Emotional landscape

I was reading about this in a book recently - the fact that you can never really go home again. You can remember places and places and even other times as they were.

All is changed and the familiar is gone.

Pictures help us to remember.

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320 Princess Street Lachute is gone from my life.

Wal Ken Farms is gone from my life.

Trafalgar School has not gone but the boarding school is no more.

St. Simeon’s Anglican Church in Lachute is still there.

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Going farther back - where my parents grew up is much changed. The house where my dad grew up is still there. My mom went back to Trois-Rivières and saw the house where she was born.

When I figured it out my mom lived longer in Lachute than my dad did - almost 60 years. My dad from the age of 7 until the age of 57 when he died. - so only 50 years.

There was an interesting picture in the Lachute newspaper of a school class from the Lachute Academy which my dad attended. Someone was able to name almost everyone and a lot of them were still living in the area.
　

St. James' Anglican Church in Trois-Rivières, Quebec

“Saint James Anglican Church was originally a chapel erected by French Récollet monks in 1703. The chapel served as court and prison after Britain’s occupation of the city in 1760. Anglicans acquired the church in 1823.”

“This is one of four formal "rectories" in the diocese. They were created by letters patent under rules set out in the Quebec Act. The Archbishop holds the title and office of Rector. St James found at 787 des Ursulines, Trois-Rivières, QC, G9A 5B7 is along with Montreal and Quebec the oldest Anglican parishes in the province.”


From various places on the Web which no longer work - December 20, 2009.

http://www.quebec.anglican.org/Front%20page/Parishes%20congregations/Quebec%20Deanery/Trois%20rivieres.htm

When I was checking this last site I relized that the clergy in charge was our former rector from St. John's in Ottawa. He is now the Executive Archdeacon for the Diocese of Quebec.

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I must admit that the only memory I have of being inside the church was when my grandmother died in 1985.

As it turned out, the family met in the rectory and then we went off to have a short graveside service so there was no actual service in the church.
　
　

Trois-Rivières

St. James' Anglican Church in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.

More to follow about this old institution.

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At church a few weeks ago a friend stood up at the Polychronia where we celebrate and remember important events. She mentioned her mother who had lived in Trois-Rivières.

I had a chat with her at the coffee hour. She remembered all the dates of her mom living there. She herself had been baptized at the Anglican Church - St. James - which my mom attended.

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So I wondered about dates related to the city. Some of them are just estimates. I have some more exact information in the family archives but at the moment I am not inclined to dig it out.

My grandparents were married in Montreal in 1913.

My aunt was born in March 1915. My mom was born in July 1916. Both were born at home.

Ingrid went away to MacDonald College in Montreal to study Household Science (Home Economics) and become a dietician. She left home in 1931.

My mom went away to McGill to study biochemistry in the fall of 1932.

My grandparents continued to live in the city. My dad mentioned it often in his letters written home during the war.

My grandfather died in 1952.

My grandmother moved to Ste. Hyacinthe at some time after that date to be closer to my aunt. I remember staying with my grandmother in her apartment on avenue Després.

　
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My grandmother kept a diary of her last trip to England. In the last pages of the diary she wrote about leaving the apartment and staying with my aunt and uncle as they looked for a seniors residence. She ended up in Montreal at the Griffith McConnell residence where she died at the age of 99.

Funerals and remembering

As I was leaving the service for my neighbour on Saturday, someone asked me - are you going to the cemetery? I said that I was not.

That made me stop and think. I have been to many funerals from my church connections and otherwise. It is very seldom that I have gone to the cemetery. In fact, the only times I have are for close family funerals.

I do remember the trip from Montreal to Trois-Rivières to bury my mom’s mom at the age of 99. There were four of us travelling in the car and it was boiling hot. We had a very simple service at the cemetery for her.

My dad’s sister was in England one time visiting the part of the country that they were from. She found the cemetery where various family members had been buried. Unfortunately the cemetery was not well maintained and she could not find the exact gravestones.

I was at a very churchy and a very nonchurchy funeral.

The first one was for a Bishop of Ottawa who died very suddenly of a heart attack. In fact I was at the conference where he collapsed and I was sitting only a few feet from him. I thought I was early enough for the service but it was hard to find a seat in the Anglican cathedral in Ottawa. I ended up sitting behind a pillar.

The other one was for a riding friend. It was in a small house which was attached to the local funeral parlour. There were pictures of him at various ages, friends and conversation and goodies to eat and drink. There were also candles to light if one wanted to remember him in that way. It was very tastefully done.

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Someone said to me - I do not like to go to funerals. I meditated on that thought for quite a while. I do not like to go to funerals for someone who has died too young - as my neighbour did. However it is a good way to remember folks and to meet up with family and friends who remember them as well.

Remembering does not just have to be for people. My blog started with an obituary for a stuffed animal who was a good friend and includes one for Bishop the horse who I both miss because they were both an important part of my life.