Another year has nearly passed and at this time I would like to use this space and take the opportunity to recap the names and a bit of information of the many interesting subjects of my column throughout this past year. I will start part one of this two part series in memoriam of those that I know about that have passed away in the past 12 months and also those who were born in or before 1925:
- Helen (Styles) Moffat, matriarch of the Moffat family and wife of former Mayor Harold Moffat and 75 year member of Nechako Chapter #40 Order of the Eastern Star passed away just eight days before her 98th birthday.
- Lillian Tressia Brown (97) was a life member of the Scarlet O'Hatters Red Hat group and friend to all the dancers at the Legion, the Thursday night Old Time Fiddler's Jam session regulars and the Senior Centre's dance community.
- Betty MacAulay (97) a war bride who resided at Alward Place; Betty was looking forward to her 100th birthday.
- Beth Crewson passed away at the age of 91. She was a proud member of the White Eagles Lodge, the Senior Citizens Activity Centre and an avid supporter of the Old Time Fiddlers.
- Bill Shatford (93) was married to Joyce for 71 years and they raised eight children. Bill was a Toronto Blue Jays fan, a World War II Veteran, he loved to sing and he liked telling others about his love for the Lord.
- Carl Benson (87) of Swedish decent was born in 1928 in a log cabin in Bend, B.C., which is just across the Fraser River from Dome Creek. He was a lifetime regional pioneer in the Prince George area and a 60 year member and Past Exalted Ruler of the Elks Lodge 122.
- Marvin Wilson (81) was born in Bancroft, Ontario in 1934; he was 16 years old when his uncle invited him to come out to British Columbia to work for him in the sawmill. He arrived at Merch Lake near Nukko Lake approximately 25 km northwest of Prince George in September of 1950 and spent the rest of his life in the area around Prince George.
- War Veteran Eric Benwell (91) was married to Christina for 65 years. He was born and raised in Cambellton, NB and moved to BC in 1952 where he spent 30 years working with the Liquor Control Board. He was nominated for the Prince George Citizen of the Year Award for his community involvement and his dedication to seniors.
"How very softly you tiptoed into our world, almost silently, only a moment you stayed. But what an imprint your footsteps have left upon our hearts." — Dorothy Ferguson
Ninety years old and counting
Finally here is a short recap of the people that I wrote about in 2015 that are now 90 years old or older. Next week I will write about those under 90 years of age in part two of this column:
- War brides Iris West (96) and Kay Bond (94) both arrived in Canada at totally different times at Pier 51 in Halifax, Nova Scotia as War Brides. They boarded trains and headed out West to meet up with their respective husbands and their families. The years went by and 50 years ago Kay and Iris happened to meet one another here in Prince George at a War Brides luncheon; they are still friends to this day.
- Kay (Catherine Crowe) Bond was born in Ireland in the year of 1921 and Iris (Haines) Milne-West was born in England in 1919.
- Ida (Buchi-Humphrey) Nikkel was born in Prince George in 1925, the daughter of indentured farm labor immigrants from Switzerland Gustav and Caroline Buchi. She grew up on acreage in the Fraser Flats area along with siblings Fred, Ivor, Alice, and Leona. They all attended a one-room, wood heated school with no running water and an outhouse.
- Martha (Tuningley) Cook age 93 and lovingly known as the "Rag Lady" was still doing volunteer work at the age of 92 at the hospital thrift shop.
- Eva (Ruest) St. Pierre was born in St. Anaclet, Quebec in the year of 1919; just a mere six weeks before Pierre Elliott Trudeau was born in Montreal, Quebec on October 18, 1919. Eva grew up, and was educated in Quebec speaking only her native language of French. Eva is looking forward to her 100th birthday.
- Jose Fernandes Ferreira was born in 1919 in Portugal and was a blacksmith by trade. He now lives happily at the Two Rivers Seniors Lodge.
- Bill Hoksbergen was born in 1924 in Amersfoort, Holland. His brother called him hobo Bill because he worked for the railroad. He worked for CN Rail for 40 years as a car repairman.
- Connie (Lomas) Buchanan of English decent was born in New Westminster in 1924 and hopes to live to be 100. A retired school teacher she belongs to two senior centers and is active with carpet bowling and floor curling.
- Dutch Immigrant Teddy (Tettje Buisman) Van Stolk born in Rotterdam, Holland in the Netherlands in 1920 was a former enlisted officer in the Royal Netherlands Navy. She arrived in Canada in 1953.
- Wilf Howlett, the eldest of 12 children, was born in 1919 in Mossbank, Saskatchewan: he joined the Canadian Armed Forces when he was 21. Wilf came to Prince George in 1943 and worked for the city for 32 years as a shop foreman.
- Armand Denicola, born in 1922, and Doreen Denicola.
To be continued next week.
