Uncle Jack married Kate Reidy in 1912 and lived on a farm right across the road from Gram's house.

Uncle Jack was good-looking, told great stories that made everyone laugh, and loved people, especially children. He loved animals too, and would get very upset at any neglect or cruelty.

He and Aunt Kate made a very handsome couple. Uncle Peter told me a story of being at church with Uncle Jack when Aunt Kate came in sight. Uncle Jack said to his younger brother: "There's the girl I'm going to marry." - And he did.

I loved him dearly and remember both he and Aunt Kate with great affection. Aunt Kate baked my wedding cake from a recipe handed down in her family. Later during the war years when Gene was overseas, and Dad and I were alone on the farm, Uncle Jack would stop in from his mail route, with a freshly killed chicken for our supper, as well as a cheerful story or a good joke!

THE MAIL MAN

During the Great Depression, when thousands of farmers lost their land and their only means of livelihood, Uncle Jack had a young family to support. He did so by driving the mail route for R.R. #2 Monkton. It was a long, heavy route, cold in winter and hot in summer. But it was a means of supporting the family. He drove the mail by horse and buggy, cutter and sleigh (in winter) and later in an early model car. He had the mail route for close to 30 years and was age 70 when he finally retired.

It is difficult to explain the importance of the mailman in those days. He was practically an institution! Certainly he vied in importance to the local doctor or clergyman! Everyone knew and loved him on the route. For many isolated farms he was the only contact on a long wintry day. He delivered messages and medicine as well as mail. Parcels and people accompanied him along the way. Children were sent to relatives and home again. Letters without stamps were left hopefully in the mailbox with "coppers" for postage. Often these would drop to the very back of the farm mailbox and had to be retrieved with cold stiff hands. Sometimes they even ended up in a snowdrift!

Uncle Jack came home with endless bags of rhubarb, vegetables and fruits from the gardens. Often in return for the countless errands and chores he did for people. His children claim they still can't bear to look at a stick of rhubarb!

Previous: Aunt Nellie Hayes
Next: Uncle Pat Healy