Hope and Survival Quilt and Scroll of Remembrance – Halifax Explosion

It’s December 2017 and the week of the 100th Anniversary of the Halifax Explosion.  I’m at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Hope And Survival Quilt by Laurie Swim

The Hope and Survival Quilt surrounded by its Scroll of Remembrance fill the room that I’ve just entered.  A tear rolls down my check. Names of family members that I’ve been researching and writing about are on the wall being memorialized through the scroll and what they lived through is in front of me in the form of a quilt. Thanks to artist Laurie Swim for creating this and her host of volunteers.

The quilt is a creatively stitched painting on a canvas of turbulent indigo blue and black clouds.
Life flies through the air in the form of a girl with her arms outstretched.  Her hat and boot, having been blown off, are flying with her.  Her pose resembles that of superman as she flies to a safe place where she survives.

As though miles below her, in the upper left hand corner a tiny map of the devastated area appears with sparkly red threads spurting out.

The framed scenes around her add to the narrative as a ship explodes, help arrives, and survivors appear, some with eyes shut having lost their sight.  Within the clouds lie finer details, like a canoe and the silhouettes of people in various heights and sizes appear to rise from the ashes.

Surrounding this masterpiece is the Scroll of Remembrance.  The magnitude of the loss is felt with height and depth of the scroll that surrounds the quilt.  One thousand nine hundred and forty six lives are remembered and represented on the 172 panels that make up the scroll. 

Scroll of Remembrance - Laurie Swim

Hundreds of volunteers took panels and embroidered names in beaded Braille and English.

Gratitude overwhelms me as I search for and find:

Annie Landry (23) and Clarence Landry (18 months) 
(Annie and Clarence - my great Uncle Dan Landry’s pregnant wife and son.)




Joseph Burke (54)
(Joseph - Pauline Bouchard Landry’s husband and father of five.  Joseph was working as a stevedore*. Pauline is my great Uncle Dan and my paternal Grandfather Joe’s mother - Charlotte Bouchard Landry's sister.)

The scroll of Remembrance touched me.
Do you know someone who is listed on the scroll?  I'd love to here how you're connected?



Note:
*A stevedore is "one who works at or is responsible for loading and unloading ships in port" according to www.merriam-webster.com

For more about Laurie Swim's work go to www.laurieswim.com

Halifax Explosion Remembrance Book - Search for Names

Stowaway Soldier (Remembrance Day)

Brave, adventurous, and quite the risk taker are terms that describe my great Uncle Leo Landry.

I'm thrilled to be sharing this short war story which almost was missed because of his rank. His service record lists him as Private Leo Landry. He originally was given a title when he entered the service that in today's world means something quite different.

Uncle Leo was born on December 15, 1896 in River Bourgeois, Cape Breton to Seraphin (Michael) Landry and Charlotte Bouchard.  My paternal grandfather Joseph is Leo’s older brother.

In 1911, the Landry family moved from River Bourgeois to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Over the next three years Canadian’s witnessed a rapid military buildup with the approach of WWI.  Halifax and its harbor were no exception.

In 1915, almost a year after the start of WWI,  military personnel and equipment were moving in and out of Halifax. The harbor and train depots were buzzing with activity. Unable to resist its draw, eighteen year old Leo joined the Canadian Permanent Army Service Corps.  He became Dr Leo Landry.

My first impression was that “Dr” stands for doctor.  During this time in history the CPASC rank “Dr” stood for Driver.  There’s a good possibility that Leo drove a team of horses that pulled canons and/or wagons with other military supplies.

From Naval Warfare

On August 17, 1915 the SS Caledonia, a British passenger ship that had been converted for use in the war, was docked in Halifax Harbor. Aboard were members of the Royal Canadian Regiment who had returned from Bermuda. In about a week’s time, most would be back on board and heading for Europe. Since not all the men re-upped, there were some openings. Unfortunately there weren’t enough spots for all who wanted to go and fight.

Leo, two of his fellow CPASC service personnel, and four other service men were among those not allowed to board. On August 25, sometime before the SS Caledonia departed for England, all seven military men would sneak onto the ship and hide. 

Once far enough out to sea these stow-a-way soldiers surrendered. They all faced rations and disciplinary action and would become part of the Royal Canadian Regiment.   My uncle was given the rank Private (Pte) Leo Landry.

I’m saddened to say that my young Uncle Leo lost his life in the Battle of Ypres on June 4, 1916.

On this Remembrance Day (Canada) and Veteran’s Day (US) –
Thank you, to all military personnel for your sacrifice and service.
May we never forget.

Note: 

Thank you:
Cousin Linda Landry Horne for your research assistance which made this blog possible.
Laurie Gildart for proofreading and editing assistance.
Captain Michael M. O' Leary for writing, "Surrendered as Stowaways"

Do You Know What A Photo Negative Is?

