Claude Bartley Remembers, Part 3

I showed you this photo of the Bartley family in a previous post, but I thought you'd like to have it handy to compare it with a more recent photo of some of the Bartleys, including Claude. 

The Bartley family, [circa 1937-38?]
Front row, l to r: Eugene, Katrina, Wellington, Alice, Velma, Grace
Back row, l to r: Claude, Alden, Herman, Vivian, Martin, Austin
Photo courtesy of Sheila Lafferty

Left to right: Katrina,;Velma; Vivian; Claude's wife, Jean; Alice Flewelling Bartley, and Claude
Date unknown
Photo courtesy of Sheila Lafferty

Part 1 of Claude Bartley Remembers is here; and Part 2 is here. 

Claude continues with his memories of life in Beaconsfield, New Brunswick, living next door to the David and Edith Crabtree family farm in the 1920s and 1930s. [Comment in square brackets are mine].

April 19, 2014

Hi, Clair. Glad to hear from you again, (thought I may be bugging you).  I enjoyed reading Sadie Crabtree's Memoirs [they start here].

I mentioned before that we never had a car when I was younger, I guess my dad had a model T at one time but I think before my time.

We lived eight miles from the nearest town, Andover, New Brunswick and dad would make a trip to town every month or so, by horse and buggy, to get what groceries, etc. that were needed. I remember when I was perhaps six or seven years old, dad was going to take me to town with him with the horse and buggy, (I was so excited) we had to go by your grandfather's place and when we did your grandfather came out to the road and told my dad that he was going to town, (he had a car) and that my dad could go with him. (That was the end of my trip to town) of course I never had any "bad" feelings against your grandfather.

I mentioned before about walking across the U.S. and Canada border to work for relatives on their farm. Later I bought a six dollar bicycle from some one, ( I don't know who) that made the trip to work much easier, I used that bike quite some time. In 1942 I bought a 1932 Harley Davidson motorcycle and later that year I bought my first car, a 1935 Ford four door sedan, for one hundred dollars, that was the first car we had in the family that still lived at home.

My dad never drove so my younger brother Eugene got his license when he got old enough so he could drive.

I joined the Canadian Armed Forces, February 3, 1944 and was in until June 1946, so the family had the car to use while I was away. I was in the "front Line" only thirty days when the war ended May 8th 1945, I was in Germany at that time.

Again, enough for now.

April 26, 2014

One more Crabtree story.

I mention about being in the Canadian Army in WW 2.

When I returned back home I worked over the border on a farm where I had worked before.

In 1947 I went to work for my brother-in-law who had a Chrysler dealer ship in Perth NB. On the GI Bill I was trained as an auto mechanic, that same year my (now wife) and I decided to get married, we had dated for five years, so thought it was time to "Tie the knot".

Our first son, Murray was born Dec. 10th 1948, just two hours after my birth date, so we celebrate our birthdays together. (When we are together)

Having been born in USA, I always knew we would be living there.  September 10 1951 we moved to the Portland, Maine area where my oldest brother, Martin had moved his family, (two daughters) and his wife, moved from Northern Maine to Southern Maine ten years earlier. I enjoyed working on automobiles and intended to stay with it, but my brother had a small carpenter business going, he offered me a job so I took it, I worked for him twelve years until I started my own business in 1963. Retired from that in 1990.

My brother developed an area which is called Bartley Gardens, which is a very nice area, in the largest city of the state of Maine.

Now to get to the "Subject"

We started going to the church my brothers family attended. Two of your aunts, Bessy [Bess Crabtree Valley York] and Lois [Lois Crabtree Stockson], also your uncle Beecher [Beecher Crabtree] and his family attended, I don't recall seeing Beecher or Lois after they left Beaconsfield.

Our son Murray married your aunt Lois' daughter, Jenny [I think this would be Virginia "Ginnie" Stockson]. It only lasted a few years, not sure why.

We have two sons and two daughters. Murray is now a retired Medical Doctor. The other three are doing very well also.

Hope you can figure this all out.

I have enjoyed this little trip down "Memories Lane"

Have enjoyed this journey with you.

April 30, 2014

Good morning Clair.

We are making ready for our trip back to Maine, May 6th, our daughter, Gloria came yesterday to make the trip easier for us.

In your last e-mail you asked, "what I remember about hospitals and doctors in Canada"?

Mother with having ten children was never in the hospital, even in her older years I don't think she was ever in the hospital.

When my brother died in 1939, of spinal meningitis, the country doctor came to the house to check on him quite often, that is about all I remember.

As far as my wife and I, other than her being in the hospital when Murray was born in New Brunswick, we were never involved with doctors and hospitals in Canada. Then we moved to Maine in 1951.

Guess that is all for now, have a good day and God Bless.

May 8, 2014

Good morning Clair.

We are now back in Maine after a nice winter in Florida. We had a few set backs this time getting here but nothing major, arrived home about five hours later than planned, but didn't mind the delays too much. Will be a little while getting used to the colder weather, but it's not bad now, in the sixties in the day time.

More another time.                             

Claude

***

[Thank you again to Claude Bartley for sharing his memories with us; and to Sheila Lafferty for helping us to connect with each other and for supplying family photos].