Eva Lillian Doyl (born Davey)

Eva adds the following;

"MEMORIES

Looking back over the years I have many fond memories of my grandparents.

My paents and I spent alot of time as Grandma and Grandpa Davey's when we came down from Canada in the wintertime. Some evenings Grandpa Davey would go out to the "fruit house" and bring in a bowl of apples, one of which he would usually "scrape" for me. I thought nothing could taste better! Other evening he would go into the long closet off their bedroom and bring out a bag of candy and pass it around. Russell and I thought Grandpa must have a candy store in the back of that long dark closet.

Grandma Davey was proud of her big house and always kept it immaculate. Heavy plush maroon-colored portieres separated the dining room and the "parlor". They were only opened on special occasions such as holidays or when the minister came to call. The parlor was always off limits to all the kids; however, now and then when we were alone, Grandma would ask me to go into the parlor with her and play some of her favorite hymns on the piano. She never asked me to play any other music.

We enjoyed many holiday dinners at Grandma and Grandpa Davey's. She had goose for Thanksgiving dinner, turkey for Christmas and always had several desserts- English plum pudding, fruit cake, mince and apple pies. Not only did she have her own family, but would invite all the Bakers and all the Larsons as well. The grown-ups ate i the dining room and we kids surrounded the big table in the kitchen and always had a good time.

When we lived "back South" on Grandma and Grandpa's place, I would go up to visit with Grandma. She would tell me about her family- how her mother could speak only Gaelic while her father could speak both Gaelic and regular English, about her brother, Alexander being called Sandy and having a sandy complexion, and about her other brothers, Duncan and James. I wish now I had asked alot of questions and had written it all down but a ten-year old doesn't think of that. Perhaps this is what started me being interested in our family background.

Whenever we stopped by, Grandma would ask me if I would like "a piece". She would take me into the little room off their bedroom she called the bathroom where whe kept her kerosene stove in the wintertime. IT seemed to me that the oven of that stove always had pies and cake on its shelves and she would cut me a piece of cake. If she didn't have anything baked she would take me into the pantry and give me a slice of bread, spread with butter and sprinked with sugar. I enjoyed whatever I was given.

Grandma Baker lived four and a half miles down the road near the Bell Railroad station, and we would spend part of our time with her.

Uncle Ross, getting ready to take us, would hitch up a team of horses to the sleigh or if the snow had melted it would be the "hack". We were always protected by a lap robe when big gobs of ice or mud were thrown at us from the horses' hooves.

Grandma Baker always seemed so happy to see us. She would greet each of us with a kiss and make us feel right at home. Her house always smelled so good- sometimes it was apple butter or other jam she was making. She was a real Southern cook- fried chicken, corn bread, many vegetables, etc.. Everything was delicious.

When Aunt Bertha died Marie was four years old and Grandma had taken her to raise. Marie and I always had fun playing together- whether it was making braclets of buttons out of Grandma's button box, playing with paper dolls, or in warmer weather, making mud pies or singing on a rope in the hay mow in the barn.

Aunt Kathryn and Aunt Maude were there too. In the evenings we would gather around the dining room table, Grandma included of course, and play "Menagerie" with Flinch cards and have alot of fun laughing.

Quite often Aunt Kathryn and Aunt Maude would have friends in and they would gather around the piano and sing and have alot of fun. Aunt Kathryn played by ear and it seemed to me she could play anything. Marie and I would sit on the side lines and listen.

Grandma seemed to enjoy all the activity. She never complained about all the hard work she had to do and was always cheerful. In the earlier years whenever anyone i the neighborhood had a baby they would call or come and get "Aunt Molly" to come as a mid-wife. She never got paid but always seemed glad to help out.

Both families- the Daveys and the Bakers- attended the country Lockwood Church, were well liked and were very much respected by everyone. I feel very privileged to have been born into these two wonderful families and to have had such warm and loving relationships with my grandparents.

As I've worked on the "family tree" lists, I know that our Grandparents would be very pleased and proud that their many descendants are continuing leading respectable lives and upholding the family names."

SS Death Index;

First Name: EVA

Middle Name:

Last Name: DOYL

Social Security #: 533-03-1993

Date Of Birth: 1910-Nov-03

Date Of Death: 2000-Jul-20

Last Residence: SPOKANE, WA 99223