Descendants of Robert Maxwell
Generation No. 1
1. ROBERT1 MAXWELL (MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1806 in Ireland, and died Aug 16, 1861 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. He married SARAH JANE ALGUIRE Abt. 1843, daughter of JOHN ALGUIRE and MARY DUBOIS. She was born 1823 in Ontario, CAN, and died Jan 04, 1898 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads "Sarah Maxwell died on January 4, 1898 at Cornwall Township. Her age was 75. Her residence was 8th Concession. She was a Farmer. She was born at Cornwall Township. The cause of death was Old Age. The death was registered by Ben Burton. Her religious denomination was English Church.").
Notes for SARAH JANE ALGUIRE: In 1851, Robert and Sarah lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with their children William, Mary, Jane and Elizabeth. Robert was a Farmer.
In 1861, Robert and Sarah lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with their children William, Mary, Sarah, Elizabeth, Robert, Isaac, David, Lucinda and Joseph. Robert was a Farmer.
In 1871, Sarah lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with her children Robert, Elizabeth, David, Lucinda, Joseph, William and Isaac. William and Robert were a Farmers.
In 1881, Sarah lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with her children David, Joseph, Isaac, Lucinda and John.
In 1891, Sarah lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with her children Isaac and David and David's children.
Children of ROBERT MAXWELL and SARAH ALGUIRE are: i. WILLIAM THOMAS2 MAXWELL, b. Mar 19, 1844, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1917. 2. ii. MARY MARGARET MAXWELL, b. Aug 09, 1845, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. Feb 11, 1926, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN. 3. iii. SARAH JANE MAXWELL, b. Sep 15, 1848, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. Nov 01, 1921, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN. iv. ELIZABETH ANN MAXWELL, b. 1849, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. Sep 05, 1881, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; m. CHARLES BEAMER; b. 1849. 4. v. ROBERT JOHN MAXWELL, b. 1851, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1917. 5. vi. DAVID WILLIAM L MAXWELL, b. 1853, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. 6. vii. ISAAC DAN MAXWELL, b. Sep 1854, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. Jun 02, 1909, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN. viii. JAMES MAXWELL, b. 1855, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. 7. ix. LUCINDA MAXWELL, b. Apr 15, 1857, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1944, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN. 8. x. JOSEPH MAXWELL, b. Apr 1860, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. xi. ROBERT MAXWELL, b. Jun 18, 1889, Ontario, CAN.
Generation No. 2
2. MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Aug 09, 1845 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died Feb 11, 1926 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads “Mary Margaret Shaver died on February 11, 1926 at Osnabruck. She was Married. Her age was 80 years, 5 months. Her occupation was Farmer's wife. She lived at Her place of death for whole life in Ontario. Her father was Robert Maxwell. Her mother was Sarah Alguire, born in Osnabruck. The death was registered by Peter Shaver, Northfield Station. She was buried at Lunenburg. The primary cause of death was Senility for 18 months. The immediate cause of death was Bronchitis for 6 days. The Physician was J S Dickey, MD, Newington."). She married HENRY SHAVER Aug 22, 1867 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN, son of JACOB SHAVER and LANY BUSH. He was born Mar 19, 1842 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died Nov
1 30, 1920 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads “Henry Shaver died on November 30, 1920 at Northfield Station. He died at Northfield Station. He was Married. His age was 79. His occupation was Farmer for his whole life. His father was Jacob Shaver, born in Osnabruck. His mother was Laney Bush, born at Long Sault, Ireland. The death was registered by Mary M Henry, 231 Perry St. Ottawa, sister. He was buried at on December 3rd. The Undertaker was Dilliard Wert, Avonmore. The primary cause of death was Cerebral Hemorrhage. The Physician was J S Dickey.").
Notes for MARY MARGARET MAXWELL: In 1871, Mary and Henry lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with their children Peter and Henry. Hanry was a Farmer.
In 1881, Mary and Henry lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with their children Peter, Henry, William, Whilimine and Thomas. Henry was a Farmer.
In 1891, Mary and Henry lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with their children Peter, Henry, WIlliam and Thomas. Henry was a Farmer.
In 1901, Mary and Henry lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with their son Peter. Henry was a Farmer.
In 1911, Mary and Henry lived at Lot 1, 6th Concession, Lunenburg, Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario. Henry was a Farmer.
Children of MARY MAXWELL and HENRY SHAVER are: 9. i. PETER HENRY3 SHAVER, b. Feb 07, 1869, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1938, Ontario, CAN. 10. ii. HENRY J SHAVER, b. Feb 28, 1870, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN. 11. iii. WILLIAM IRA SHAVER, b. Apr 28, 1872, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN. iv. ROBERT SAMUEL SHAVER, b. Sep 25, 1873, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Robert Samuel was born on September 25, 1873 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Henry Shaver, Farmer. The mother was Mary Margaret Maxwell. The birth was registered by Wm S Wood, Assessor, Osnabruck."); d. Jun 14, 1874, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads "Robert Samuel Shaver died on June 14, 1874 at Osnabruck Township. His age was 8 months. He was a child. He was born at Canada. The cause of death was Tabe Mesenterica (3 months sick). The Physician was Charles Bartle, MD. The death was registered by Charles Bartle, MD, Osnabruck. His religious denomination was Presbyterian."). v. WHILEMINE SHAVER, b. 1875, Ontario, CAN. vi. MARY MARGARET SHAVER, b. Feb 09, 1879, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads “Mary Margaret was born on February 9, 1879 at Osnabruck. The father was Harry Shaver. The mother was Margaret Shaver. The birth was registered by Henry Shaver, Osnabruck Centre."). 12. vii. THOMAS WILSON SHAVER, b. Jan 20, 1881, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN.
3. SARAH JANE2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Sep 15, 1848 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died Nov 01, 1921 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads “Sarah Jane Young died on November 1, 1921 at Osnabruck. Her residence was Lot 3, Concession 1. She was Married. Her age was 73 years, 1 month, 20 days. She was born on September 12, 1848. She was born at Canada. She was a Houseworker. She lived at Her place of death for 50 years. She lived her whole life in Ontario. Her father was Robert Maxwell, born in Ireland. Her mother was Sarah Alguire, born in Canada. The death was registered by Bertha S Lavigne, Madrid New York, daughter. She was buried at Wales Church of England Cemetery. The Undertaker was J M McDonald. The primary cause of death was Influenza. The immediate cause of death was Pneumonia. The Physician was W A Feader."). She married (1) ALEXANDER MCDONALD Jan 16, 1866 in Long Sault Mission, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. He was born 1847 in Lancaster, Glengarry, ONT, CAN, and died Jun 05, 1880 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads "Alexander McDonald died on June 5, 1880 at Cornwall Township. His age was 30 years. He was born at Lancaster. The cause of death was Consumption, 4 years. There was no Physician. The death was registered by H H Shaver, Undertaker, Cornwall. His religious denomination was Methodist Church."). She married (2) FRANCIS YOUNG Oct 22, 1880 in Moulinette, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On October 12, 1880 at Moulinette. Francis Young, age 26, Widower, Baker. His usual residence was Osnabruck. His birthplace was Lanark, Scotland. His parents were Alexander and Agnes Young. Sarah Jane Snoer (Maxwell), age 30, Widow. Her usual residence was Osnabruck. Her birthplace was Cornwall. Her parents were Robert Maxwell and Sarah Maxwell. His religious domination
2 was Presbyterian. Her religious domination was Church of England. The marriage witnesses were John Waldroff of Osnabruck and Lucinda Maxwell of Osnabruck. They were married by Rev Frederick Pine by License."), son of ALEXANDER YOUNG and AGNES. He was born Jan 24, 1854 in Scotland.
Notes for SARAH JANE MAXWELL: In 1881, Sarah and Francis lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with Sarah's children Susan and Nellie. Francis was a Baker.
In 1891, Sarah and Francis lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with their children Margaret, Ellen, Bertha, Jessie, Norah and Sarah. Francis was a Lock Tender. Margaret was a Dress Maker.
In 1901, Sarah and Francis lived at Osnabruck, Stormont, Ontario with their children Jessie, Norah and Agnes and their nephew Robert Maxwell. Francis was a Baker.
Children of SARAH MAXWELL and ALEXANDER MCDONALD are: i. SUSAN3 MCDONALD, b. 1866, Ontario, CAN. ii. NELLIE MCDONALD, b. 1870, Ontario, CAN.
Children of SARAH MAXWELL and FRANCIS YOUNG are: iii. MARGARET3 YOUNG, b. 1866, Ontario, CAN. iv. ELLEN YOUNG, b. 1871, Ontario, CAN. 13. v. BERTHA S YOUNG, b. Oct 1876, Ontario, CAN. vi. JESSIE YOUNG, b. Mar 03, 1882, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads " Jessie was born on March 3, 1882 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Francis Young, Labourer. The mother was Sarah Jane Maxwell. The birth was registered by Francis Young, 1st Con, Osnabruck."); d. Aug 20, 1941, Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. vii. SARAH JENNETT "NORAH" YOUNG, b. Dec 15, 1884, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads " Sarah Jennett was born on December 15, 1884 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Francis Young, Labourer (Baker by Trade). The mother was Sarah Jane Maxwell. The birth was registered by Francis Young, 1st Con."). viii. SARAH "AGNES" YOUNG, b. Mar 08, 1888, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Sarah Agnes was born on March 8, 1888 at Osnabruck. The father was Francis Young, Labourer. The mother was Sarah Jane Maxwell. The birth was registered by Francis Young, 1st Con, Osnabruck.").
4. ROBERT JOHN2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1851 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died 1917. He married CATHERINE MADDEN. She was born 1851.
Children of ROBERT MAXWELL and CATHERINE MADDEN are: i. MARY AGNES3 MAXWELL, m. W H SMITH. ii. WILLIAM ROBERT MAXWELL, b. 1878. iii. GEORGE MAXWELL, b. 1883. iv. EDWARD WALTER MAXWELL, b. 1885. v. MABEL MAXWELL, b. 1886; m. GATES. vi. FRANK MAXWELL, b. 1890. vii. CATHERINE MAXWELL, b. 1892.
5. DAVID WILLIAM L2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1853 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. He married (1) JENNIE BAKER. She was born 1856, and died Bef. 1891. He married (2) MARY LOUISE MCPHAIL Mar 15, 1900 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On March 15, 1900 at Cornwall. David Maxwell, age 36, Widower, Farmer. His residence was Cornwall Township. He was born at Cornwall Township. His parents were Robert Maxwell and Sarah Jane Alguire. Mary Louise McPhail, age 18, Spinster. Her residence was Cornwall Township. She was born at Cornwall Township. Her parents were Christopher McPhail and Catherine McDonald. The witnesses were Peter H Shaver of Osnabruck and Sadie McBain. His religious domination was Church of England. Her religious domination was Church of England. They were married by Rev S Gower Poole by License."), daughter of CHRISTOPHER MCPHAIL and CATHERINE MCDONALD. She was born 1881 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN.
Notes for DAVID WILLIAM L MAXWELL:
3 In 1891, David lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with his children Mary and William. David, a widow, was a Farmer.
Children of DAVID MAXWELL and JENNIE BAKER are: i. MARY3 MAXWELL, b. 1886, Ontario, CAN. ii. WILLIAM MAXWELL, b. 1888, Ontario, CAN.
6. ISAAC DAN2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Sep 1854 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died Jun 02, 1909 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads "Isaac Maxwell died on June 2, 1909 at Osnabruck. His age was 54 years, 9 months. He was born at 8th Concession, Cornwall Township. His residence was Osnabruck Centre. He was a Farmer. He was Single. His father was Robert Maxwell. The primary cause of death was Cardiac Insufficiency for 12 years. The Physician was J S Dickey, Newington. The death was registered by J S Dickey, Newington."). He married RACHEL EAMER.
Child of ISAAC MAXWELL and RACHEL EAMER is: i. MARY JOSEPHINE3 MAXWELL, b. Jun 20, 1879, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads " Mary Josephine was born on June 20, 1879 at Cornwall Township. The father was Isaac Maxwell, Farmer. The mother was Rachel Eamer. The birth was registered by Isaac Maxwell, Township of Cornwall.").
7. LUCINDA2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Apr 15, 1857 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died 1944 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN. She married WILLIAM GRAHAM Oct 31, 1882 in Lunenburg, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On October 31, 1882 at Lunenburg. William Graham, Bachelor, Farmer; age 29. His usual residence was the Twp of Cornwall and he was born at the Twp of Cornwall. His parents were William Graham and Sarah Clyde. Lucinda Maxwell, Spinster; age 24. Her usual residence was the Twp of Cornwall and she was born at the Twp of Cornwall. Her parents were Robert Maxwell and Sarah Alquire. The witnesses were Maggie McLeod and David Maxwell both of Cornwall Twp. William was a Presbyterian and Lucinda was a member of the Church of England. They were married by William A Lang by license."), son of WILLIAM GRAHAM and SARAH CLYDE. He was born Aug 14, 1853 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died Oct 29, 1918 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads "William Graham, Farmer, Married died on October 29, 1918. The Place of death was the Township of Cornwall. He was buried at Martintown. His age was 66 years 2 months and 5 days. He was the son of William Graham and Sarah Clyde. He was born in the Township of Cornwall. The cause of death was Pneumonia and Influenza for one week as Certified by W A McCracken. The death was registered by Wilson Graham of RR2 Martintown.").
Notes for WILLIAM GRAHAM: In 1891, William and Lucinda lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with their children Sarah and William. William was a Farmers.
In 1901, William and Lucinda lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with their children Sarah, William, James, John and Wilson. William and William were Farmers.
In 1911, William and Lucinda lived at Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with their children Ethel, John and Wilson. William was a Farmer.
Children of LUCINDA MAXWELL and WILLIAM GRAHAM are: 14. i. SARAH "ETHEL"3 GRAHAM, b. Aug 24, 1883, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. Lived at least to 90. 15. ii. WILLIAM ROBERT GRAHAM, b. Dec 30, 1884, Martintown, Charlottenburgh, Glengarry, ONT, CAN; d. Jan 16, 1958, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN. 16. iii. JAMES FRANCIS GRAHAM, b. Oct 11, 1891, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1962, Ontario, CAN. iv. JOHN MAXWELL GRAHAM, b. Apr 24, 1893, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "John Maxwell was born on April 22, 1893 at Cornwall Township. The father was William Graham, Farmer."). v. WILSON LANGILL GRAHAM, b. Oct 24, 1904, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth
4 Certificate, Reads “Wilson Langil was born on October 24, 1904 at Cornwall Township. The father was Wm Graham, Farmer. The mother was Lucinda Maxwell. The Physician in attendance was Dr McLennan. The birth was registered by Wm Graham."); d. Nov 19, 1918, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Death Certificate, Reads "Wilson Graham, Farmer, Single died on November 19, 1918. The Place of death was the Township of Cornwall. His age was 20 years. He was born in the Township of Cornwall. He was buried at Martintown. He was the son of William Graham and Lucinda Maxwell. The cause of death was Double Pneumonia and Influenza as Certified by Dr W A McCracken. The death was registered by D McMillan of Martintown.").
8. JOSEPH2 MAXWELL (ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Apr 1860 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN. He married EVA M FLATER. She was born Apr 1863 in Canada.
Notes for JOSEPH MAXWELL: In 1900, Joseph and Eva lived at New Rockford, Eddy, North Dakota with their children Robert, Russell and Ruth. Joseph was a Farmer.
In 1910, Joseph and Eva lived at New Rockford, Eddy, North Dakota with their children Robert, Russell and Ruth. Joseph was a Farmer.
In 1911, Joseph and Eva lived at Township 8, Range 28, MacLeod, Alberta with their children Robert, Russell and Ruth. Joseph was a Farmer.
Children of JOSEPH MAXWELL and EVA FLATER are: i. ROBERT NATHAN3 MAXWELL, b. Jan 1892, North Dakota, USA. ii. JOSEPH RUSSELL MAXWELL, b. Aug 1894, North Dakota, USA; d. Aug 07, 1975, Salmon Arm, BC, CAN. iii. RUTH LATHERIA MAXWELL, b. Jul 1899, North Dakota, USA; d. Nov 21, 2000; m. GEORGE DE SMIT; d. Oct 06, 1999.
Generation No. 3
9. PETER HENRY3 SHAVER (MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Feb 07, 1869 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died 1938 in Ontario, CAN. He married MARY ELIZA ROMBOUGH Nov 20, 1901 in Chesterville, Winchester, Dundas, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On November 20, 1901 at Chesterville. Peter H Shaver, age 31, Bachelor, Farmer. His usual residence was Osnabruck. His birthplace was Osnabruck. His parents were Henry Shaver and Mary Maxwell. Mary Rombough, age 26, Spinster. Her usual residence was Osnabruck. Her birthplace was Osnabruck. Her parents were James Rombough and Roda Garnet. His religious domination was Presbyterian. Her religious domination was Presbyterian. The marriage witnesses were James Rombough of Osnabruck and Maud Warner of Roxborough. They were married by A Russell by License."), daughter of JAMES ROMBOUGH and RODA GARNET. She was born Mar 31, 1875 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Mary Eliza was born on March 31, 1875 at Osnabruck Township. The father was James H Rombough, Farmer. The mother was Mrs Jas H Rombough. The birth was registered by James H Rombough, Farmer, Osnabruck."), and died 1952 in Ontario, CAN.
Notes for PETER HENRY SHAVER: In 1911, Peter and Mary lived at Lot 30, 8th Concession, Cornwall Township, Stormont, Ontario with their children Nellie, Wallace and Isabell. Peter was a farmer.
Children of PETER SHAVER and MARY ROMBOUGH are: 17. i. MARY "NELLIE"4 SHAVER, b. Oct 29, 1902, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1969, Ontario, CAN. 18. ii. WALLACE JAMES HENRY SHAVER, b. Nov 21, 1904, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN; d. 1997, Ontario, CAN. iii. MARGARET "ISABELLA" SHAVER, b. Jun 1908, Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN; m. HOWARD HARRY YOUNG, Nov 21, 1925, Mille Roches, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On November 21, 1925 at Mille Roches. Howard Harry Young, age 26, Bachelor, Farmer. His residence was Cornwall Centre. His birthplace was Hawkesbury, Ont. His parents were Joseph Young & Mary Jane Barton. Margaret Isabelle Shaver, age 18, Spinster, Mill Hand. Her residence was Cornwall Centre. Her birthplace was Osnabruck. Her parents were Peter Henry Shaver & Mary Rombough. His religious domination was Pentecoste. Her religious domination was Pentecoste. The marriage witnesses were
5 Wallace Shaver, Northfield Station and Florence Barton, Mille Roches. They were married by Rev James Swanson by License."); b. 1907, Hawksbury, ONT, CAN. 19. iv. ROBERT SHAVER, b. 1913; d. 1982, Ontario, CAN. 20. v. KENNETH SHAVER, b. 1915; d. 1965, Ontario, CAN.
10. HENRY J3 SHAVER (MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Feb 28, 1870 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Henry was born on February 28, 1870 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Henry Shaver, Farmer. The mother was Mary M Maxwell. The birth was registered by Henry Shaver, Osnabruck."). He married WILHEMINA 1900. She was born 1874 in Wisconsin, USA.
Notes for HENRY J SHAVER: In 1900, Henry lived at Oshkosh, Wells, North Dakota. He was a Butcher.
In 1910, Henry and Wilhemina lived at Heimdal, Wells, North Dakota with their children Mary, Martha, Henry and Grace. Henry was a Farmer.
In 1911, Henry and Wilhemina lived at Township 8, Range 28, MacLeod, Alberta with their children Mary, Martha, Henry and Grace. Henry was a Farmer.
In 1930, Henry and Wilhemina lived at St Anna, Wells, North Dakota with their daughter Grace. Henry was a Farmer. Grace was a Public School Teacher.
Children of HENRY SHAVER and WILHEMINA are: i. MARY A4 SHAVER, b. Sep 1901, North Dakota, USA. ii. MARTHA A SHAVER, b. Jun 1904, North Dakota, USA. iii. HENRY C SHAVER, b. Sep 1907, North Dakota, USA. iv. GRACE IDA SHAVER, b. Mar 1910, North Dakota, USA.
11. WILLIAM IRA3 SHAVER (MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Apr 28, 1872 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "William Ira was born on April 28, 1872 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Henry Shaver, Farmer. The mother was Margaret Maxwell. The birth was registered by Wm S Wood, Assessor, Osnabruck."). He married DELIA 1896. She was born Jun 1872 in Wisconsin, USA.
Notes for WILLIAM IRA SHAVER: In 1893, William moved to North Dakota.
In 1900, William and Delia lived at Oshkosh, Wells, North Dakota with their son William. William was a Farmer.
In 1910, William and Delia lived at Heimdal, Wells, North Dakota with their children William, Leonard, Ruth and Olive. William was a Farmer.
In 1920, William and Delia lived at Fessenden, Wells, North Dakota with their children William, Leonard, Ruth and Olive. William was a Farmer.
In 1930, William and Delia lived at Fessenden, Wells, North Dakota with their daughter Olive. Olive was a Teacher.
Children of WILLIAM SHAVER and DELIA are: 21. i. WILLIAM4 SHAVER, b. Apr 1899, North Dakota, USA. ii. LEONARD H SHAVER, b. Jun 27, 1903, North Dakota, USA; d. Apr 1985, Harvey, Wells, ND, USA.
Notes for LEONARD H SHAVER: In 1930, Leonard lived at Fessenden, Wells, North Dakota. He was a Labourer.
iii. RUTH J SHAVER, b. 1905, North Dakota, USA.
6 iv. OLIVE FLORA SHAVER, b. 1907, North Dakota, USA.
