Seedy Saturdays- Sweet Rocket

Happy Saturday Everyone!  Today's blog is looking back on those pretty flowers we seem to find all around our ditches in the springtime.  Oh if only it were spring again!

This plant is a herbaceous plant species in the mustard family and has many common names, such as “dame’s- violet,” “rogue’s gilliflower,” and “summer lilac.”  Found around the property at the Backus-Page House Museum, sweet rocket, coming in white to purple to pink, are biennials or short-lived perennials that bloom from April to July.  Though it can be cultivated, in many areas it has become a weed species.  Its scientific name Hesperis means “evening” in Greek and most likely because the smell of the flowers becomes more prominent towards evening hours. 

Sweet rocket grows best in full sun to partial shade, is undemanding and self-seeds quickly, forming dense stands, thus having the potential to crowd out native species when growing outside of cultivated areas. This plant is commonly found in roadside ditches, dumps and in open woodland settings, where it is noticed when in bloom, much like the ditches along Lakeview Line where they can be seen growing.  It also makes an attractive, hardy garden plant.

Enjoy your upcoming week!

World War Wednesdays: Ike: Scandal of a Soldier's Soldier

     General Dwight David Eisenhower is one of the most infamous faces of the Second World War, in addition to his legendary status in American history as a whole. A lifelong military career led to his role as commander of Operation Torch (Allied landings in Algeria and Morocco) in 1942, supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in 1943 during which he forged the path to Allied victory with the D-Day landings, and eventually the thirty-fourth President of the United Sates. However, there is an aspect of Ike's personal life that has been the subject of markedly less flattering discussion. It's a story right out of a "historical" drama film, and grade twelve me was absolutely captivated by it: Did Ike have an affair with his gorgeous ex-model assistant, Kay Summersby?

Ike and Mamie in 1915 (Left) and in 1916 (Right)

     Dwight David Eisenhower was born in 1890 in Texas and was brought up in Abilene, Kansas. He attended the prestigious West Point military academy, and it was during his first posting to Texas that he met Mamie Geneva Doud. The two were married in 1916 and went on to have two sons, one of whom died in infancy.

Summersby attaching a pennant to Ike's Cadillac

      Kay Summersby had been a model before war broke out with Worth, the Paris house of haute couture, and subsequently joined the British Motor Transport Corps (MTC). This was a volunteer unit whose original members were bright, attractive British post-debutantes who had driven ambulances during the Blitz in East London. Summersby started working for Ike in London in May 1942, during which time they became close friends. 

     Unfortunately for Mamie, she was not permitted to be with Ike while he was overseas. His London residence during the war consisted of three large  rooms at a first-class hotel, The Dorchester. During his entire time away, Ike wrote Mamie a total of 319 letters, to which she responded just as frequently. Interestingly, Mamie kept the letters she received from her husband, while he did not keep hers. Shortly after his arrival at The Dorchester, Ike wrote her:

     "I cannot tell you how much I miss you... An assignment like this is not the same as an absence from home on maneuvers. In a tent, surrounded by soldiers; it seems natural to have to get along alone. But when living in an apartment, under city conditions, I constantly find myself wondering, 'why isn't Mamie here?' You've certainly become most necessary to me."

     

     Kay Summersby, however, was much more available. Ike had to put in some effort to locate her and secure her as his permanent driver, and he ended up having to steal her from another general. When he began planning for Operation Torch, he was given a retreat in the English countryside called Telegraph Cottage. It was there that he spent many nights a week playing bridge with Kay against his aides. 

     

     With a sort of family being established, Ike asked Kay if she would like to have a dog. Since he had never had one before during his military career, he let her narrow down some options and he finally chose a Scottie, naming it "Telek" and saying that its origins were "a military secret". He told Kay that "It's a combination of Telegraph Cottage and Kay, two parts of my life that make me very happy." He did write Mamie about the dog, saying "You can't talk war to a dog, and I'd like to have someone or something to talk to... A dog is my only hope."