Do you know what a photo negative is?
How about younger children in your family?

Note: Due to cable/internet outage this blog is incomplete. Will share the rest of the story when connection is restored. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Update:  After the storm, this blog has not come together the way I'd hoped.  When it does, I will post it.

My Writing Space

Cal Shook - Gilford, NH

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.”  ― Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods

Our new home in Gilford, NH is set on a hill and surrounded by trees.  Though not completely isolated, it has the feeling of being off on its own. A perfect setting for writing.

For my writing space, I've chosen a room slightly smaller than Thoreau's cabin on Walden Pond. 

A small desk with a chair is located in one corner, an end table in the other, with a lamp on each. Next to the end table is a futon lounger.

Whether at the desk using my laptop or lounging back with pad and pen, it is quiet and the space feels comfortable. My mind is free of distractions as my brain stretches to put my passion, bringing the Landry/Bouchard family to life, onto the page. 

My new life, like my writing space, is less cluttered.  I'm writing daily, and with mentor Sylvia Clark providing editorial feedback I'm making revisions. 

Could Use Your Help

If you're related to or know the Landry/Bouchard family, I'd appreciate it if you'd share a story and/or a photo that could be added to this narrative.  To contribute check out last month's blog, The Landry/Bouchard Family of River Bourgeois, Cape Breton.

Feeling More at Home

Sometimes, not long after you've moved, it is helpful to go out exploring with a new friend and tour guide. (with Joyce Keyser)

We saw:

Beautiful landscape 

went down dirt roads

saw sheep in a field

and up close

A place to walk 

and have fun.

with a tree house,

and a place to cook

then relax.

This day out has ended...

feeling more at home.

Two places worth checking out:  

Shepherd's Hut Market

Prescott Farm Natural Playscape

Moving and Writing Update

Photo by Cal Shook

Our official moving day is in four days.  There are boxes everywhere and I long to have my daily writing routine back and have no idea how long it will take to get settled into our new location.

My husband Jim & I have been in York, Maine for ten years and it is hard to leave family and friends. We mourn the life we've had, yet see new possibilities that lie ahead. As we prepare to relocate to Gilford, New Hampshire I envision the chance of a "Walden" like experience.  To make this so, I plan on taking a sabbatical for a year to complete the memoir I'm writing about my grandfather's family.

Please forgive the shortness of this post as it's been a long week of packing and purging.

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Garage Sale - June 2 & 3 - to help with publishing costs.

This Friday and Saturday, June 2 and 3 we're having a Garage Sale from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Sheru Lane at the corner of Scott Ave in York, Maine.

Items include: Games, Electronics, Books, Kitchen items and more.

It can take between $1500 and $5000 to self-publish a book.

Jim and I are downsizing. With friends and family joining us, there's a wide variety of items. Our portion of the sale will help us save for publishing costs.

If you're looking for a bargain, come and join us rain or shine.

Do you know the Gibson’s of Cape Breton?

River Bourgeois, Cape Breton by Cal Shook

While in this time of transition, as my husband and I are getting ready to move, I’ll be seeking answers to some questions that continue to surface as I write a memoir on my great grandfather Michael Landry’s family.

At the time of the Halifax Explosion the Landry family owned and occupied 38 Union Street in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were not alone; the Gibson’s of Cape Breton were living there also. Do you know the Gibson’s of Cape Breton?

Joseph Gibson and his wife Alice, plus their two daughters, Mary and Vernetta, moved in shortly before December 6, 1917.  They rented three rooms: a kitchen, sitting room, and bedroom.  They were making payments on a piano and owned a violin and accordion.

At the time of the explosion, Joseph was around 28 and Alice 23. Daughter Mary may have been around 3 years old and Vernetta possibly less than a year. Not long after the explosion, Alice and the girls went to live with her parents, Andrew and Mary (Thibeau) Robertson, in River Bourgeois, Cape Breton.  One of the girls “had been badly cut about the head,” said mother Alice in a statement to the Halifax Relief Committee, on January 1st, 1918.   Joseph did carpentry work in Halifax for a little while then joined them.

Alice Gibson’s parents were Andrew and Mary (Thibeau) Robertson.  Joseph Gibson’s parents were Thomas and Marie Anne (Thibeau) Gibson. Joseph died around 1968 and Alice around 1926, in St. Peters, Cape Breton

Any pictures or information about this family before, during, and after the explosion and how you acquired them would be welcomed.

Note:  Special thanks go out to cousin Linda Landry Horne for the many hours spent at the Nova Scotia Archives doing research and to Kristin Josselyn Morin for genealogy assistance.

Caught Between Two Worlds

Photo by Cal Shook

Maybe you’ve been caught between two worlds – it’s that time when you are preparing to leave the life you’ve known to head to another place.

