Jack Chisholm, 1920s

Fall City, Wash. 98024

June 30, 1973

Dear Rhea,

I might almost have dated that heading 1873! Aunt Eve has been in a rest home since Christmas day. We go to see her as often as we can but that is sometimes weeks apart. Jeannie goes quite regularly too with her daughter Patty. Aunt Eve's granddaughter and great-granddaughter and then once with the little great-great-granddaughter David Kinberg's first-born.

That was the day after Bruce died. He died June 9th very suddenly. He had been in the hospital four times since March for one thing or another. Eye operated on a couple times and also for heart trouble like he had last summer. I visited him a couple days before and thought he would [come] home in a day or two.

Hazel happened to be in the hospital right then too for an operation. She was put out at first because they would not let her go to the funeral but she got over it and is now doing well at her sister's place in Bellevue. I expect to see her come home to her own place very soon now. She can do everything but lift, so the Dr. says.

I never heard any say they had told you about all this. This is the first letter I have written to anyone about it either. I did call Rod and Bonnie Rose at the time. They are both living pretty far down in California now.

I have talked with Doris quite a bit.

I looked through an old box of Aunt Eve's that had pictures, Xmas cards, letters, photos, etc. mixed up with old deeds, marriage license and Alex discharge from the Mounted Police and naturalization papers etc. I ran across a bundle of old letters mostly stuff that once was Aunt Dill's and letters from Otis and others from Canada. And several from Eve and Lil to Dill and Laura etc.

I find them very, very interesting. I am learning some things about family history I never heard before.

I have been copying some of these old letters on the typewriter to make them easier to read as the old script and faded papers are often hard to decipher. Then I will have them all together in a notebook for all the family to read and keep for I believe them precious. Especially a little notebook with a whole month's diary or journal she calls it, written by Dill when she spent from July 17, 1898 [to] August 18th camping out at Smith's Cove.

That will take quite a bit of typing to copy but it certainly is fun and interesting. She was writing thinking all the time to send it as a letter to the girls back home Eve and Lil. Laura was with her some of the time and Ally came to visit some days.

I told Doris about it. I want to put it in shape so the original can be kept without being spoiled and pass out copy for others to read. Doris says you had a journal like that of the train trip out here but loaned it to Alice and never got it back. I would sure like to see that too if it can be disloged from 'Robin Hill'. I am sure others of the family would enjoy it almost as much [as] I have this writing of Aunt Dill's. The letters back and forth between the sisters were sometimes sharp but were always full of affection for one another too. Sometimes I am wistful when I think how far apart most of our families have been the last years and I never even got acquainted with most of Otis Family and have written only once with Glen who fits like an old shoe.

I would like very much to see him and the others in Canada. Maybe sometime.

We have been fairly well most of the time. Penelope went to college this past winter and Irene and I have stuck to home and I keep working as much as I ever did before starting on Social Security. Social Security Is very meager as much of the time I was not covered and never did have wages high enough to warrant high pension. I never have to look for work though as there is always some waiting to be done.

Right now [am] finishing up a little 'chalet' they call it. A small building out in the woods for some folks to pass their leisure hours in by a creek. It is about half a mile this side of Fall City in the woods back of what used to be the 'Country Inn'.

It seems quite awhile, maybe last year, the last time Aunt Eve or Doris got a letter from you and passed it on to me. I never got around to answering any but sure would like to hear from you and any of the other relatives up that away.

Reading over those old letters from away back when all of our Aunts and cousins were getting ready to leave the nest, just before Aunt Eve and Aunt Dill were married has stirred up many old memories. I find the things 'that might have been' are fading faster than 'the things that used to be'.

That is the way it is with Aunt Eve too but much more so. She still can remember some of the old times in Canada but can not even realize for more than a second or two that Bruce has passed away which in itself is a blessing. She is well cared for in the nursing home she is staying in but about all she does is eat and sleep. Impossible to sew any more and needs help to sit up but still seems healthy though very frail. It finally became much too much for Irene and I to take care of her when it took regular nursing instead of just seeing that she got her meals etc.