     Kay got to accompany Ike on an inspection trip to Scotland, and he even invited her to come to North Africa with him, though she had to wait about a month. This trip would be an assignment far removed from her role with the MTC. In order to keep his departure top-secret, a cover story was devised that he was returning to Washington, and Mamie prepared to receive her husband at their apartment. Due to security, there was no way he could tell her that he was not actually coming, and he even had to write her forty-sixth birthday letter in advance:

     "I'd like to be there to help you celebrate, and to kiss you 46 times (multiplied by any number you care to pick). I will be thinking with the deepest gratitude of the many happy hours and years you have given me... I've never wanted any other wife-- you're mine, and for that reason I've been luckier than any other man." 

     Kay finally joined him in Algiers with other female assistants after a harrowing journey on a troopship that was sunk by a German submarine. Major-general Everet Hughes, Ike's right hand man, recorded in his diary following the grand reunion and Christmas party: "Sat around with Ike after the party broke up. Discussed Kay. I don't know whether Ike is alibiing or not. Says he likes her. Wants to hold her hand. Doesn't sleep with her. He doth protest too much..." That very same day, Ike penned a passionate love letter back home to Mamie. By New Year's, he was attempting to reconcile love for Mamie with his growing feelings for Kay, and wrote home again:
       "...I've never been in love with anyone but you! I never will."

The cover of LIfe containing the scandalous article

     Ike and Kay enjoyed many more private times during retreats in North Africa. On 22 February, 1943, an article published in Life magazine called "Women in Lifeboats" featured "the irrepressible Kay Summersby, Eisenhower's pretty Irish driver" and included two photos of her. Mamie saw the article and was hurt and embarrassed, but a desperate letter of explanation from Ike squashed these feelings. However, Kay soon became his personal assistant, and the two began spending more time together than ever. Ike and Mamie had not seen each other by that point in almost a year. 
     The relationship between Kay and Eisenhower continued to become more passionate during his intense planning of the D-Day landings, and by January 1944 she was wearing uniforms made by Ike's own personal tailor. On the eve of D-Day in June, he chose to spend the dreadfully anxious period waiting for reports alone in a trailer with Kay.

     After the successful landings and downfall of the war, Ike was regarded as an all-American hero. Heroes, however, don't have mistresses, and he was forbidden to take Kay back to the USA with him in 1945. After having traveled with him throughout the war, Telek remained with Kay and died in 1959 at the age of 17. Ike and Kay never spoke intimately again; he returning to life with Mamie and Kay to eventually marry. In 1974, she wrote of her wartime affair with America's great general based on his wartime diaries and died shortly after.

     Information for this post comes from Dan Parry's D-Day: Reflections of Courage (2004) and Jean Edward Smith's Eisenhower: In War and Peace (2012), which is a highly recommended read for those interested in Ike. 

     What do you think? Was Ike just a lonely man looking for companionship during the most trying times imaginable? Does this affect how we think of him today? How do you feel about Kay Summersby? Let me know!

Thanks for reading,
     Delany

#GivingTuesday Membership Matters

Tyrconnell Heritage Society

Privileges of Membership

 Charitable Tax Receipt for the full amount of your membership and/or donation.     Membership Card and Vote at the Annual General Meeting.

Recognition of your support on our website.

All charitable tax receipts are sent in February of the following year.

Choose one of the following:

___ Lifetime Individual Membership - $250.00

___ Annual Individual Membership - $30.00

___ Annual Couple’s Membership - $35.00                         

___ Annual Family Membership - $40.00                              

___ Annual Organization Membership - $45.00

___ Annual Business/Corporate Membership - $75.00

___I would like to add a donation in the amount of $_________.                                                                            

Name of Member: ________________________________

If this is a family or couple’s membership please list spouse and/or any children under age of 18:

_________________________________________________

Name of Organization of Business: ____________________

Mailing Address:_________________________________

City: _______________________  Postal Code: __________

Phone:__________________________________________

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Please make all cheques payable to the Tyrconnell Heritage Society and return to:

Tyrconnell Heritage Society, P.O. Box 26, 29424 Lakeview Line, Wallacetown, ON, N0L 2M0

We thank you for your support and generosity.

