Hello Members and Friends,
It was another busy month for your Society. Bob McTavish and I attended our last Market on Market on August 14th. Bob and Bev were off to Manitoba for a few weeks so I made a decision to make that our last Saturday for this year. I’m looking forward to Christmas Craft Fairs if Covid-19 permits. I didn’t total our receipts from this venture but I do know we sold quite a few Reports, renewed memberships, signed up new members and talked a lot.
On Wednesday, August 11th a fencing crew consisting of Mel Carroll, Ken Fehr, Dick Jones and Bob McTavish travelled up to Jewel Lake and they completed our fencing needs on the right hand side of our cabin. We couldn’t locate the property markers which was strange as they were painted red and Mel had tied ribbons around them. Mel carries a really long tape measure with him so the solution was to measure from the front property markers (which were in place) back 100 feet and then across the back of the lots. We used fence posts from Jewel Creek Antiques, existing rails and rails that Ken and Wendy had brought up for us. Ken put the hinge on the oven door and I did a little floor cleaning and polishing getting the cabin ready for our Picnic.
Sunday, August 15th saw our first Picnic in a couple of years and what better location than Gladys’ cabin at Jewel Lake. Bob McTavish was a huge help – between us we got a power cord into the cabin and coffee on the go on the stove. Thanks to Ken Fehr and the Ham Radio Club for lending us their percolator. Bob and I set up his canopy and a table and I put Mel and Joan Carroll – our first arrivals – to work helping me get lemonade, watermelon and goodies out for our guests. Cher Wyers, our Vice-President, gave a wonderful dedication speech honouring Gladys Floyd and her gift of the cabin. I’ve attached her speech so you can read it and you can hear it in its totality on our webpage at boundaryhistory.com thanks to Les Johnson who videoed the proceedings and the cabin. Thanks, Les. Signed up some new members, renewed some memberships and sold copies of Report #18. You may have seen the write up in the Boundary Creek Times or the Grand Forks Gazette thanks to member, Della Mallette. It was so
nice to meet many of Gladys’ neighbours at Jewel Lake and we also met our new neighbour in the lot next to us – to the left of the cabin. Bob Boyo dropped by and introduced himself. He had some questions about fencing – I told him we wouldn’t be doing any more fencing this year. We exchanged contact information – he’ll help keep an eye on our cabin.
I drove up to Phoenix Cemetery on Wednesday this week to prepare the site for Hazel Mary Clayton’s memorial plaque. I had been thinking we might be able to get into the cemeteries to do a clean up after that lovely rain we received but digging down for the post holes convinced me it was still way too dry. The dirt was just like fine powder – dry as dry can be. I trimmed a bit and when I got back to Grand Forks, I picked up some foam for holding the legs in position – I wasn’t sure that dirt would hold at all. Jo Ann Sergeant, our Treasurer, and Irene Perepolkin, Director, drove up with me on the 26th. Members of the Clayton family from Merritt, Bob and Cindy, had arrived and soon enough Rick and Sharon Santing and Sharon’s mother, Jacqueline, drove in. Jacqueline had flown in from a visit to Whitehorse and Rick and Sharon are new arrivals to Nelson from Ontario. Rick and Bob helped me with the foam and while we waited for it to firm up, Sharon shared pictures and memories with us and we treated ourselves to cookies and lemonade I had taken up. Matt and Kate Clayton’s baby daughter, Hazel Mary, was born on October 4, 1905 in Phoenix and died of pneumonia on September 21 1906. A tragedy for a young family. So wonderful that Hazel’s family wishes to remember her with a memorial plaque. I’ve attached Sharon’s warm words for you to read, also.
Today I had Jan Hammerlindl drop by. Her great-grandparents settled in the North Fork area in the early 1900’s in the house that Carl Stone came to own. Her family’s name was Thompson – she is a genealogist and has said she’ll write us a story. She emailed us offering a donation of her grandparent’s Canada West magazines. I emailed Joan and she was as inclined as I to accept the donation. Plans are not firmed as to what we’ll do with them. I’m going to take them to our next meeting on September 18th at City Park. This will be our final meeting at the Park for this year. Joan is checking into meeting locations and I am checking on a location for our AGM – Sunday, October 17th. I’ll be sending out notices.
Historically yours,
Doreen Sorensen
Secretary
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