For a short biography of Marion Feltmate see the year 1932

1950
[In 1950, electricity came to Whitehead!  Also, Marion met her future husband Ernest Pyke. For much of this year, he appears in her diary as simply "Pyke'. But in May this transforms to "Ernie". They see each other several times a week, going frequently to shows and dances, out driving and visiting -pf]

Jan 2: Connie & Aunt Ina [Grover] went back to Halifax

Jan 4: The roads are so muddy that Aunt Ina couldn't get home from Earn's [Hendsbee]

Jan 5: Mama & I to Guild at Alice's [Duncan]. Mrs Thurlow [Munroe] & Clara Jarvis were the only ones there. aunt Ethel is also at Earn's [waiting for the roads to become passable -pf] Elliot had to be rushed to the doctor.

Jan 6: Aunt Ina & Aunt Ethel got home today because the road froze a little.

Jan 7: Pa had cramps again. Snow knee deep when I fed the hens. Ruby & Gib's first baby born today, Donna Marlene.

Jan 8: Snow and blustering. Pa is better again.

Jan 9: Carroll home today for a short time but he & Bernie [Munroe] went to bait.

Jan 10: Katie Fanning married a Barrse a few days ago. [Katherine Elizabeth Fanning, daughter of Harriet "Hattie" Lerella (Feltmate) and Joseph Thomas Wellington Fanning, married Donald Herman Barss in Canso on Dec 28, 1949 -pf]. Alice & I went to take down church [Christmas] decorations. Mrs Thurlow [Munroe] there. too. Ina, Sidney, Nelt [all Grovers] also Jamie Phalen here tonight.

Jan 11: Pa's 74th birthday. Arthur [Rhynold] brought Elliott home tonight. I went to Clara Jarvis's tonight. Charlie MacDonald there.

Jan 12: Working on my runner. Pa sick today but better this afternoon.

Jan 13: Picking over beans that had wheat mixed in. Worked on them all evening.

Jan 14: I have a stiff neck and a cold.

Jan 19: Guild here. Ina [Grover], Ethel [Grover], Alice [Duncan], Leona [Duncan], Lizzie [Porter], Minnie [Munroe, wife of Thurloe, usually called "Mrs Thurlow" in the diaries], Helen [Porter] & Charlotte. The men played cards for Xmas cakes in the shop.

Jan 20: Went to Aunt Ethel's with Burn George. Walked home in the evening. They finished playing cards for 3 cakes which Arth [Rhynold] & Ed won. Arth got 2.

Jan 21: Down to barracks for some lace. Thelma [(Porter) Ehler] went to the doctor today. I worked all evening on my tablecloth.

Jan 22: Pain in my shoulder but went to church tonight. Walked up with Thelma.

Jan 24: Arth [Rhynold] to Antigonish to check his truck. Church & Vestry meeting tonight.

Jan 25: Carroll got some wood today. (I have $4.56)

Jan 26: 3 Electricians came. Stayed for dinner, supper and all night.

Jan 27: The electricians left after dinner.

Feb 1: United Aid tonight.

Feb 2: Mrs [Angus] Feltmate a& Vera [(Lambert) Feltmate, wife of Angus's son Don Feltmate] here. Had an early supper.

Feb 4: Made some muffins. Practised my hymns.

Feb 5: church this morning. Cold. Aunt Fan [(Jamieson) Grover], Uncle Jim [Grover] & Harold [Grover] to dinner. Only Nelt [Grover] here tonight.

Feb 6: Lillian & Helen & I to the show. Driftwood. The little girl's grandfather died and she was left alone but Doc Steve found her and took her home.

Feb 10: Pyke here to dinner. Burn & Melvin O'Leary here for lunch.

Feb 12: Went to Mrs Thurlow's, had supper. Clara [Jarvis?] & Helen [Porter] here tonight. Clara is 21 today and Arthur [Rhynold] is 31.

Feb 14: Went to Aunt Ethel's with Duncan McDonald. Went up to the dance from there. Had 1 with Placide, 2 with Pyke. Came down with Pyke.

