Storytelling: Grandma and grandpa’s cabin

Stories of a family vacation spot

Location, location, location

After talking with my cousin Miltie, it occurred to me that another way to tell a family story is through memories of a shared vacation spot.  From the time I was a little girl, I heard stories about “the cabin,” or “hood canal,” or just “the canal.” Our grandparents owned a cabin on Hood Canal in Washington state, and, while I was there many times, I was too young to remember much about the place. My father loved the area and mom, when asked, recalled with a smile.

Mom and my sister, Lynne

Dad and Lynne

My cousin Miltie, five years my junior, doesn’t remember being there either, but he does recall a few details about the cabin. He shared the photos above, and below are some of his memories.

The Cabin on Hood Canal

I don’t remember getting to visit the cabin on Hood Canal because I was too young, but there are many wonderful pictures of the Haggie family spending time there. I am not even sure of its history. But I do have a few clues.

Grandpa was an only child whose mother passed away just before he turned seven. Great-grandpa John sent grandpa to live with one of his sisters for an undetermined amount of time. It was long enough that we have a memento with his name written as “Eddie Shultz” on it. Great-grandpa remarried two years and three months after his first wife, Minnie Vera (Clark) died. His second wife, Agda, was a Swedish immigrant. They were married for over 50 years before his death in May of 1963.

Minnie came from a family that must have had some wealth because they indulged in regular family portraits that date back to the 1870’s. Somewhere along the line, timber property was purchased in Louisiana that was eventually divided among the Clark children. Since Minnie passed away in 1902, grandpa inherited her portion.

In 1940, my mother Dolores, at the age of 11, broke her arm and was taken out of school. Grandpa wasn’t working much, so they took a trip to Louisiana where grandpa sold his inheritance. (His aunt Mercy, only three years older than him, had been selling timber off the land and pocketing the money.)  I believe that grandpa used some of his inheritance to purchase the property on Hood Canal.

Sharing the cabin

Uncertain origins

I have yet to find a paper trail of when and by whom the cabin was bought or sold, so my cousin’s memories shed some light. Regardless, it was a wonderful place where the families gathered often, together or separately.

I’ve collected photos for you to enjoy the place our families loved; the photos come from Miltie’s collection and our own. By the way, the Red Hat Society ladies of today have nothing on the ladies of the canal. It appears there was a Red Shoe Society in the 50s.

grandma, Lynne, mom and Hazel

view from the shore

Dad, our water-lover

Dad after a swim

happy Lynne

Hazel, grandma, baby Lynne, mom, and grandpa at right

Grandma and grandpa at their beloved cabin.

Lalla Geier and Edith Smith

Below, more shots of family vacationing at the canal. I can’t see the color of their shoes…

Ed and Lalla, Hood Canal

Our Orah, the Malevolent Matriarch, at the canal

My grandaunt, Hazel, grandma’s sister

Below are photos of Miltie’s family at the canal.

Virginia, Miltie, Delores, and Patricia at the cabin

shucking oysters out front

side view of the cabin

Miltie on the porch

Profiling through shared memories

Photos tell the story

In our case, most of the people who vacationed there and knew the most about the cabin are gone. There are many photos, however, and with Miltie’s hunch, maybe we have a clue about the cabin’s origins. I had no knowledge of grandpa’s inheritance until I read my cousin’s post.

Without Miltie’s photo sharing, we would never have seen the photos of my parents and sister in 1958, photos we all will forever cherish.

Think about vacations and who the family spent time with in their younger years. What’s in your photo collection?

Happy profiling! ❤

Published by miltoncampbell27

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