Irena Enseba LENT was born 16 Apr 1876 in Dresden, Camden Twp., Kent Co., Ontario, Canada to parents Lucas Milton LENT & Matilda Rosina PURDY. The name Mydra was given at Baptism.

Dresden is now part of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, which is the size of all Kent County, but was not made a Town until 1881. In the Census of that year, Mydra is listed as five years old, going to school & living with family: L. M. LENT, 45, born Ontario, Presbyterian, German, farmer, married; Cora, 35, born in USA (who this Cora was, & where Matilda Rosina was have yet to be determined); Cora, 19; Milton, 17; Mattie, 15; William (sic - is this Williston F. W.?), 12; Letta, 9; Lulilla, 7. Some room for error must be allowed in this transcription. Mydra's father, Lucas Milton LENT, settled here in 1860. The Atlas of 1881 lists her father, L. M. LENT, with land in two Kent County Townships - Concession IX, Lot 23, 135 acres in Chatham Twp., (Large Map) as well as Concession III, Lot 2, 50 acres in Camden West Twp. (Large Map). For information on this family for the year 1871, see the Biography of Williston F. W. LENT.

Of the intervening years, we know the following:

27 Aug 1894 - Awarded Commercial Certificate, Education Dept. of Ontario, Ridgetown (Ridgetown Coll. Inst.);
Aft. 1894 - Brantford Ladies' College (Ontario); NY School of Expression;
1900 - 1901 - Brantford City Directory, Mydra LENT, 133 Park Ave., Elocution (Map)

During 1900 & 1901, Mydra & a Mr. Robert SOMERVILLE of the Brantford Expositor exchanged letters. One amusing note was after 17 months of writing to one another: "PS - Please don't call me Mister any more."

Mydra was "an accomplished" young lady, talented in music & painting. She made occasional trips to Elmvale, Ontario, to visit her older brother, Williston F. W. LENT, who practised law.

It was probably in the autumn of 1904, that Mydra met Walter Ernest GILBERT. From reading the letters he wrote to her, their acquaintance was renewed over Christmas 1904. Mydra wrote a note to him, & Walter's first letter to her on 13 Jan 1905 begins, "My Dear Friend, Miss Lent". Mydra appears to be in London, Ontario at this time. They may have met through Jack (surname UNKNOWN, the future husband of Mydra's younger sister, Stella?) who eventually had a "prairie parish out west".

The second letter, 30 Jan, begins, "My Sweet & Lovely Girl", & the third (& majority of the subsequent letters) with, "My Darling Mydra".

The correspondence continued until their marriage, which took place on 09 Jan 1907 in Calgary, Alberta. Walter tells her of life at Wycliffe College, his Ordination, Curacy at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia & building a new church in Vermilion, Alberta - read some excerpts, & about the married life of Walter & Mydra.

She was a member of the O. E. S. Grandview Chapter No. 8; W. A. Anglican Church of Canada.

The Course of Study included Vocal Technique, Elocution, Philosophy of Expression, Voice Culture, etc. Included were "Opinions of Press" - very interestingly, about half of these were written by Mr. SOMERVILLE of the Brantford Expositor, the man who was writing letters to her in 1900 & 1901, before she met Walter.

Mydra Irena Enseba GILBERT (Maiden Surname LENT) died 22 Sep 1963
in Vancouver, BC, Canada at the age of 86 years.
Walter E. GILBERT, Mydra I. LENT & their eight-day-old son, Wallace Lent GILBERT,
are buried at Christ Church, Surrey Centre, BC, Canada.

(There is much to be added, but this is the temporary end of my "progress"!)