Glory Days of Carleton Place- Dear Miss Powell by Terry Kirkpatrick

 

This week I posted about the Lashley family and Sherri Iona mentioned her Grandma LASHLEY’s sisters.

“Olive and Fern Powell lived together in their parents’ home on Sarah St, a white frame home. The girls never married. There was a story that a well known politician in Ottawa who Fern worked for as a secretary asked her to marry him. She turned him down, but he gave her the ring any way. Olive was the French teacher at the High School,  and she taught all her nieces and nephews, along with a grandniece (me) and nephews. Fern loved to travel the world and Aunt Ollie loved to shop. To this day I still want to visit Switzerland and see Lucerne and the Matterhorn because of her stories.”

 

—-Carleton Place’s own Terry Kirkpatrick left a comment and I have to add it for the sake of history, as after all, it is the people that make the history of the town. So Terry is our guest author today.

Olive Powell was my French teacher through Grades 9-13. She once told a story about a great saying of Frenchmen if they want to tell you you were “full of s**t” (my words not hers – I can’t imagine Olive ever uttering a profanity). She would say “tu parle comme un pantouffle” and the burst into laughter.

Photo of Miss Powell from Sherri Iona-This is Olive’s pic in 1968 yearbook. Not sure what year she retired but she was there when I graduated gr 12 in fall 71.

So, in Grade 9 I’m recruited by Les Cadets Lasalle in Ottawa, a French-speaking Catholic drum and Bugle Corps. Everything happens in French. So I think I’m being entertaining one day and say to one of the French guys : “tu parles comme un pantouffle” and burst into laughter like Olive used to do….. – total silence and the guys are looking at me like I’m unable to tie my shoe laces. Yeah, forgot that Olive’s Parisian French doesn’t necessarily make it to the Outaouais.

What a great story about a former teacher. Sherri told me that her Aunt Ollie had dementia or Alzheimer’s when she died. But, Sherri said Olive always seemed to know her. Her sister Fern suffered during her final years from after effects of Shingles and chronic pain.

Olive Powell’s memories of Robert Powell’s grocery store:

Olive Powell remembers her favorite cookies at the store:  “They were pineapple cookies.  Made in the exact shape of a pineapple.  I thought they were delicious.”

Ottawa Citizen – Nov 12, 1927

Ollie, Fern, Gladys and Robert (junior) were all siblings. Here is actual wedding picture of Sherri Iona’s (Lashley) grandparents – John Lashley and Gladys Powell. Sharri said the picture would be at the Powell residence on Sarah Street in Carleton Place.

Photo courtesy of Sherri Iona

Glory Days in Carleton Place-Sherri Iona (Lashley)

Glory Days of Carleton Place–Mike Kean

Glory Days in Carleton Place– Norma Ford

Glory Days in Carleton Place– Lynne Johnson

Glory Days in Carleton Place– Linda Seccaspina