Then this past year Bruce was sick so much too. Hazel worked some in the new store until she took sick and went to the hospital. She had gall stones etc. and had her appendix removed at some time back and she seems cheerful and eager to be active as ever.

Well, Rhea this has been a kind of rambling letter but will make no excuses for it and hope you can write back soon too. I am going back to my research - Oh Oh I just picked up one of those letters I hadn't seen before and Mother spilled the ink again and was mad because Eve and Ally came in and sat down on the new bonnet she was making and got ink on her next to best dress. Now the way I read it in one of the other letters Eve says Alec lay down on the couch and Lil tried to make him get up and 'brandished the ink bottle at him forgetting there was a hole in the top' which started a fight 'as usual'. Well it looks kind of mixed up but maybe if I read on in these old letters I may find what started all these large happy families. If you have anything to add like old letters, documents or yarns I would be glad to hear about it. Irene is gradually accumulating bits of family history or rather data like birthdays, weddings, etc which is fine but kind of lifeless compared with these old time letters that bring back the old times almost like we lived them ourselves. Here is a short sample 'Ma is up to Jo's now and I am keeping house and teaching Rhea and Dallas. It seems queer to have Lil away. But she seems to like it, and no doubt will have a good time in Yorkton this winter. Mag and her is doing well and Lil keeps Orville and sends him to school.' Just think. I was in grade school when Orville and [?] went camping.

Jack.

• John Chisholm & Annie Gordon Matheson. (Both deceased.)
• Alexander Chisholm married Eve Royle, lived in Fall City. Alex also known as 'Ally' or 'Alec'. He died in 1936. She was in a nursing home.
• Bruce Chisholm married Hazel Dotson. He died 1973.
• Keith Chisholm. Had vanished, was unknown whether he was living or dead.
• Don Chisholm married Ethel McFerran He died in 1945.
• Jeannie Chisholm married Allen Kinberg.
• Dan Kinberg.
• David Kinberg. Married Wendi. Child.
• Pat Kinberg, known as 'Patty Kinberg' then.
• Jimmy Chisholm & Lulan 'Lil' Royle, lived in Fall City then Renton. (He died 1953. She died 1971.)
• Jack Chisholm, who married Irene Whitfield, and lived in Fall City. Jack was 69 at the time he wrote this.
• Rod Chisholm, also known as 'Roddy' married to Margaret Polehn. Three children.
• Bonnie Rose Chisholm married to Mike McBride. One child.
• Penelope Chisholm, (who is now known as Rowan Ainslie Chisholm). Age 19 at this time.
• Jean Chisholm married Howard Garten. One child, grandchild.
• Alice Chisholm. Married David Saunders. Two children. She called her place "Robin Hill".

• Jeremiah Royle & Margaret Lewis (her 2nd marriage)
• Otis Royle, also known as 'Uncle Otis', married Sybil Cook. He died in 1950.
• Eve Royle married Alexander Chisholm. She was also known as 'Aunt Eve'.
• Lulan Royle married Jimmy Chisholm. He died 1953, she died 1971.
• Dill Royle married Alfred Hansen. Both deceased.
• Doris Hansen married Clary Buckton. Doris was 72 at this time.
• Maggie Royle married George Haigh. Both deceased.
• Rhea Haigh married Russell Clement. He died around 1960. She was 81 and living alone in New Westminster, BC Canada at the time of this letter.
• Dallas Haigh
• Jo Royle married Pat McIvor. Both deceased.
• Glen Lyon McIvor

• Margaret Lewis & Young. (Her first marriage.) Both deceased.
• Grant Young. Deceased? (Out of touch with family.)
• Alwilda 'Allie' Young married Cody & then Walt Smith. All deceased.
• Laura Cody. Deceased.

Irene & Jack
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