Feb 16: The walking wasn't good enough to have the Guild.

Feb 17: Friday. Dance for river school. Had 1 with Robert, 2 with Pyke, 1 with Donny. Came home with Pyke. The Guild was at Mrs Thurlow's. Helen the teacher Bernie & I went up to the dance.

Feb 19: Church tonight. I forgot to play the Glorias after the Psalms.

Feb 20: Helen & I to the show. Pyke sat with us and came down with me. Helen didn't wait for us.

Feb 21: Helen & I to the dance. Had 3 with Pyke and came down with him.

Feb 22: Pyke took me to see "the Life of Riley". The lights came on in the Haulover.

Feb 23: Stormy. The lights came on down here.

Feb 24: Gave Mama pretty tins. Pa gave her $5. Aunt Anne sent a box chocolates.There was no church as expected. Most ice I ever saw.

Mar 3: Pa sick with cramps today. Pyke in home all evening. Leslie's baby born today in Guysboro. [Edna Dorothy Duncan born to Leslie and Leona (George) Duncan -pf]

Mar 4: The electricians here today. Lots of fun with Lee. Busy tonight cleaning. Our lights came on temporarily.

Mar 8: Lovely day. I collected for Red Cross.

Mar 10: This morning I walked to the school house to tell the teacher the truck would be in. I finished my Red Cross campaign.

Mar 13: Leona [Duncan] came home from the hospital with her baby girl.

Mar 14: Baked a lemon pie. Pyke came in to borrow a brush. Went to bed about 9.

Mar 15: Pyke & I went to the show tonight and came home and ate pie.

Mar 16: Went to United Church. Sat with Albert, Leona and Margaret. Then to the Guild at Aunt Ethel's. Pa & Arth went to Canso for coal. 

Mar 18: Pyke & I went for a drive. Big storm. We stopped at McDonald's for awhile. [probably Duncan McDonald's -pf]

Mar 19: No church because the road is blocked.

Mar 26: Pyke left for Cape Breton this morning. [his family lived there -pf]

Mar 29: Pyke came back today and came up this evening until 9. Gave me a boudoir lamp.

Apr 3: Pyke & I to the show. The Flying Tigers and airforce picture. He came in and we had lunch in the kitchen.

Apr 5: Alice & I went up and polished the vases & cross in the church. The men are buying their lobster licence today.

Apr 7: Snow. no mail. Lizzie Spear's baby Georgena died today.

Apr 8: Cut out a print dress. Finished my quilt

Apr 9: Sleet everywhere

Apr 10: Pyke here tonight. He brought his type writer up this morning.

Apr 11: They started shoveling snow this afternoon

[entries sparse and brief between Apr 11 and Apr 23 -pf]

Apr 23: Went upstairs early with the typewriter

Apr 28: Hatcher & Pyke here for dinner. Also Burn & Joan

Apr 29: Pyke & I to Aunt Ethel's today. We had some lobster. Charlotte came down with us. Had supper with me.

May 1: Got my leg hurt today when Bernie was chasing me. A pain. A knot. Then purple. And lots more pain.

May 3: Sammy & Pyke here to fix the organ but no can do.

May 4: I went to Canso with Gerrior to see Dr Clark about my leg. We got home fast time 10 to 12

May 7: Leona's [Duncan] baby christened. Mama & I to the barracks today.

May 12: Ernie here to dinner. Then he left on vacation. Willie U[loth] went far as Monestry to go to New Glasgow.

May 18: Guild at Mrs Thurlow's [Munroe]. Falcon & Alice [Duncan] saw Pyke in Antigonish today.

May 19: Stayed with Clara Jarvis until midnight. Harry came off duty then. Edna got a baby girl today. [Edna & Wilfred Rhynold's daughter Gwen-pf]

May 20: Carroll & Arth were to Queensport today. Went to the Home & School play. Edna, Clara Rhynold, Terry, Mary, Don Feltmate, Robert, Jim and Earl Duncan. Jean [Feltmate] was director.

May 21: Mama & I went in to see Edna's baby. Carroll went to Dr Walsh with a sprained ankle.

