THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT The old Whalen family home had deteriorated, and was in need of repairs, so Jack, who was a carpenter, decided to build a new one. He cut his own lumber, used his own mill to saw it, and built a new two storey house. The house was designed as first class. The stairs alone were a masterpiece made entirely of one and a half to two inch panels, and constructed of forty different kinds of wood. There was no power at the time, so all the cutting had to be done by hand. Even the lathe had to be turned manually to design the rungs. The house also had a veranda. It was finished in the style of the era, where Jack used the lathe to turn the logs. He produced a work of art that caught the eye of all who passed by. Birds Eye maple was one of the types of wood used by Jack, who was a great cabinet maker. He made his own furniture which he used to furnish the house. With Kate's help, he was able to farm as well. Kate, on the other hand, was a very strong woman. Because she had Jack's mother as a "Built in Baby Sitter ", she spent much of her time in the fields. In fact, when she was pregnant, she continued to work outdoors until the time of delivery. Within a few weeks after the birth, she was outdoors doing manual work again. It is said that all of her five children were born without the assistance of a doctor. Her only attendant was a midwife. The doctor arrived, but only after the birth was over. Jack had great respect for his sons, Lawrence, Albert, Henry and Gus. He taught each one the carpentry trade, guiding them in the right direction when they were building houses. It is said that Henry could look at a house and perceive the size of the rafters. He was known to have a perfect eye for measurements. The boys were capable of building their own houses. Jack and Kate had only one daughter, Mary Sophia , who was my mother. She had no sisters, so she spent her spare time with her friend, Muriel Bruce . Jack and Kate were very well respected in the community. If anyone was 12