12. THOMAS WILSON3 SHAVER (MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Jan 20, 1881 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Thomas W was born on January 20, 1881 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Henry Shaver, Farmer. The mother was Mary Margaret Maxwell. The birth was registered on January 24, 1924 by Mary Margaret Maxwell, mother. His parents were married on Aug 22, 1867 at Cornwall."). He married (1) MARY WILSON. He married (2) GERTRUDE ANN MCBAIN Oct 18, 1899 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On October 18, 1899 at Cornwall, Thomas W Shaver, age 20, Bachelor, Farmer. His residence was Osnabruck. His birthplace was Osnabruck. His parents were Henry Shaver and Mary Maxwell. Gertrude McBain, age 19, Spinster. Her residence was Cornwall. Her birthplace was Cornwall. Her parents were Hugh McBain and Agnes Johnston. His religious domination was Presbyterian. Her religious domination was Methodist. The marriage witnesses were Sadie McBain and Agnes Hickey of Cornwall. They were married by Rev Jas Hastie by License."), daughter of HUGH MCBAIN and AGNES JOHNSTON. She was born Jul 02, 1880 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Gertrude Ann was born on July 2, 1880 at Cornwall. The father was Hugh McBain. The mother was Agnes Johnson. The birth was registered by Madge Oliver, sister, Saskatoon in 1926.").
Child of THOMAS SHAVER and MARY WILSON is: i. MARRON WILSON4 SHAVER, b. Jun 17, 1904, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Marron Wilson was born on June 17, 1904 at Cornwall Township. The father was Thomas W Shaver, Merchant, Cornwall Township. The mother was Mary Wilson. The Physician in attendance was Dr Whittaker. The birth was registered by T W Shaver.").
Children of THOMAS SHAVER and GERTRUDE MCBAIN are: 22. ii. DELIA MAY4 SHAVER, b. Sep 16, 1900, Northfield Station, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN. 23. iii. MARVIN SHAVER, b. 1901. 24. iv. EVON SHAVER, b. 1903.
13. BERTHA S3 YOUNG (SARAH JANE2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Oct 1876 in Ontario, CAN. She married GEORGE LAVINE. He was born Oct 1871 in New York, USA.
Notes for BERTHA S YOUNG: In 1900, George and Bertha lived at Louisville, St Lawrence, New York with their daughter Helen. George was a Farmer.
In 1920, George and Bertha lived at Madrid, St. Lawrence, New York with their daughter Helen. George was a Farmer.
Child of BERTHA YOUNG and GEORGE LAVINE is: i. HELEN4 LAVINE, b. Jul 1899, New York, USA.
14. SARAH "ETHEL"3 GRAHAM (LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Aug 24, 1883 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Sarah Ethel was born on August 24, 1883 at Cornwall Township. The father was William Graham, Farmer. The mother was Lucinda Maxwell. The birth was registered by William Graham, Tp of Cornwall, 8th Con."), and died in Lived at least to 90. She married LOUIS JOHNSTON.
Children of SARAH GRAHAM and LOUIS JOHNSTON are: i. OLIVE4 JOHNSTON, b. Abt. 1925; m. IVAN TERRILL.
Notes for OLIVE JOHNSTON: 403-627-3516
25. ii. WILLIAM JOHNSTON.
7 15. WILLIAM ROBERT3 GRAHAM (LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Dec 30, 1884 in Martintown, Charlottenburgh, Glengarry, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "William Robert was born on December 30, 1884. The father was William Graham, Farmer. The mother was Lucinda Maxwell ."), and died Jan 16, 1958 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN. He married RHODA ALICE "RODY" RALPH. She was born Apr 28, 1891 in Folkston, Dover, KEN, ENG, and died Sep 09, 1962 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN.
Children of WILLIAM GRAHAM and RHODA RALPH are: 26. i. WILLIAM ROBERT4 GRAHAM, b. Jun 09, 1918, Morse, SK, CAN. ii. RUTH EVELYN GRAHAM, b. Sep 16, 1920, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; d. Sep 10, 1984, Bethune, SK, CAN; m. ALBERT DEANE; d. Bef. 1984. 27. iii. JOHN WILSON GRAHAM, b. Jun 22, 1922, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; d. Jan 31, 2004, Terace Bay, ONT, CAN. 28. iv. JAMES RALPH GRAHAM, b. Mar 21, 1927, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; d. 2009.
16. JAMES FRANCIS3 GRAHAM (LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Oct 11, 1891 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "James Francis was born on October 11, 1891. The father was William Graham, Farmer. The mother was Lucinda Maxwell ."), and died 1962 in Ontario, CAN. He married MADELAINE E ATKINS Sep 06, 1922 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On September 6, 1922 at Cornwall. James Francis Graham, age 31, Bachelor, Farmer. His residence was Martintown. His birthplace was Martintown. His parents were William Graham & Lucinda Maxwell. Madeline Elizabeth Alkins, age 34, Spinster. Her residence was Martintown. Her birthplace was Williamsburg. Her parents were James Alkins & Margaret Amy French. His religious domination was Presbyterian. Her religious domination was Church of England. The marriage witnesses were Charles Edward Atkins, Montreal Quebec and Muriel Evelyn Fetterly, Winchester. They were married by William Netten by License."), daughter of JAMES ATKINS and MARGARET FRENCH. She was born Dec 27, 1887 in Williamsburg, Dundas, ONT, CAN, and died 1978 in Ontario, CAN.
Notes for JAMES FRANCIS GRAHAM: In 1911, James lived at Township 8, Range 28, MacLeod, Alberta with his Uncle Joseph Maxwell. He was a Labourer.
Child of JAMES GRAHAM and MADELAINE ATKINS is: i. FRANCIS GERALD4 GRAHAM, b. Bet. 1926 - 1928.
Notes for FRANCIS GERALD GRAHAM: Don Mills
Generation No. 4
17. MARY "NELLIE"4 SHAVER (PETER HENRY3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Oct 29, 1902 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "Mary Nellie was born on October 29, 1902 at Osnabruck Township. The father was Peter Shaver, Farmer, Dixon. The mother was Mary Rombough. The birth was registered by Wm A Munro. The Physician in attendance was Wm A Munro."), and died 1969 in Ontario, CAN. She married DOUGAL A MCCOLL Mar 30, 1921 in Cornwall, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Marriage Certificate, Reads "On March 30, 1921 at Cornwall. Dougald McColl, age 21, Bachelor, Farmer. His residence was Cornwall Township. His birthplace was Cornwall Township. His parents were William McColl & Janet Vallance. Nellie Shaver, age 18, Spinster. Her residence was Cornwall Township. Her birthplace was Osnabruck. Her parents were Peter Shaver & Mary Rombough. His religious domination was Presbyterian. Her religious domination was Presbyterian. The marriage witnesses were Mary McColl, Moulinette and Wallace Shaver, Northfield. They were married by James Faulds by License."), son of WILLIAM MCCOLL and JANET VALLANCE. He was born 1900 in Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN, and died 1969 in Ontario, CAN.
Children of MARY SHAVER and DOUGAL MCCOLL are: i. MARY5 MCCOLL, b. 1922; m. COOKE. ii. MARGUERITE MCCOLL, b. 1924. iii. GLADYS MCCOLL, b. 1926.
8 18. WALLACE JAMES HENRY4 SHAVER (PETER HENRY3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Nov 21, 1904 in Osnabruck, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads "James Henry Wallace was born on November 21, 1904 at Osnabruck. The father was Peter H Shaver, Farmer, Dixon. The mother was Mary E Rombough. The Physician in attendance was Dr Jamieson. The birth was registered by Dr Jamieson."), and died 1997 in Ontario, CAN. He married MILDRED MCPHERSON 1930 in Ontario, CAN. She was born 1911, and died 1997 in Ontario, CAN.
Children of WALLACE SHAVER and MILDRED MCPHERSON are: i. THELMA5 SHAVER, b. 1930; m. WILLIAM KENNEDY; b. 1930. ii. NEIL SHAVER, b. Apr 19, 1932; d. Sep 05, 2001, Ontario, CAN; m. HELEN MCMAHON; b. Jun 29, 1930; d. Jun 19, 1991, Ontario, CAN. iii. BRUCE SHAVER, b. 1934; m. YVONNE BOUCHARD; b. 1938; d. 2006, Ontario, CAN. iv. BRYCE SHAVER, b. 1936. v. DORIS SHAVER, b. 1939. vi. RONALD SHAVER, b. Dec 24, 1943, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN; m. CAROL ANN DUFF; b. Aug 08, 1949, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN. vii. LARRY SHAVER, b. 1946. viii. BRIAN SHAVER, b. 1951.
19. ROBERT4 SHAVER (PETER HENRY3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1913, and died 1982 in Ontario, CAN. He married CLARA M DYMOND. She was born 1914.
Children of ROBERT SHAVER and CLARA DYMOND are: i. ROBERTA5 SHAVER, b. 1933. ii. HAROLD SHAVER, b. 1935.
20. KENNETH4 SHAVER (PETER HENRY3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1915, and died 1965 in Ontario, CAN. He married LUELLA M W PEPPER. She was born 1914, and died 2004 in Ontario, CAN.
Children of KENNETH SHAVER and LUELLA PEPPER are: i. KENNETH A5 SHAVER, b. 1941. ii. BARBARA JEAN SHAVER, b. 1945.
21. WILLIAM4 SHAVER (WILLIAM IRA3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Apr 1899 in North Dakota, USA. He married EDDA M 1920. She was born 1901 in Minnesota, USA.
Notes for WILLIAM SHAVER: In 1930, William and Edda lived at Fargo, Cass, North Dakota with their children Marion, Raymond and William. William was a Motorman on the Railroad.
Children of WILLIAM SHAVER and EDDA M are: i. MARION G5 SHAVER, b. 1921, North Dakota, USA. ii. RAYMOND J SHAVER, b. 1923, North Dakota, USA. iii. WILLIAM SHAVER, b. 1927, North Dakota, USA.
22. DELIA MAY4 SHAVER (THOMAS WILSON3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Sep 16, 1900 in Northfield Station, Cornwall Township, Stormont, ONT, CAN (Source: Birth Certificate, Reads “Delia May was born on September 16, 1900 at Northfield Station. The father was Thomas Watson Shaver, born at Northfield Station. The mother was Gertrude Ann McBain, born at Cornwall. The Physician in attendance was. The birth was registered by Delia May Boyle on October 26, 1966 at Saskatoon."). She married A A BOYLE. He was born 1905.
Children of DELIA SHAVER and A BOYLE are: i. HARRY5 BOYLE, b. 1925. ii. DONALDA BOYLE, b. 1927.
9 23. MARVIN4 SHAVER (THOMAS WILSON3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1901. He married VERA GRAND. She was born 1901.
Children of MARVIN SHAVER and VERA GRAND are: i. JERRY5 SHAVER, b. 1921. ii. CORINE SHAVER, b. 1923.
24. EVON4 SHAVER (THOMAS WILSON3, MARY MARGARET2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born 1903. She married HAROLD TECKNOLD. He was born 1903.
Child of EVON SHAVER and HAROLD TECKNOLD is: i. ROBERT5 TECKNOLD, b. 1923.
25. WILLIAM4 JOHNSTON (SARAH "ETHEL"3 GRAHAM, LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) He married BERNICE.
Children of WILLIAM JOHNSTON and BERNICE are: i. ELAINE5 JOHNSTON, m. ROGER.
Notes for ELAINE JOHNSTON: Sherwood Park 780-464-5468
ii. KAREN JOHNSTON, m. STEWART.
Notes for KAREN JOHNSTON: Red Deer
iii. SPENCER JOHNSTON.
26. WILLIAM ROBERT4 GRAHAM (WILLIAM ROBERT3, LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Jun 09, 1918 in Morse, SK, CAN. He married KATHLEEN IRENE KANE May 24, 1940 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN, daughter of MICHEAL KANE and CATHERINE KILKENNY. She was born Jan 22, 1918 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN.
Notes for WILLIAM ROBERT GRAHAM: My name is Bill Graham not Billy Graham. I was born 86 years ago in Morse Saskatchewan. My Dad worked at a garage there for a number of years. We only lived there a year and a half after I was born before moving into Moose Jaw. I went to school at Alexander School until Grade 2. Then when William Grayson School was built I attended there.
When I was about 7 or 8 Mom wanted me to take violin lessons. I took them for about 6 months and then the teacher moved out of town. I still think he moved because he couldn't stand teaching me anymore. However, I kept playing off and on. One of the neighbor boys - Jim Walmsley played the banjo and his Dad played the piano so we used to have jam sessions. His Dad used to play the piano in the Capital Theatre for the old silent movies. He had to play according to what was on the screen. If there was a storm in the picture, he had to play a piece imitating a storm, or if it was a romantic scene he played nice soft music - he was very good. I used to ask him to play the music for thunder and lightning. It was very realistic. I used to belong to a Boy Scout troop, which had an orchestra, so I gained a bit of experience playing with a group. Jim and I used to do other things besides playing music. We both learned the Morse code, and we used to get a bicycle horn and signal back and forth. He lived about a half a block away so I guess you can imagine the racket. A short blast on the horn meant a dot and a long one meant a dash. Our mothers soon put a stop to that as the neighbors were complaining, so we tried it with flashlights after dark. It worked very well because we could see each other's house and the flashlights.
Every Sunday morning I would get up about 5:30 am and ride my bicycle along the side roads looking for beer bottles. Every Saturday night people would drive out in the country and have a beer party and leave the empties
10 by the side of the road. The money I got from selling the bottles sometimes went into gambling. A lot of the Chinese restaurants and laundries used to run lotteries every hour. You bought a ticket for 10 cents with one hundred symbols on it. You marked off ten symbols. An hour later a runner came back with the winning symbols. If you had 5 right you got your money back. If you had 6 you got $1.89. If you got 7 right your got $17.80. If you got 8 right you got $89. If you got 9 right you got $250 and if you got all ten right you got $1,000 which in 1937 was an awful lot of money. I won $1.89 once.
We used to go swimming at Bush Pond. It was just east of the 9th Avenue Bridge, where the creek flows. The hobos used to go swimming there in the altogether. The passenger train went right by the creek so there were a lot of complaints from the passengers on the view they got. We started swimming at Kingsway Park after that. It had a sandy beach and a suspension walking bridge across the river to the wild animal park. It was situated south east of the old dance hall. That was where I met Kay. We used to have a lot of fun throwing the girls off of the suspension bridge. It was only 4 or 5 feet above the water. They used to have jitney dances (5 cents per dance) every Saturday night. They had streetcar tracks running down right to the dance hall so they used to have big crowds come down. There weren't many cars in those days.
After attending grade school I went to Moose Jaw Technical School now called Peacock High School. I attended the Tech School for three years. In the spring of the 3rd year, grade 11, things were pretty tough. These were the depression years, so we couldn't dig up the money for my departmental examinations, so I couldn't write them. I got pretty disgusted. Three other fellows and I decided to go down East to look for work. We hopped a freight train. We got as far as Sintaluta, just east of Regina. They stopped there, and we got some work at an elevator pulling spikes out of two by fours. For that I got the grand total of $5.00. Then we hopped the freight again and was it ever cold. This was the day before Good Friday. There was snow on the ground when we landed in Winnipeg. We went into a boxcar and wrapped ourselves up in building paper to keep warm.
After leaving Winnipeg we got as far as Nipagon where the Mounted Police were stopping everybody going down east. There were too many transients going out east, so they were stopping them in Nipagon. We got off the train and hid in the bushes. The ones that were caught were taken to the restaurant and given a good meal, while we were out there shivering. We would have been better off getting caught since they didn't put them in jail or anything they just told them to head back west. So we walked the next 40 miles to Schreiber, which was the next division point. Boy that was some trip along those railroad tracks. After we got to Schreiber we continued on to Ottawa and from there I parted company with the other guys and I headed down by myself to Cornwall. Walking most of the way I got to Martin Town where I had relatives. Some people found me walking toward Martin Town and they must have been talking to my uncle about him expecting me as they brought me to his home. My aunt took one look at me and said "into the bathtub!" I must have been quite a sight, as I hadn't had a bath or a shave for quite a few days. I worked in my uncle's garage in Martin Town. I was there about 6 months. I was going around with Kay at the time so I got pretty homesick, and I managed to save enough money to go home by bus. That was my initiation to hopping freight and I never had the desire to hop freight trains again.
After I got back to Moose Jaw it was getting toward fall and the farmers were starting to harvest. I started walking north of town to the various farms to see if anybody needed help. Nobody wanted any so I walked about 25 or 30 miles and was turning around to go back home. The last place I stopped was Herman Sapp's, just northwest of Moose Jaw. When I stopped there I think he felt sorry for me so he said "yeah come on out in the morning and we'll get you stooking". "Stooking" I said, " what's that?" He said "you come on out and we'll show you. Bring a pair of gloves." So the next morning I went out there and I stooked. I guess he thought I wasn't too bad because after that he said I might as well stay around and help with the harvesting. They gave me a job driving a bundle wagon with a couple of slow horses. The bundle wagon was what they used to collect the stooks. They didn't have people picking them up; instead they had a stook loader. It ran along the side picking up the stooks. The wagon was supposed to be just even with the stook loader and there was an elevator that ran and dropped the sheaves into the wagon. These horses were so dam slow that every once in a while I would get the stooks down the back of my neck. So I had to keep those horses going. I couldn't let them slow down. Actually I thought that was the best job I had in my whole life. In the middle of the afternoon they would come around with roast beef sandwiches and cold milk. Boy that really hit the spot. Mr. Sapp decided to go straight combining so he bought a combine. I drove the tractor; it was an old Wallace tractor. The tractor had about a three quarters turn before it finally took a hold. I was continually winding this steering wheel back and forth, so by the end of the day I had a pretty sore arm I finally got used to it. The tractor started to heat up so I went around the front and I took the lid off the radiator and got boiling water spraying right into my face. The chap on
11 the combine, Fritz Walland, quick as a flash reached into a big pan of grease grabbed a handful and slapped it all over my face. I don't know why I never even had a mark from the burn. I guess it kept the air away from it.
When I was driving the bundle wagon I was supposed to unhitch the horses and rub them down. I had never unhitched a horse before so when I took the bridle off I undid three straps. Boy did they ever give me a bad time about that. Another time I was starting to hitch them up and I hitched up the hame straps before I put in the pole. Boy you could hear that farmer for three miles when he saw me do that. He said "don't you know what could happen there? If the horses had started up, the pole would have gone to the ground and the wagon would have gone straight up in the air." I really enjoyed the meals out at his place. One year he planted 20 acres of cattle corn. It tasted as good as sweet corn. There was always a big pot of corn on the stove and a 45-gallon crock of sauerkraut on the back porch. Herman Sapp was a Dutchman he came up from Illinois and he really liked his sauerkraut.
My next job was at the Swift Canadian Meat Packing Plant. There were a lot of people out of work then, so you used to have to line up at the front gates to try and get work. I managed to get a job in the hide cellar. It was about one week every month. They laid these hides in packs and covered them in rock salt for 30 days to cure them. After the 30 days we put the hides on a big table with slats in it and each of the four men would take a corner. Our group of guys would pull the hides off the pack lay them on the table and shake the salt off. We used to have to do that twice then turn the hide over and shake it on the other side. Then two guys would pull the hide off the table and fold it into a small pack a foot square and tie it with binder twine. They would haul them away to the ice cellar until they had enough to fill a boxcar. They used to have to do 125 an hour, so you were going pretty strong with ten-hour days and no such thing as a coffee break. We started at seven in the morning and stopped for lunch. They wouldn't let us eat with the rest of them because we stunk so much from the smell of the hides. It was pretty humiliating. I got promoted to be a hide tier. It was worse because with the binder twine and trying to tie them it would open up sores in your hand. I was wishing I was back to shaking hides again. They called us about every month for a weeks work. I later got a job out in the yards. I had a little pull getting this job since Kay's Mom and Dad were friends with the foreman of the yards where they had all the cattle. Hauling cattle up to the killing floor. They had two killing floors one for cattle. They used to kill 30 cattle an hour 300 a day. On the upper floor they killed hogs 180 an hour 1800 a day. I can always remember this one young fellow on the hog floor. He used to have to shackle the hogs around the hind leg then there was a triangular chain with links on it that they used to haul the shackles around the hogs leg. They had holes in them that fit in the pin and they would haul the hog up where they went along a platform where they would kill them. It was all right when the pen was full of hogs, but when they only had 5 or 6 he had an awful job trying to get the shackle around their legs. He would end up knocking the hogs out with the shackle. They were running on a standard there 180 an hour you couldn't miss too many links or you would be behind on their quota for the day. If he missed any he would get in trouble with the rest of the crew. If they made over the 180 an hour they would get a b like a bonus. He actually developed a sound from all his hollering that sounded like a hog. The wages paid at Swifts was 45 cents an hours. This was a very good wage for these times.
I got a job at Robin Hood and made 25 cents an hour. Quite a let down. I started as a sweeper then a smutter then an oiler then finally as a trick miller where you had to look after a shift. Trick means shift in that language. People asked me "do you have to be pretty tricky to have that job" and I said "no that's just what they call a trick miller". I worked from 1939 until 1968. We were on holidays at Waskesui with Mavis and Jim and the kids when one of the other campers told me he heard Robin Hood in Moose Jaw was shutting down. It was quite a shock! When it shut down I went back to school down in Weyburn and got my fourth-class engineer papers. That was quite a change from what I'd been doing. I managed to get a job in maintenance at the Union Hospital. While I was working there one of the fellows in the boiler room quit. You needed to have your 3rd class papers to work in the boiler room, but I only had my 4th class. They said they would let me work on a permit providing I took a course to get my 3rd class papers, So that's what I did and as soon as I got my 3rd class papers the government passed a law that you could run theses boilers with a 4th class papers. But they still paid me for my 3rd class, which was very nice. After I worked there for a few years, I'd wished the mill had shut down 15 years earlier with all that dust and heat. Although it was pretty hot in the boiler room too. I retired in 1983 and have been busier than I ever have since. I worked in the mill from 39 to 68, but part way through the war was on.
