Obituary for J.J. "Jimmy" Chisholm

North Bend Record

Thursday, April 9, 1953

Number 29

Jimmy Chisholm Laid to Rest At Fall City

Friends and former neighbors of the Valley came to the Fall City Community Methodist church on Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock, April 7, to pay final respects to their former neighbor, John James (Jimmy) Chisholm. He passed away April 2 at midnight, just two weeks after he was stricken with his last illness.

The Rev. Lawrence Linnemann of Snoqualmie delivered the sermon, Mrs. Jack Holstine of Bellevue was at the organ, and Mrs. A. Fritzberg of Preston sang Mr. Chisholm's two favorite hymns, "Rock of Ages" and "Nearer My God to Thee". Pall bearers were Hans Nelson, Albert Moore, Willard Howe, J.R. MacManiman, A.V. Howe, William Brown, Deo Reinig, and Clarence Buckton.

The Issaquah Funeral Home was in charge of interment in the Fall City Cemetery.

Born in Nova Scotia

John James Chisholm was born at Scotch Hill, PIctou County, Nov Scotia, Sept. 9, 1879, the fourth of the five children of Annie Gordon Matheson and John Chisholm.

He was of Highland Scotch descent, his forefathers being staunch Presbyterians. His great-grandparents came to Nova Scotia on the historic ship, Hector, in 1773, with the first group of Scots to make a permaent settlement in Nova Scotia.

At 19 years of age Mr. Chisholm went into Saskatchewan where an older brother was living. Here he lived for a year or two then came on to Seattle. In 1903 he was married to Lulan Royle.

Seven years later they moved to Fall City where they lived for thirty-four years. About nine years ago they sold the farm and moved to Renton to be near their youngest child, Mrs. David Saunders and family. Jimmy Chisholm, as he was generally called, was burdened with ill health the greater part of his life. The years he and his wife spent making a home on the hill above Fall City were arduous but happy ones in spite of the fact that for a number of thse years he was confined to a sick bed.

Carving a Home

It was partially logged off land the thirty-six acres, that the Chisholms chose to convert into a home. The love of the making which was put into it cast a halo of happiness and contentment over the place. Mr. Chisholm's creed was one of love and service.

Of his burden of ill health he never complained. He was noted for his cheerfulness and the fine qualities of an alert and active mind.

The first verse of an old Scottish song he dearly loved perhaps can best explain the trend of thinking and the character of our old neighbor.

"Goodnight, and joy be wi' ye all;
Your harmless mirth has cheered my heart;
May life's fell blasts out o'er ye blaw!
In sorrow may ye never part.
My spirit lives but strength is gone,
The mountain fires now blaze in vain,
Remember, sons, the deeds I've done,
And in your deeds I'll live again.
Goodnight, and joy be wi' ye all."

Mr. Chisholm is survived by his wife, Lulan, a son, Jack Chisholm of Fall City, by two daughters, Jean Garten of Seattle, and Alice Saunders of Renton, and by 5 grandchildren.

NOTES:

Here's what I know about the pall bearers Hans Nelson was a Fall City neighbor, as was Albert Moore. Willard ("Bill") Howe and A.V. ("Art") Howe were sons of J.E. Howe and lived in Fall City. J.R. ("Bob") MacManiman is the person who bought Jimmy Chisholm's Fall City home. Clarence Buckton was the husband of his wife's niece and lived in Seattle. Deo Reinig I think lived in Snoqualmie or North Bend. William Brown, I haven't come across in research yet.

From what I read about his grandfather Alexander Chisholm, the family was originally Church of Scotland and was convinced to change over only when that church merged with the Presbyterians. The major difference being that the Church of Scotland considered it a host's duty to welcome guests to the home with a wee dram of the "water of life" (whiskey) and the Presbyterians were totally anti-drinking.

It was in Saskatchewan where he attended the wedding of his elder brother that he met his future wife. See the letter about Eve's Wedding written by his wife for a few of the details.

The ill health was tuberculosis. He left Seattle when they were starting to talk about sanitariums for patients and quite possibly because he wouldn't have wanted to be in one.

The log cabin and barn he built at Fall City are still there, still owned by Mrs. J.R. (Gen) MacManiman. (At least as of December 2008.)

Everyone (including my mother and Gen MacManiman) always told me what a wonderfully sweet person he was. Unfortunately, I missed him by 11 months! (He died April 1953, I was born March 1954.)

Some people's addresses said "Snoqualmie" when they lived in the area which is around the Fish Hatchery and where the airport is now. This means that people with Snoqualmie addresses did not necessarily come all the way from where Snoqualmie is now. My parents said that the addresses were sometimes Fall City, and then Snoqualmie and back to Fall City after they were married and relatives complained "We don't know where you live, you move so much." Only they hadn't moved.