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| - MacAdam Clan - (Descendants of Alban Bertram and Margaret Tena - MacDonald - MacAdam) Morell, PEI, Canada |
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| 1916 |
| 1967 |
| BIOGRAPHY - RITA MARY MACADAM (Born: December 6, 1917) Rita Mary MacAdam, the first daughter of Alban and Tena, was born in the family homestead in Morell. She arrived into the world 'with a bang' on December 6, 1917, the day of the Halifax explosion. Rita attended school in Morell and later graduated from the Notre Dame Academy. She entered the convent in Montreal for a brief time but returned home due to illness (an event her four children are extremely grateful for!!). She then taught school in Morell, Morell East, and St. Peter's. As much as she enjoyed teaching, Rita was restless. Once she entered nursing, she knew she'd found her niche! She graduated from the Charlottetown Hospital School of Nursing in 1947 and moved to Toronto to nurse at St. Joseph's. Cecil became impatient with a long distance romance and eventually issued an ultimatum - "either stay in Toronto or come home and marry me". The rest is history!! Rita and Cecil were married at the Little Flower Church on July 7, 1949. They moved into their home (which Cecil had purchased for $1,800) on Main Street, Morell, where they resided until 1991 when they relocated to Charlottetown. People were always the priority in Rita's life and her family topped the list. She was devoted to 'mom and daddy' and Gerry's special needs and made numerous trips 'over home' to see them. She had special relationships with each of her seven brothers and three sisters. Her own family - Shawn, Shannon, Chris, Jeff, Tim, Hayley, and Brittany - became an additional source of pride. The candy dish was always full at Nanny's house, especially when the grandchildren visited! Nursing was an integral part of her life and she remained passionate about helping others throughout her life. Rita and Cecil provided a home and TLC for Aunt Mae, Uncle Reg, and Nanna (Cecil's mother) during the final months of their lives. Rita's love and compassion for people was not limited to her family. She was well known in Eastern P.E.I. for her First Aid post. Now, people's initial response to an emergency is 'call 911'; in earlier times, it was 'call Rita'! Rita treated virtually every ailment from simple scrapes to car accidents, heart attacks, emergency deliveries, and even assisted with an emergency tracheotomy in her kitchen. She also extended her nursing services to include a special care nursery (behind the wood stove) for ailing baby pigs! Rita was always a champion for the underdog - whether it be the underprivileged children enrolled in the Head Start Program, needy families in the community, an unwed mother or a lonely senior - and worked tirelessly to improve their quality of life. She was active in community life, participating in such organizations as CWL, Women's Institute, Catholic Family Movement, and the School Board. While the children were young, Rita was a stay-at-home mother. During these years, she also took in borders, including Kilmer. She later returned to nursing at the Charlottetown Hospital and the Garden Home. Rita, subsequently, taught Adult Education in Morell and later started the Head Start Program/Morell Daycare, where she worked until her retirement. Rita and Cecil spent their final years at Beach Grove Home. They celebrated their fiftieth anniversary in July, 1999. Cecil died on March 22, 2000 and Rita died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital only 8 months later (November 17th) following a massive stroke. Rita will be fondly remembered for many things. She was a daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a teacher, a nurse, a volunteer, and in all these roles one who loved people and showed tremendous compassion and concern for others. She loved family gatherings and initiated many family traditions which her children have continued to this day. She especially loved the Christmas season and went all out to make it a memorable family occasion. Rita's door was always open, the teapot was always on, and the cookie jars were usually full. She love to entertain, was a welcoming hostess and will be remembered for her mouth-watering raisin bread, scotch cakes, sultana cake and kneaded biscuits. She loved to travel, usually to visit relatives in Montreal, Quebec, Montana, and Maine. Rita had a real sense of adventure. She took her first motorcycle ride with her son-in-law, Myron, when she was in her 70's and continued to take annual rides in John's boat until the year of her death. Rita lived by a code that she continually emphasized to her children - "It's the small things in life that matter most" and "Anything that's worth doing, is worth doing well". May we all strive to attain the values she cherished and learn from the example she set. |