Babs' Family

While I lived in Prince George, Alda and her family were the relatives whom I saw more frequently. However, when I returned to Vancouver it was Babs' family.

Babs married Hubert Gibson while I was still living in Brisbane. As he had boarded with us for a number of years, I knew him quite well. When Grandma decided to leave her little house down the street from where my parents lived and move to a senior's complex in New Westminster, Babs and Hubert gained possession of her property.

With the death of Dad in 1965, living in the 'Finnegan house' was too difficult for Mom - both emotionally and physically - so she and Dan put it up for sale and bought a lovely little bungalow in Maillardville. The house was pretty but, as it did not have a basement, it was quite damp which reacted negatively on Mom's developing rheumatoid arthritis.

Another house came up on the market a few blocks away on Roderick Avenue. It was a fairly large house and, as it was on the lower side of the street, there was a 'mother-in-law suite' in the basement which opened onto a good sized backyard. As Grandma's house was little more than a cottage, Hubert and Babs decided to sell that house too and combine finances in the purchase of the Roderick Avenue property.

My niece, Darlene, was born to Babs and Hubert in February 1966 while they were still residing in 'Grandma's house' up on Dawes Hill and their second daughter, Teri, in 1968 while they were on Roderick Avenue.

By this time some of Hubert's siblings had moved from Saskatchewan to Kamloops. Hubert had seen little of his siblings after moving to B.C. but, as they were now closer, the bond was reestablished and Babs and Hubert decided to move to Kamloops as well.

I was around my nieces - Darlene and Teri - a good deal while they were living in Coquitlam and then less frequently after they moved to Kamloops. I did enjoy a number of visits to Kamloops and one of them I remember because of an amusing incident.

One Easter Mom had gone to Kamloops for a visit and I, and a friend, decided to drive up there for the weekend. By that time Darlene and Teri were teenagers (and 'groupies' of the Junior 'A' hockey team). My family has always been great cribbage players so games were frequently played. I went to bed while my friend - Cam - and the others played cribbage while sipping beer and wine.

The next morning Darlene and Teri were eating the chocolate treats that the 'Easter Bunny' had left behind while helping themselves to the cold potato salad and ham left over from the Saturday dinner. Poor Cam with his aching hung over head was nearly sick while watching them indulge themselves.

Hubert passed away in August, 1988. Darlene manages a privately owned Care Home in Kamloops while Teri - married to Paul Denis - is a Certified General Accountant. The Denis' did move to Drayton Valley, Alberta for a couple of years but returned to Kamloops. They have two children - Nicholas and Leah - who are now adults and living in Kelowna.

This past weekend I learned that Leah is now engaged to be married to a very nice young man. I wish them the very best.