519-762-3072  info@backuspagehouse.ca

www.backuspagehouse.ca

We also accept cash, Visa, Master Card, and American Express.  

Memory Mondays: The Kitchen Garden

Today we are remembering our kitchen garden, from where it started to where it is now.  In the location where the kitchen garden is presently, used to be simply grass, until the ground was tilled up and maintained as a growing area for vegetables and herbs.  Most of the herbs around the perimeter are perennial, so come back each year, however new heirloom vegetables are planted each spring.  This is done to show how food was provided during the 1850s and also to grow plants that can provide healthy additions to the meals of volunteers and the community.  This year we had tomatoes, onions and carrots planted, as well as corn, beans and squash in the orchard garden. Take care!

Seedy Saturdays- The White Pine Tree

Happy Saturday Everyone!  Another area tree for you.

This tree is native to eastern North America and is known to the Iroquois nation as the “Tree of Peace.”  The needles of the Eastern white pine make an excellent herbal tea and contain 5 times the amount of Vitamin C of lemons.  This type of tree is also used to make pine tar, which has multiple uses and is made when the roots, branches or small trunks of the trees are burned in a partially smoldering flame.  Pine tar can be mixed with beer to remove worms, mixed with sulfur to treat dandruff or be processed to make turpentine. 

The white pine also had many uses when it came to the Native Americans.  The Iroquois would call their neighbours, the Algonquians, the “Adirondack,” which means “tree-eater.”  This was in reference to the fact that the Algonquians would collect white pine bark during times of winter starvation, separating the inner and outer bark and using the white soft inner bark, after being dried and pounded, as a flour.  The sap of this tree was used by various tribes as a way to waterproof baskets, pails and boats as well. 

The British Royal Navy used white pine wood to build their ship masts, because it was high quality wood.    Pine was common and easy to cut, so many colonial homes were built with pine for paneling, floors and furniture, just like the floors in the Backus-Page House Museum!  Pine was a favorite tree of loggers since the wood is soft and consequently you will find cup-shaped depressions from normal wear and tear on almost every old white pine floor and there is evidence of this in the museum as well.  

Family History Friday with the Elgin Branch of the O.G.S.

We believe in supporting and promoting other local organizations, one of which, is the Elgin County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.  Our Cultural Manager, Angela Bobier, is a member.  Why not attend the next meeting and see what they are all about?  Everyone welcome and the meeting is free.

Wednesday, November 25

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

St. Thomas Public Library, Carnegie Room

Topic: Who is in your Family? Members can talk about their ancestors and their family trees.

Election of Officers for 2016 - All positions available. Help is needed to run the branch!

Silent Book Auction - Treasures from the Archives and other places.

Fighting Two Wars: Canada's Mennonite Communities and WWII

     The majority of stories related to both world wars involve those directly involved or affected by the conflict. However, it is not very often that we discuss those who chose not to be involved for reasons of Pacifist beliefs. While this can certainly be a sore subject for some, it is important to recognize that holding such ideas and acting upon them at a time when an entire nation urged otherwise also created lasting problems for those who did. One of the most significant Pacifist groups in Canada at the time was the Mennonites, a group familiar to readers from Elgin County who of course will recognize the large Mennonite community in Aylmer, Ontario. Members of these communities ultimately faced two wars between 1939 and 1945, and the one at home proved to have as big an impact for them as the one in Europe.

     Information for this post comes from a National Film Board documentary called "The Pacifist Who Went to War". If you're interested, here's the link:  https://www.nfb.ca/film/pacifist_who_went_to_war

Mennonite settlers in Altona

     The film focuses on Mennonite communities in Southern Manitoba, namely the towns of Altona and Winkler. It tells the story of brothers John and Ted Friesen, sons of a Mennonite deacon. John enlisted in the air force and served overseas, while Ted made the decision to object. Neither brother felt anger or resentment towards the other, but reluctantly accepted the differences in life experiences that had led to those decisions.