May 24: I painted the hall ceiling and flu

May 25: Carroll sold his lobsters and went in the boat to the river

May 26: I painted upstairs hall this week. Carroll came home but had to row as the engine broke.

May 27: I finished putting linoleum on the hall floor.

May 28: Went to Mr Alex Munroe's funeral.

May 29: I painted some of the veranda

Jun 1: Went to Guild at Fannings. Alice bought a vacuum cleaner tonight. [now they have electricity!-pf]

Jun 6: Pa & Arth & I to Cole Harbour to get pipes for a bathroom

Jun 7: typing today. Letter from Ernie. Pa to a meeting tonight concerning the church dropping out Torbay and H.W.Cove

Jun 8: Typing today. Got my little table but Wilfred has to fix the leg.

Jun 10: Waited at Aunt Ethel's for Charlotte to come from the School meeting.  [I believe Charlotte is the school teacher -pf]. We went to the dance but I left early. Didn't like it.

Jun 12: John MacDonald got his truck broke as Keith backed into him working on the Canso road.

Jun 13: Helen & I to Dr Walsh. My blood is 60 and hers is 70. Gerrior called for us at Eva Hamblings.

Jun 17: Ernie came home this afternoon. We went for a drive. Mama & I went to the United supper at the school house. Ernie & I drove to Cole Harbour but didn't stay to the dance.

Jun 18: I went to United Church to hear Mr Forbes last service.

Jun 19: Ernie & I drove up the river and over to the chapel to see the sunset. Drove home and went for a short walk.

Jun 20: Ernie came up and he read while I played

Jun 21: Went to Uncle George's and got the lobsters sealed for Jamie.

Jun 22: Went to Aunt Ethel's again. She was getting a Tony [permanent -pf]

Jun 23: Ernie & I went to Cole Harbour to the dance. Had a nice evening. Came home about 12.30. He wouldn't come in for lunch.

Jun 25: Church p.m. Ernie met me after and we went up the river until supper time. He went on [duty at the base] at 6.

Jun 27: Dance in the Hall for Red Cross. Danced with Horace, Owen, Don & Percy. Came home alone. Good music. Joe Grant and different guitar players.

Jun 28: Alice Jones was married today

Jul 1: Worked up at the Union store. Don [Feltmate] went to Halifax for a couple days. Mama, Pa, & I went to the show.

Jul 2: Ernie & I went to Monestery where the monks live. Lovely day but tired when I got home. Mama gave him a chicken for him and Sid.

Jul 3: Worked at the union store. Neta Feltmate had supper here.

Jul 4: I painted Carroll's bedroom

Jul 7: Ernie came back from 96. [seems to be some kind of leave or time off -pf]  Brought some beer and ice cream. We had a little talk about the beer. [Two of Marion's four brothers had drinking problems, so she was concerned -pf]

Jul 9: Church p.m. Edna's baby christened Gwendolyn Margaret [Edna (Munroe) & Wilfred Rhynold's baby daughter-pf]. Mr Young also went down and christened Herman's Patricia. [Herman and Agnes Rhynold's daughter -pf]

Jul 13: Aunt Deen died this morning. Guild at Alice's. Came home early because Dorothy & family arrived. [Zenia Susan (Grover) Duncan, daughter of John James and Hannah Margaret (MacKenzie) Grover, and widow of Charles Chester Duncan. Dorothy was one of her daughters married to Ed Baker -pf]

Jul 15: Aunt Dean's funeral. I played except the first hymn Ina [Grover] played. They all left after supper.

Jul 23: Ernie & I went to Torbay beach. Lovely up there. He had supper here with me and we went for a walk.

Jul 26: Agatha [Munroe] and Ainsley [Munroe] were to Charlos Cove dance tonight.

Jul 27: Gerald & Muriel married at Guysboro today. Supper at Clara's.Dance at the Hall. Went with Agatha. Ernie & Clarence came up after midnight. [Gerald Frederick Rhynold, son of Fred and Clara, and Muriel Annabella Hendsbee, daughter of Arthur and Laura (Richardson) Hendsbee -pf]

Jul 31: Ernie & I to Canso. He had supper here. We went to the Laurel & Hardy show tonight.

