Notes
Note N40
Index
He was buried in Oakview Cemetery, Royal Oak, Michigan.
Notes
Note N41
Index
As was the case with her siblings, her birth was not registered until many years later; namely March 30, 1926. I have to wonder why?
She died in Hull Quebec on September 7, 1941. The funeral was held at Hulse and Playfair Limited Chapel 315 McLeod St., on September 1941, with the Rev F. S. Milliken presiding and the internment at Beechwood Cemetery. Her last name is spelled "Germain" in the death notice. In the internment record from Beechwood Cemetery, she is shown as living at 3 Sacred Heart Blvd, Apt. 3, Hull, Quebec, at the time of her death.
This is a letter that she wrote to her brother John about their mother, after Elizabeth went to live with her. The letter is addressed to John when he was living in the Devonish Apartments. He was in suite 211. That is interesting because my parents and Kennedy grandparents lived there as well, and I too live there when I was about three years old.
447 Somerset Street West Ottawa March 18, 1937
Dear Jack
You will think I've been a long time answering your letter, but I do not have very much time to write letters. I am on the jump from morning till night, mother needs so much care and we have to watch her constantly. She tries to get out of bed and is so weak she would fall. Of course the disease has affected her mind, and she does not realise that she is sick. It made me so nervous that I could not sleep at night and I'm not very well myself. I cannot stand very much.
I had a carpenter come and fix six bars on the bed and of course she tries to get out over them but is too weak and she just falls back on the bed. We have a nurse at night comes at nine and stays till 9:30 in the morning and I have a woman in the day time to help with the work as I have to feed her with a spoon and it takes one over an hour each meal. There is a lot of work to do. Her clothes are changed every day and that means washing. I look after her myself on Sunday as the woman does not come on Sundays and she has to be practically lifted to sit on the commode chair, she will not use a bedpan.
The doctor gives her medicine that keeps her quiet, as otherwise we could not manager, she forgets everything does not remember what you say one minute but she eats and sleeps well and the doctor told me she may live for some time and she made drop off any time so we cannot give any definite news of her condition, but she is gradually weakening. The doctor calls it intercoursal cerebral trouble with heart and kidney complications.
We had a terrible time getting her here, she was on a cot and a trained nurse came with me and we were in a baggage car. I was completely exhausted and lay down on a bunch of Eaton's catalogs on the floor and fell sound asleep and they rooted me up at 3:30 AM to throw us off at Sharbots Lake, but we had to bring her here they would not take her in a hospital without a special nurse as she is too much care, and I was not able to do the work in St. Mary's in a house that was not modern. So we had to bring her to Ottawa. She has been failing in her mind for the last year and it came on like a stroke, it surely is pathetic to look at her. It would break your heart to see her.
Madia told me that Lester and Vera were not well I'm very sorry to hear that and hope they are better. I'm afraid Vera is trying to do too much, she must not do it.
We are having lots of snow the last few days, we did not have any all winter to speak of.
There's lots of grippe here but the weather is not good it is so changeable. I must leave and hope you are all well
Love Bess
Here is another letter from Maida writte on the even of departure from St. Mary's:
St. Mary's Ont
2 - 5 - 37
Dear Jack
I know you will be looking for a letter, as I know you're anxious to hear about mother's condition.
She has improved a great deal and the doctor says that it is all right for Bess to take her to Ottawa, so Bess is leaving on the 8 o'clock train tonight and will arrive in Ottawa tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. We are taking her on a cot and she will not be moved until she is put in a bed at Bess' home, with the exception of changing trains at Toronto. We have had a trained nurse with her continuously since she took sick and this nurse will accompany Bess to Ottawa so that if she should have a heart attack she can give her adrenaline or brandy - and she can also watch her pulse. Bess is not strong enough to go along with her. Bess will have a woman all the time to do the work and then she will get a practical nurse to stay with her at night. Now, if mother should get worse they can take her to a hospital if necessary. This is such an out-of-the-way place. There is no telephone and the house isn't modern. I've been here for weeks and so has Bess and so we feel that we must get back home again.
Russell hates to see mother go as he will be lonely too. He's been in almost every day since she took sick, but it is better for her to be with one of her own daughters. I am going as far as Toronto tonight with them, as Bess isn't very strong and I want to help her change trains and then I'll go back to Chicago.
Hope you are all well. If you decide to come East hope I'll get to see you - no doubt I will.
We have had a grand winter here very little snow and so far it hasn't been very cold.
So you'll no doubt want to write Bess from now on to find out how mother is.
I told mother I was going to write you and she said to tell you she is she was feeling better.
Must run along now as I've a lot of work to do before we leave tonight.
Love to you all -Madia