Ted (L) and John (R) Friesen

     Unlike the experience of the Friesen family, when Canada entered WWII in 1939, the decision about whether or not to participate caused a major rift among Mennonites. The fundamental teaching of the Mennonite Church is to "love thy neighbor," which was a clear divergence from the Canadian government's call for volunteers to 'go kill Germans'. Previously, the Canadian government had agreed to exempt Mennonites from military service, which was one of the conditions involved in their immigration from Russia and settlement in the Canadian west.

A certificate proving a Mennonite's exemption from military service, 1918

     However, this agreement was discarded during the Second World War. This caused the Mennonites to divide into two groups and appeal to the government: the first group refused any participation in war, while the second was willing to accommodate to a degree. On Christmas Eve 1940, the government described alternative options for military service, though objectors had to personally plead their cases in order to gain Conscientious Objector status. Such cases in Manitoba were presided over by a Judge Adamson, who rarely allowed the men to speak at their trials and asked them the loaded question, "If someone broke into your house and threatened your family, what would you do?'"

     Further complications arose from the Mennonites' German ethnic background. Some actually sympathized with Hitler based on the image he was presenting to the world in the 1930s, and Low German was spoken by some in the communities. The other non-Mennonites in the towns fueled an atmosphere of suspicion towards them, and the social pressure ultimately caused about half the population of young Mennonite men to break tradition and join up.

Manitoba Mennonite Peter Enbrecht gets his wings as an air gunner

     Mennonite boys overseas were not supposed to participate in sports with fellow soldiers for recreation, but many did anyway and sustained numerous injuries while trying out boxing for the first time. When they were told by officers that they were in for the duration of the war, the church sent Mennonite ministers over to join them.

     Back at home, family members of those who had enlisted on their own free will faced discrimination from the rest of the community. Special War Bonds designed for non-military purposes such as the Red Cross were created and sold for Mennonites.

     After the war, the sons who had stayed home to farm were considerably wealthier than those who had served, due to the government's program for food production. Most Mennonites were horrified to hear of the Nazi atrocities, but some denied they even happened. Ultimately, the destruction that resulted from the war meant that it had accomplished nothing, and it reinforced why the Mennonites wanted nothing to do with war.

     Some families with sons who had returned from war were shunned by the Mennonite Church and communities. The church would accept those servicemen who repented, but most did not. The veterans felt no need to apologize for what they did because their service was a difficult, sobering experience which they ultimately did not regret. In the years following the war, no one talked about the subject of Pacifism, though it is supposed to be a central aspect of Mennonite faith. It took fifty years to build the cenotaph pictured above in Altona to commemorate the town's veterans. Divisiveness persists even today, with some people gathering to commemorate veterans while others host conscientious objector gatherings based around religion. There are mixed feelings about whether or not Mennonites will ever fully be reconciled on the issue, though distance and time seem to make things easier with every passing year. Ultimately, the changes brought about by war had as significant and lasting impact on these Mennonite communities, regardless of whether or not they all actively participated.
     Thanks for reading,

Delany

Seedy Saturdays- The Tulip Tree

Happy Saturday Everyone!  Today we continue learning about the trees of our area.  Most are probably bare now, but let's remember them in their prime.  

This tree gets its name from the large flowers that resemble tulips, but the Latin Liriodendron actually means “lily tree.”  Tulip wood is referred to as simply "poplar", although not related to the true poplars.  The tulip tree can grow to a great size, sometimes exceeding 50 m (164 ft) in height.

The wood of the American species of tulip tree is easy to work, and used often for cabinet and furniture framing. The wood is only moderately rot-resistant, so is not commonly used in shipbuilding, however the nickname “canoewood” is most likely in reference to the tree's use for construction by eastern Native Americans to build their dugout canoes.

