FIRE CAUSES A FAMILY TO LEAVE BEAR RIVER

Lennie Hennessey and Patricia Deagle were engaged to be married in the fall of 1940. It was during the Second World War, and Father Sinnott received word that all single males who were the age of majority were to enlist by Monday, July 15th. The priest, knowing that Lennie did not want to go to war, came out to Bear River to see him on July 12th. Father Sinnott told him that he would arrange the wedding for Sunday. In the Catholic church, under normal circumstances, no weddings were performed on that day. However, Father Sinnott received a dispensation from the Bishop, and the wedding took place on Sunday evening at six o’clock. There was very little time to prepare for this wedding, but their mutual love, and commitment lasted for forty— eight years, until Pat’s death in 1988. From this union came eight children, four boys and four girls.

In 1946, Lennie’s brother, Joe, arrived home safely from the war with his war bride, Anne. She came from Belgium, and could not speak English. Pat, who was a very patient woman, used the catalogue as her source of reference, and taught Anne how to speak English. In 1953, Nuy Veld and his family immigrated to Bear River, and Anne was now able to act as an interpreter for this family when the need arose. They became close friends. Lennie and Pat’s was one of the first places that the Veld’s went to visit. Pat invited Mrs. Veld (Johanna) to an institute meeting at her place. Johanna kept looking towards the kitchen during the meeting. Later, the other ladies discovered that she was very intrigued by the rocking chair, as she had never seen such a chair before.

Pat was a very thrifty lady, who was able to cope when they did not have a whole lot. She always carried a safety pin and a piece of string in her pocket, which she used to catch fish at the little brook in

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