It was fortunate that the "trail" had been built connecting Canoe Point with the road to Salmon Arm as on November 23 of 1960 Charles, or "Carlos" as he was called by Caroline, suddenly took ill and was taken by car to the hospital.
Caroline wrote down the details leading up to her husband's death on a small piece of cardboard that for some reason I did not automatically throw out when sorting through the documents. Her daughter had also written about her husband's death many years before and kept that as well, a paper that I found over 20 years ago. The written accounts differ greatly. Caroline writes in a factual manner: "Monday night Carlos started to feel very weak. On Tuesday Augustin drove him to the hospital. At about 5:00 PM he came back to the farm and drove Renee to the hospital. Carlos had been up but not very long as he felt very weak. Dr. Willliams had hope that he would be better but suddenly he passed away in a calm manner with Renee and Augustin beside him. " This tiny scrap of paper is clearly not addressed to anyone but she continues: "you can imagine the shock that I had when I learned of his passing this morning. Fortunately, I was able to cry this morning, the 23 of November, 1960".
Renee's note was in more of a letter format to her recently deceased husband. The letter was written in ink and it looked to me like water had smeared some of the letters. I had always imagined this to be tears. The letter is now with Renee's daughter in Switzerland so I am unable to translate it but from what I remember it was more poetic, speaking of how Henri would be watching over his children like a "star in the sky", and what her hopes were for her family. This letter had been written in Montreal, then taken to Switzerland by Renee when she moved, only to return back with her when she came to live on the farm. Renee had been alone in her home with her husband during his illness for fear of it spreading to others. I regret now not speaking to my grandmother more about this experience of nursing her husband in these isolating conditions. Death, like birth, is a passage that is such an honour to attend.
Caroline's note describing the death of her husband.
"Today is a good day to die for all the things in my life are present" - Native American saying.
Caroline wrote down the details leading up to her husband's death on a small piece of cardboard that for some reason I did not automatically throw out when sorting through the documents. Her daughter had also written about her husband's death many years before and kept that as well, a paper that I found over 20 years ago. The written accounts differ greatly. Caroline writes in a factual manner: "Monday night Carlos started to feel very weak. On Tuesday Augustin drove him to the hospital. At about 5:00 PM he came back to the farm and drove Renee to the hospital. Carlos had been up but not very long as he felt very weak. Dr. Willliams had hope that he would be better but suddenly he passed away in a calm manner with Renee and Augustin beside him. " This tiny scrap of paper is clearly not addressed to anyone but she continues: "you can imagine the shock that I had when I learned of his passing this morning. Fortunately, I was able to cry this morning, the 23 of November, 1960".
Renee's note was in more of a letter format to her recently deceased husband. The letter was written in ink and it looked to me like water had smeared some of the letters. I had always imagined this to be tears. The letter is now with Renee's daughter in Switzerland so I am unable to translate it but from what I remember it was more poetic, speaking of how Henri would be watching over his children like a "star in the sky", and what her hopes were for her family. This letter had been written in Montreal, then taken to Switzerland by Renee when she moved, only to return back with her when she came to live on the farm. Renee had been alone in her home with her husband during his illness for fear of it spreading to others. I regret now not speaking to my grandmother more about this experience of nursing her husband in these isolating conditions. Death, like birth, is a passage that is such an honour to attend.
"Today is a good day to die for all the things in my life are present" - Native American saying.
Charles Fleur de Lys collecting fruit in his orchard.
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