Adeline was my great aunt.  I met her when I was a little girl and my parents took us to visit the relations in Prince Edward Island.  Our family, dandelions blowing across our great Nation while my father served in the military, was always on the fly, but my parents did well to keep us rooted in our loved ones across Canada.

Unknown male, Great Auntie Adeline and my Great Grandfather, Gabriel Gallant

Yesterday, I learned that Adeline’s son, Jimmy, passed away, only months ago.  When I drove the Trans Canada highway, I would stop into visit Jimmy in Winnipeg.  I feel a sadness, but also an urgency to log what information I can about my relations as our story is evolving so quickly, as is the way of history and time.  So, I’m inspired to do what I can. Any personal narratives and memories that might remain for my relations would be most welcomed.  Just contact me here.

Here I am with Jimmy and his wife, Jan.  Jan was very sick on and off for quite a long time.  Jimmy brought out his family albums and old black and whites and told me he would get some photos scanned into his computer and sent off to me.  This didn’t ever happen.  The last time I spoke to Jimmy on the phone was September of last year.

 

This is a photo of my mother in Prince Edward Island, standing next to Jimmy.  It would have been taken in the late 1930s or early 1940s.  Mom left ‘the island’ at twelve years of age.  At the time of this photo, she was being raised by my Mamie and Papie in Summerside.  Adeline was living in Charlottetown.

Adeline, as a young woman, along with an early Charlottetown directory page.

In this beautiful family portrait, taken on the steps of St. Paul’s Church in Summerside, my Great Auntie Adeline appears in the center front, holding onto my Papie’s hand.

 

MILDRED (MAMIE) ARSENAULT

Born July 20, 1889 and died January 21, 1964

Married

GABRIEL (Papie) GALLANT

Born February 19, 1882 and died July 21, 1965

 

Back Row: Uncle Earl and Inez Gallant, Mike and Aunt Marjorie Kyncha, Wyman (Philip’s son) Uncle Philip and Mildred Gallant, Clarence (Tommy) and Marie-Anne Baltilde (Tillie) Thompson, Graham, Bob and Gordon (the late Joe Gallant’s sons) Navita and Uncle Henry Gallant, Millie (uncle Joe’s widow) and Lou Hogan.

 

Front Row: Betty (Calice’s daughter), Kay and Uncle Calice Gallant, Aunt Gladys Gallant, Aunt Mary (Mamie’s sister), Gabriel (Papie) Gallant, Aunt Adelaine (wife of James Fardy), Aunt  Millie and Uncle Fred,  Philip and Jackie Arsenault (Mamie’s brother), Uncle Edward and Mildred Gallant)

Here is a beautiful photograph of my Gramma, front right, with her sisters.  Adeline is in the foreground.  I will add to this page as I learn more and conduct some interviews.

Of Adeline, only a couple of short narratives. She lived in Charlottetown and my Gramma, as a teenager, would enjoy going in for visits and sleepovers with her sister.  My father told me that Adeline and Ernest took our pooch, Sandy, when we moved from St. Margaret’s, New Brunswick.  He also remembered that Ernest would fry him up some beautiful Rainbow Trout, but would never share where his best fishing spots were.

Lyn Ellis took the following photograph of Adeline’s resting place for Billion Graves. She is buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Charlottetown.

Found in a History of Mount Stewart by F.L. Piget, this.

Voter lists conclude that Ernest Fardy, for most of his years, was a truck driver and was very involved with transport between Souris and Charlottetown.  He also joined the RCA as a Sergeant and retired out of a number of years serving as a Commissionaire in Charlottetown.