Aug 4: Ernie went home after 6 p.m. to Glace Bay. Eurben was over to the store a short time.

Aug 5: Uncle Sidney and Ina here. Listened to the radio.

Aug 6: home all day and evening. Busy writing. Not very fine.

Aug 7: Connie [Grover] & Joyce & Kay arrived. Came with Gerald Munroe. [Joyce and Kay were daughters of Jim and Edna (Grover) Duncan -pf]

Aug 10: Dance at the Hall. Joe Grant played also Harry Phalen. Ernie brought Mama, Pa & I home.

Aug 16: There wasn't any dance as expected. Only Nauft's show.

Aug 17: Dance at the Hall for the River ball team. Went with Connie [Grover]. Danced 1 with Ronny Feltmate, 1 with Placide, and played for some. Gerrior brought me and Connie & Roy Langille home.

Aug 18: Connie & I at Agatha's. Waited for Ainsley to go on duty mid-nite so got a ride home.

Aug 21: The hurricane started about 2 p.m. Ernie went home on his 96 this morning. I went to the show tonight.

Aug 22: Went out to visit Ruth today at Albert's. [This is probably Ruth (Chalker) wife of Albert Uloth's son Will Uloth -pf]

Aug 23: Went to see Leona's baby

Aug 27: Went to United Church alone. Daicy Margaret & Norma Murry here. Ernie & I for a short drive. Mama gave him a pie for him & Sid.

Aug 28: Agatha here this evening and we had a feed.

Aug 29: Went for a drive with Ernie and came home to raid the pantry. I feel very natural. No care.

Aug 30: Bought some ice cream from Clara tonight.

Aug 31: Cleaning the store windows. The railroad strike is over.

Sep 1: Went to Joe Munroe's tonight

Sep 2: Sat upstairs and worked on my cushion. Today Uncle Simon [Williams] had his operation.

Sep 7: Leona & I went up to the Hall to hear the Dover orchestra. School opened today.

Sep 9: Ernie came back from Glace Bay. Marguerite had a dance tonight. Good fun. Danced with Robert,Ronny and Leo Ehler. Met Harold Dort.

Sep 10: Went to United Church with Ernie and drove up the river after and picked blueberries.

Sep 13: Another gale. Stayed in the store all day & all evening.

Sep 14: Ernie & I to pick blueberries up the river. Walked out to the lake but didn't go fishing. Went to the dance tonight. Joe Bray's orchestra.

Sep 15: Ernie's birthday. He came in a few minutes around mail time. Agnes [Rhynold] came home today with a new baby girl Mary Joyce. [Agnes and Herman Rhynold-pf]

Sep 17: Ernie & I went to see CJFX today, We had dinner at 9 p.m. at home. Pa was to Fr. LeBlanc's farewell.

Sep 21: Guild at Aunt Fan's [(Jamieson) Grover]. Joe Bray's dance at the Hall again but we didn't go.

Sep 22: Ernie is on his 96. We went looking for fox berries. Had supper here. Got a message from his sister he has to go home. His father is sick. Bessie & Bill Munroe from Cole Harbour here tonight.

Sep 24: Went to Aunt Ethel's today. Uncle George [Grover], Forman [McCabe] & Uncle Sidney [Grover] were picking blueberries. Evelyn, Colin's wife is in Canso hospital. Edna here tonight. I gave her my cushion top.

Sep 25: Ernie came back from his 96. His father feels better. I didn't go to the show, but he didn't come up.

Sep 27: Nelt [Grover] working at our bathroom moulding.

Sep 29: Dance & supper for Home & School

Sep 30: Ernie to Antigonish, brought me hamburger.

Oct 1: Morning service. I played the Te Deum and Aunt Ina played the Jubilate.

Oct 2: Went to work at Don's [Feltmate. Don was running the Fisherman's Union fish plant-pf]. Awful tired tonight. Went to bed early.

