domestic with responsibilities for four children for two years. Mary claimed she “liked variety” and was a domestic and waitress in a number of locations. She enjoyed swimming and dancing. She spent much time by herself and enjoyed reading “true detective stories”. Mary, known as “Maimie” completed basic training in Kitchener, Ontario and then completed a course for Driver at Kitchener (April 1942). She was posted to No. 17 Company, CWAC at Sydney, Nova Scotia as a driver on May 3, 1943. Mary Muise died on November 30, 1943 when an army vehicle in which she was travelling overturned in water and she was drowned. She had specified on her enlistment papers her religion to be Protestant and so she was buried in the Catholic Cemetery in Quinan outside the cemetery grounds. When the cemetery was expanded her grave fell within the new boundaries and a veteran headstone was erected. Mary Muise is the only known female casualty while serving in the Second World War from the Yarmouth Town and County area. Sources and Information: Library and Archives Canada Commonwealth War Graves Commission Canadian Virtual War Memorial