In 1942 there was a big drive on for Aero Engine mechanics and Aero Frame mechanics there was quite a bit of pressure put on so I joined up. We had our first training at the Douglas Building in Moose Jaw. I was there about 4 months then we went to Edmonton for manning depot. That's where we got our uniforms and drilling training (marching). We were only there a month and just before our only weekend off we had to go out on
12 parade. They gave us orders to wear our gloves on parade because it was chilly. I took my gloves out of my locker and laid them on the bed. I turned around and someone had swiped them. I had to go out on the parade right away so when I was out there the officer inspecting saw me without my gloves on. He said, "where's your gloves?" I said "somebody stole them just before I came out". He just nodded to the sergeant "take his name". I spent that long weekend in the kitchen. I was never so fed up in my life. It was my only weekend off. From Edmonton we went down to St. Thomas where we had the rest of our Aero Engine training. It used to be a mental asylum and all the windows had bars on them. We were standing out there in the rain waiting to go inside, you could see these guys up there yelling and banging on the bars let me out of here let me out of here. It sure didn't do much for our morale. After four months in St. Thomas I got posted to Mossbank south of Moose Jaw. I always said I fought the Battle of Mossbank. When I was home on a 48-hour pass our second son, Patrick, died of a thyroid enlargement. He was a year and a half old. I was at Mossbank for eighteen months then I was posted to Saskatoon for four months. While we were in Saskatoon they had a couple of Hurricane aircrafts stationed there as there was talk of the Japanese sending over balloons with explosives in them. The hurricanes were posted there to intercept them if they came into the area. We used to have to sit on the tails of these aircraft while they revved them up because if we didn't they would tip over. The plane would nose down if they weren't held down. It was about 44 below zero so you can imagine how cold it was out there with the wind from the propellers blowing in your face.
After I spent four months in Saskatoon, I was posted to Moncton. We thought we were going to go overseas but the war ended when we went through Fort William. When we got to Moncton they didn't know what to do with us so they sent us to Scoudouc to the repair depot. They told us to just keep out of sight. We'd get in the middle of one of these seaplanes. The four of us would play fourhanded crib all day. I was never so sick of playing cribbage. Then they put us on a train and shipped us out to Vancouver Island to Comox. We spent 5 days and nights on that train. I spent three months there, before getting discharged. This was in 1942 to 1945.
While I was at the mill a few things happened. We had a big fire there in 1965. On Maureen's 16th birthday I was just sitting down to have a piece of birthday cake when the phone rang. I was the head miller at that time. The trick miller called me up and said you'd better get down here we've got a pretty big fire going here. When I arrived all of the fire trucks were around the back. They didn't have sufficient pressure from the fire hose to get to the fire on the 5th floor. The mill had a big 50 thousand gallon tank on top of the elevator, and it was piped to all the different floors, so it had lots of pressure with this weight. They didn't want the firemen to go up there because they thought they might get lost with all the smoke, so the manager told me I'd better get up there and show them where to go to connect this hose. We had man lifts with the steps on just like an elevator. I walked up the stairs with the water coming down about 6 inches deep. I had to feel my way around to where the standpipe was from this big tank. I managed to get around there and they got the fire out. I had an oxygen tank strapped on my back. I was starting to lose air, so I had to beat it to a window and knock out the glass to get some fresh air. That was quite an experience. Every day I would wake up and think it was a dream until I looked out the windows and saw all the broken windows at the oat mill.
We used to have a lot of fun with some of the guys at the mill. Some of the floors had small holes in them. One of the oilers working there had his desk right above where one of these small holes were. When he was standing just below the hole we would pour water over his head and run. We used to have to change our shoes and wear safety boots. One time we nailed a guys shoes to the floor with four-inch spikes, and when he went to put them on he couldn't figure out what happened. Those were just a few of the things that happened at the mill. What we used to do on Sundays - we would either go down to River Park (now Wakamow) or to Buffalo Lake. It used to be the three families: The Slacks, The O'Byrnes and the Grahams. We used to go down to Wakamow first when the weather was not too good. We'd have campfires there. Of course Frank, he liked his tea in the middle of the afternoon. So one time he put the kettle on for a cup of tea and he was away somewhere and it started to boil. Harold filled his teapot and filled up Frank's kettle with cold water. Frank came back figuring it should be boiling and says "what the heck is the matter with this kettle it's not boiling yet?" so he went to get more wood and while he was away the kettle started to boil again. I then filled our teapot and filled the kettle with cold water and put it back on the fire. Frank came back again to find the kettle still not boiling he let out a blast of swear words "what the hell's the matter with this kettle it should be boiling by now". Just about that time we were eating and I had a piece of chocolate cake in my mouth. When Frank let out his holler I couldn't help laughing. I started to laugh with this cake in my mouth and it caught in my throat. I coudn't breathe and started to turn blue. I thought I was going to die. Bea was all for cutting my throat and giving me a tracheotomy with a tube in my throat so I could breathe, but before that Harold came up behind me and gave me a slap on the back that knocked me over and loosened the cake and I'm still living.
13 One day we went out to Buffalo Lake. I had an old car a Chrysler that wasn't too dependable. I wasn't too fussy about going but we went anyway. We spent the afternoon there and when we started off to head for home the car stalled part way up the hill. This was the old road up from the lake not the road they have now. It just had a one-track trail going up the side of the hill. I put the car in neutral to get it out of the way in case someone else was coming up. I waited for a while and started it again. It started and when I put it in gear it wouldn't move I thought oh my gosh the transmission must be gone. I put it in park and got out. I looked and saw gasoline running down the hill behind the car. When I pulled over to the side a rock must have been sticking out of the ground and punctured the gas tank. The wheel was just spinning around while it was in gear. While this was going on Frank was at the bottom of the hill trying to get his kids lined up to go home. There was a line-up at the bathroom and Barbie was waiting to get in. Another little girl was in there and had been in there quit a while so Frank let's out a beller "Hurry up in there my daughter wants to go" the girl came out crying and ran over to her dad. Well her dad was the same type as Frank already like a bantam rooster ready to fight and they were just squaring off when Kay came down to tell Frank about what happened to the car and they both came up to help me. I didn't know anything about what had been going on until later. Anyway when it punctured the gas tank it left enough gas to get me back to Moose Jaw. So the next day I got an old elevator bolt like we used at the mill and fixed it just as good as new.
Every Sunday when we would come home from Buffalo Lake we would stop off at Johnston's Dairies off Hochelaga East. We would order 20 ice cream cones. The girl behind the counter nearly fainted. They were 5 cents apiece. They were pretty cheap in those days.
We didn't take too many holidays when we were younger, but one year we decided to take a holiday down to my brothers in Terrace Bay, Ontario. This was back in 1951. I had an old 1940 Hudson Pacemaker. We started out and got about 100 miles and the choke stuck and we had a carburetor fire. We got it out with some dirt and kept going. We stayed at Dryden overnight. It took us three days to get there. It was getting dark past Fort William and something happened to the light switch. Kay had to hold the switch under the dashboard because it would keep going out. We were getting pretty close to Terrace Bay when we saw a sign that said Terrace Bay 19 miles. We went along and passed this town and kept going and came to the end of the road there was a bridge wash out. I thought we passed it so we turned around with Kay holding the light switch all the way and here was Johnny on the street. He had seen us go by and waved to us but we didn't see him. Someone had put a one in front of the nine. We stayed there three days and decided we would go back home through the States. We were going to do a bit of shopping on the way home.
We arrived at Duluth where all of the streets are on hills. My car was a standard and when you put on the brake you had to put the emergency on. So on some of these hills we had to race the engine quite a bit so I wouldn't back down the hill. I must have loosened some of the babbitt in the connecting rod. We just got out of Duluth and I could hear this clickety clack so I took it to a garage there. They said they couldn't do anything so I asked if I could use their garage to fix it. They said okay and they had a connecting rod for me so I fixed it. We started out again early Saturday and when we got to Rugby it really collapsed and the rod went thought the side of the block. I got a guy in Rugby to tow me to Minot for $30. I really needed to get Kay to the border at Portal so she could get the bus home. We had to get back home because Nora was heading back to Ireland on Monday and she was looking after the kids. So we were in a bit of a spot. I went into the taxi stand in Minot and asked if they knew anyone who could tow me to the border. I found a guy who would tow me for $50. He gets going down the road and he's weaving in and out and I thought oh my gosh he's loaded. We felt like sitting ducks. He's driving down the road and there's a guy coming towards us and he's weaving too. He gets by the truck and it hit me in the back fender. I managed to keep the car on the road but the fender was jammed into the wheel so we couldn't move. I must have had super human strength that day because I grabbed a hold of that fender and pulled it out. The guy said "do you think we should call the police" and I said "Hell no I've got to get to that border before tonight". He drove as straight as a die the rest of the way to Portal. I had to declare our stuff at the border I bought a couple tires in Duluth and I forgot about them. They were on the car. At the last minute I said "oh I also bought a couple of tires". The border guy said "it's sure lucky you said something". Then I put Kay on the bus and I got a guy to tow me back home for $90. So there went the spending money we were going to use for shopping in the States. When we got home we took the car up to my dad's house, he was a mechanic. He put a patch on the side took the crankshaft out. The journal was 30 thousandths of an inch out flat.
That trip we made was in 1951 and we didn't make another until 1977. One Christmas we opened out Christmas presents and all the kids had got together and put a bunch of brochures in a box with a bankbook with enough
14 money to take a trip. So we took a trip to Ireland that year. That was quite a trip. It was in April when you expect the weather to be nice and warm but it was pretty cool. We had a nice holiday over there Nora took us all around to both sides the southern part and to Galway and took us around to a few pubs. One of our relatives had a pub down in Kerry. It was pretty primitive. One of them wanted to buy me a drink. He asked what I wanted and I told him a whiskey would be fine. They brought me my drink and I said, "Can I have a little bit of mix to put in it". They said, "Mix what's that?" I told them that you put mix in to thin in out a bit. They said, "What would you want to thin it out for?" There was no place to sit in the bar you had to stand all the time. Another time she took us out to a bar fairly close to the border of Northern Ireland, right on the border in fact. There was a comedian performing there he said "my brother went to Canada, he wanted to drink Canada dry but he didn't quit make it". He said "you see that fella in the corner over there, when he leaves I'm leaving too", inferring that he had a bomb under there. There was a lot of bombing going on there at the time. We spent two weeks over there.
On the way home we got to Montreal where we transferred from Dorvelle Airport to Marabelle airport. We had to get on the bus to go to Marabelle. We were first in the airport; I didn't want to miss my plane. We were waiting at the gate and it was getting close to take off time. We went to the counter and they said we were at the wrong gate. So we took off on the horizontal escalator got on the plane and they said our seats were taken because we were not there within 15 minutes of take off. So they told us to take another seat but they were all taken. So we had to get off the plane. I told them that we were waiting at our gate and nobody had announced the take off so he told us to just wait here. They called us over and gave us two tickets for the next day and a night's stay at the Hilton and $125 inconvenience cheque. I was a little worried though because I had to go to work the next night and we had spent all of our money. That must have put the travel bug in us though because we made two more trips to Germany and four to Hawaii.
The first trip we made to Hawaii was in 1978 or 1979 we went with a square dance group, about 30 of us. An international square dance festival was being held there. There were about 900 hundred people attending. The festival was a little ways out of Waikiki about 4 or 5 miles out. The head of our group Myrtle Bateman hired a bus to pick us up that night. We were out waiting there for the bus about 2:00 in the morning. It didn't show up so Myrtle got her husband to find out what was going on. Here they thought it was the next day. Myrtle gets pretty excited and when she saw a Hawaii Five 0 going by us on the Highway she yelled help help but they didn't stop. Five or ten minutes later some kids stopped and asked if we were having any trouble. We told them that yes we were supposed to catch a bus and didn't know how to get back to our hotel. They said they would take us, so two or three cars of them took us back to our hotel, which was very fortunate.
Our caller couple's name was George and Shirley Waldenberg they bought some long underwear and painted stripes on them like prisoners and they hired a rickshaw to drive them all the way round and down to the beach. The people didn't notice at all they must have figured it was an everyday occurrence.
This same George and Shirley Waldenberg went down to Weyburn with us one night for Square dancing. On the way home we stopped to get a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. We ordered our food and in the meantime I went in to the washroom. When I came back I bit into this piece of pie and just about that time the waitress was going by and I made quite a face. She said "what's the matter something the matter with your pie?" I lifted up the lid and George had shoved a dill pickle in it.
Notes for KATHLEEN IRENE KANE:
BILL AND KAY
STORIES FROM OUR LIVES
15 IN CELEBRATION OF OUR 65th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY
MAY 24th, 2005
My name is Kay short for Kathleen. I was born in Moose Jaw on January 22nd 1918 to John and Catherine Kane. Mom and Dad were both born in Ireland and met once they had immigrated to the United States. They were married in Elizabeth, New Jersey.
I was born in the same house that I am presently living in, 1002 Coteau. My uncles built the house. They encouraged my Mom and Dad to buy it because they said it would end up being right in the center of town. It wasn’t modern with water or toilets because there were no water lines in the area. We finally got water in 1938. For a long time there were only a couple of us in that area with water. One of the kids in the neighborhood told me she thought we were rich because we had water. My Dad worked at Robin Hood Mill. When we were kids my Dad had a pony. He used to put it out in the prairie to graze. One time there was a bad storm and the pony ran over beside Westmount school and was struck by lightening.
I started school when I was seven. I was sent to St. Agnes School because we were Catholic and St. Agnes was the only Catholic school. It was 2 ½ miles away. We walked to school everyday. It was closer to go over the tracks but often a train would hold us up. On the other side of the track quite often a train would be in our way so we crawled under. We had to be careful to watch for the CPR police. They walked around to keep people away from the tracks. If we didn’t cross the track and instead went around to the bridge it would take us at least 30 minutes longer. We went to school with another family who lived a block away. At one time the school board decided to pick us up in a horse and wagon. The wagon had seats on each side so sometimes we would pick up more children. One time we were driving to school and the wagon overturned on the bridge but we were not hurt. Because we were so far from school it was decided to have a Sunday school in our house. Nuns would come over from the convent to teach us our Catechism. At Christmas time Mom and Dad would have the Christmas party. Our tree really looked nice. The last decorations to go on were little candles that were lit up.
We had two months off during the school year. Every day we would go down to Kingsway Park to swim. To get there we used to go down a path we called the secret path. Sometimes you walked it by yourself. We didn't think anything of it .We must have been crazy. There was also a place where we used to go to swim that was over by the Union Hospital.
The lot next to our yard used to make a great skating rink in the winter. The water would pool there and when it froze we used it for a rink. We'd skate there all day. Sometimes my Mom would let us come in for dinner with our skates on. She’d put a mat down for us so we could keep our skates on and go right back to skating. One time Norah got a black eye when she was playing goal. Sports were always a big part of our life. Without a penny in our pocket that was our entertainment.
I finished grade eight and as Mom was sick I stayed home until she got better. Then I decided to go off and find a job. I worked for $8.00 a month in a home with 3 children. That was a fairly good wage for me. Money was never important to me a long as I had enough to get by. I met Bill when I was young, we went skating and swimming with a group of friends, his and mine. I had a girlfriend who had 3 different boyfriends to my steady.
16 My dream and Bill’s was to marry and raise a family. My dream was always a big family. When we were teenagers we belonged to a group who loved to dance so we enjoyed lots of house parties with lots of dancing and after the dance we would all walk home. Bill lived on the other side of town so he had a lot of walking to do.
We married on May 24th 1940; it was a Friday at 10:00 a.m. Mom was sick again so the wedding was all up to me to arrange. Friday was a meatless day, so we had salmon and gelatin salads on lettuce as well. We also had wedding cake. Afterwards we went to Regina by train and stayed in a hotel that night. The next afternoon we had to get on the train as Bill had to start a week of night shift that evening. We happened to have 10 cents left so we bought a couple of creamsicles. When we got married we bought a jug of wine to treat our friends when they came to visit, but hardly anyone wanted it, so I finally threw it out.
We had a small suite and lots of groceries so being broke didn’t bother us. We stayed in that place until we had Dan. We heard about a house near moms so we rented it for $9.00 per month. It wasn’t modern but that didn’t bother us. Since we had no water we brought it over from mom’s house by pails. Just the idea that we had a house made Bill decide to get a piano. It was really out of place in such a small house. We had to put it in the bedroom. He paid $150 for it at $10 a month until we finally owned it. We had two boys Dan and Patrick. War came and Bill joined the Air force. A month later I discovered John was on the way. Three months before John was born Patrick died. Bill was stationed at Mossbank and happened to be on a 48 hour leave. Pat had to go to the hospital where he died that night. When John was born Bill was on leave to take us home then he was off again to the air force.
Harold came up one day and suggested we move in with them and have the upstairs. It worked out well, as their house was modern and close to the church. We lived there until Bill was discharged. Cel was born before we left O'Byrnes. We were so happy to have a little girl. Bill was away and didn't see her for 3 months. I sent him a lock of her hair. We then bought our house at 149 Coteau. $3500 with a down payment from a couple bonds that Bill had.
We moved our family to 1002 Coteau in 1949. While we were living at our house at 149 Coteau my Dad died. Our house was getting too small for us so when my Mom decided to sell the house we bought it. We paid $4,000 for it. Mom moved to the little house in our yard. She was a dear to me; it was great to have her so close by. Our yard was quite small but John decided he wanted chickens. He had spent a lot of time at our friend's farm and missed the chickens. We let him get 25 chicks. It was fun watching them grow.
My friends and I started a sewing club before I was married. We continued on with it for over twenty-five years. There were ten of us and we'd take turns entertaining in our homes once a week. On my night I would work all day baking and cleaning to get ready for my friends. When the company arrived the kids would already be in bed, but sometimes I think my girls spent the evening hidden out of sight on the steps listening to all the talk.
When we were married we used to go skating together they played music for the skaters to skate to. We paid around 25 cents to skate. Grandma Graham used to baby-sit since the rink was close to her house.
An interesting time was when The Robin Hood Company thought we were the biggest family in the company. They wanted to do a story with pictures for their magazine. It took some encouraging getting the kids cooperation but we managed and it turned out to be a really nice article.
We enjoyed many years of square dancing. We started dancing in 1959 and continued until 1988 when I had my stroke. We belonged to a number of different clubs. Luckily Mother was able to baby-sit for me when the kids were young. We barely missed a Wednesday or a Saturday night in our years of dancing. During the summer our club would dance over at the gas station parking lots where we could bring the kids along. I made all of my outfits until money became more plentiful. I also made a few shirts for Dad that matched my outfits.
I also kept busy with the CWL for more than 50 years. I received my fifty-year pin a few years ago. We did lots of fund raising for the Church with bingo lunches and fowl suppers and bazaars.
Children of WILLIAM GRAHAM and KATHLEEN KANE are: i. DAN ROBERT5 GRAHAM, b. Feb 24, 1941, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. CAROL NECKER, Apr 29, 1961, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; b. Sep 04, 1940, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN.
17 Notes for DAN ROBERT GRAHAM: Ex-Starfighter pilots cram into flying togs to swap tales of cheating death: In the proud days when Canada ruled the world's skies, local lads went through CF-104s like Kleenex Edmonton Journal Wednesday, September 21, 2005 Page: B3 Section: Cityplus Byline: Nick Lees Column: Nick Lees Dateline: JASPER Source: The Edmonton Journal
JASPER - St. Albert's Dan Graham was making an emergency landing at Frankfurt in his Starfighter CF-104 when his engine quit for the umpteenth time.
"The airspeed indicator fell like a stone," said Graham, who had been on a reconnaissance flight over northern Germany in 1970.
"I was looking at the runway ahead when I decided it was time to get out. I ejected close to the ground. My parachute swung once and I landed in trees."
He added: "My aircraft became a fireball in a gravel pit 500 yards away. I could feel the heat from it as I swung in a tree six feet off the ground."
Graham, now 64, is reliving his flying experiences with fellow Starfighter pilots today at a reunion at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge.
They all once flew on the NATO allies' Cold War front line of defence. Some flew with nuclear-attack capabilities.
Former chief of defence staff Paul Manson (1986-89), who flew Starfighters during his 38-year-military career and is attending the reunion, says the men flew when Canada had one of the most powerful air forces in the world.
"These pilots made a difference," says Manson, who flew combat aircraft and served with NATO in Europe from the 1950s to the 1980s, commanding at every level. "They contributed significantly in preventing the Third World War."
Like Graham, other aviators in the party of about 100 pilots and wives here, told of "punching out" of their aircraft.
They are the lucky ones.
The CF-104, which could fly at more than twice the speed of sound, was dubbed The Widowmaker.
Of the 238 Starfighters flown by Canadian pilots for nearly 25 years during the Cold War, 110 were crashed.
Some 37 highly trained young pilots lost their lives in the aircraft that took Canadian military aviation from post-war technology through several generations of fighter development.
Some of the accidents were at the Starfighter's home base of Cold Lake, where the terrain isn't unlike that of NATO countries the pilots flew over.
It was the role of the aircraft that was largely responsible for the accidents, says retired brigadier-general Garry (Sky) King of Edmonton, a Starfighter pilot once pulled from the North Sea after his one-engined jet inhaled a seagull.
"The Starfighter was the fastest aircraft Canadian pilots ever flew. And missions were flown low over heavily wooded terrain that was often covered in cloud."
The fighter, retired in 1986 to make way for the slower CF-18, had a dual role. As well as its nuclear-strike capabilities, it was also used for tactical reconnaissance. If required to intercept, it could climb to 35,000 feet in 90 seconds.
Remarkably, the reunion this week saw many former pilots climb into flying suits they flew in decades ago.
18 Probably the trimmest of all was former Maj.-Gen. Ken Lett, 82, of Calgary, who flew Spitfires in Europe during the Second World War, commanded the first Starfighter squadron and held senior positions in both NATO and NORAD.
"I still tip the scales at the 155 pounds I weighed when I was 19 years old," said the five-foot-eight Lett.
"I don't work out. I just jump out of bed early and work. I'm still building aircraft hangars in Calgary and Edmonton."
Other pilots went on diets to be able to climb into their uniforms for a mess dinner tonight. Some joked about having Spandex panels added to their pants.
