“My parents came to Canada from England in 1913 and homesteaded in Saskatchewan. With the exception of one sister, we were all born on a farm on Foam Lake. That is, myself, one sister and three brothers,” says Elsie Reynolds, resident of Heritage Place.
“I did all my schooling at a country school up to Gr. 10, which was the highest you could get in those days. I remember that to get to school from our farm house, we had to walk or ride a horse, or use a toboggan, or a cart to get to school during the winter months”, she recalls.
In 1941, Elsie, 19, married Carl Reynolds.
“I left my parents’ farm the day I got married. We moved around the province several times and experienced various types of jobs, including a creamery and grain elevators. After the war, in 1950, Carl’s three brothers had moved to Port Alberni. We followed them in 1956. One of them, Garnet, came to this town with his wife Mildred, who is now a resident of Abbeyfield. In Carl’s family there were nine boys and a girl.”
Once in Port Alberni, Carl worked in the construction of the local pulp mill, and then, his cousin, who worked for BC Power, involved him in working for the company on Elsie Lake.
Elsie and Carl, who were married for 47 years and had four children, had lived on 10th Avenue since their arrival in Port Alberni.
“We did lots of improvements in that house, which was originally a cottage, including raising it”, she says.
“Carl grew vegetables and I looked after the flowers—he also helped me with that too!”
He worked at the Woodward’s warehouse for 23 years until his retirement. He passed away in September 1988. After Carl’s passing, Elsie continued living in her house on 10th Ave. until she moved to Heritage Place five years ago.
“I began walking with friends and continued volunteering at my church, which included knitting for bazaar and other fund raising activities,” she says. It is important to note that, for years, Elsie was also actively involved in the “Happy Times Tea”, a popular program among seniors in the Valley, held several times a year at the United Church.
“I enjoy my life in Heritage Place—especially my suite, which has been the same since I moved in—and I feel lucky and happy to live here. And, by the way, at 94, I have become the most senior tenant here!
“I have made several new friends since I became a tenant and that allows me to socialize with the rest of them living here, because most of us take part in the programs that Deb puts on for us, from musical events to a variety of other entertaining programs. Deb does a good job!”
Orlando Delano writes the Valley Seniors feature.