For my husband and I, the familiar routines are gone as belongings are wrapped and placed in boxes. We are torn between the life we’ve known for the past ten years and the new life that we’re heading to.  As our journey continues, we grieve the loss of  being close to family and friends in and around coastal Maine.  Uneasiness surfaces as we contemplate the unfamiliar.  It’s followed by a muffled sense of wonder, yearning to break free, as we look at the variety of possible adventures in the foothills surrounding Lake Winnipesaukee.

Photo by Cal Shook

During this somewhat disorienting time, I want you all to know that the Landry Family memoir is making its way onto the page with the goal of a more authentic and coherent work.  In the life that awaits I plan to take a sabbatical of sorts before taking on new commitments.  I’m determined to leave this legacy for my great Aunt Anna Bella who put the narrative in motion and for the many family members who’ve added to it.  Family and friends have contributed key information, through research and detective style strategies that has helped me fill in information to add to its authenticity.

 In the months to come, I’ll post some brief updates and let you in on new family insights and strategies.  Thank you all for your support and prayers.

Finding Serenity

Stump Pass - Cal Shook

Have you hit that point where you feel like you are working as hard as you can to get things done, but are getting nowhere?

Maybe finding serenity will help.

What is serenity? It’s a feeling of calm and tranquility.

When I think of a state of tranquility, I think of how it feels to have an infant’s limp sleeping body cradled in my arms.

How do we find serenity?

My husband Jim’s and my search for serenity and renewal came this past month. An opportunity to head for warmer climate presented itself and we made the decision to leave our busy schedules and go for it. We're glad we did.

Home and feeling renewed, the following thoughts about the experience have reminded me of ways I can continually find and keep serenity and hopefully encourage you to do the same.

Get Away

It’s twenty degrees as we load up the car with our carry on luggage .  Twenty minutes later we're heading into the terminal at Pease Airport and through security.

After three hours in the air we touch down in Englewood, Florida.  As we exit the plane and head down the stairs, the sun hits my face and warmth floods my soul. It''s sixty degrees but it feels much warmer.
With a rented car and a short drive we reach our vacation destination.

Step Out of the Ordinary  

Our vacation accommodation is half of a one story duplex that has the look and feel of a welcoming cottage with light colored walls and a wrap around screened in porch. As we open up the doors and windows, it feels light and airy.

Other than what we’ve brought, everything is new to us:  from what we cook with to what we sleep on. Though this feels a little disorienting at first, it turns into an adventure as we discover what's been left for us to use.

Lemon Bay - Cal Shook

Find Sanctuary

A short walk from where we are staying is a wildlife refuge - Stump Pass Beach State Park. We check it out.  Its soft sandy paths run along Lemon Bay and wind around to the Gulf Coast.  Bark-less light colored hard woods reach toward the sky in reverent fashion.  Archways that provide shade beckon us to pass through to see what’s new on the other side. Wildlife come and go, continually changing the landscape.

The finale of the day, a picturesque sunset.

Many more memories would be made along these paths throughout our time on Manasota Key as well as other scenic walks in the area.

Keep it With You

Gulf Coast Sunset - Cal Shook

We felt rested and revived. When it came time to leave, packing up our belongings was hard.  I decided that I'd pack up the memories and keep them with me - to use as needed.

Getting away separated us from the business of everyday life; giving us an chance to gain new perspective.

Stepping Out of the Ordinary and doing something different provided an escape from the monotony our daily routine and freed us up to savor something new.

Finding Sanctuary in a wildlife refuge and other walks along the ocean and ponds brought us peace and relaxation.

By the end of the trip my restfulness and ability to sleep matched that of a sleeping infant.

In small ways, I can do one or all three of the above to foster serenity.

How about you?  What helps you during times of stress?

What if...Imagine a World...

It's been hard to focus on writing a family memoir with all that is happening in the United States right now.   My heart grieves.  In working through this grief, the following words made their way to the page - bringing comfort in the knowledge that there is hope.

What If...

What if...
    fear keeps us from thinking clearly and making wise decisions?

What if...
    an "us" versus "them" attitude, if allowed to fester, would lead to our destruction?

What if...
    each of us were to take responsibility for our own actions instead of blaming and punishing others?

What if...
    the perceptions we've given our creator God aren't limited to our personal and corporate beliefs?

Imagine...

Imagine a world where...
   "Perfect Love" has the ability to take away our fear if we let it.

Imagine a world where...
    we value others not like us, by spending time with and listening to their stories; discovering our common humanity.

Imagine a world where...
    each of us takes responsibility for our actions - apologizing and making amends when we've caused another harm.

Imagine a world where...
   each of us knows how it feels to be valued, nurtured and comforted by the presence of our creator "God" - author of "Perfect Love".

Imagine a world where...
   there is Peace.

Note:  With the conclusion of this blog and a brighter outlook, the memoir writing continues.