The mood was lighthearted as they sang songs, played golf and high spiritedly relived tales from yesteryear.
FLYBOYS' SEAL OF APPROVAL
Former squadron leader Mike Rudderham, 68, remembers being based in Lahr and Baden between 1968 and 1971 and taking to trip to Amsterdam to visit art galleries and see the sights.
"We had Starfighter decals and someone stuck them on the windows of the girls they liked the best in the red- light district," he said.
"Other girls found out about it and came after us saying they too wanted our 'seal of approval.' "
And would-be Edmonton Centre MP Laurie Hawn, retired as a lieutenant-colonel, but not before executing a legendary Starfighter stunt.
"There was a very arrogant senior officer who drove around in a Jeep at Cold Lake like Rommel," he said.
"We kept him busy one day while his vehicle was painted with red and white auto enamel.
"He was worse than apoplectic!"
ii. PATRICK GRAHAM, b. Mar 17, 1942, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; d. Sep 1944, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN. iii. JOHN JOSEPH GRAHAM, b. Dec 19, 1943, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; d. Mar 08, 2007, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN.
Notes for JOHN JOSEPH GRAHAM: John Graham passed away on March 8, 2007 at the age of 63. John was born and raised in Moose Jaw and worked as a mechanic and equipment operator on various construction sites throughout Saskatchewan. He later resided in Loon Lake and worked for the municipality on road maintenance. He was predeceased by a brother Patrick in 1944 and partner Delores Moore in 2005. He is survived by his daughter Marcie (Dave) Horvath of Fort Walton Beach Florida, his parents Kay and Bill Graham, three brothers Dan (Carol), Tim (Cathy), Louis (Connie), seven sisters Cel (Albert) Hanevelt, Rita (Don) Cushing, Maureen (Peter) Smeaton, Joan (Tom) Goddard, Rose (Rob) Drummond, Eileen (Lyle) Kendel, Fran (Bill) Simpson and numerous nieces and nephews. Memorial will take place in Loon Lake at a later date. In living memory of John, a tree has been planted in Wakamow Valley by W.J.Jones & Son Funeral Home.
iv. CECILIA KATHLEEN GRAHAM, b. Jun 25, 1945, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. ALBERT HANEVELT, Sep 03, 1966, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; b. Jun 11, 1943, Hengelo, HOL. v. RITA ANN GRAHAM, b. Feb 13, 1947, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. DON CUSHING, Oct 06, 1965, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; b. Apr 24, 1947, Regina, SK, CAN. vi. TIM WILLIAM GRAHAM, b. May 10, 1948, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. KATHY PLOLZ, Jul 13, 1974, Saskatoon, SK, CAN; b. Jul 06, 1951, Canora, SK, CAN. vii. MAUREEN CATHARINE GRAHAM, b. Oct 18, 1949, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. PETER JOHN SMEATON, Jul 30, 1983, Church of Our Lady, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; b. Nov 02, 1951, Montreal, QUE, CAN.
Notes for PETER JOHN SMEATON: Birth Notice
SMEATON. At the Homeopathic Hospital,on November 2nd, 1951, to Mr. and Mrs. John M. Smeaton (nee Doris Higgerty), a son. Brother to Allen and Patricia. Both well.
19 Christmas Letter 1994
Dear Allen
It is hard to believe that a year has past since we were in Australia. The girls still talk a lot about you and Australia and when we are going to go back to Australia. A lot has happened here since we got back. I am not quite sure where to begin.
At work, I am no longer with Eaton’s. When we got back, I finished up the two projects that I was working on and sat doing nothing for two months. In the middle of June there was a major downsizing and I was let go on June 15. Financially, I think that they are in a lot of trouble and about 150 middle management types were let go. They gave me a package that would pay me until the end of February if I was out of work or 1/2 of the remainder when I got a new job. In addition, they also paid for an outplacement agency for me.
We decided that I was going to take the summer off and become a house husband. From the middle of June until the girls were finished with school, I played a lot of golf and did some things around the house. The girls and myself went to Bird Lake for 10 days in July. A week after getting back from Bird Lake, the three of us drove out west for 4 weeks. Maureen flew out for the middle week and joined us in Moose Jaw. While in Moose Jaw, I played golf every day except one. We arrived in Moose Jaw at 4pm on the Monday and Don and I were at the golf course by 4:15. After a drive of 1000km that day I did not have a very good game but as time went on my game got better.
Maureen’s father had a great idea while I was there. “If I had trouble finding the right job, Maureen would just have to find a second job”. I don’t think Maureen was too impressed with this. By the end of our stay in Moose Jaw, Maureen’s sisters were happy that I was leaving. I was trying to talk Don, Albert and Lyle into quitting their jobs and coming to Arizona with me to play golf all winter. They thought that that would be a great idea but Rita, Cel and Eileen were ready to kill me.
On the way back, we stopped in Detroit and spend a few days with Joan and Tom. Maureen drove to Detroit with Liz for the weekend.
After getting back we stayed close to home and did a lot on camping. We sure got good use out of our camper this year. At the end June, when it got very hot, I would take the camper up to Lake Simcoe on Friday morning and set it up. Later in the day, I would return home and pick up Maureen and the girls. The girls and I did the same thing in August.
Once the girls got back to school, I went back to playing golf for a couple of weeks. This year I had two rounds in the 80’s and a lot in the low 90’s. Once things started cooling off in September, I decided to paint the house. I went through 10 gallons of white ceiling paint and 6 gallons of wall paint for the living room, dinning room and upstairs hall ways.
At the end of September, I started to send out my resume around town. I used the computer to draft “Marketing Letters” and I would send out 25-30 letters every week to different head hunters and companies. I also started responding to a lot of advertisements in the papers. By mid-October, I started going for interviews. One company, FlavorCoffee, had me in for a 1/2 hour interview with their president.
Well, the interview lasted 2 1/2 hours and the next week they offered me a job as their MIS Director. They are located about 15 minutes from the house and don’t have much in the way of computers today. But, they are growing at a rate of 35% a year over the past 3 years and could double in the next year. It is a ground floor opportunity, I don’t have any staff yet, but will look at hiring some help next year once I figure out the direction that I want to go.
It is very much a different type of company from those that I have worked for. I have only been there a week but it seems that only myself and the VP of Marketing wear suits. I had gone to Eaton’s the week before I started and bought a bunch of shirts and ties. Now, I have to go back next week and buy some more causal clothes. I still have my contacts at the local Eaton’s store, and they let me know when the sales are on and won’t let me buy anything that is about to go on sale.
FlavorCoffee manufactures and distributes coffee to retail stores across North America. Their major clients are Kmart, Price Club, Provigo and Krogers. They are also looking at opening a string of coffee stores. I have a lot of knowledge about retail, so I hope that I can help them. I figure that there is 2 years worth of hands on work for me there. After concentrating so much on management over the last 10 years, the hands on experience will help me. This, and the fact that they are 15 minutes from the house and are paying me more
20 than Eaton’s was, made me decide to accept the job.
So much for the employment news.
In sports, (or the lack there of) things are really messed up. The Baseball players went on-strike in the middle of the summer. The Montreal Expo’s had the best team in baseball at the time of the strike and were being picked as the number one contender for the World Series. This strike may end up killing that team. The Blue Jays were not very good this year so Toronto fans weren’t as affected. For the first 2 months of the strike the two sides did very little talking. Only in the last two weeks, once the US government appointed a mediator did they even start to seriously negotiate. The negotiations have gone slow and now it looks like the owners will impose a contract under their terms for next year. They will invite to training camp anyone who wants to play. They can get away with this everywhere except Toronto where the labor laws won’t allow it. The talk is that if the laws are not changed that the Blue Jays will play out of Buffalo until the government is changed and the law changed.
On the hockey front, we had training camp and the exhibition games. Prior to the start of the training camp the league changed the rules as far as the players were concerned. All contracts were two way, the players had to pay their own way to training camp and all their expenses. On top of that, the league said that they were going to impose a salary cap and/or have a luxury tax to support the small market teams. Well this got all the players up in arms.
By the end of the training camp the owners said take it or leave it. The players offered to play the season under last year’s terms, with a guarantee not to strike this year (both regular season and playoffs) The owner’s said no thanks, and one day prior to the start of the season they locked out the players. For the first 45 days of the lockout the two sides met less than 6 times. In the middle of November, they started talking but things are moving very slowly. As it stands now, if we have a season it will probably be around 50-60 games, and the playoffs won’t end until the beginning of July. What a zoo.
Some of the big name players have gone to Europe to play. Gilmour from the leafs is playing in Switzerland. With the lockout, we are getting to know a lot about European hockey. The news papers, all sports radio station and newspaper are dying for something to cover.
On the computer front, I still have my 386/dx33 but I hope to upgrade it shortly. I have 2x130mb IDE drives and 1x540mb SCSI. All the drives are double spaced and I have about 100mb left. I will be getting Stacker 4.0 from a friend shortly and that should add some capacity. I am attaching the latest listing of the software that I have, if you need anything, let me know and I will mail it to you. Also at work, I am getting MS Office 4.3, Lotus for Windows R5.0, Visual Basic 3.0 Pro, Visual C++ 2 Pro and etc. So if there is anything that you need let me know.
At home, I am shopping for a new machine. With the new software the 386 is just too slow. I am thinking about either an Itel 486/dx2/66 or a Pentium 66 with 540mb harddrive and a 15” SVGA Flat screen. The prices of these systems have dropped a lot over the past two months and I think that I can get a good deal. When I get the new machine, I also want to get a new printer. I have been looking at an EPSON 800 or HP Laser Jet 540. The girls what a printer that prints in color and the HP can be upgraded to color for $60. They are priced at under $400 and would add a lot of quality to what we have now. I would keep my sound card, CDROM, 540mb and 130mb drives from the 386. We are then thinking of giving Liz (Maureen’s niece) the old machine until she finishes University. Then when we get it back we would put it into Jessica’s room for the girls to use. I will also LAN the two PC’s together.
I signed up for the FreeNet here. Also, at work I am going to get access to the Internet. Do you have access to the Internet yet. It so let me know, as I will have 2 id’s and Al is also on the Internet.
On the political front here, the more things change the more they stay the same. In Ottawa, Chretien has been doing a half decent job. It has not been so much what he has done as the approach that he has taken. Their style is to do a lot of consulting with the people and they seem to want to get input from the people before doing anything. After the 9 years of the Conservatives that is refreshing. Next spring’s budget will be a tough one. the conservative’s had run the deficit up to $46 billion and the liberals want to bring it down to $26 billion over the next 3 years. So there’s a lot of cutting to be done. They are looking at everything from RRSP’s to working for welfare and unemployment insurance. They are holding the discussions on where and what to cut public. The only thing that is government policy is that they will cut. So, next spring’s budget will be interesting.
Quebec elected the PQ in September and we will have another referendum next year. Current opinion polls
21 indicate that they won’t win the referendum. We can expect that they will try and create incidents over the next near with the rest of the country. What’s new? Ottawa and the provinces have adopted a stance of ignoring the PQ and not getting drawn into the stupidity. It seems to be working so far. In some way, I wish the idiots would just separate and let the rest of us get on with our lives. (Don’t tell Patty this).
In Ontario, we just had our local election last week. A lot of politicians got the boot.(Mayor’s of Toronto, Markham etc.) The voters are still not in a good mood. In Toronto where the school board trustee’s had voted themselves raises to $50,000/year, most of them did not get reelected. To a lesser extent the same thing happened in the suburbs. We will have a provincial election in the spring. The NDP won’t win 12 seats and they know it. Unfortunately neither the liberals or conservatives impress me so I’m not sure who’s going to win. All I know is that the NDP will come in 3rd or 4th. After taking the deficit from 0 to $12 billion a year over the last 4 years, they deserve it.
Getting back to Australia, all of our pictures turned out great. I have two full albums of them. The girls still love to look at them. The movie’s that we took also turned out great. I hope you enjoy them and let me know how well they converted them for you.
My new office phone number is (905) 738-0103 and the Fax is (905) 738-6986.
Peter
Hi Allen, Peter seems to have covered the year pretty well , so I will just add my two cents worth. I have to tell you how much we have all enjoyed the Australian cassettes. The girls know the words much better than me from their travels in the car. You must remember how much better they travel when they have something good to listen to.
It is quite a shock to my system to have Peter back at work. It was really great to come home to dinner all ready. Now the girls are back at their old baby-sitters after school, with Peter picking them up on his way home from work.
They are both doing well in school. Remember how we kept trying to get Jessica to read last Christmas? She now reads on her own without any prompting and is zooming through the “Sweet Valley Twin” collection. Her cousin Jackie, who owns a book store in Moose Jaw set her up with quite a few and someone from my office gave me another pile of them, so I think that she has the complete series. Jessica went to camp for a week in the summer. It was in the Georgian Bay area and the weather was beautiful. Actually the whole summer was beautiful weather this year. The camp was quite an experience for her and she would like to start going every year.
Alison is busy improving her skating this year. We have being going to the Community Center rink every Sat or Sun afternoon for the past few weeks.
Christmas is a busy time for us this year. Last weekend we had my office’s Children’s Christmas party and adults dinner/dance and tonight is Peter’s office’s dinner-dance. Up to this week it has been a pretty mild fall , but we did get some snow this week and it is quite cold out there today.
Well I should get busy with some more letters so I will say good-bye for now. Hope that you decide to plan a visit sometime soon.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Maureen dear uncle Allen Nov. 1 , 1994
I hope you enjoy are film especially the parts that dad put in .In school I ‘m doing speech’s my to pick is the NHL I found it rely interesting looking in books and seeing names of Smeatons. I heard one speech that I thought would win first prize it was by JAMES PALERA .I really liked he’s and I think it was well memorized too I really think he desires to win I don’t wont to win LOVE JESSICA
Dear uncle Allen Nov. 14, 1994 About the speeches Daniel[gordanel] + James where the top two the backups where Diane and Michael I got 75 witch is good to me Well got to go right soon love Jessica
22 Dear uncle DEC 5 ,94 The are on strike still , my dad got a new job what nest? The school I just got to many things on my mind and why now. Well I wish I was going, away this year. Love Jessica
Christmas Letter 1995
Hi Everyone
We hope that this letter finds you all well. Another year has past and it is time for our Christmas letter. For us, it is hard to believe that Christmas is only a few weeks away. It is also hard to believe that it has been two years since we spent Christmas in Australia with Allen.
We have had a busy year. There never seems to be enough time to do all the things that you want to do.
The girls played soccer this year. Alison played last year but this was Jessica’s first year. When we sent in the registration forms this year, I checked off that I was willing to help by being an assistant coach. Well, a short time later I got a call telling me that Alison and my team was the Thornhill Paints. When I asked who the coach was, I was told that I was the coach. On top of that they talked me into being the convenor for that age group. They arranged for me to go to school to learn about coaching and soccer. I now have my level 1 coaching certificate.
As a result of this, I had a busy time with soccer this year. Alison improved 100% this year, must have been the coaching. Alison played defense most of the time. At the end of the year, I tried her in goal and she did an excellent job. Next year, I think I will play her more often in goal. Alison did score one goal this year and was excited about that. Our season started off slowly. Besides myself most of my players had not played soccer before. By the end of the season we were the third best team in the league and came close to upsetting the league champions in the playoffs.
Jessica also seemed to enjoy playing soccer. I only got to see her play once, as they both played on the same nights and at different parks. Maureen would take Jessica while Alison and I went off together.
At the end of the season we had a team BBQ in the back yard for the players and families of our team. We went through 36 hamburgers and 48 hot dogs. Luckily the weather was OK. Maureen would have killed me if it rained and we all had to move indoors.
Last Christmas Santa got the girls hamsters. Boy was Maureen upset about having rodents in the house. Boy did Santa ever goof! It turned out that one was a boy and one was a girl. Their names are Patches and Splothes. By mid January we had 8 hamsters, with Spot, Puny, Ellen, Gus, Fluffy and Gondy joining the family. One of Jessica’s friends got Gondy for her birthday. One of Alison’s friends took Fluffy. One of the girls at the sitters took Ellen. One of the girls in the office took Gus. That left us with 4 hamsters and 4 cages in the house. Giving them away was expensive as we had to supply a cage with each one. I hope Santa does not do something like this again this year. Maureen will kill him if he does.
Jessica still takes piano once a week. In the spring there was a recital and I was impressed with how well she played before all those people. Right now, Jessica is taking drama at lunch time at the school. We can hardly wait to see her premier performance.
Alison is in brownies. Most of the players on our soccer team are in the same group so she knows a lot of the kids.
In the spring, I got a new car or should I say truck. I got a GMC Safari Van. Boy have we put it to a lot of use. It is now 6 months old and I have 21,000km on it. We missed going to Moose Jaw this year. Instead we did our part for National Unity and spent our time in Quebec. We started at the cottage for a few days. Boy do the girls enjoy going to the cottage.
Alison made a pile of money this year. Last year she had trouble swimming a few yards. This year she started off by swimming to the raft for .50. Next she swam to the neighbors wharf for $2.00. Next it was to the beach for $5.00. Then she swam across the lake for $10. Finally she swam the length of the lake for $20. On top of the money that I had to pay her, Patty had to match it, so she turned out to be a very rich girl.
After spending a few days at the cottage we took the Van and Tent Trailer and set off. Our first stop was Patty’s house in Pierrefonds to drop off Kelly (the cat). When we got there, I noticed that the trailer was listing to one side. One of the springs was broken. Luckily, Canadian Tire had the part and we were only delayed for a few hours while I fixed it. We then drove to Quebec City where we camped for a few days.
23 We could not have picked a busier time to go, as it was their summer festival. The girls seemed to really enjoy Quebec City. They had heard me talking about it, but to actually see it was something else. They had a hard time believing that there were buildings dating back to 1700.
We did a lot of walking and it also seemed to tire them out.
After Quebec City we went to Montmercy Falls and Ste Anne de Beaupre which are just north east of Quebec City. From Quebec City, we then drove to Trois Pistiolles. The girl at the check-in for the campground was very impressed that someone from Toronto could speak French as well as I did. I was even impressed with my French. The camp ground there was very nice, but unfortunately we were only spending one night. The next day it rained, so we drove to Perce Rock. The rain stopped about the time we arrived and the weather cleared up. In the morning, it was a nice day and we went out to the rock at low tide. After that it was time for lunch and my favorite Hot Dogs. After Jessica had finished her first Hot Dog, she decided that she wanted another. She went up to the window and ordered another Hot Dog and a Chocolate Milk in French. She was very impressed with herself.
From Perce, we drove to Forlin National Park at the tip of the Gaspe. I had been there years ago and remembered being impressed with the park. If anything, the park was even better. They have many restored buildings from the old Cod Fishery. From the shore you could see whales in the bay. At the tip of the park, when you looked out you could see 20 whales out in the Gulf. Along the shore, the girls were impressed by the seals playing in the water.
I tried to get us on a whale watching cruise while we were there but they were all booked up. We decided that we would try when we got back to Trois Pistiolles. After spending three days at the park it was time to start heading back. As we drove along the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, something caught the corner of my eye. There were whales swimming about 100 yards out in the river. Several times during the trip we saw whales.
When we arrived back at the camp ground at Trois Pistiolles, I got the information for a whale watching cruise the next morning. As luck would have it, when we got up the next morning, the fog was so thick that you could not see two feet. So we packed up and started back to Montreal.
We picked up Kelly from Patty’s and went back to the cottage for the rest of our vacation.
While we were at the cottage, we went to see my Uncle Billy Smeaton, who has a cottage about 30 minutes from ours. Uncle Billy has been building the family tree. I have been interested in this and this time he really got me hooked on it. I now have a new hobby, Genealogy. I spend every Saturday morning at the library researching the family tree. I have been using tools like:
• An index of births and marriages for Scotland.
• The 1851/1861/1871/1881/1891/1901 Canadian Census Returns
• The Ontario Index of Births, Deaths and Marriages
• Old City Directories
• The Internet
On my father’s side, we are now back to 1700 and an Alexander Honeyman in Dron, Perthshire, Scotland. The earliest Smeaton ancestor that I have found is my GreatGreatGreatGreatGrandfather James Smeaton who married Jean Marshall in 1763. In my search, I have written to Scotland for a death certificate of a Smeaton uncle who died in 1878. From that I found his address and occupation (Confectioner) and that of his father (Shoe Maker). The Smeaton family came to Quebec City in 1842. From the census returns and old city directories, I know the address in Quebec City where they lived and what they did for a living. All this research is going to make the next trip to Quebec City interesting. My GreatGreatGrandfather Alexander Smeaton was a Tailor in Quebec City. I have found an advertisement from the 1850’s for his store.
On my mother’s side, I have traced the family back to the 1850’s and a James Higgerty in Ottawa. In the process of tracing the Higgerty side of the family, I have met a cousin on the internet who is doing the same thing. We trade electronic mail on a daily basis as we try and sort out the family. Although we have never met in person, I have come to know him very well and think of him as a member of the family. The Higgerty’s originally came from Co. Clare in Ireland. One of the problems we have tracing them is that they kept changing the spelling of their name. They also don’t seem to have stayed in any place very long prior to 1901.
24 I have found records with it spelt Haggerty then Hagerty then Higgerty. We suspect that it was O’Hagerty prior to that. On top of this, they had a tendency to lie about their ages. I wonder what they were trying to hide.
I have not done much work yet on the Graham side. Searching for records in Ireland is more difficult than Canada and Scotland. Most of the Census records before 1901 have been destroyed. Once I have completed the Higgerty’s and off shoots in Canada, I will start on Ireland.
I am attaching the current direct ancestor family tree. In total, I have over 500 names in the tree and it grows weekly. Next summer when we go to Moose Jaw I will want to get all the details on that side of the tree.
I am still doing the hockey here in Toronto. The Leafs have a middle of the pack team. They are getting old and I don’t expect that they will do much this year. I wonder how Lyle is doing. His Canadiens are going downhill quickly. I hope no one is picking on him about the Canadiens and the fact that they will miss the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The weather here in Toronto has been very cold this December. Last weekend, with the wind chill it got down to -40c. On top of that we have snow on the ground. Last year, we did not get snow that stayed on the ground until Christmas and then it only stayed for a few days. In fact, last year we had such a mild winter that I did not attempt a rink in the back yard as there was no snow and it never got cold enough. I guess we are going to pay for it this year. So much for the Global Warming!
