Five Generations

Rick was lucky enough to know his great grandfather, as I knew my great grandmother Hearn. However, his great grandfather, Joe Lawrence, lived to be one hundred and one, so our daughter, Claire, knew him as well.

Joseph (Joe) Lawrence was born in Channel/Port aux Basques. He was the youngest of four sons. His father died when Joe was young. We learned in recent years that his father committed suicide which wasn't talked about in the family. The story was that he had drowned. His mother, Elizabeth, remarried.

Joe married Julia Hardy and they had nine children. They lived in a big house in Channel and Joe was a conductor on the railway. He worked with my grandfather's brother Cyril Pretty, also a conductor, and knew both my grandfather, Sam, and his brother Fred, who were engineers living in St. John's.

I met Joe several times. One of the memories I have of him involves mealtime. Joe liked to eat at 12 noon and 5 p.m. He always made his way to the table a few minutes before those times, sat and hit a spoon off a cup when the clock struck the meal hour. Meals had to be on time! I think years of working the trains and getting a short meal break, accustomed him to expect timely meals for the rest of his life.

      Back, Joe Lawrence, Sylvia Smith

Classie Lawrence Mercer, Rick Smith, Claire Smith

Joe lived his life in Port aux Basques, living with his daughter Leci Farrell after Julia's early death. When he visited Corner Brook and stayed with Classie, his oldest daughter,  and her husband, Dick, he was just as demanding. Classie obliged, smiling when she heard the tingling of the china cup. I guess when you live past one hundred, you can demand service when you want it and people will comply, though not all of them with a smile like Classie.

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The attitudes about suicide today aren't very different from what they were over a hundred years ago. Today, generally, the subject still isn't talked about openly, or with hushed tones. It's as if talking about it will plant the idea in someone's head. In reality, the truth is the opposite. By discussing suicide, we may help someone with such thoughts and his/her family. It may also help the families of people who completed suicide to deal with the aftermath. Shedding some light on the topic of suicide is a big part of a discussion of mental health in general, which is an area needing discussion today.