Fun fact: the upstairs floors in the Backus-Page House Museum are made of tulip wood. 

Have a great following week!

Christmas Feast in the Museum Tickets Available Now

World War Wednesdays: Forgetting Remembrance Day

     By now, I think I've seen all the news articles and videos about how today's young people don't know the major facts about the World Wars or the words to In Flanders Fields. I've also seen posts from people my age who choose not to "glorify war" by wearing a poppy in November but instead choosing to wear a "peace button." Before I start discussing my take on these things, I just want to make it clear that I am not one of those angry, militant people you've probably seen on your Facebook who unleash a tirade on every small sign of Christmas before November 11. My goal with this post isn't to make people feel bad about their choices or lack of knowledge surrounding this day, but I do hope that it might make someone stop and think for at least a minute about what it really means to remember on November 11.

     For the people my age who are being portrayed as ignorant, misinformed, and rejecting the concept of Remembrance Day, it is perhaps more unfortunate than any other demographic. What they fail to connect with is that ours is the exact generation that was most affected by these times of conflict, and that we are the ones who would be facing the same situation should history ever repeat itself. When our same generation found themselves on the brink of world war, they reacted the same way that we would react, and that our own children would react in the future-- with fear, disbelief, and in most cases a limited knowledge of the circumstances that had created them.If I were to stretch things just a bit, it could be said that those same concepts are now being reflected when my peers are confronted with the idea of Remembrance Day. Instead of having to deal directly with war, we are dealing with it indirectly, through the recognition and preservation of its memory. Now, just as it was 100 years ago, young people find themselves in control of something that will affect everyone.

     If there's one thing I've learned through what I've chosen to spend my life doing, it's that with every terrible, traumatic thing that came from human conflict, there was always something beautiful and touching that came with it. With the bad comes the good, and a chat with one of the remaining members of the Greatest Generation makes that clear. Yes, Canadian families were torn apart when the men left for service. Yes, rationing, government restrictions, and extra work made life on the home front pretty rough. But what people don't always remember is how much they came together in those times. Neighbors pooled resources to make sure everybody had what they needed. They gathered to listen to the news and talk about it, and if things were bad you could guarantee that everybody understood. Even soldiers had a strong bond and camaraderie with the men they served alongside, and that was a source of encouragement and reassurance. Don't think that it wasn't an extremely tough time, but these people were just as tough.

     I just wish that instead of being so quick to dismiss the idea of remembering this time in our history, my peers would reflect on how similar we are to that same group of people, and how their reactions to war would likely be the same as ours.

They wore ugly Christmas sweaters

And went to the beach with the squad

But ultimately wore a uniform when they had to

      I think they often forget that there were plenty of people then who had their own strong doubts about the idea of throwing men onto the battlefield to solve nations' political problems, and all the senseless destruction that resulted. Please, please just know that they did not have a choice in whether or not this happened. The world was spiraling out of control, they never got the chance to finish school and start their lives, and nothing they could have done would have prevented that,

     The only difference between us and them is that in 2015, we do have the choice. We get to decide whether or not to let what they did slip back into history without future generations knowing it happened. John McCrae's iconic poem isn't a major piece of Canadian remembrance because it encourages conflict, or even because it is a description of war. The reason so many people talk about that one piece every single year is because of these lines:

"Short days ago we lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, loved, and were loved, and now we lie in Flanders Fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe, to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high, if ye break faith with us who die we shall not sleep."
 
