Our Mother, Mary Cecilia was born in Cayley Alberta on Jan 5, 1912. She was the 2nd of 4 live children (three still born Kinney children lie in the old Catholic cemetery north of Nanton). Her father Wm Kinney came here from Illinois to homestead in 1905. Anna had followed him by train to Montana and ox cart to Cayley. She told her youngest son, Frank, of looking up at a sky full of geese to decide this must be a nice place. (Her sister, Margaret while visiting later, was repulsed all by the Montanans carrying guns). Wm Kinney suffered from depression and according to oldest son, Bernard committed suicide after three attempts. He was buried in the old Catholic cemetery and later moved by Bernard to the Catholic section of the current Nanton graveyard. (Why were the 3 children not moved?) Cecilia (11) and Bernard were sent to Lacombe Home which hurt her feelings since it was for orphans.. The Ketchums, a childless couple, offered to adopt Cecilia but she refused. (Cecelia sounded proud when relating this to us).. When she was a teen, her mother took her to visit a convent in Illinois. Anna and Aunt Margaret wanted Cecilia to stay and become a nun. Apparently Mother Superior looked out the window and saw Cecilia climbing a tree. She declared, "I see her as the mother of many boys." Thus was Cecealed (sic) the fate of our mother and the 7 sons and 3 daughters she bore here in Alberta.
Song (I can't get out of my head!) Mother Dear oh pray for me
Whilst far from heaven and thee
Till in Heaven eternally, they love and bliss I share
Postscript: When I was 13, Cecilia sent me to a Jesuit boarding college. They attempted to make me a priest. Years later when I confronted Mom on this, she admitted her intent, adding, "But I found you had a mind of your own! " Was her acceptance of my escape tempered by her own experience?
Thursday, February 7, 2008
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