Last week we went to the local Conservation Park for a Christmas evening. We did crafts, walked in the woods and roasted chestnuts over an open fire. Last year Alison and I went to this evening. This year Maureen and Jessica wanted to go. On top of that, Brenda, Al and Brian came along too.
I have not started my Christmas shopping yet. The girls don’t seem to want anything big this year. They have mentioned a dog but with 5 animals already that is out of the question.
I have not talked to Patty for a few weeks, but Brenda says that she will be coming after Christmas for a few days. We will be having Christmas dinner at our place with Brenda, Al and Brian coming over.
Well, I guess that’s all the news from Toronto. We hope everyone has a good Christmas.
Christmas Letter 1997
Well, it is Christmas again. Boy time does fly.
We have had a busy time over the last year. To bring you up to date, here is the news from Thornhill.
We have had an addition to the family. Her name is Lucinda Biscuit. She is a 4 month old Boxer. Maureen and the girls had been on my case to get them a dog for a couple of years and I finally broke down and we added Lucinda to the family. The girls had wanted to call her Biscuit because of her coloring but Maureen said that no dog of her’s would be called Biscuit. She thought Lucinda would be a good name, Lucy for short. The girls, feeling that they were not going to win the argument, gave in and agreed. Maureen said that she liked the name and “Was it not someone in your family that was named Lucinda”. She was a little embarrassed when I informed her that your GreatGrandMother’s name was Lucinda.
In the few weeks that we have had Lucy, she has grown a lot. We have her trained to sit now on command and I am working on “Come”. She must have Graham blood as she is very good at ignoring you when she wants to. I guess I will have to have her hearing checked out in the new year.
She is just about trained to do her business outside. She just has to learn a way to tell us that she wants out. The girls and Maureen like taking her on walks. She does not like the rain and cold weather. We bought her a sweater to wear on cold and wet days to help out.
Kelly, the cat, is not too impressed with Lucy. Lucy would like it if Kelly would play with her. Unfortunately, Kelly is now 17 and likes to eat and sleep and do very little else. She does not like it when Lucy sticks her cold nose into her face. Kelly has been very paticent with Lucy, but by the end of the day, she will start hitting her whenever she comes close.
Just after we got Lucy, Patches , one of the Hamsters died. The girls were very upset about it but Maureen took it very well. This leaves me with 1 cat, 1 dog, 3 hamsters, 1 wife and 2 daughters.
On the employment side of things, FlavorCoffee and myself parted company in November. There wasn’t any
25 work left for me to do. I was able to negotiate a good severance package with them. Right now, while I am looking for a job, I am doing some consulting. FlavorCoffee is my client and in a way, I guess I found a way for them to pay me twice. The job market seems to be hot here, so I hope to have no problems finding something once the holidays are over. If not, I can just stay home and let Maureen support me.
Alison is in Guides this year. They were short of leaders and Maureen is one of the Leaders. Jessica is still taking Piano She seems to be very good but she never practices. Jessica is also taking drama both at school and one evening a week. For a girl that is as shy as Jessica, she really impresses me with her talent. Her teacher even gets her to perform before the school on a regular basis. Maybe some day we will see her in the movies.
I am still working at hockey. The Leafs don’t have a very good team this year. During training camp when I predicted that they would come in last in their conference, every one made fun of me and said that I just did not like the Leafs. Well it looks like I was right and it is going to be a long winter..again.
The girls took Horse Back riding for a month in the fall and they seemed to enjoy it. I think that if they had there way they would take it all year.
Both of the girls played soccer again this year. I coached Alison’s team again this year. Jessica played for a team coached by one of my players father. Our team would both the League and Playoff Championship. The girls played really well this year. We had the same bunch of girls from last year and I really enjoyed working with them. This year I managed to draft 5 assistant coaches and that really helped out. Alison was one of my goalies until she broke her nose in a game. That was the last time in nets for her. She really impressed me by playing the rest of the season with a hockey helmet and mask on.
I have been busy on my Genealogy Hobby. On the Graham side of the family, I have discovered that the Grahams came from County Derry in Ireland. I have not found any records of them in Ireland yet but it is on my to do list. On my mother’s Higgerty’s, I have not made any progress since last year.
I have spent most the last year working on the Smeaton side of the family. I now have about 5000 descendants of my GreatGreatGreatGreatGreatGrandfather John Smeaton listed. I am in correspondence with distant cousins in Tasmania, Australia; London, Ontario and Eugene, Oregon who are also working on this line. I just started working on my grandmother’s McLean family in Scotland. I have been able to trace them back to the 1770’s so far and this line could prove to be interesting and they seemed to have been well off. My GreatGreatGreatGreatGrandfather Peter McLean was a Sawyer. This could make is easier to find additional information about him.
This past summer we went to the cottage, north of Montreal, for a week. The girls really enjoy going to the cottage. The weather was not very good but we still had a good time. We managed to made one side trip to Ottawa for a day to see Andrew who was part of the Changing of the Guards on Parliament Hill. Jessica and Alison were very impressed with this. I also got to see my cousin Will Lockhart for an hour before we returned to the cottage. I felt bad that we could not visit with my other relatives in Ottawa but we ran out of time. Maybe we can make a trip up to Ottawa some time in the spring. I know that the girls would love to meet some of their cousins that they have never seen.
After we returned from the cottage, Tim and Cathy and family visited us for a week. I guess the highlight of this visit was the day Tim and I took all the kids to WonderLand for a day. You talk about Above and Beyond the Call of Duty. Cathy and Maureen owe us for this one. We arrived at WonderLand at 10am and left at 10pm at night. Jessica and Laera got stuck at the top of TOP GUN for 20 minutes. Jessica now likes to tell everyone about her adventure and how brave she was to have survived the ride.
In August, we went to Moose Jaw for 10 days. I managed to get in the only 11 rounds of golf that I played all year. On our last day we went to the Hot Springs and don’t tell anyone (especially Albert) this but I was very impressed with the facilities. I am certain that we will be going there more often in the future.
I have left this letter to the last minute so I must cut it off now. We hope that you all have a great Christmas and that 1997 is the best year yet.
Christmas Letter 1999
Another year has come and gone and as we prepare for the new Millennium Maureen, Jessica, Alison, Lucy, Cody, Fox and Peter hope that you are all well.
We have had another busy year and all are well here.
26 We had some bad news in September when Kelly, our 20 year old cat died. She got sick on a Monday night and was gone on Wednesday. Being older than the girls, they were really upset about her passing. Thankfully she was not sick for a long period and was active right up until the Monday when she got sick. I miss her yelling at me to be fed in the morning when I get up.
In October, we added two new members to the family, Cody and Fox. They are black and white kittens that are forever on the go. Jessica’s kitten is Cody and Alison’s is Fox. They keep Lucy on her toes, as they seem to think that she is their mother. They like to cuddle up to Lucy or rub their faces in Lucy’s when she is asleep. Lucy used to like to eat Kelly’s food whenever she could, now she has to put up with the kitten’s trying to eat hers. I have been really surprised with the patience that she has shown with them.
Alison is very active in TaeKwonDo. She just received her BlueStripe Belt and came close to getting a Blue Belt. (This means she is in the top 1/3 of the Belts) Out of respect (fear) we all call her Sir now. Her instructor seems to be very impressed with her progress even if his face is a little sore from where she kicked him last week.
Alison is doing well in school again this year and still reads 3 or 4 books a week between TaeKwonDo and mothering her kitten Fox.
During the summer, Alison played on my Soccer teams again. We did not do very well in the regular season but played well in the playoffs, winning 2 games and losing 2 games in shootouts. In the playoffs, I changed my strategy and used some hockey strategy like killing the clock when we were ahead by making lots of player changes and pulling our goalie and putting Alison in nets when we were down. In the final playoff game of the year, Alison scored the goal in the shootout that got us back into the game that we ended up winning.
Jessica is now in her first year of High School and seems to be adjusting very well to High School. Besides her old friends from grade school she has made a number of new friends. They seem to go to all the new Movies as they are released. She has also attended two Concerts downtown this fall.
During the summer she played soccer on my friend’s team and they ended up 2nd in a very tough age group (Under 17 Girls). Her team was very young when compared to the other teams in the division, so they did very well. She played mid field and some forward and scored an important goal in one of her games.
Maureen has been working hard this year. She is involved in all that Y2K stuff you hear about on the news and will have to work on New Years Day. I don’t understand what all the fuss is about. Why would anyone want to take all that whiteout and change all the Y’s to K’s in all those computer programs is beyond me.
I still work at Purolator doing Computer Planning. Right now I am architecting their new Web Site that they hope to launch early in the New Year.
I am also still working at hockey. This is my 30th season and I figured that I have worked 1100 regular season NHL games and at least another 200 playoff games. I had thought of not going back this year, but the girls insisted upon it. I don’t think they could stand the thought of be being around all the time if I stopped working hockey. This and the fact that Jessica is a real Maple Leaf fan and wants tickets to as many games as she can get made me reconsider.
At a recent game that she attended with one of her friends she wanted to get some autographs. Luckily for me, I saw Don Cherry in the hallway and when I signaled to him, he came over and signed their Maple Leaf sweaters.
For our vacation this year, we went to Ireland and Scotland. I had been talking for some time about going to Scotland to try and find all the places where my ancestors came from. In April we decided to make the trip this year.
We email Cathy Kelly (Maureen’s cousin) in Dublin and asked for some travel advice and before you knew it, we were also planning on Ireland. We booked a Flight for July 1st to Dublin and a return flight from Glasgow for July 24th. Cathy booked us a flight from Dublin to Glasgow over there as they had special prices for short trips to Scotland.
When we arrived in Dublin, Cathy met us at the airport and I picked up our rental car. Luckily for me, I had reserved a larger car as we had enough luggage to move to Ireland. When we got the car organized and were ready to leave the parking lot to follow Cathy to her house, the fun started. I had not driven a standard since the Calgary Olympics when Rose let me use her car. The rental was face in to it’s parking spot and backing out was comical. I think Maureen was ready to catch the next flight out by the time we got out of the parking
27 lot.
Cathy planned a route to her house that kept us off of the main roads so to avoid traffic. This sounded good except for the fact that their roads are much narrower than ours are and have high stone fences on both sides. On the hour trip to Cathy’s, I learned to close my eyes and pray in tight spots.
A few times on the trip, I would stall the car, have trouble getting it going again and have traffic backup behind me. To my great surprise, no one ever honked their horn or yelled at me from outside the car. (I cannot say the same thing for inside the car). This will always remind me of the friendliness of the Irish people that we found on our trip.
We spent the next three days at Cathy’s in Brae, south of Dublin. On the weekend we went on a great hike in the mountains. By this point in the trip, the girls were rating me on a daily basis on my driving skills. On a scale of 1 to 10, I was averaging 2s and 3s. In my defense, Maureen was navigating and I found it hard to drive a standard on the wrong side of the road and still be able to point out on Maureen’s map that we were nowhere near Belfast. On Sunday evening, Maureen started calling around to see if she could find an automatic car for me to drive out of kindness to me. (She really meant for her safety) None could be had.
On Monday morning, we set out to explore the West Coast of Ireland. Cathy led us to the highway to the southwest, made a sign of the cross, wished us luck and we were off. We drove that day to Cloghane in Kerry. Halfway there, I made a change in the lineup in the car and had Jessica moved to the front seat to act as navigator. It was at this point that my driving started to improve. That day, I received my first 5 on the scale and things were looking up.
Cloghane is a town near Ballnalaken where Maureen’s Kane ancestors came from. There are about a dozen houses in the town and 4 pubs. This it turns out is typical of Ireland. We arranged for a room in the Pub and I settled into what became another tradition on the trip of having a good pint of beer in the pub after a day of driving to calm my nerves. That evening we drove up Brandon Mountain for a great view of Kerry’s Dingle Peninsula. Before setting off, no one warned me that the road was what we would call a one-lane country path. Luckily, because of the time of day, there were no buses coming the other way.
That evening in the Pub we meet many of the local people who were extremely friendly and welcomed us to the area. We spent a great deal of time talking to a man who said that he remembered Maureen’s grandfather from his youth.
In the morning, we explored the local area, including the ruins of the old church and the area were Ballnalaken use to be. The girls seem to enjoy seeing where their ancestors came from.
From Cloghane we drove to County Clare and visited with Maureen’s Aunt, Sister Johanna. What a nice lady Sister Johanna is. I remember her from meeting her at the airport in Toronto years ago when Jessica was a baby. After a visit, a great lunch at the convent and a nice visit, Sister Johanna gave us a special religious card for the car to make sure we had a safe trip..
The scenery and roads in Clare are straight out of an Irish Postcard. When driving along the coast and especially in some of the towns, the narrow roads, with cars parked on both sides, left room for only one car to pass. If it was up hill, I just prayed that everyone coming the other way would get out of my way. I still had not mastered starting the car in gear on an up slope. If I had to stop, I might never get going again.
We found a B&B with a good Pub a few doors away for the night. After eating at the Pub, we took the girls back to the B&B and returned to the Pub for an evening of Irish traditional music. NO PATTY, we did not abandon the girls for a night of drinking with only a bag of Smarties for their dinner as Jessica suggested in her Postcard.
The next morning, the fog was so thick that when we got to the Cliffs of Moher that you could see only a few feet in front of yourself. The cliffs were one of the places that I was looking forward to seeing but had to settle on a postcard.
We headed inland to avoid the fog. We stopped in some nice towns and visited some churches that dated from the 11th century. In Burren of Clare we say a tomb site that was 2,000 years old. Later in the day Alison and I went through some caves in Clare. That night we made it to a Pub on the coast past Galway. We had planned on calling in on Maureen’s cousin in Galway but by the time we got there, Jessica was not felling well and we drove up the coast a bit before stopping for the night.
The next day we continued up the coast to the Monastery. It is a girl’s school now and I suggested that maybe the girls go there for school but they did not think that that was a good idea. From there we started southwest
28 to Ballyhaunis, were Maureen’s Kilkenny ancestors came from.
After spending the night at a B&B in Ballayhaunis, we telephoned Ed and Mary Grourke, Maureen’s cousin. With their directions we found their house and they took us over to the Kilkenny house up the road. It’s hard to believe that the house is 150+ years old by the shape that it is in. We spent several hours visiting with Ed and Mary before setting off for our drive back to Dublin.
We arrived back safely in Dublin and even with getting lost in Dublin managed to find Brae and Cathy’s house. I think this impressed Cathy as she was probably expecting to hear about us on the News. By this point in time, my driving rating was up to the 7 and 8s and the girls were no longer white when I stopped the car.
We spent the Saturday resting in Brae and I got to play golf with Paddy. He managed to borrow a left-handed wood and an iron and he had a 2-sided putter for me to use. It was not one of my better rounds of Golf but at least I can say that I have played golf in Ireland.
On Sunday morning we boarded our flight from Dublin to Glasgow after a great time in Ireland. Cathy and Paddy were so kind to all of us that I will always be grateful to them.
In Glasgow, we picked up our rental, which turned out to be the same car as Ireland. This made me happy, as I knew that the luggage would all fit. We drove from the airport to Edinburgh where I had booked a B&B for 3 nights.
We spent the next few days sightseeing in Edinburgh and looking for the Beannie Baby “Britannia” for Jessica’s collection. We must have checked out 15 stores that sold Beannie Babies but saw only one Britannia that was a way too expensive. Edinburgh with it’s Castle and other historic buildings is a great place to visit. Jessica was still not feeling well so one rainy day we left her at the B&B and went to the Royal Museum.
From Edinburgh, we went to Dunfermline where there is an old Abbey where Robert The Bruce is buried. I was also able to find the house where my GG-Grandfather’s sister lived.
After a short visit in Dunfermline we drove to Fossoway, Dron, Dunbarney and Forteviot, where my Smeaton ancestors lived. We found the old churches and several of the buildings where they lived in during the late 1700 and 1800’s. In Fossoway, we found the houses where my GGG-Grandmother lived in the 1850’s (Gartwhinzean Feus and Bridgeend Cottage). In Dron, we found Burnside, the house of my GGGG- Grandfather. And in Forteviot, we found the place where my GG-Grandfather was born. When we arrived in Perth that evening, we found out that all accommodations in Perth and to the east were booked for the British Open Golf Championship that was just starting. This forced a quick change in our plans and we headed west to Stirling Castle. By this time, I was had caught the cold and had to spend the day in bed.
This turned out to be a good thing for Jessica. While she, Alison and Maureen were out in Stirling, they came upon a store that had Britannia at a very good price. Jessica bought it and this made her trip. It was only afterwards that we realized that she had bought 2 as she could have sold the second one a home for enough to pay for both of them.
We spend the next morning at Stirling Castle. Alison, at a historic show that they put on, gave the 2 actors such a rough time that they threatened to through her in the dungeon for a 100 years. It was all in good humor and they encourage the audience to participate.
From Stirling we drove to Oban on the West Coast of Scotland. Oban is a very picturiest seaside town. We spent sometime there shopping. From there the drive took us through the Highlands of Scotland which are very much like our Rockies only condensed in a very small area. At the top of one Glen we found a Piper playing the pipes to the background of the valley below.
At Loch Carron, we visited with Jessica’s soccer coach’s cousins for awhile and then headed inland for Inverness.
The next day we saw the Loch Ness Monster. For those of you that don’t believe us, I have enclosed the picture to prove it. It tried to eat Alison but found her to be too tough and went on it’s way.
From Loch Ness our travels took us to Blair Athol were we spent the night is an old Country Estate. The room we had was by a large margin the largest of the trip. We spent the next morning at Blair Castle and then headed to Dundee.
We spent 2 days in Dundee. I tried to find where my GG-Grandparents were buried but had no luck. The people at the archives were very nice but I could not find any information on them. We did find the tombstone
29 in Longforgan for my GGGG-Grandparents (James Galloway (1763-1820 and Catherine Galloway 1774- 1851) who are buried there.
In Leetown and St. Madoes , we were able to find the places where my Brough ancestor lived in the 1700s and 1800s.
From Dundee we went down the road to Perth. In Perth we found the Smeaton Bridge, built by John Smeaton in 1769. South of Perth we went to Dunning and found the farm Middle Third of Pitcairns where my Smeaton ancestors lived in the 1700’s. To the west, we also found Coul, a farm in Auchterarder where I believe the family lived prior to Dunning.
Our last stop on the trip was Glasgow. When we arrived near the airport, the hotel was all booked so we had to go to Greenock to find a place for our last 2 nights.
I had not had a good impression of Glasgow and was not that interested in spend a lot of time there. Now that I have been there, I would definitely go back. We drove into Glasgow in the morning and I found a subway station with a parking lot into which to park the car.
When we went into the station to get some directions, the ticket taker was great. He went searching for a map of Glasgow and then spent a long time pointing out places on the map for us. He circled a number of places on the map that we should visit and worked out a circular route for us to take that would bring us back to the station where we were parked.
We then got on the Subway for 2 stops and got off. While I was looking at a map on the wall to get my bearings, a man that had gotten on the subway with us offered to take us to where we wanted to go. This friendliness of the people was only one of many examples how nice people had been to us on our trip.
We took a Bus Tour of Glasgow that was great. After that we went to do the last of our shopping. When we got to the station to take the subway to our car we stopped into a small shop. The man was so nice and interested in where we had been on our trip that a 5 minutes stopped turned into a 2-hour talk on Scotland and it’s history.
At closing time, we caught the subway back to out car and from there to the hotel for one last night in Scotland. All in all it was a great trip.
Yes, I am still researching the family history. For the first part of the year, I worked mostly on my Grandmother Margaret McLean’s family. I had a lot of success with her Brough ancestors in Scotland and in the process have made contact with 4 cousins from this side of the family in Australia.
On the Smeaton side of the family, the number of 4th and 5th cousins that I am in contact with continues to grow. While we were in Scotland, I was amazed how close the various place were where I suspected that the family lived. This has provided me with new leads to be checked out. Currently, I am awaiting the detail of a Will from 1663 that a friend in Ottawa found reference to. It is for a David Smeaton the Younger of the Middle Third of Pitcairns the place where I have traced the family to in the early 1700’s. This Will could provide with the information to trace the family back 3 more generations.
I have also started some serious work on Maureen’s family. From the information that I picked up in Ireland on our trip, I have many leads that need to be checked out.
Well, If I don’t stop soon, I will never get this letter printed and mailed off to you. Once again, from all of us here, we wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and an even better New Year.
Maureen, Peter, Jessica, Alison, Lucy, Cody and Fox
Christmas 2002 in Venezuela
A diary of a Christmas Away From Home
Background
The story of how we can to spend Christmas in Venezuela begins in June when Andrew makes the shocking call from Montreal that he is engaged. This comes to us and his mother completely out of nowhere. Clarissa, a girl he met while attend University, and Andrew where engaged on his most recent trip to Venezuela. He called us to tell us shortly after telling his mother of his plans.
30 The initial plans are for the wedding to be held in Peru at Christmas. Andrew asks if we are going to be able to attend and I immediately say “Yes” and start thinking of how I can get Maureen to buy into this trip.
Over the next few days, I spend some time on the Internet checking out Peru as a travel destination. The more time I spend looking the more excited I get about making the trip. After a few more weeks, I give Patty a call and she tells me that it looks like the wedding will be help in Caracas, Venezuela and not Peru. So it’s back to the drawing board with a new destination to research.
Over the next couple on months, there are numerous conversations with Patty and Brenda on possible travel plans for Christmas. By the end of August, the date is set for the wedding to occur on the 28th of December in Caracas. I make a trip to the Venezuelan Consulate in Toronto, and they give advice me on several places to visit while in Venezuela.
