July 7, 2024

Hello Members and Friends,

I feel like I am still in recovery mode from my trip to Ontario for my granddaughter’s grade 12 graduation. Got caught up in the WestJet strike but I was one of the lucky people who were able to book a flight on Air Canada. I realize that I am too old to stay up over 24 hours, but I made it home safe and sound and only a few hours later than I expected.

Read the sad news that our Life member, Laura Lodder (nee D’Andrea) has passed on. Laura was a mainstay in the Boundary Historical Society for many years. Her stories of living on Brown Creek and attending the Brown Creek School bring a smile to my face. She was a friend to so many and Laura was always looking out for the welfare of our community. Laura was a stalwart supporter of the Boundary Museum, and she was very active in the Grand Forks Fall Fair for years. Laura was the editor for our BHS Report #17. It was a work of love for her. She was pleased as punch to have a reading at our Grand Forks Public Library and here she is with Gladys Floyd after her reading. Laura kept in constant touch with members and friends – in this picture she is shown with Betty Talarico and Dorothy Zoellner. Dorothy was Laura’s teacher and the first secretary for the Boundary Historical Society.

Laura was honoured with Life membership in our Boundary Historical Society at our 2018 AGM. Our President, Joan Heart, presented Laura with her “diploma.”  Laura regularly attended our meetings and served on our Board for years.

Laura will be very much missed. Her memorial is scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday, July 13 at the Gospel Chapel. I am sure a great many of our members will attend.

We will be at Founders’ Days in Greenwood on Saturday, July 13 and on Sunday, July 14. Stop by and say hi if you are attending. We were hoping to have one of Al Donnelly’s books reprinted and for sale but there is a lot more work involved than Les and I were counting on. This week we will be re-proofing and, hopefully, it can go to press in the next week or so. Les has done an excellent job on the pictures. We discovered that Al’s reprints were different than his first printing, so we have stuck to his reprint and just improved the pictures a little.

Just a quick reminder about our Annual Picnic and celebration of life for Al on August 10th – 11 – 2 at our Jewel Creek cabin. We will have wieners on the grill and all the fixings but, of course, you are welcome to bring a bag lunch if that is what you prefer,  Coffee, lemonade and goodies will be set out as usual.

Speaking of Glady’s cabin, big thanks to Ken Fehr for mowing the grass again. The resort has removed the extra railings. I will have to check this week and see if we need to mow again right away. Here is a picture Ken sent us. All the rain this year has kept the grass green and lush.

We will have a special newsletter in August. Yoko Nishi has arranged for a reunion for the WWII Japanese Internees who were interned in Grand Forks, and she is sending us pictures and information.

There will be an ad in the Gazette re our Annual Picnic and memorial for Al Donnelly closer to the date.

Yours in history,

Doreen Sorensen

Secretary