Interview #77

Name: Eileen Willcott

Sex: Female

Age: 50

Place and date of birth: Conne River, August 24, 1948

Education: Grade 11

Religion: Roman Catholic

Occupation: Homemaker

Number of children: 4

Names of children and where they live:

Bruce - St. Alban's

Dale - St. Alban's

Stephen - St. Alban's

Collette - St. John's

Phone: 538-3918

Place of interview: St. Alban's

Date of interview: April 23, 1999

Interviewers: Carla Collier and Dale Willcott

Eileen Willcott was born on August 24, 1948 in Conne River. Eileen's parent were Steve and Mary John of Conne River. Eileen grew up in a large family of fifteen. Their house had seven rooms, four of which were bedrooms. They all shared beds while she was growing up. Some activities she did with her family were fishing, playing cards, going to church, and berry picking. Eileen did many chores like dishes, scrubbing, washing, bringing water from the brook. She began baking bread at the age of twelve. For fun she would play hopscotch, skipping, seesaw, and hide and seek. She also went fishing and rabbit catching with her brothers.

Eileen said that the illnesses around back then were similar to the ones around today. Her mother would steep tea leaves, along with alder leaves. The biggest killer back then was T.B. Her brother Alec died at the age of twenty-two from T.B.. The doctor that was around was Dr. Colins. If someone was sick and needed to go to a hospital, they would have to go by boat. The closest hospital was Harbour Breton. Before roads the only way to get around was by boat or walk. In the winter they probably use a horse and sleigh.

"The church was very important and we never missed church. We only saw the priest once a week. Father Hayes was the priest. When we turned twelve, we weren't allowed to chew gum, put our fingers in our mouth or drink water after ten o'clock at night if we were going to Holy Communion the next day. When you passed Father Hayes you had to bless yourself or kneel down out of a sign of respect." Eileen said.

When Eileen went to school the teachers were really strict. A few of her teachers were Maureen Drew and Angus Benoit. The school was located not far from where it is now, just to the side. She really didn't like to go to school. They all had to bring wood and splits to light the fire and in the evening they had to clean the board. "We would be right proud when it was our turn to clean the chalk board." Eileen said.

Eileen's first job was teaching down Conne River. Eileen had a grade eleven education and that was all she needed to become a teacher. She received $91.00 every two weeks. The first thing she bought was a T.V. for her mother and a record player for herself. The price of food was cheap, eighteen cents for a can of milk, potted meat was thirteen cents, sausages were fifteen cents and a stamp for five cents. Her parents had the first corner store in Conne River. There was a post office in Conne River while she was growing up. The only way to communicate with others was by writing letters or sending a telegraph.

"Christmas was good but we never used to get much. We used to put up our stocking and usually got one gift like a doll." Eileen said. People would go mummering house to house and get old fashion pies and cakes. St.Anne's Day was the biggest holiday. St. Anne's Day was really nice and there would be lots of visitors from all around the bay. Eileen recalled getting up early in the morning to watch the boats come in. They all had a special outfit for that day. During Easter they would save their eggs and put them in flour to boil.

Eileen recalled a few changes like when the highway was built and electricity came in 1961. Another important thing was the clinic because then you just traveled to St. Alban's instead of traveling to Harbour Breton. Eileen said the most important change for her was when she got married on August 23, 1968. She got married eleven o'clock in the morning. It was an old fashion time. Their wedding and dance was in the Conne School. They had cakes, pies and the men had a bit of homebrew. Eileen said, "Women were smarter then, they didn't drink."

Eileen had a lot of useful information to offer us and was a great help in preserving the past.