One, an account of an Alaska cruise in 1954, was written by my Na, my maternal grandmother, Amy Estella Irwin (married name: Scott) and typed up, I'm pretty sure, by my mum, or possibly, Dad.
This was a trip with her sister, Maggie (married surname Drummond), on the Canadian National Railway ship, the S.S. Prince George, which left from Vancouver, BC, and travelled to Alaska and back from June 25th to July 5th, 1954. I can remember Na talking about this trip which she remembered with pleasure. She won first prize for 'most original costume' and kept that trophy all the rest of her life. (Yes, I have it now, although years ago, the little plaque was lost.)
Here is a bit of her account (un-expurgated). She begins by describing her sister's 'Gay 90s' outfit, then.
"In contrast I fixed up as a little "Injun". I made myself a pair of tan pants using the lining side-out of our port hole drapes. I fringed tan crepe paper to make my coat and trim of my paper bag moccasins. Made my bow and arrow from a wooden coat hanger, also fringed brown paper into feathers for my head band and had "Chief Eater" in lip stick on the band. [Na claimed she gained 5 pounds on the trip.]
Second prize went to a lady in a rain coat with a lighted coal oil lantern. Her placard read "Passenger on S.S. Pr. George looking for the midnight sun, or in fact any sun."
This is how I remember my Na, social, inventive and very fond of a (clean) joke, especially one involving words.
Names Na mentions as ship mates:
Maggie / Margaret Drummond - sister
Mr. and Mrs. Andresen, of Hollywood, California
Mr. and Mrs. Wright, Indianapolis, Indiana
Mr. and Mrs. Cobb, Edmonton, Alberta
Mr. Pepper, Sacramento, California (a high school principal)
Sheila Pepper
Russ Westover, cartoonist, and his wife
If you have a connection to any of these people, would love to hear from you.
Amanuensis Monday was started by John Newmark of the Transylvanian Dutch blog to encourage more transcribing of family and family related documents. Click to read his this month's contribution from a recollection of Tecumseh, 1813.
My Na, Amy Estella Scott,
née Irwin, at her birthday celebration at her apartment in Vancouver, BC, 1971.
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