April 21, 2008.Harper, Texas. Grandmother

My grandmother on my Fathers side died before I was born. My Father spoke very highly of her. Her name was Alice Swallow, and married Harry Buckley in 1895 or so. They had four children, Lillian, Norman (my Father),Stanley and Nellie. Nellie died at age 6. My sister Carol said she died from diphtheria but I always thought she died in a fire. Alice Swallow could not have had an easy life. Harry was in the British Military, then he became the owner of a shoe repair shop. I have a picture of the two of them in front of his shop in Victoria. They moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1914. Or rather, Harry came to Calgary to get settled and the rest of the family followed. Harry had a life long problem with alcohol, and at a time when the women did not work, the ability of the husband to provide for the family was a major problem. My Mother also spoke very kindly of Mother Buckley. She was a gracious loving lady. The influence on my life of my Grandmother Buckley was obviously limited, except in one respect. My Father drilled into our brains the requirement to always be able, as women, to make our own living. This was not a casual comment to Carol and me. It was often told by story and tales from his job with the Salvation Army, as well as tales from his own family. There were family friends in Calgary who were still able to tell me about my Grandmother Buckley. But no longer. Many folks who knew her and also knew me said I am similar to her. The two qualities they said about her was that she could get along with everyone and she did not get excited about troubles. I am sure she had a lot to be troubled about, but I am grateful for the qualities she bequethed to me, if they are true. I have a few pieces of her good china, where I proudly display them in the china cabinet in Nova Scotia.

I think my Father was very influened by his Mother. They were from Yorkshire, in England, and other than Alice, the Buckley Family was a rough and tumble lot. But I do not know anything else about them, except I know Alice died from an anuerism, after they moved to Victoria, soon after the picture. The other influence on my Father was the alcohol. Dad was a lifelong teetololer. Perhaps he would have had less heart disease if he had taken a glass of red wine every night. The Salvation Army does not allow any alcohol, which is perhaps one reason he became an Officer.

I am reading the Lincoln book, and, my goodness, the people who died in childbirth, and infections and T.B. Thank heavens for the modern world of medicine. Ken and I, if we lived in the 19th Century would be dead by now. And we are soon going to celebrate out 50th. We are so fortunate.