Oct 3: Louise brought home her 2nd boy. [George Earl Duncan born to Earl and Louise L. (Thompson) Duncan -pf] The lime blew up today because there wasn't enough water on it I guess. I wasn't there but Don was. No one hurt.

Oct 9: Don [Feltmate] went to Halifax Sat. night. Will be gone until Tuesday night.

Oct 11: Ernie came back from 96. Brought me home from work. It is raining.

Oct 13: Mrs Cran here today alone. Came with Daicey. [probably Mrs Cranswick Munroe althought possibly Mrs Cranswick Feltmate from Canso -pf]. Sonny [Conway] & I got locked out of the store for awhile but he got in through the window.

Oct 14: Weighed out a lot of raisins and almost a barrell of sugar. Went to Harris' with Ernie for bread. Came home about 8.

Oct 15: Church a.m. Don & Marie & Mary Chisholm here p.m.

 Oct 19: Ernie & I out for a quick drive. Blue lightening tonight. Had corn beef & cabbage. Then took the Guild women home.

Oct 21: Don went to Mulgrave for Ainsley to get his car. Went to work with Arth and came home with Ernie. Worked on my cushion tonight.

Oct 31: Hallow-e'en dance for the church. Leona & I sold tickets and made $8.60.

Nov 3: Turned the collars on 2 shirts for Ernie

Nov 5: Church this morning. I played the Vesper thinking this was afternoon.

Nov 10: Ernie & I went to Queensport and got Connie [Grover]. She went to the dance here but we didn't go. I have to work tomorrow and Ernie doesn't feel well.

Nov 17: Ernie, Robert [Conrad] & Sylvia [George]  & I went to Port Felix dance.

Nov 21: Vera [Feltmate] worked at the store on the books.

Nov 23: Mama, Pa & Ernie & I went to Canso. We went to the Memorial service for Bishop Kingston.

Nov 24: Ernie & I went to Canso to get Joe Bray's skates but he didn't have them ready. I went to Dr Walsh for my report but he didn't have it.

Nov 25: Ernie went home [to Glace Bay] on his 96. Mrs Angus Feltmate went with him. [Angus's son Everett and his wife Iola or Iala (Peach) had moved to Port Morien, Cape Breton. Mrs Angus Feltmate was Elizabeth "Bessie" Leah (Munroe) -pf]

Nov 28: Ernie came back. Mr Gidney and Cecil Stewert here from dinner time. The wind is too strong to go down to Three Top [Island]. [see Memorandum at the end of the 1950 entries -pf]

Nov 29: Mr Gidney & Stewert are still here because it is too rough to go to Three Top.

Nov 30: We went for a drive and watched the cars going to the dance at Port Felix, but I was tired anda we didn't go. The 2 men went to Halifax today.

[no entries Dec 1 to 7 -pf]

Dec 7: Stewert and Gidney staying tonight.

Dec 10: Church tonight but so much smoke we got out early.

Dec 14: Went to the school concert

Dec 16: Doing parcels. Ernie helped me.

Dec 19: Ernie & I went to the concert at the Hall for the River. It was good.

Dec 20: Ernie & I looked for a tree tonight but couldn't find one.

Dec 22: Put my tree up tonight.

Dec 23: I got paid $24.00 tonight.

Dec 24: Went to Queensport today. took Millie a gift. also Leah, Mrs g Munroe and Aunt Fan. Alice & I took gifts around tonight.

Dec 25: church a.m. Opened gifts p.m. Ernie & I to aunt Ethel's [(Uloth) Grover]. Had 4 o'clock tea with Marth [(Uloth) Munroe, sister of Ethel], Have [Havelock Munroe, husband of Marth], Margaret [their daughter] & husband [Fred Chapman] and Bill Munroe. Home all evening Ernie, Pa & I.

Dec 27: Took stock

Dec 29: Lizzie & Sam [Porter] here tonight.

Dec 30: Cathie left Whitehead today. Connie came last night. Ernie took us down to the barracks to see sid.

(Memorandum: 1950 Nov 28th Ernie proposed)