Bé - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, December 8, 1999 Pioneer turns 91 years old By YVONNE MOEN IT GIVES me ‘great pleasure to write about one: of our pioneer ladies. Kathleen Varner, lives at the Willows Apartments has just cele- brated her 91st birthday. Isn't it wonderful to have been blessed to live such a long and- healthy life. Kay still lives’ in her own apartment, cares for herself and loves to get out and walk to town when she can. - , Her preatest™ pastimes are crocheting, knitting, reading, sewing, and she loves to play cards and do crosswords. Al 91 years old, Kay is in good health and loves to reminisce of the past. Kathleen Hjordis Dur- ham (Varner), daughter of Charles and Margaret Dur- ham was born on the Dur- ham ranch at Kitselas on November 26, 1908. Elizabeth ~ Kiltselas {Lizzy) widow of chief Kitselas assisted Mrs, Dur- ham with the bitth of Kathleen. Lizzy Kitselas had also assisted with the birth of Irene (Kay's sister) in 1906. Lizzy arrived with ‘a gunny sack for both births so two of the other Durham. children, Nellie and Paddy not knowing their mother was about to give birth, belicved for years that Lizzy had brought their baby sister in the gunny sack she carried over her shoulder. Kay remembers in later years Lizzy would jokingly threaten Kay and her sister that she’d take them away in that gunny sack if they didn’t behave themselves. Irene was christened on board one of the fiver- boats, “The Hazelton” by Bishop Du Vernet. ‘Kay and her niece Violet Whit- low were christened by Rev. Thomas March, the first Anglican. clergyman in Terrace. During Kay’s young years, she played with paper, dolls from the Ea-_ tons catalogue and made mud pies down in a sand- pile left near the remains of one of the G.T.P. con- struction camp. She remembers her mo- ther taught her to read, write and some arithmetic In 1917, her family left Kitselas to visit their older. . brother Fred in Tacoma. There Irene and Kay wenl to their first real school named McKinley. From Tacoma they went to New Westminster who - pert. ——o ] Monuments | 4626 Davis Street MacKay’s Funeral Service Ltd. Serving Terrace, Kitimat, Smithers & Prince Rupert Concerned personal service in the Northwest since 1946 Bronze Plaques Terrace Crematorium Terrace, B.C. V8G 1X7 I Association 24 hour pager LU Funeral Sevke = Phone 635-2444 » Fax 635-635-2160 fe Hf 4624 Greig Avenue Terrace, 8.C, 638-8322 i) Alanna, Tona, Josie and Karen would’ ra welcome all of our clients to our new location. Penne tell the local story "HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Kathleen Varner celebrated her 91st-birthday in November. Kay’s: sister Elsie lived: to be 105 years old. and then came ‘back up lo Usk. Kay's father was a bookkeeper for the Cordil- lera. Mine on Kitselas Mountain. ‘Kay’s first year of high school was in Prince “Ru- Then in 1924, Kay, her sister Irene and her mother went to’Norway and spent: - the winter there. They re- | turned in spring of .1925, Kay. “spent the rest. of the year: in Vancouver baby sitting her ‘brother’s first’ daughter since his wile hada beauty: parlour and was working: ’ Then Kay. went back to high school in Smithers and. graduated - in'.1927, Then she spent one year at the: University of B.C. -be- coming a teacher. .Then she returned to’ Usk ‘and taught school for five years during the depression . It. was here she met- Slim (Harry) ‘Varner and the couple were married in 1934. Skeena, Lumber ‘Company and later at the Columaria Mines - “During. the war years they moved ‘io Prince Ru- pert. where Slim worked_at. the dry dock: While living here. their three children Slim; had. come.16.:Usk. in.1925 and worked for the. - ter, Greta, ‘Den and Joan were : born. Bul Kay and: Siim were eager to move back to Usk, so when- the. war ended, they “returned and Slim went.to work for the Adam Lumber company fora couple of. years then. struck out on his own doing same horse logging. Kay did a_bil-of school substituting: and then. in 1955-56 she taught school for a-year in Pacific where they. wanted to reopen