The early days of the 20th century brought the beginnings of 
     
     modernization. The first electric lights were installed in the community 
     
     with the source of power from a hydroelectric plant in nearby South 
     
     Freetown. In 1929, the first telephone exchange was established in the 
     
     home of Mary Sullivan. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The economy of the Kinkora 
     
     area was eXpanding. In 1920, the 
     
     Provincial Bank opened a branch 
     
     in the community, and in 1924, 
     
     the Canadian National Railway 
     
     appointed the first full—time 
     
    
   
   
    
          
     
    
   
   
    
     station agent in Kinkora. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Within this milieu, the Keefe 
     
    
   
   
    
     Provincial Bank, opened in Kinkom family grew and expanded. 
     
    
   
   
    
     in 1920 (G'K Fflm" comma") Patrick, John and Margaret’s eldest 
     
    
   
   
    
     son and Kathleen’s grandfather, 
     
     took over the family farm when his father John died in 1888. Before 
     
     returning to Kinkora to take over the family farm, he had operated a 
     
     boarding house in Summerside. Patrick was married to Ellen Brennan, 
     
     a widow with four young children. From that union would come four 
     
     more children, Margaret, Albina, Adeline and John. 
     
    
   
   
    
     John, Patrick’s youngest son and Kathleen’s father, grew up working 
     
    

    
     on the farm and with encouragement from his father, attended Saint 
     
     Dunstans University for a year in 1891—92. This would have been a rare 
     
     occurrence, and was no doubt a result of the strong priority that was 
     
     attached to education. He returned home to farm, operated a boarding 
     
     house and looked after his elderly parents. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Kathleen’s mother was Angelina Monaghan, the daughter of Ambrose 
     
     Monaghan and Elizabeth Roberts. Ambrose had emigrated from County 
     
     Monaghan and lived in Kelly’s Cross. Elizabeth died when Angelina was 
     
     just four years old, and she went to live with her grandparents, John 
     
     Roberts and his wife. Although her legal name was Monaghan, she 
     
     gradually became known as a Roberts, and she herself adopted the family 
     
     name. Angelina was a very attractive girl, made many friends and had a 
     
     deeply religious faith. Kathleen has in her possession a copy of a card that 
     
    
   
   
    
     24 KATHLEEN MURPHY, MAITRIARC