      He's speaking directly to us with these words, not to continue with the mass killing of innocent men, but to maintain the difficult journey towards what is right and just. We put our faith in these people 100 years ago and again in 1939 to do what it took to stay on that path, and they in turn trusted us to follow them. If you're between the ages of 15 and 25 and did not receive their message through public school history lessons, then I am incredibly sorry. These stories are worth so much more than a dry speech from a worn out teacher and words on a test. All they can ask, and all I am asking, is that you at least make an effort to inform yourself of what it is we are talking about during Remembrance Day, and what you're choosing to ignore when you don't listen. Understand the regular, everyday people involved even if you reject the politicians and leaders who made them so. I think it's not too much to ask for one day where you reflect, say thank you, and keep your own opinions to yourself. After all, they had to do it for up to six long years (WWII).
       Today, more than ever,
Thanks for reading,

Delany

Seedy Saturdays- The Walnut Tree

Happy Saturday Everyone!  Today we start talking about trees.

Native Americans enjoyed the pleasures and health benefits of the black walnut well before European explorers arrived. Along with eating the walnut itself, the sap was used in their food preparation.  Black walnut trees prefer soil with limestone in it, which is a good, fertile soil. Some settlers made a point of selecting properties that had a stand of sturdy black walnut trees on the land, because to them this was a sign of rich soil.  In World War II when families living in the small villages of Perigord, a region in the southern part of France, had little to eat, they turned to their walnut groves for a source of protein.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, many English cookbooks were full of recipes for pickling both black and green walnuts. Green walnuts are quite sour, but ideal for pickles, jams, and marmalades.

The wood of the walnut tree is exceptionally hard, therefore very good for fine furniture, wall paneling, musical instruments, sculpting, and woodcarving. It has appeared in many forms over the decades, such as plates and spoons, animal yokes and water jugs. Even wooden shoes were formed from the walnut tree. During war times the Europeans used walnut wood to make their gun stocks and during World War I, the hardy wood of the black walnut was used for making airplane propellers.

Nov 7-8 Military Heroes Event

Join us at the Dutton-Dunwich Community Centre on Saturday and Sunday, November 7-8, 2015 as we commemorate our local Military Heroes.  This a family friendly, free event, which will be fun for all.

Military Heroes Past & Present - Honouring Veterans from all conflicts and our enlisted men and women of today.

November 7  11am - 7pm

November 8  1 - 4pm

Dutton-Dunwich Community Centre

Family Friendly and FREE!

For more information please contact Jenny Phillips at 519-762-2862

jennyphillips@golden.net

followed by a ceremonial planting of tulips Nov. 8, 2015, at about 4:15pm in front of the Fire Hall. 

World War Wednesdays: Illuminating Daylight Savings Time

     Get your hoe ready! I hope everyone is enjoying their extra hour of sleep this week following the weekend's 'fall back' for Daylight Savings Time. I thought it might be interesting to discuss how the concept of moving the clocks forward and back has connections to both World Wars. A few weeks ago, we talked about how Winston Churchill had a perfect quote for just about everything, and his description of Daylight Savings Time sums it up with poetic charm:
   
     "An extra yawn one morning in the springtime, an extra snooze one night in the autumn... We borrow an hour one night in April; we pay it back with golden interest five months later."

Since the Beginning of Time Itself
     The idea of DST existed long before it was actually implemented around 100 years ago. It is known that ancient civilizations practiced a similar concept where they would adjust their daily schedules according to the Sun.

Power to the People 
     Throughout history, the idea of conserving daylight was suggested by multiple famous scientists with varied responses. In 1784, American inventor and politician Benjamin Franklin penned an essay titled "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light" to the editor of The Journal of Paris. In it, he jokingly suggested that Parisians could economize on their use of candles by getting people out of bed earlier to make use of the natural light.
     A major contribution to modern DST came from New Zealand entomologist George Vernon Hudson in 1895. In a paper presented to the Wellington Philosophical Society, he proposed a two-hour shift forward in October and a two-hour shift back in March (seasons are opposite in the two hemispheres). He followed this up with an article in 1898 but despite some interest, the idea never caught on.
     British builder William Willett proposed an introduction of DST independently from Hudson in 1905. His suggestion was to turn the clocks ahead 20 minutes on each of the four Sundays in April, and switching them back by the same amount on each of the four Sundays in September. This plan caught the attention of Member of Parliament Robert Pearce, who introduced a bill to the House of Commons in February 1908. The first Daylight Saving Bill was drafted in 1909 and repeatedly presented to Parliament, but since it was opposed by many including farmers, it was never made into a law. Willett died in 1915 before he could see his idea come to life.