Brenda and I have cornered the market on travel books on Venezuela and there are so many interesting places that are worth visiting. We decide on starting the trip at the main tourist location of Margarita Island for the time period leading up to the wedding. Also under consideration is a 2-day side trip to Angel Falls. The only problem with Angel Falls is that it’s the trip involves a small plane and sleeping in hammocks. Maureen does not seem too excited about the small plane and Jessica is worried about the hammocks and no electricity. Meanwhile, Alison is ok for anything.
After the wedding, it is decided that we will go to Henri Pitter National Park. This is Venezuela’s oldest National Park and is on the migration path for Birds from both North and South America. The only major concern I have now is our lack of Spanish and will the girls be able to eat the food.
Now the problem is how do we go about booking the trip and how much is it going to cost. The first place I check are the charter companies. They seem to fly to Margarita Island during the winter months from Toronto but don’t have any flights yet scheduled. Air Canada does not fly to Venezuela. A friend of mine works for Expedia.ca, so I decide to give his web site a check and find that Delta flies from Toronto to Atlanta to Caracas on a daily basis.
The next problem is to find out how we get around the country and where are we going to stay. The Internet has sure changed the way of planning a trip. By putting “Venezuela” into a Search Engine many travel sites are immediately identified that would have been impossible to find in the past.
On Margarita Island we are able to identify 6 places that seem to be nice destinations. We start sending emails to all of them as to their available, rates and recommendations on things to do. Over a few weeks we have narrowed down our choice to Villa Cabo Blanco at Playa Parquito.
For the Henri Pitter part of the trip, I found a tour company in Venezuela that recommends a converted Hacienda at Choroni that seems very nice.
By the beginning of September, a phone call to Andrew confirms that the wedding is still on and Brenda and I decide that we better start booking flights and accommodations so not to end up disappointed. Since we are doing this over the Internet, I get Brenda on the phone and we both go to the Expedia.ca site. At the same time we both start the booking process for the flights to Venezuela. When we get to the final confirmation page, Brenda gets an error and has to start over. Meanwhile, my tickets are now booked. Our first challenge to the trip occurs when Brenda gets back to booking their tickets and finds that there are none available. A few hours’ later things get sorted out with Brenda having to fly to Venezuela a day earlier than us.
Next step in the booking process is booking Villa Cabo Blanco on Margarita Island. This is painless as a quick email is answered immediately with instructions on where to wire the deposit. The same occurs with booking the Hacienda in Choroni. Brenda does some shopping for the Airfare between Caracas and Margarita Island and finds a local airline that is very reasonable. When I check out their website, I notice that the planes are very small but decide that it’s in everyone best interest that we keep this information from Maureen until a later date.
By the 15th of September, everything is booked that has to be done ahead of time and the only thing to do now is wait for December.
December – Civil Unrest Throughout Venezuela
By the beginning of December, everything for the trip seemed to be under control. All the plane tickets were booked and paid for. The hotel on Margarita Island is booked and ½ paid for. Brenda and I have decided to go Scuba Diving with Jessica, Alison and Gary. Maureen and Al will have a day at the beach with Patty while we are diving. The side trip to Angel Falls is still under consideration but we will leave that until we get to
31 Margarita Island. The Hacienda at Choroni is booked and paid for. The Hotels in Caracas are organized. The neighbour’s girls will be looking after the cats and Maureen’s friend is taking Lucy while we are away. All I need to do is get some Venezuelan money and get to the airport.
Then I start reading news reports about a General Strike in Venezuela. While a little concerned, I am not worried. How long can something like this last? By the middle of December, the General Strike is making the National News and Maureen is reading about it in the newspapers. It is be portrayed in Canada as a Civil War.
Maureen talks to some people at work who gets her upset about the situation that is developing in Venezuela and she starts preparing me for not going. I make a phone call to Andrew who emails back that the unrest is more like a party that a Civil War. This seems to calm Maureen down for a while.
With 2 weeks to go before departure, Maureen has some anxious moments. The latest reports that we have gotten from Caracas is that there are mass demonstrations in Caracas, up to 1 million people but that the atmosphere is almost party like.
Todd (Lyz’s husband) talks to a friend who goes to Venezuela all the time. This friend’s comments prompt Lyz to call Maureen. Lyz asks Maureen if she had been following the news on Venezuela and points her to the External Affairs website. Words cannot describe what happened next. Maureen calls Brenda and the next thing you knew was that the world was ending.
I end up spending the entire weekend trying to calm everyone down. I had to read the riot act to Lyz, Todd and anyone else who dared bring up the trip with Maureen. Jessica and Alison talked about seeing a doctor to get her some pills to calm her down but by Sunday she seemed much better.
Jessica takes on responsibility for screening all incoming phone calls until we leave to ensure that no one gets her upset again. Lyz has been told that if she calls then Maureen will be spending Christmas with her.
In the week leading up to departure, I am watching the news from Caracas hourly. The Charter Flights to Margarita have been all canceled but the Delta flights are on time every day. Our flights between Caracas and Margarita Island seem to be changing on a daily basis but they respond to our emails that we will be OK. Brenda leaves for Caracas the day before us, so if things are real bad then she can calls us when she arrives.
Toronto to Caracas
No phone call from Brenda on Thursday night so no last minute panic. We get up early on Friday morning and do a last minute check that all is packed. Maureen takes Lucy for a walk and leaves her with her sitters. Lucy is a little confused but is not too upset when Maureen leaves her. The Limo Driver arrives on time and we load everything into the Limo for the trip to the airport.
When we get to the airport, it is very quiet, no long lineups. We check in at Delta and proceed through US Immigration and Customs. The guy at Customs seems more interested in having a conversation with Jessica than in anything we are bring into the country. Once through Customs, a friend of mine who works for US Customs comes over and has a coffee with us. He makes a few jokes about this size of the plane to Atlanta and the service on the flight but backs off when Maureen seems a little nervous. The flight to Atlanta is uneventful. The girls joke a little with Maureen that it’s too late to back out now but that is it. We have a 2- hour lay over in Atlanta before our flight to Caracas. After a lunch in the airport we head to our gate and wait for the flight.
We arrive in Caracas
Our flight from Atlanta to Caracas is only half full and once again uneventful. At 9:30 we arrive in Caracas and the adventure in Venezuela begins. Andrew fiancée Clarissa is going to meet us at the airport to make sure we get to our Hotel ok. I am a little nervous with having to go through Immigration and Customs and not being able to speak Spanish. I have my Spanish-English dictionary ready as we head to Immigration. I put down the 4 passports and visa papers and the Immigration Officer starts going through them veryyyyy slowly but never asks us anything. With our passports stamped, we collect our baggage and head to customs.
To decide who’s baggage gets check, they have a system in place where you push a button and if you get a red light then your baggage is checked. I push first and get a green light and head out. Jessica is next and she gets a Red Light. As I watch with all the passports the Custom Official spends 5 minutes trying to tell Jessica where she has to go before giving up and letting her, Maureen and Alison to pass.
Once outside the Customs area in the Terminal Building, I am greeting by a hundreds of people yelling
32 “Taxi”. The first thing that goes through my head is “I guess the gas shortage is not affecting the Taxi’s”. After a couple of minutes Clarissa finds us. I guess that was not too hard as we were the only North Americans on the flight and the pale colour of our skin gave us away. After introducing ourselves, she negotiates a Taxi for us, tells us how much it will be and helps us get our bags to the Taxi.
Once outside the terminal building, the temperature and humidity hits us. When we left Toronto the temperature was about 0 and it was snowing. On arriving in Caracas it is 30 and humid and this is 10:30pm. What a difference!
It turns out that our Taxi Driver speaks some English. On the way to the Hotel he explains to us how he has to lineup for gasoline for 9 hours each time he has to fill up. The gasoline station at the airport has a lineup over 2 miles long. This is our first glimpse of the impact of the General Strike.
After a 15-minute drive we arrive at our Hotel. I had read that their traffic laws are based on the biggest car having the right away. The Taxi driver proves this as he cuts off several smaller cars and motorcycles on the trip. By 11:00pm “Mission Accomplished” – I have us checked into a Hotel in Venezuela without having our pictures broadcast on the Canadian National News.
Venezuela – Day 1 – December 21
We are up early on day 1 in Venezuela. Today’s agenda is to get from Caracas to Margarita Island. Our flights were originally scheduled for 11am but the day before we left, I noticed that the flight had been changed to 2:30pm. When we were checking in on Friday night, I noticed that they Internet Access in the hotel. After breakfast, a quick check shows we are still on the 2:30pm flight. We spend the morning in the hotel and by the pool outside. At 11:30 we checkout and wait for our Taxi driver from the previous night to take us back to the airport at 12:00. When he does not arrive by 12:15, I arrange with the Hotel’s driver for the transfer to the Airport. Arriving at Avior checking, I quickly discover that no one speaks English. - No Problem – as hand signs and gestures get us checked in with a few laughs from the Check in Clerk. There is not much to do in the Domestic Terminal at Caracas Airport, so we make our way to where our gate should be.
Looking out the window, I see some planes with Avior on them. I start hoping Maureen does not look out the window too! Those planes look veryyyy small. “We may have trouble here!" I tell Jessica as she sees what I am looking at. Jessica tells me not to worry, she will keep Maureen occupied until we have to get on the plane.
30 minutes prior to departure, I move the girls to the waiting room where the flights for Avior seem to be departing from. There is no flight information for our flight so we just sit and wait. 15 minutes prior to departure, just as I am getting worried there is an announcement in Spanish from which I pick out the word Porlamar – the main city on Margarita Island. When I go to the Check in desk the girl takes my ticket and point me out the door. I yell back to the girls that that announcement was for us. Out the door we go and get on a bus that takes us to a small plane. On exiting the bus Maureen says “We are not flying on that are we?" I lead the girls over to the pilot who tells us we are in the right place and to get on the plane. On the plane behind the pilot there are 2 rows of 9 seats on each side of the plane. We get settled into our seats and Jessica points out the look on Maureen’s face.
We are no sooner seated and the door closes and the pilot starts taxing for takeoff. There's nothing Maureen can do now. It’s a clear day and the flight to Porlamar Airport is smooth and 45 minutes later we are back on land. Maureen even says she enjoyed the flight!
Our luggage seems to take forever to come out but when it does; we load up and go looking for a Taxi. At the Taxi stand, I negotiate a Taxi with the help of the Spanish-English dictionary and we are off to Villa Cabo Blanco on Playa Parquito beach. On the way there are no lineups for Gas and the driver tells us there are very few problems on the island. We also notice the gasoline costs about 6 cents a liter here in Venezuela. Maybe it’s time for civil unrest back in Canada. After a 40-minute ride we turn off the road at the Villa Cabo Blanco sign to see Brenda, Al and Brian returning from the beach.
We quickly find Michel and Carman, the owners of Villa Cabo Blanco, get checked in, changed and off to the beach. Brenda quickly introduces Maureen, Jessica and Alison to all the beach vendors that she has established a business relationship so far. I quickly see that this is going to be a costly beach to be on. Al quickly points out that there are no silly restrictions on drinking in Venezuela and beer cost 1,000bs ($1) a bottle on the beach. I give Jessica 5,000bs and send her off. Back she comes with my beer and a fancy drink for herself that costs 4,000bs.
After an hour at the beach, it’s back to Villa Cabo Blanco where Michel arranges a Taxi and sends us off to
33 the first on many great restaurants.
Venezuela – Day 2 – December 22
Everyone except Jessica is up early on Sunday morning. Brenda bought coffee before we arrived and delivers my morning coffee to me. After getting Jessica up and everyone eating some food that Brenda had, we head off for our first full day at the beach.
As we arrive at the beach, all of Brenda’s Vendor Friends come over to say good morning and introduce themselves to us. Since all the tour companies have cancelled their flights to Venezuela, we are the only North American/European people on the beach. No Americans! Just some local people and us!
By 9:15, the girls are looking at Pearl Necklaces. By 9:30, we are negotiating for 6 beach towels ($10 US each). By 9:45, it’s back to Villa Cabo Blanco for more money! While I am gone Brenda leave the girls unattended and I get back to Alison and Jessica having their hair braided. Maureen did not negotiate the price so we end up paying 45,000bs for something we would see later costing 8,000bs. What the heck it’s only money!
While the hair is being done, Brenda is negotiating for some pearl necklaces for herself and Jessica. Once she settles on a price, she turns to me for the funding. I try and get the vendor to take 45,000bs instead of $45US. He quickly gives Brenda the nickname of Mafia and calls me the Capitalists.
Later in the morning while I am practicing my first Spanish word “Polar” (the local beer), Maureen, Jessica, Alison and Brian have worked there way down to the end of the beach. The sea is quite rough and Maureen gets caught up in the waves, loses her glasses and has to be rescued by one of the locals who gives her hell in Spanish for being out too far and too close to the rocks at then end of the beach.
Just after noon we head back to Villa Cabo Blanco were we leave Jessica, Alison and Brian while we walk to the local grocery store to pick up some things for snacks and breakfast. While in the store, I notice that a 26oz bottle of Barcardi cost 2,800bs ($2.80) and beer is 6,500bs for a case of 24 bottles. I think I have died and gone to heaven!
We spend the rest of the afternoon waiting for Patty and Gary to arrive. Once they arrive it’s off to the beach with some fresh dollars for the Beach Vendors. That evening the people from Atlantis Diving drop by to go over our desires to go diving. Jessica has an ear infection so it is decided that Jessica and Brenda will go snorkeling while Gary, Alison, Brian and my self do 2 dives on December 24. This means that we will be spending the afternoon of December 23 taking a ½ course in diving. At the time this seems excessive but as things turned out, I was happy we did it. Later it’s off to a great Thai Restaurant that Michel has recommended to us. Boy is the food great here. Even Alison is able to get her Vegetarian Meals without any troubles.
Venezuela – Day 3 – December 23
The Roosters have me up at 4am with their squawking back and forth to each other. There seems to be more roosters here than people! By 7am everyone is up except Jessica. Brenda has my coffee ready and Maureen is making toast for everyone. After getting Jessica up it is off to the beach for the morning. We need to introduce Patty to all the Beach Vendors! Looks like another expensive morning!
As we get to the beach at 9am all our friends come by to say good morning and introduce themselves to Patty. More necklaces are bought. Our favorite vendor calls Patty Mafia #2. Maureen and the girls end up with beach dresses to go along with their necklaces. I am going to have to stop bring money to the beach with me.
At 11:30 it’s back to Villa Cabo Blanco where our dive master (Anna) is picking us up to go see a one-hour video on diving. After the video and some classroom talks, it’s back to Villa Cabo Blanco for some practice time in the pool. Anna has us taking our masks off and on, taking off each other’s masks, removing the breathing regulator, sharing regulators, etc. The course is quite extensive and is suppose to prepare you for anything. It seems after this course, a second course and 4 dives you can get your certification to dive anywhere.
By the end of the course, I am exhausted and need a couple of Polar’s before we head out to the beach for another great meal. This time Jessica, Alison and Brian discover that they are developing a taste for Alcohol and Wine and think that Venezuela has great drinking rules. (That is none)
Venezuela – Day 4 – December 24
34 Dive Day Arrives.
The Roosters have had me up since 4am again. I had talked to Michel last night about buying the Rooster that keeps waking me up but he tells me there are dozens of them and if I bought one, it would only be replaced by 12 more by the end of the day.
Michel drives us to the small port where we meet Anna and the other people going on the dive trip. The seas are very rough and Brenda and I are concerned about Jessica, Alison and Brian becoming seasick. The trip from Margarita to Los Frailes takes 45 minutes. By the time we arrive, Jessica is very green. Alison and Brain are only slightly better off. Alison and Brian say they are ready to go diving. Since Jessica and Brenda are just snorkeling, everything seems to be a go. Gary, Alison, Brian and myself start getting into our wet suites and diving equipment. Gary and Brian are to go with Anna’s husband while Alison and I will be with Anna.
Once in the water, the first thing that we are to do is go to the bottom which is 15 feet and go through taking the mask off and putting is back on and exchanging breathing regulators and few times to get use to doing it in salt water. With the in water test passed we head out. The rough seas have made the water clouded but it is like be in another world. As we move along, there are fish and coral everywhere. We become so interested in our new surroundings that we quickly lose track of time. Anna, the dive master comes over to me and checks my air regulator. She quickly shows it to me. I am almost out of air. She gives me the sign that I am to buddy breathe on her air supply until we can get back to the boat.
Using her air supply, we turn and start back to the boat. We start to slowly go from 55 feet depth up towards the surface. After a few minutes we surface to get our bearings. My weights that have been giving me problems the whole dive come loose. Anna goes back to the bottom to find them. They are too heavy for her to swim with, so she tells Alison and me to go to the boat and send the boat back to get her and the weights.
All the training and practice from the previous day have paid off. I ran out of air on my first dive.
After lunch and a break we head further down the coast of the island for the second dive. This time Anna is going to take all four of us. She reminds us to keep a close watch on our air supply after the incident with me. With our equipment back on it’s into the water again. Our first dive was in a small bay. This time we are on the coast near a point between 2 big islands.
Down we go and start heading towards the point. We come upon a large boulder with a big ell like fish living at it base. Anna points it out to Brian and myself and we move in for a closer look. She then motions for us to back up and let Gary and Alison have a look. Brian and I turn to back off and by the time we turn back everyone is gone. Just off of the boulder there is a strong current and it’s taking all our strength just to maintain our position. After 10 minutes of waiting for the rest of the group to return I check my air supply. Not only am I getting tired maintain our position, we are 45 feet down and I only have ½ a tank left. Using what we had learned, I single to Brian that I am getting exhausted, running low on air and we should head for the surface. As we start up, I have to remind Brian what we learnt. Not to go up too fast or else we will get the bends. Brian shows me that he still has lots air so if I run out, I can share his. Slowly we make our way to the surface, taking 10 minutes to do this. Once on the surface, we see the boat off in the distance. The seas are rough where we are and even at the surface there is a current coming around the point. I send Brian off for help, as I am too tired to fight the current. Anna, Alison and Gary when they realized that they lost us had headed back to the boat. When they see us surface, Anna and her husband swam out to rescue me and tow me back to the boat.
With us all tired now, we packed up the equipment and started the 45-minute trip back to Margarita.
It’s Christmas Eve and Michel and Carman have planned a large Christmas Eve Party for us and the other people staying with them. They have also invited some of their local friends including our Dive Masters. Once again the food, wine and Polaris are great. There is great music and everyone is having a great time. By 11:30 pm, still exhausted from the days diving I sneak off to bed.
Venezuela – Day 5 – December 25
It’s Christmas Day and the temperature our side to 30 degrees. Celsius.
Christmas day starts off like every other day so far only we all sleep in a little. At 8:00, Brenda brings me my usual coffee. By 9:00, we start trying to get Jessica up. There are no presents under the tree in Venezuela. They are on the beach. By 9:30 we head off to the beach to see what Santa brought the girls. As usual all our Vendor Friends are there to greet us and delivery all the presents that my wallet can afford.
Santa has a new hat for Jessica along with some necklaces. Both Maureen and Alison get some necklaces also
35 from Santa. Boy is Santa Generous in Venezuela, what with all those necklaces.
We spend most of the entire morning on the beach. At about 1pm we decide that we are going to walk down to the next beach where there is a flea market and several stores. So off we go. At the flea market more shopping for bargains. As we head down the road off of the beach we stop for a late lunch and a Polar. By about 5pm, it is time to head back to Villa Cabo Blanco. We have made arrangements with Michel and Carman for dinner in Porlamar. We have hired a large Van to pick us up just at dark to take all of us (Maureen, Jessica, Alison, Brenda, Al, Patty, Gary, Julien (the best man), Elizabeth (his girl friend), Michel and Carman) on a tour of all the Christmas lights on the Island, ending at what Michel tells us to be the best restaurant on the Island.
Boy Michel was not wrong about either the Christmas Lights or the Food. Many of the small towns between Playa Parquito and Porlamar have a contest to see who can decorate their houses with the best lighting. I have never seen so many Christmas lights and Santa Clauses in my whole life. Then the food in Porlamar is just great. I ended having 8 shrimp that must have been 6 inches long each…what a feast…not Turkey but then I did not have to cook it either. After dinner we make our way back to Villa Cabo Blanco, passing more towns and their light show. The driver of the van will be back on the 26th to take us on a tour of the Island so it’s off to bed.
Venezuela – Day 6 – December 26
The 26th starts the same as every other day so far. Brenda has my coffee ready by 7am. Today Jessica has to get up early as the Van, Driver and Tour Guide are picking us up at 8:30 for our daylong tour of the Island. From Villa Cabo Blanco we head off along the north coast of Margarita. After 15 minutes we get to the top a hill over looking a bay on the north shore where we make our first stop. Our guide point out the large resort, with a golf course and large beach down in the bay. She then tells us that it has been empty since the beginning of December because of all the troubles and the charter airlines canceling all the flights. She tells us that all the large resorts on the Island are shut down and how this is their high season.
Further along the coast we come to a number of beaches that are completely empty because it seems we are the only tourists in the country. We drive to La Restinga National Park where we go a boat ride in the Mangroves. There are Pelicans and Cranes on the shore. We stop at one place to look at the clams and their potential future pearls. We also see a number of starfish that feed off of the clams and our boat driver catches a Seahorse for us. Just as our luck would have it, the boat that Maureen, Alison, Brian and myself are on runs out of gas and Brenda, Patty, Al and Jessica’s boat has to come rescue us.
After the boat tour I have an Empadis that I had been told about and they were great eating. I tried to get the recipe for Maureen but since I did not have my Spanish-English dictionary with me no luck.
From La Restinga we headed towards Porlamar and stopped at the islands religious shrine of Santoario Virgen de la Valle. The tour guide had heard of Maureen collection of holy water from around the world and wanted to make sure she got some from here. From here we went to La Asuncion, the capital of Isla de Margarita where there was some time for shopping. At the store we stopped at they had Internet Access and they let me send off a quick email to everyone. Next on the agenda was an old fort and then onto the Pearl Factory. The Pearl Factory, which is geared to American Tourists with prices in US$ that only the rich could afford. Luckily for me, the girls had already locked up the Pearl Market at Playa Parquito and did not want to expand their market penetration.
