This is a picture of my grandmother, Vinetta Tremaine Butchart Bellamy (left) and her aunt, Laura Moyer Carr (right).So often, I connect with family by finding an obituary or memoir when it is too late to know the person who has died. Such was the case yesterday when I found a wonderful website while searching for Mary V Carr of Medicine Hat, Alberta. Mary was 98 when she died in October 2006.
I have many letters written by Mary to my parents from 1982 until a Christmas letter in 1999 which ends with the following sentence: "I hope that the millennium will bring you joy and prosperity in the year 2000."
Mary and her brother, John, were my grandmother's cousins. Their mother and Granny's mother were both the daughters of Aaron Moyer and Veronica Bowman. My grandmother, Vinetta Tremaine Butchart, was the daughter of Maria Moyer and Edward Neil Butchart; Mary and John Carr were the children of Laura Moyer and Frederick Carr. Maria and Laura were part of a large family of twelve children.
Many thanks to the Carr family for creating a memorial website for Mary Veronica Carr and John Lawrence Carr, especially the webmaster, Doug Carr. I have spent hours reading the memoirs and tributes for these interesting people.
A letter from Mary Carr to Ruth Davies dated Nov. 26/82
ReplyDeleteDear Ruth & Bert,
I received your letter this afternoon with all its sad news. Your Mother was ready to leave this world, I'm sure. Mother was 95 when she died and she often said that she was ready and she had a peaceful ending, too. I loved your Mother and had many happy times with her. She was 10 years younger than Mother and 19 years older than I. Her children, especially Vivian, were nearer my age, but years made no difference to the pleasure we had in visiting together.
No one told me that Vivian had died. I missed her letter last Christmas, but I'd had one from Arthur in 1980 and wondered whether she was ill. She was a darling, and you and her family must miss her. I'm sorry about Ona, too. Bill will be so lonely.
As a matter of fact, we saw about Elwood's death after Christmas in the Alberta Report. Did he go suddenly? It seems strange that all of your Mother's family are gone. I have such vivid memories of the whole family and cannot believe that memories are all that remain.
In April this year my doctor brother, Stephen, died after a long and exhausting illness. He retired in July 1981 at the age of 70, and only then did he tell us of his heart and lung condition with its fatal ending. We were prepared but miss him so much. His widow is doing well, his sons all grown and away, but we're not yet used to him being gone.
I'm glad you and Bert are enjoying retirement. I love it but I've never been so busy. The difference is that I'm busy on my own time. Isn't that right?
I'll be going to my brother John's home for Christmas. I've always gone to them in Calgary since Mother died. Their family - two sons and a daughter-in-law - will be home, too, so we have a lively time. I expect you have your family around you and that probably includes grandchildren. I became a great-great-aunt this year, and my oldest nephew is a grandfather! How time marches on.
Maybe you will travel my way in your motorhome some day soon. I would love to have you visit me. Is Margaret still in Edmonton? I visit my niece at Ft. Saskatchewan occasionally and would give her a ring if I knew where she lived. I saw Vivian Dougan in July at my niece's wedding. Her family is pretty well grown up.
I will drop a note to Vivian's husband. I hope he's at the same address.
It would be nice to have a chat instead of just a letter, Just know that you have my warmest sympathy.
Love, Mary