William Willett

In Times of War
     The first country to implement DST was Germany, during the First World War. Clocks were first turned forward at 11:00pm on April 30, 1916 with the rationale being the minimization of artificial light in order to conserve fuel for the war effort. Britain and many other countries soon followed suit, including the U.S. After the war was over, many countries reverted back to standard time.

"Morgenstunde hat Gold im Munde"-- The German equivalent of "The early bird gets the worm"

A British advertisement for the setting back of the clocks in September

     In the U.S., DST or "fast time," as it was called then, was introduced in 1918 when President Woodrow Wilson signed it into law to support the First World War effort. The idea had been sparked by Robert Garland, an industrialist who had encountered it in the U.K. He is often called the "Father of Daylight Saving" for his passionate campaign for the use of DST in the U.S.

     From February 9, 1942 to September 30, 1945, year-round DST or "War Time" was in force in America during the Second World War. The change went into effect only 40 days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and after the war ended the U.S. time zones were re-named "Peace Time". In Britain, "Double Summer Time" was adopted by setting the clocks two hours ahead  of GMT in the summer and one hour ahead during the winter.

Contemporary Continuation 
     From 1945 to 1966, DST caused major confusion and craziness in the U.S. for trains, buses, and broadcasting because states and localities were free to choose when and if they observed DST. Congress's Uniform Time Act of 1966 put an end to that and stated DST would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. Since then, there have been numerous changes and updates as recent as 2005.

     Hopefully this post sheds some light on this interesting event on our calendars. Shoutout to timeanddate.com for the info! How do you feel about DST? Should we still be observing this system? Let me know what you think!

     Before I sign off I'd just like to encourage everyone to see your local Legion members for a poppy during the poppy campaign, and pin it on your left side as close as possible to your heart! Please, please don't stick it on your hat or purse strap or alter it in any way! I hope I'm preaching to the choir on that one!
     Thanks for reading,

Delany

Memory Mondays: Tyrconnell Heritage Society

Today we are remembering the reason that our lovely grounds and museum exist and remain, the Tyrconnell Heritage Society.  The society is local and independent and was founded in 1993 in order to create a future for the Backus-Page property as a historic landmark of the area.  Under the umbrella of the Ontario Historical Society since 1994, volunteer members have, and continue to, work hard to uphold the society’s mandate.  The 50 year lease agreement that we currently hold with the Ministry of Financial Resources since 1998, along with local financing and Ontario Trillium Foundation funding has allowed the house to be restored as the museum it is today.  Take care!

Behind The Scenes Sunday: George Henry Backus Exhibit

Even though the museum is closed, Catie and I are still busy behind the scenes preparing for future events and programs.  One special event is on November 7 & 8 at the Dutton-Dunwich Community Centre called Military Heroes Past & Present.  We invite you to attend to see our exhibit and many others (more information below).  

Backus-Page House Museum has recently acquired artefacts and archival documents from the life and service of Trooper George Henry Backus, also known as Gordon Gilbert of Wallacetown.  These were donated by his foster sister, Ruth (Gilbert) Bedford and along with 2 other items in our collection received from Gord Campbell in 2007, make up the basis for our research and display.  I thought you might enjoy seeing the creative process of putting together our mini exhibit for the Military Heroes weekend.  

Military Heroes Past & Present - Honouring Veterans from all conflicts and our enlisted men and women of today.

November 7  11am - 7pm

November 8  1 - 4pm

Dutton-Dunwich Community Centre

Family Friendly and FREE!

For more information please contact Jenny Phillips at 519-762-2862

jennyphillips@golden.net

followed by a ceremonial planting of tulips Nov. 8, 2015, at about 4:15pm in front of the Fire Hall.