REg.#18310, Kenneth William Anderson (married to former Elsie Irene Brown)

FROM: Annie Kaps [mailto:akaps@kwik.net]

TO: KIRBY Anderson; Susan Caverly
FOR RECORD & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY
Your son isn't Ken Kaps by chance?  If so we live two doors from his house.  Small world.

THANK YOU ALL FOR FACILITATING THE RECONNECTION.   

TWO HOUSES NOW.     TWO HOUSES THEN.

How long have you been there?  Know that Ken and Jeannette bought their home from two RCMP officers. They were also friends with officers who lived at the end of the cul-de-sac.  They moved to Chilliwack with their two girls.

Wonder if I’ve been at your place?  Have been to several Christmas “street light-ups” at different neighbours on Ferley.  Recall fires in sand-filled wheel barrels.

Let me tell you about your mom and our old neighbourhood........

Her aunt and uncle lived in the suite on top of a garage on King George Highway.  This was across the street from a green grocer where my brother Joe worked while at high school.  I’ll have to asked him for sure, but I think that there is where we first met.  Our farm of twenty acres abutted the original twenty acres on which this garage stood (garage just recently demolished).  We kids would, in the summer, hike through the farm (old logging railway was its north border and our access road) onto King George Highway to hitchhike to the beach at White Rock.  Adjacent to and/or on these properties is a school named Cindrich Elementary (you can google) with a library called the Kate Cindrich Library.

Our mother, Kate Cindrich,  was widowed and left with us seven kids (she and dad had lost two in Croatia before coming to Canada) ranging from teenagers to a four year old (it’s his daughter’s wedding on August 6th which Ken and Jeannette are attending).  All seven of us finished Grade XII and most went on to post-secondary.  This was something, as in the 50’s many left school in Grade X.  All seven of us are alive.  Sister Helen is in a home in Sidney and she/her husband still have a house in Royal Oak area of Victoria.  Sister Mary, brothers Joe, Tony, Nick and families live on acreages in Langley.  Sister Lena and hubby are in Penticton.  Retired are all but sister Lena, brother Nick and wife Linda.  Nick’s the engineering manager at Weldco and his wife is a public health nurse.  Our sister Lena is a nurse at Penticton hospital.  Our children all have degrees of some sort.  Nick’s daughters are back to UBC, one is part way through med and the other dentistry (one getting married).  My daughter is a geriatric pharmacist who has received much recognition for innovation in long-term care.  Sister Lena’s son was teacher of the year in Manitoba and his brother was awarded Canada’s Golden quill.  At acceptance at Pier 21, he said in his speech that all it took was three generations to get to Pier 21:  grandmother and grandfather immigrated there, they had his mom, and here he was back.

Brother Joe yearly takes his motorhome to Tolquert Bay on Vancouver Island’s west coast.  He passes by you.  I’ve gone fishing with him.  He loves to go “way” out past the small islands.  I am unable to land the salmon he facilitates my hooking.  Last year, went with him and wife Elaine to the North West Territories.  Stayed overnight in Whitehorse with friends of theirs.  They are two RCMP officers and he’s the RCMP pilot up there.  Should you wish to connect with Joe, let me know and, perhaps, he can stop by en route to/from west coast, which will be immediately after the wedding.

Mom was friends with your mom’s aunt, a friendship which continued until Aunt Gerda passed away.  Mom died in 2003 at 93.  Mom told us when your mother passed away.  I really don’t know why I--or one of us—did not try and get in touch over the years.

Mom often came through the farm to have coffee with my mom.  Believe she mentions that in one of the letters.  As the letters are at my home in Surrey, can’t confirm, but I believe that in re-reading the letters I recall that was mentioned. 

When your mom was going to Bells Corners to get married, on a lark she asked us why didn’t we come to her wedding.  So I, my brother Joe, my sisters Helen and Mary agreed it would be fun.  Then, one of our neighbours, who was going to quit his job and start a heavy duty mechanics course in the new year anyway, said he’d come too as he’d not seen anything of Canada.  He (Ken Charlton) eventually married my sister Mary.  We were your mom’s few guests at the wedding.  Know we sat with some elite officers (believe a Commissioner, if memory serves me correctly).  Afterwards we went to a house party and sang well into the night.  We were “camping” so you can believe it was an effort to dress for the wedding.  “Camping” meant either tenting or sleeping in the station wagon (Ken front seat, Joe back seat, three sisters in the luggage area).  My sister Mary says she still has her western hat from the trip.  We all brought along similar hats, but where mine went I don’t know..

This trip was a milestone adventure to which we often refer.  My youngest brother’s son Colin, who graduated from mechanical engineering at UBC this year, joined a fellow student and the other student’s boss for a motorcycle trip this spring to the tip of South America.  Unfortunately, the third rider, whose father-in-law is David Suzuki, was killed by a hit and run.  I know that this trip will always be a milestone in my nephew’s life, as was our trip to ours.. 

Along with your grandmother, we saw your mom off at the train.  I have photos on slides somewhere and will try and find for you.  Your mom was an beautiful lady and enjoyed the boisterous household my mom had.  The place was always open to our friends and we kids were always up to adventures......what’s on to-morrow?  Okay, we’ll hike that mountain! 

Along with “the letters” I’ll send along another letter.  This was to a neighbour’s son who was in military college back east (am travelling across Canada this fall with his sister and we’ll be staying with him in his home on one of the islands in the St. Lawrence).  This is a letter diarizing our trip.  It will be of interest to you in the section regarding your mom, culminating in the wedding.

Enough ramblings of an “old” lady.  I’m sure I’ll hear back once the letters find their way to the Island.

Kindest personal regards, Annie (Cindrich) Kaps

FOR RECORD & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY

'Maintain Our Memories'

J. J. Healy,

Reg.#23685