1956 - 1964
78 LEASIDE CRESCENT
WATERLOO, ONTARIO
With three small children under their wing and with the premonition of more to come (!), Marion and Doug decided they needed a better home for a blossoming family. While Doug was still teaching in Guelph, the split level red brick house was purchased in Waterloo.
These were truly developmental years. Doug busily set about as major project manager cutting, sawing, shoveling, painting, planting, etc. Art and John were essential craft mates!
Meanwhile, Marion befriended the other mothers on the Crescent to share in imaginative play, creative relief, patient discovery and unimagined unfolding. But all would have been lost without Pat and Joyce!
The family was fortunate that other great families on the Cresent and their children had lots of fun along with exciting growing up dramas. The adults indulged in technical sharing, co-operative enterprises and lots of street partying.
Of particular significance were John and Pat Best and Joyce and Art Headlam but others joined in as well such as the Herchanraders, Jankes, Dengis, Day, Johnson, Schaefer and our neighbour Marg and Peter Dooley.
Perhaps, it is best to reflect on a few of the more memorable events that shaped these marvellous years - not in any particular order . . .
> ...Remember the time Karen got her head caught in the posts at the front of Best's house? We had to call the Fire department to get her out!
>...Shortly after we moved into the house in 1956, Dad set out to plant grass and garden at the front of the house. He planned to construct a small stone containing wall so he called the landscape supplier and said, "Would you please bring a truck load of "field stone".
On a bright Saturday afternoon, the truck arrives and drops a mighty load of rock on the drive way - managing to pin the kid's tricycle beneath - and then headed off. As soon as we saw it, we knew we had made a bad mistake - wrong kind of stone! We needed flat landscaping stone. Dad had the difficult task of calling the supplier to come back and pile all the stone back on his truck. We said nothing about the tricycle!
It was all very tentative and when Doug and Marion looked out on the lake, they were aghast!
>...Who can forget the day that all the kids were in a tussle in the front bedroom. Someone slammed the door on David and he lost the end of his finger in the door jamb. The piece was recovered and a quick trip was made to the emergency room.
>...Then, there was the time we were heading for the A&P and Nancy Herchenrader fell out of the car!
>. . . One summer, Doug decided he would take a one week reading course in Philadelphia and would combine that with a camping trip for the whole family in Virginia and New Jersey. Ginnie agreed to join in to act as baby sitter. One of our exciting adventures was to visit the busy Atlantic City Boardwalk.
All was well when we all headed into a candy store for some salt water toffee. That was until we came out and discovered that David was missing.
>...Shortly after we moved into the house in 1956, Dad set out to plant grass and garden at the front of the house. He planned to construct a small stone containing wall so he called the landscape supplier and said, "Would you please bring a truck load of "field stone".
>. . . Gellatly family picnics were a highlight each summer and were lots of fun with so many children. Events were inconsequential for the most part except on one occasion when grandpa Gellatly - inexperienced as he was - decided to take Jane and Shelagh for a boat ride on the pond.
It was all very tentative and when Doug and Marion looked out on the lake, they were aghast!
>...Who can forget the day that all the kids were in a tussle in the front bedroom. Someone slammed the door on David and he lost the end of his finger in the door jamb. The piece was recovered and a quick trip was made to the emergency room.
>...Then, there was the time we were heading for the A&P and Nancy Herchenrader fell out of the car!
All was well when we all headed into a candy store for some salt water toffee. That was until we came out and discovered that David was missing.
The Boardwalk was jammed with people and we immediately sought the help of a policeman. Eventually, we found David walking along the Boardwalk in front of the candy store. He seemed unfazed. Needless to say, it was a quick trip back to our campground that evening!
- See Part 2 for more -
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