Our last stop was Playa El Agua, the next beach down from where we were staying; we had dinner before returning to Villa Cabo Blanco and an early night.
Venezuela – Day 7 – December 27
December 27th started the same way for me. After being awakened by the Roosters at 4am again, I managed to get some sleep until 7am when it was time to get up. Once again Brenda had my coffee ready. I wonder if Maureen was noticing how Brenda made coffee for me every day. Back home I would be on my own! Patty and Gary leave today for Caracas while we will be spending our last day on Margarita.
After Patty and Gary leave for the Airport with Julien and Elizabeth, we make our way to the beach from one last day of shopping. We are a little later than usual and as we get to the beach there is much relief from all our friends. They all knew this was our last day and wanted to make sure they made that last sale before we left. Our friend who called Brenda the Mafia and me the Capitalist came over to say hello and show us what specials he had for us today. Since it was our last day, he had very special discounts for us. By the time the merchandise was looked over and the selections made, there were 8 necklaces selected for purchase. Brenda did her usual job of getting his price down in $US and then I started in on him in Bolivars. Things got so
36 confusing, that in the end he throw up his arms and agreed to our price…even if it meant that his 3 children would not eat that night.
In the afternoon we made the long walk to Playa El Agua for some more shopping at the flea market. There was also a store there that had promised Brenda that they would have earrings to match her necklaces for her today. It turned out that the earrings cost more than the necklaces that they matched.
Exhausted from all the shopping we returned to Villa Cabo Blanco for some rest before venturing out to Playa El Agua later that evening via taxi for another great shrimp dinner.
Venezuela – Day 8 – December 28
It’s Wedding. I wonder if our flights are still on. The people we took the tour with called the airline and confirmed our flights for us. They are picking us up at 8am to take us to the airport and make sure we get checked in ok. It will be nice not to have to use hand signs to check in again. Maureen seems resigned to flying on a small plane again and is not making too much of a fuss over us trying to kill her.
We are picked up on time and get to the airport and checked in without any trouble. Our flight leaves on time and once again it’s a beautiful day, so a smooth flight for Maureen. Upon arrival in Caracas we collect our luggage and find a Taxi to the hotel without any problem.
On the 45-minute drive into the city we pass many lineups for gasoline that are miles long. They even have ice cream vendors out selling their wares to the people in line. We see numerous cars being pushed, as they must have run out of gas already. At the gas stations, there are soldiers with guns keeping all in order.
The hotel in Caracas is the Tamanco, which we have heard is the best hotel in the city. On arrival it looks very nice. Patty is in the lobby when we arrive and Andrew shows up a few minutes after our arrival. We get checked in and it’s off for lunch in the Hotel. What a difference in prices! On Margarita dinner for 4 with several Polars was costing us 40,000bs ($40), here at the Tamanco lunch with a coke is 75,000bs or $75. It’s my first coke of the trip as with the shortages on Margarita there was no coke.
The wedding is scheduled for 7pm at a church in the city. We meet in the lobby at 6pm. Andrew is supposed to be picked up in a limo and we are going to take taxis. At 6:30pm, we start to get worried when Andrews limo does not arrive. December 28th is the Venezuelan equivalent of April Fools day. I start teasing Andrew, asking him if this is all a joke to encourage tourism to Venezuela. Andrew’s limo arrives at 7:15pm. We arrange with the hotel for 2 of their limos to take us to the church.
Caracas is a city built in a narrow valley with high mountains on either side. Our ride to the church takes us over and around several hills. Brenda’s limo get lost on the way to the church and ends up having to go the wrong way down several winding streets to get caught up.
At the church, our driver asks if we want him to pick us up in an hour. Sounds great to me and we make the arrangements for both limos to pick us up. The one thing I have learnt so far about the people in Venezuela is their willingness to got out of their way to make you feel very welcomed and to assist in any way they can.
There is something going on in the church when we arrive so we wait outside. Andrew does not seem too nervous but Julien his best man is sweating. That’s all the encouragement I need and I have a few words of “Encouragement” for Julien.
Inside the church we find our places. When the service starts, the priest stops everything and in Spanish asks for someone who speaks both Spanish and English. He then instructs this person to sit with us and translate everything that he says. Another example of how nice and considerate the people are here.
After the service, a number of Clarissa relatives come up to us to tell us how many of us they can take in each of their cars. Patty, Julien and Elizabeth are the only ones needing transportation so that is easily handled.
We were warned ahead of time that wedding receptions/dances last all night in Venezuela. On arriving back at the hotel were the reception is being held we head to the banquet hall. One of Clarissa cousins helps get us settles. After the usual wedding pictures everyone settles in. At our table a bottle of whiskey is placed in front on me. The waiter at our table seems to take a liking to me and spend the night constantly refilling my glass. If he feels I am drink too slowly he gives me hell.
The dancing starts almost immediately. The music is all Spanish. With a little encouragement we have Jessica, Alison and Brian up dancing also. In the case of Alison, I don’t think she ever sat down. Several people come over and get each of us up and give us lessons in dancing to their music. Alison seems to be
37 getting the most attention.
After a few dances, I am very hot and Maureen encourages me to take off my jacket. Everyone else is still wearing their jackets but I decide to introduce a Canadian Tradition to the wedding and off goes the jacket.
After over an hour of fast paced dancing it’s time for a great buffet dinner. Clarissa family makes sure that we are first in line. The food is just great. I am not sure what everything is but enjoy everything. My waiter friend puts a bottle of good wine in front of me and makes sure I drink the whole bottle while we eat.
Time again for another Canadian Tradition. I get Brian, Al, Jessica and Alison organized and we start clanging the glasses every time Andrew or Clarissa takes a bite. It seems they don’t do this in Venezuela. In fact, clanging glasses means that there are federalies in the room in Venezuela.
Clarissa cousins catch on very quickly to what’s happening and start leading the charge. Later, Gary, Brian and myself start going from table to table showing everyone how to do it.
After dinner it’s dancing again. By 3am, all my fellow Canadians are exhausted and go off to bed leaving Alison and myself to uphold the Canadian tradition. By 5:30am, things die down when Alison runs out of people to dance with and we go to bed.
Venezuela – Day 9 – December 29
Today day is a day of recovery for everyone. Alison and I are up relatively early and go downstairs to the pool area while Maureen and Jessica recover. Since it was Alison and I that were up to the very end, this does not make a lot of sense. While downstairs, Al point out a demonstration on the highway outside the hotel. The entire highway is full of people marching against the government. Our first live encounter with a demonstration in Caracas!
Brenda and I are concerned about our plans for December 30th. We have arranged for Car Rentals to take us to Choroni. We decide to call out Tour Operator to see what the gas situation is like in Choroni. All we need is to get there and not have enough gasoline to get back!
No answer at the Tour Company so we leave messages and hope for the best. We spend the rest of the day hang out at the Hotel with a short walk into the neighborhood around the Hotel.
Venezuela – Day 10 – December 30
Maureen, Alison and myself are up early. Jessica won’t move so we decide to go for a walk in the neighborhood around the Hotel to see if we can get a coffee for less than 5,000bs. We come upon a restaurant that seems to make freshly squeezed drinks and has food so inside we go. A nice girl points us to a table and asks us what we want in Spanish. I try some English on her and it’s time for sign language. The owner comes over and points towards the kitchen. Up we get and he leads us over where he points out items on the menu and then points to them being prepared.
After some consideration, I order a coffee that turns out to be the best coffee of the trip. Maureen gets a tea and Alison gets an oversized pancake filled with local fruits that is very tasty. After second coffees and teas, I try to find out ho late he is opened as this looks like a good candidate to come back to. No luck. I should have brought the dictionary with me!
Once back at the Hotel, Brenda and I ask the people in the Hotel for advise. They tell us that the gas situation west of the city is not very good. We try to call to the Tour Company and get through Jose Luis who says he will make come calls and for us to call back in 45 minutes. We call back he say that there was some gas in Choroni but that it will not last very long. We ask about other modes of transportation and he tells us he will make some phone calls.
Back downstairs in the lobby, the entire Hotel Staff are now trying to find a way to help us. They fell renting a car will not be the right thing to do. A conversation with 2 of the Hotel Limo Drivers gives us an alternative. They will take us to Choroni today and come and pick us up on January 2nd. The trip is 3 ½ hours each way. The cost for the return trip will be less than renting 2 cars. Sound like a plan to me. A quick call to the Tour Operator and it’s time to pack.
Our driver Miguel speaks some English and helps to get us organized. We leave 3 suitcases with the hotel, as we will not need the contents on the trip. With the 2 cars loaded, the people at the Hotel gives us some numbers to call if we have any troubles and see us off.
38 As we drive through Caracas, Miguel points out all the line-ups for gas. He tells us that he spent 12 hours yesterday filling up. Once outside of the city and on the highway to Maracay, there is little traffic. The road signs say its 80km to Maracay, which is 2/3 of the way. This puzzles me as they said that it was a 3-½ hour trip. Is there something wrong with my math?
As we near Maracay, Miguel points to the mountains to the north. He tells me that we have to go over the mountains to get to Choroni. He says the road is real dangerous but hopeful with the gas shortage there won’t be much traffic to deal with. Maureen asks from the back seat what we are talking about and I tell her it’s about the beautiful weather we are having for the drive.
At Maracay, we turn off the highway and Miguel navigates through the city. We slowly start climbing up the mountain and the road slowly starts to narrow. The next 2 hours are spent going 20kmh on the switchback main road to the coast. We get behind a bus that has to stop and backup to go around the many turns on the road. On the driver’s side of the car it is straight up and on the passenger side it is straight down. I hang on for dear life. Maureen is making comments along the lines of “What have you done to me now!"
Several times we round a corner only to have to jam on the breaks to avoid hitting a car coming from the opposite way. On coming cars are not bad, they try and stop to avoid you. It was the on coming buses that nearly killed us several times. They would not stop. It’s get out of the way or be hit. The buses travel with both a driver and a lookout. The lookout hangs out of the passenger door to keep a lookout for oncoming traffic.
After making it to the top of the mountain, Miguel tells me, he does this drive about once a year and swears that he will never do it again. Once half way down the coast side of the mountain, the 2 cars pull over. Miguel tells me it is to let the brakes cool down before making the rest of the trip.
10 minutes later we are off and slowly make our way to Choroni where we ask for directions to Hacienda EL Portete. On arrival we all get out of the cars and I get down and kiss the ground. Maureen is glaring at me for not telling her about this ahead of time.
We walk into the Hacienda and find the bar where a Polar is promptly opened for me. Once unloaded and organized Miguel says take they will meet us here between 1pm and 3pm on January 2nd for the return trip.
After another Polar we decide to go for a walk to get over the trip, so off we go. We find a small residential area we come upon a Tour Truck with Bird Watching on the side. Veevee, the owner comes out to introduce himself and welcome us to Choroni. Like Margarita, there are no foreigners here so we kind of stick out like a sore thumb. We tell Veevee where we are staying and he says that if we want a tour to give him a call.
Back to the Hacienda El Portete we go where we decide to have dinner. Another excellent meal! Richard our host comes by to welcome us and tells us to let him you if there is anything he can do to help out. He gives us directions to the beach and says the first time we go to let him know and he will drive us. We ask about Veevee and he highly recommends him to us. If we want he will arrange Veevee to come by and discuss various things to be seen in the area.
Venezuela – Day 11 – December 31
New Years Eve!
We are all up early for breakfast and what a feast it is. Scrambled Eggs – Venezuelan Style, Pancakes with Maple Syrup, many different fruits, toast and more local things. After eating we talk to Richard who tells us that he is putting on a Venezuelan New Years Eve dinner tonight if we are interested. We agree immediately. We then ask about Veevee. Richard tells us to wait a few minutes and he will have Veevee come right over to discuss things with us.
After another coffee Veevee arrives. After some discussion it is agreed that tomorrow, Veevee will take us beach hopping up the coast for the day and on January 2nd we will go for a hike and bird watching in the morning. When I ask how much, Veevee suggests $15US a head for the 2 days. When I suggest $20US everyone is happy.
When we tell Veevee that we plan on spend the day at the beach and in the town, he tells us that he will drive us down to the beach and give us a tour of the town. We all get changed and loaded into Veevee’s tour truck and head off. Ask we drive down the road towards the Port, Veevee point out the various sites. At one point he stops to talk to someone who seems excited that some tourists have come to visit. It seems like we are celebrities here for being the only foreigners again.
39 As we walk from the town towards the beach we pass a large number of restaurants. The owners all come out to greet us and offer us menus. Maureen promises each that we will come back later in the day, making many new friends. We spend the next several hours on the beach. They are some vendors here and Maureen ends up with several bottles of Coconut Oil.
Late in the afternoon, we start to head back. Through the row of restaurants Maureen explains that we are just going for a walk and will be back shortly. In the town, we find a restaurant were I can get a Polar or 2 and the girls some food. After being refreshed we take the 15-minute walk back to the Hacienda and a nap in the Hammocks.
Around 8pm we head into the pool/restaurant area for a couple of Polars before dinner. When the food comes out for dinner it looks great, roast pork, turkey and several Venezuelan dishes. Richard comes over and explains each dish to us. He also has the kitchen prepare special meals for Alison and Jessica. After stuffing ourselves, Richard and his wife sit down with us and start telling us about the surrounding area, it’s history and the history of the Hacienda that has been in his mother’s family hands for 100s of years.
He use to work for a Canadian Company and has been to Toronto several times. We make a comment about how bright the stars are in the sky and he volunteers to shut off the lights for a better view. As he is about to shut off the lights there is a general power failure in the Choroni area that affords us of even better view. Richard tries to explain how he did not arrange for the complete power failure and we have a few laughs over it.
10 minutes later, with power restored we celebrate New Years sitting by the pool drinking wine and Polars.
Venezuela – Day 12 – January 1
We are up early again. Veevee is coming by to pick us up at 9:00 for our day of beach hopping. As we head off towards the Port Veevee tells us more stories about the local area and where we are going. When we arrive at the Port the first thing I notice is that the sea is very rough today. Poor Maureen! What am I doing to her! Veevee gets all of us loaded into an 18-foot boat for our trip. The owner of the boat has to time the 4-foot swales in order to get out of the landing for the boats. After this 10-minute exercise is completed we start making our way along the coast. We are going against the waves and are getting bounced around a fair bit. I only hope Maureen can survive the trip.
We pass the beach we spent yesterday on and round a point towards a second smaller beach. 20 minutes later we round another point and come to Playa Chauo. We make a 1-hour stop here to go visit a Cocoa Plantation. Being New Years day there is no activity but Veevee explains that the plantation is run as a Co-op. He cuts down one Cocoa and opens it for us. This Cocoa from here is shipped to Europe to make high end chocolates in Belgium and Germany.
Back in the boat we make another ½ hour trip to Playa Cepe where we will spend most of the day. We start off by going for a walk in the local area where we see many fruit and bananas trees. There is a baseball diamond and a lawn bowling area. The only way into the area is via boat and once again we are the only tourists here. After several swims at the beach and a walk from end to end we sit down at the restaurant for a lunch of fried bananas, the local favorite.
After another swim and some time on the beach, we see our boat round the point to come pick us up. I also have noticed that the waves are much higher now with swells up to 10 feet. Maureen is going to kill me if she catches on. Into the boat we get for the trip back to Choroni. Maureen is sitting beside me with one hand on the side of the boat and one hand on my knee hanging on. By the time we reach Choroni there are deep marks on my knee from Maureen’s hand but she has not complained at all.
The owner of the boat has to wait about 10 minutes off the point where we are to land for the seas to settle to do in safely. Once on shore we head to Veevee Truck from the ride back to the Hacienda.
Because of the sun and the air conditioner at night in the room, I have come down with a fever and the beginnings of a cold. Rather than going into the town for dinner, we decide to eat at the Hacienda again tonight.
Venezuela – Day 13 – January 2
My cold is not much better in the morning and I still have a little fever so it is decided that I won’t go on the hike and bird watching trip. At 8:30 everyone deserts me and heads out with Veevee. Just as they are leaving our 2 drivers from Caracas arrive. They tell us they are going to the beach for the day and will be back at 2pm.
40 I ate breakfast and spent the morning in my hammock resting.
Shortly after 1pm everyone returns from the trip and we pack up for the long trip back to Caracas. Our route back to Maracay is the reverse route of the trip to Choroni. This time we are prepared for what we are to face. Also this time the traffic is much heaver. After several close calls we make Maracay and get caught up in a traffic jam cause by a lineup at the gas station. As Miguel makes his way around the city, I can only think of how lucky we are that we did not rent cars. With Maureen navigating we would have got lost for sure.
After Maracay the highway ride to Caracas is non descript. As we enter Caracas, the road is blocked by a demonstration and TV Cameramen. Following the directions from the Army we eventually make our way by the demonstration and arrive safely at the hotel.
Miguel asks when we are leaving for the airport in the morning and agrees to pick us up at 7am.
We check in and decide to go to a Pizza Restaurant that we saw on our walks. On arriving and getting seated, I saw my favorite Spanish word “Polar” The waiter quickly responds “No Polar”. The owner seeing that we only speak English sends over his English Speaking waiter who explains to me that they have no beer left because of the strike. He also tells us they have no flower so no Pizza. Someone on Margarita told me that when they ran out of beer because of the strike then the violence would start. May be its time to go home.
Venezuela – Day 14 – January 3
We forced Jessica to get up early on January 3rd. After I get dressed, I start taking the luggage downstairs and get us checked out. Miguel is at the front door on time and gets us loaded in the limos for the drive to the airport.
We arrived real early for the flight but there were long lineups at Delta. When it came time to check in, they made the girls check in separately from us, which caused a lot of confusion since I had the ticket and all the passports. It turns out that I was picked for a complete search of our luggage for security purposes. This turned comical when the girl do the checking could not pronounce Peter and the guy working with her spent the whole time teasing her.
Once through the process we made our way through Venezuelan Exist Immigration without incident. After a coffee, we went to the gate where once again it was my turn to be searched again. Off with my shoes, jacket and carry on luggage and a lot more joking because we had to us hand signs to communicate.
On the plane, we left Caracas for Atlanta. On arriving in Atlanta, it took us 15 minutes to get through US Immigration. The Officer we had was being transferred to Vancouver in a month’s time and we spent 15 minutes talking about Vancouver. It did not seem to bother her that there was a long lineup behind us as she was looking for pointers on Vancouver.
The first thing we noticed in Atlanta was that it was very cold. (55F) Jessica started suggesting that we return to Caracas, I could only think of what she was going to say when we got into Toronto later that night. Our flight was delayed for a ½ hour to Toronto and we could hear the people next to us on the phone to Toronto and talk of 15cm of snow. At this point, I join Jessica in suggesting we return to Caracas.
We arrive home in Toronto to blowing snow and veryyyyy cold temperatures without incident ending a great trip to Venezuela.
viii. JOAN TERESA GRAHAM, b. May 26, 1951, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. (1) DAVE MELOCHE; m. (2) TOM GODDARD, May 25, 1991, Detroit, MI, USA.
Notes for TOM GODDARD: For U.S. Autoworkers, Future Hinges on Adaptability By Michael Leahy Washington Post Staff Writer Monday, June 8, 2009
WARREN, Mich. If the electric car he is working on at this moment represents General Motors' hopeful
41 vision of its changing direction, then Tom Goddard may be the new face of the American autoworker, someone who after 24 years at GM takes nothing for granted, sees his job as tenuous and prides himself on building his skills in hopes of survival.
Two years ago, Goddard took stock of the ailing corporation and the precariousness of union jobs here in Michigan and asked whether he might be able to work on the Chevrolet Volt, GM's much ballyhooed electric car, still in the pre-production stage and not scheduled for sale until late 2010. In response, one of his supervisors wondered whether they ought to be part of the Volt project, voicing skepticism about the vehicle's long-term chances.
"We need to get involved in this," Goddard recalls telling the supervisor. "This is going to be the future."
Now part of a team of about 1,000 hourly and salaried workers involved in a high-stakes race to bring the Volt into production at a GM facility in Warren, the 59-year-old Goddard says he sees signs that some workers understand the urgency of changing their routines and the culture of the workplace. "Some guys who know I like to work with computers will say to me a little defensively, 'How do you do that? I've never been trained to do that.' And I'll just kind of get to the point and say, 'Do you want to know how to do that?' And if they do, I'll show them. Most do."
He shrugs. There are limits to how far he will go; he does not want to be a nuisance. "I guess some would never ask," he adds. "Some people are just predisposed to being curious about things and others want to be outdoors with their boat or motorcycle, I guess. They just can't seem to get interested. They're stuck in their ways and really don't want to change. There's a lot of talent there not being used, I guess."
Critics of the auto industry express dismay over such explanations. They contend that, as painful as change might be for some veteran workers, a zest for knowledge is a prerequisite for the success of American car companies. The old plant order, these critics argue, must yield to new models that will create a better trained group of laborers adept at working on vastly more sophisticated cars such as the Volt.
"We don't have a large enough knowledgeable workforce," says Ann Marie Sastry, an engineering professor at the University of Michigan and the head of a joint project between the university and GM that has been training a group of the company's engineers in advanced battery technology. The hope is that the engineers' new expertise will find expression in the Volt and other electric cars to follow.
"Will a lot of autoworkers enter programs and receive retraining?" Sastry asks. "I don't know. I can say this: Autoworkers' jobs are going to change everywhere. There will be chip technologies, solar technologies. This is going to be an economy dominated by knowledge workers, not by somebody who we think of as being on an old assembly line."
She is blunt when assessing the future of most middle-aged workers who are not trained in new technologies. "I don't know where that autoworker goes," she says. "You have to be aggressive and get new skills for most of these jobs in the future. Racing for the bottom is a mistake for the country. If we say people are going to perform only a single task on a line, and not utilize intellectual skills, that's the wrong approach."
Building Skills
Like even the smallest of auto factories, the shop that houses the pre-production operations of the Chevy Volt prototypes is huge, as big as three football fields. Its size serves as a reminder of the mammoth ambitions and risks involved in the launch of any hyped automobile, particularly one from a teetering company running out of cash and chances to prove its worth.
Having long served as an embryo for GM vehicles, the plant is not as busy a place these days, but the dreamers still come through it, and the Volt team is just one more. A constant for Goddard, who once worked on Cadillacs here, is the concrete floor, concrete as thick and hard as concrete can get, hard enough to support millions of tons of steel and tires, but concrete that wears on many workers' legs and feet as a day moves along.
Born with club-feet, Goddard is often in pain, but he resolved long ago that his condition would not stop him. As with most union positions, Goddard's nondescript job title, assembly inspector, obscures the arduousness of his task in helping to create Volt prototypes. Short-armed and only 5-foot-5, Goddard must reach more than the average worker when dipping around and beneath such things as dashboards to tinker and build, and two decades of stretching and straining in odd positions have taken their toll.
"My shoulders are shot," he says. Characteristically, he has found ways to compensate, his stature giving him
42 advantages over other workers in small, confined spaces. "I can do some things on electrical [components] that others can't," he says. "But that's not as important as building your skills."
His forte has always been electrical systems, he says, a talent mostly acquired on his own through reading and studying. "I like to keep abreast of everything electrical," he says. "I don't mind learning new things, and I don't want to be the dumbest guy in the room. I don't want to have to say, 'I don't know.' About anything."
A man with eclectic sides -- art aficionado, devotee of complex crossword puzzles, passionate fan of the Talking Heads and Depeche Mode -- Goddard is intent on defying blue-collar stereotypes. "I'm not Joe the Plumber," he says.
In the early 1990s, his inquisitiveness began driving him to find out everything he could about computer programs. What started as a simple effort to learn how to prepare spreadsheets for tracking the ups and downs of his 401(k) account soon grew into an understanding of workplace computer programs. "I'll show things to colleagues interested in learning how to do that," he says. "I think more people are becoming open to that. They need to, sometimes."
If GM executive Bob Lutz is a conceptual father of the Volt, the responsibility for turning it into a reality has rested on the shoulders of hard-driving company administrators such as industrial engineer Shane Leach, one of Goddard's superiors. At 36, fresh off his managerial successes in dealing with GM trucks as the corporation's global build program manager, Leach, who has taken charge these days of making sure that Volt prototypes will be ready for rigorous testing this summer and fall, has swiftly acquired a reputation as a demanding supervisor.
"Shane can be abrasive, a real go-getter," Goddard says. "He'll say to people, 'Just tell me if you can't get this done by Thursday -- you can tell me, but just tell me.' And if you can't do it by Thursday, well, believe me, he'll find someone who can do it. Shane is not everyone's cup of tea. But you need more people like that now. I respect Shane. He works hard. There's no room for mistakes, and these [prototype] cars have to be ready. I'd say to people: It's a different time. There's going to be no hand-holding."
For his part, Leach speaks with a clipped efficiency that makes clear where his priorities lie. The cars "will be going out ready and on schedule -- that is all that really matters; that's our job."
Not all workers like the shop changes that have encouraged more versatility and speed, Goddard says.
"Some workers are maybe saying, 'I'm a little uncomfortable with this,' " he says. "But they're doing it. The union might not have liked how some things are changing. But the union is saying, 'We'll do it. We'll do it quicker. We'll move forward.' If you're an old-timer and you don't like the new ways somewhere and you think people should have fought to keep what used to be, maybe you shouldn't be there. Maybe I shouldn't say that about them, but you always have to adapt in life."
Goddard is the model of what Sastry wants from an autoworker: someone inquisitive, studious, and able to see that his or her professional future hinges on lifelong training and flexibility. All that sounds good to Goddard, so long as professors and GM executives understand that, if it is a genuine partnership that everybody really wants, management could do its part by demonstrating a new interest in the hands-on insights that experienced workers can provide from the factory floor.
"Listening to each other was always something of a problem -- they didn't want to hear us, and so you didn't even want to try after a while," Goddard says, alluding to old tensions in the workplace between union workers and GM salaried managers that both sides agree sometimes hindered efficiency. Nowadays, in the least expected ways, Goddard senses a gentle melting of the frost between the two groups, a change born of the new urgency. Recently, a longtime GM management man surprised him and some other hourly workers by admitting, "Not every decision I make is the right one."
Goddard opened his eyes wide, with mock astonishment. "Write that down," he said sarcastically to a colleague.
The superior smiled. "I mean it," he responded, to which Goddard smiled back, in acknowledgment of a divide crossed. Later, Goddard privately said, "I don't know if I would've expected it from that guy five years ago. It was nice to see. We're all listening more, I think. It's like, we have to get through all this together. We want to be a team. We have to be."
Goddard knows his attitude is not shared by everyone. With the support of some United Auto Workers locals, the transition to a new kind of GM workplace has sometimes brought unwelcome changes, including severe reductions in overtime and the institution of new workplace methodologies that have forced veterans to alter
43 decades-long job habits. Some workers resent the changes, an irritation that baffles Goddard. "It kills me to hear people say, 'That's not the way it used to be done by us where I worked,' " he says. "I want to say to them: Yeah, you're right, that's the way it was done then. You need to roll with it. It's like Darwin said: You adapt or you die. I've always tried to adapt, I guess."
'The Old Days Are Over'
A skilled tradesman represented by UAW Local 160 in Warren, Goddard revolves around routines: get up at 4 a.m. in his Detroit working-class suburb of Allen Park and be ready for a 10-hour shift that begins at 6 a.m. Making about $32 an hour, the top wage for a union autoworker, he has spent most of his career helping to build prototypes and mockups of new GM vehicles, a critical step in designing and honing vehicles before they go into production. "I love doing what I do," he says. "I don't have boats or a [vacation] house. I'm one of those people who likes working, I guess. I've just always been used to it. Keep busy, learn something."
When his father died, he went to work in a pizzeria at age 13, taking home his earnings to his mother. He saw basic life lessons all around him then: Life is hard; misfortune happens; it is foolish to feel completely safe under someone else's seemingly protective arm. Never in the years that followed, as he entered adulthood and the regular workforce, did he really think that a union or corporation could shield him from disaster, particularly a layoff. "That's not life," he says. Not even in the 1980s, when he left his mechanic's position at a Ford auto dealership in favor of gaining the measure of job protection that came with his new union position at a GM factory, did he ever feel the permanent sense of security that other workers basked in.
Revered then for its ability to safeguard jobs and boost wages and benefits, the UAW created a confidence that amounted to an expectation of lifetime security for many workers. "A lot of people had a mindset that if you hired into an auto job then or back in the '70s, that you'd be able to work there until you retired," Goddard recalls. "Their fathers and uncles had done it: worked 30, 35 years and then retired with pensions. So they'd do it, too -- that was the idea. I just never had that illusion. I just didn't think anything was set in stone like some people did."
When the American auto industry began to implode a few years ago, Goddard felt shaken but not betrayed. The lifelong adapter in him, the part always skeptical of the union's ability to protect him, readjusted his expectations of the union and his career.
"I can't blame other people for being upset, but I think there has to be a realism in there somewhere about what's possible for us now," he says. "We all know we can't name our price anymore," he adds, referring to union negotiations with GM management. "Those times are gone -- they're just gone. You have old-timers who have their 30 years [and pension eligibility] and who are angry about the concessions and haven't wanted to give anything up. But we have to survive. There's not a lot you can do about it. You move on."
He has sacrificed like everybody else, he says. For lengthy periods in the past, he worked 66-hour weeks, which meant 26 hours of overtime at time and a half, bringing his annual income to around $100,000. As recently as last year, he worked mostly 58-hour weeks, which translated to 18 hours of overtime weekly. Overtime has ended, with the result that his budget is tighter.
Goddard knows that his position could be considerably worse. He thinks about the union's "tier two" workers, those hired after a 2007 union-management agreement, whose hourly wage of about $14 amounts to about half of what longtime union assembly employees earn. "They start with a foot in the bucket," he says. "And you hope it won't regress from $14. Maybe if we grow at a slower, steadier pace, maybe it will be better for them and everyone else. If GM does better in the next few years, the company should raise wages for them. But until then, we just all have to work with this and keep rolling. We have no choice. The power's just not there to do anything. . . . And you can't kill the goose that lays the golden eggs."
He takes a breath and shrugs. "It was made clear during negotiations with the federal government that if the UAW ever struck again or we didn't agree to changes, then it was over for us. It puts the fear of God in you. The old days are over. What can we do? We can't do anything."
Union Despair
With GM's bankruptcy announcement and the news of 21,000 more job cuts in the company, Goddard feels fortunate to be working.
In the face of such relentlessly bleak reports, executives such as Lutz have received the gratitude of Volt workers with sunny assurances that the vehicle remains, as Lutz puts it, "a GM priority; that the last thing that
44 [GM] would want to do is shut down the Volt." Although Goddard appreciates the thought, he views such confidence as merely an expression of the executives' good intentions, certainly nothing as ironclad as a contractual commitment. It would take the union to secure that kind of commitment, he observes, and the union has won nothing lately, powerless for now, having scaled back its priorities to just one: agree to sacrifices to keep whatever jobs it can.
That lack of leverage, at once a function of GM's miseries and the union's waning clout, plagues UAW locals everywhere. An hour away from Warren, in the hurting Michigan auto town of Flint -- where unemployment is about 20 percent and where tens of thousands of layoffs and buyouts have claimed most of the GM jobs from the 1980s -- members of UAW Local 598 recently attempted to land an agreement that would have included a new overtime provision on behalf of about 2,000 remaining workers at the GM truck assembly plant there.
Local 598 has lost about 1,000 jobs in the past year alone, and the overtime request came amid new contract negotiations between GM and the union local. Many of the assembly line laborers, who work 10-hour shifts, four days a week, had hoped that the final two hours of each shift would be regarded as overtime to be compensated at time and a half -- a relatively modest increase, they argued, that would come to less than an additional $30 per veteran employee a day.
Workers' despair already had been heightened by the announcement of a nine-week plant shutdown, a mandatory idleness stripping them on average of more than one-sixth of their typical annual income. News about additional overtime pay would at least be reason for faint cheer. Lutishia Easley -- a 24-year GM employee who makes about $27 an hour for driving a forklift and transporting factory materials around the Flint plant on a shift that ends at 3:30 a.m. -- recalls Local 598's leadership reporting back to its members about the response from management on the overtime request. "We were told by [a union representative] that a GM official made it clear that not only would there not be the overtime we wanted, but that if we didn't sign the contract in 30 days, our jobs here would be gone," she says.
GM set at least one other condition, as Easley recounts: The workers would receive no cost-of-living adjustment in their wages. "So it was like we came away with even less than what we had," she says. After a wave of anger, Local 598's workers realized they had no leverage to undo what amounted to a dictate. "We were afraid," Easley remembers. "So we ratified the contract overwhelmingly. There were some hardliners dissenting, but they've got their 30 years, or they're close to 30 years and retirement, and we don't. What else could we do?"
Easley's boyfriend, a 62-year-old GM retiree and former union local representative named Dennis Shufelt, carefully listens to her, now and then wincing. He interrupts to note how "damn lucky I was," he says, "that I got out just in time." During a 38-year career spent with no serious concerns about layoffs, he sometimes made more than $100,000 a year, which included his overtime at GM plants.
Shufelt collects an annual GM pension of about $37,000. It is more money, he notes, than what is currently made by the second-tier, $14-an-hour workers. The disparity "sickens me," he says. He is sitting in a sports bar on another night, drinking a beer and watching a basketball game on TV. He jerks his thumb in the direction of a group of young adults. "Fourteen dollars an hour is not middle class for these kids in those jobs - - it's the sin of my generation that we didn't protect a decent wage for them." And then he shrugs, having considered the alternative. "But at least some of them have a job. A lot of people around here would give anything for any kind of job."
The retiree remembers the auto industry's heydays in the 1970s, when about 85,000 GM employees worked in Flint plants alone. Today, fewer than 7,000 GM employees work in the city, and Shufelt stays alert for reports about job possibilities, hoping to pass along tips to the desperate. The tips are few. News last year of the production plans for the Volt triggered hopes for a modest rebound in the town, particularly when GM designated a Flint plant as the site for building the car's small gasoline-combustion engine that will supplement its battery power. "For a while you wondered if the Volt might be able to help us," Shufelt recalls.
But the 300 or so Volt factory jobs coming to Flint is a sparse number when measured against the needs and anguish of the town. As word of Volt jobs has spread around the region, a local union president, Art Reyes, has had to tell laid-off autoworkers that the Volt is outside his bailiwick. He cannot even land an auto job for his out-of-work younger brother Dan, to whom Art has counseled, "Keep your head up, have a plan."
Dan Reyes lost his GM job this spring, after working 16 years for the company as a carpenter. From his start in the business, the younger Reyes had regarded a union job at GM as a guarantee of nothing less than lifetime security, as security is what the company and the UAW had given his grandfather and father. "You got a job there with GM and you were set," Dan Reyes remembers. "From GM, there should be some sense of obligation now, just like there was in the past."
45 In the past, that "obligation" took the form of agreements between the union and management that effectively safeguarded the jobs of thousands of autoworkers in a volatile business climate, whether their labor was needed at a given moment or not. During the mid-1980s, spurred in part by GM's outsourcing of jobs to some of its foreign plants and by its introduction of robotics intended to reduce the number of workers needed on American assembly lines, the Big Three automakers and UAW agreed on the establishment of a program designed to protect large numbers of idled autoworkers from being officially laid off.
Called "jobs bank," it enabled the hourly employees to continue collecting virtually full pay and benefits while they did such things as perform volunteer work in their communities or take college classes.
Some workers did not do this much, sitting in halls each day. Union officials, long mistrustful of the company's cost-cutting efforts, heralded jobs bank as a necessary tool for protecting workers against corporate greed and sudden industry changes. Critics assailed the program as a costly union welfare system that harmed the Big Three's competitive position. National estimates placed the number of jobs bank workers at 5,000 during the '80s and '90s, at a cost of about $100,000 a year per worker, with analysts noting that the program cost GM $400 million to $550 million annually at its high points.
After working about 10 years for Cadillac, Tom Goddard spent about 10 weeks in jobs bank, while he awaited a new job at GM's truck operation in Pontiac, Mich. But other workers did not leave the program for much longer periods. Dan Reyes, who says he found himself in jobs bank by 1997, was in and out of the program several times during the next four years, sometimes spending months away from regular work, using the opportunity to attend college while being paid in full.
Critics charged that the program reflected GM's paternalism and the UAW's sense of entitlement -- that the two institutions unwittingly instilled a sense of dependency around towns like Flint that made programs such as the jobs bank feel like corporate obligations to workers. Even Dennis Shufelt, who ran a local jobs bank and staunchly defends the employee-protecting motives behind both the program and the establishment of strict "lines of demarcation" between different union auto jobs, acknowledges the occasional excesses that resulted from such classifications. "You'd have people sometimes sitting around, but that's the way the program was written and agreed to by both sides," he says.
Early this year, the UAW leadership agreed to walk away from the jobs bank program, after GM said it could not bear its cost and the government made its elimination a condition for any loans to the company.
As GM's image has plummeted, so, too, has the union's, the evidence of which could scarcely have been starker than on a Saturday in late March, eight days after Dan Reyes lost his job. The Reyes brothers attended a golf equipment expo in Michigan's capital city of Lansing. Two lines formed at the entrance, one for the paying public, the other exclusively for UAW members, who were admitted free. It was a familiar perk in a state that for generations has made a habit of institutionalizing its appreciation for union workers and romanticizing their cause. But the reverence has faded. From the paying line, a man called out in the direction of the union workers: "They're lazy and they get their own line, too? Go figure."
Hanging On
For Goddard and others on the Volt team, the Memorial Day weekend brought a respite from work and their preoccupation with GM's woes. But last week, as the corporation filed for bankruptcy reorganization, a collective shudder went through the ranks with news of fresh calamities: Fourteen more GM plants will be closed, seven in Michigan alone. In Flint, a GM engine and transmission plant that employs more than 500 workers will be shutting down late next year.
Amid the despair, union officials tried to provide a measure of comfort by speculating that most of the newly displaced Flint workers will be able to transfer into building gas engines for the Volt and another Chevy vehicle. But the Volt project will not be an employment savior for everyone. Aside from the approximately 300 slots for work on the engine in Flint, and the 1,000 Volt pre-production employees in Warren, jobs will be relatively scant for the time being -- a few hundred spots for workers to put together the lithium-ion battery packs in Michigan, and about an equal number to work in assembly when the approximately 10,000 Volts begin coming off the line.
With its limited production run, the electric vehicle will create or sustain only a couple of thousand jobs or so during the next year, paltry numbers for a company that once commonly employed tens of thousands in a single Flint plant alone.
Meanwhile, Goddard continues devouring his manuals and magazines, looking to stockpile his knowledge,
46 thinking about life beyond GM should catastrophe push him out the door. He would like, ideally, to remain a part of the Volt team -- but he cannot see what is coming, he says. "I've dealt with challenges before," he mutters, standing and slowly walking across a parking lot, his legs and feet hurting at the end of this day. "I'll do anything I need to. I'm ready if this doesn't work out -- I'll be okay."
ix. ROSE MARY GRAHAM, b. Dec 01, 1952, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. ROB DRUMMOND. x. EILEEN ELIZABETH GRAHAM, b. Jul 25, 1954, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. LYLE WILLARD KENDEL, Aug 09, 1975, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; b. Oct 01, 1954, Yorkton, SK, CAN. xi. FRANCIS GRAHAM, b. Nov 19, 1955, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. WILLIAM (BILL) SIMPSON, May 18, 1984, Prince Albert, SK, CAN; b. Mar 30, 1955, Prince Albert, SK, CAN. xii. LOUIS ANTHONY GRAHAM, b. Nov 11, 1956, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. CONNIE WICKHAM, Feb 10, 1990, Soloman Islands; b. Aug 22, 1968, Simbo Island, Soloman Islands.
Notes for CONNIE WICKHAM: Solomon Islands
Connie talked to her Dad by telephone and the family is all okay. He was working in the garden Monday morning when two earthquakes hit. He said he kept at his gardening and a little while later a third quake hit that was so powerful it sent him flying through the air. He said everyone is hiding in the forest higher up in the mountain because there has been a regular series of smaller earthquakes and there has been a lot of talk about another large earthquake coming. Fortunately the island they live on is large and has some good rivers for water supply so they will all be fine when everyone calms down. He said it really put a scare into a lot of people. The people who had the closest call were Connies brother Roy and his family. They live on a small island with no place to get to higher ground with a tsunami coming. Fortunately Roy put his family in a boat and raced for the larger island (Rendova) as soon as he felt the first two earthquakes. They wouldn't have made it if they had waited any longer or if they waited until the big earthquake hit. He made it to shore just in time because soon after the big earthquake all of the water drained out of the harbour and lagoon then the tsunami came. Rendova island is quite large so once they reached there it was easy for them to get up high out of the reach of the waves. Connie's Dad doesn't think anyone was hurt in there area, but he said Roy is still shaking a few days his close call.
It is really hard to fathom all of the water being drained out of the harbour and lagoons in the area, the strength of the earthquake and tsunami is amazing. This is a large harbour that has large logging ships easily cruising in and out of it, I don't know how deep it is but I would guess it is at least 50 feet, so to think all of the water was drained out of it in just a few seconds or minutes is really amazing.
When Connie and I first heard about the earthquake and tsunami we didn't get too concerned because the Solomon Islands covers a lot of area and earthquakes and small tsunami's are fairly common there. When I checked on the internet and saw the location and size of the earthquake I couldn't believe my eyes. Connie's family were quite possibly the closest people to the earthquake and the size of the quake will make it among the largest the world will see this year.
The news from the area around Connie's family is good but it was not so good for the Island Connie grew up on, Simbo. The village Connie grew up in, Tapurai, was completely washed away. I would guess there were about 20 buildings in the village. Connie and I visited there regularly when we still lived in the Solomon's. Connie's grandparents lived there as well as her sister and her family. The family that used to live next door to Connie's sister, was completely wiped out by the tsunami. The mother and father, two children, and one grandchild were are killed. The village is right on a beach facing the ocean so they had no protection from the wave. In another village on Simbo four people were killed during the church service including the United Church bishop for the area.
The town we lived in when we were in the Solomon's was Gizo, which was the town that suffered the greatest physical damage. The office I worked in was close to the beach and was completely destroyed along with most buildings on the waterfront. I received an e-mail from one of my friends there who owned two houses high up on the hill in Gizo, both of them were destroyed by the earthquake. He doesn't sound too disheartened though, he is in a lot better shape than the people who lost everything they own.
Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers. The news for us could have been much worse.
47 27. JOHN WILSON4 GRAHAM (WILLIAM ROBERT3, LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Jun 22, 1922 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN, and died Jan 31, 2004 in Terace Bay, ONT, CAN. He married KAY PUGH, daughter of RYS PUGH.
Children of JOHN GRAHAM and KAY PUGH are: i. SUSAN5 GRAHAM. ii. JUDY GRAHAM. iii. JOHN GRAHAM. iv. CATHY GRAHAM.
28. JAMES RALPH4 GRAHAM (WILLIAM ROBERT3, LUCINDA2 MAXWELL, ROBERT1, MAXWELLA ONTARIO, ONTARIOB) was born Mar 21, 1927 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN, and died 2009. He married MAVIS IRENE WELLMAN Sep 01, 1956 in Moose Jaw, SK, CAN, daughter of FREDERICK WELLMAN and MABEL HALES. She was born Mar 16, 1934 in Grand Prarie, SK, CAN.
Children of JAMES GRAHAM and MAVIS WELLMAN are: i. LARRY RALPH5 GRAHAM, b. Jun 29, 1959, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. JANICE MAUREEN COX, Jul 17, 1982, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN. ii. KAREN TERESE GRAHAM, b. Oct 10, 1962, Moose Jaw, SK, CAN; m. SCOTT SPEARMAN.
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