Mr. Jimmy and Mrs. Mabel Roche

 

I, remember our long trip to Branch with Dad and Mom and when we did arrive my grandfather Jimmy Roche for some reason would be at the gate like he knew we were coming. He would open the gate while we passed down to The Corner to turn around, there, would be a few old fellas dressed so neatly and smoking pipes near a fountain of clear cold water, and you would hear them say “Mabel's daughter and Edmund Keefe are out.” 

 

Also, the long neck bottles of Pepsi in the well at my grandparent’s home where we spent so many peaceful nights, they'll never leave my mind nor will my grandparents!  

 

Submitted by: Peter O'Keefe son of Mona (Roche) and Edmund

 

 

 

 

Betsy and Pad

 

Betsy and Pad went fighting for flies

Betsy gave Pad a pair of black eyes

Betsy asked Pad was he going fighting anymore

Pad said “No my eyes are too sore"

 

“Told by my grandfather, Mr. John McGrath, when he was telling me another one

of his stories about relatives of his. I thought it was pretty funny, so I decided to submit it to the Branch Come Home Year site, I hope everyone enjoys this little poem as much as I did.” - Mallary

 

 

Mrs. Bernadette O’ Rourke

 

Text Box: I remember my conversations with Nanny O'Rourke just like they happened yesterday.  It was hard to get away with anything with Nanny.  She had a prime viewing seat during most of my teenage years in Mrs.Lil's window.  Not much went up or down the road that she didn't know about.
She sat by the bank of the river watching into the darkness, perhaps waiting to see if there was any sign of Dad coming back down the river.
I spent many nights over with Nanny playing cards. A game of 120’s can go all night when nobody wants to give up.  She could never see the St. Bride’s crowd beat her at cards.
Years after I moved away, Nanny and I were shopping in the mall when we came across this beautiful Christmas carousel. Nanny quickly ran into the store and bought it for me.  Every year when I unpacked the carousel I smiled and thought about that day with Nanny, although this year I am sure there will be a few tears.  I plan to put that carousel in a place for all to see, that way I will know Nanny is with us in spirit this year.
Submitted By:  Lydia O’Rourke - Lake , Lydia is the daughter of Roseanne (Nash) and Johnnie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grandchildren Remember...

 

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Branch Come Home Year

August 9-19, 2007

A Political Party

As a "Townie" growing up here in St. John's it was a common occurrence when I was young to find out someone was "coming in" from Branch to our house to visit back in the 1970's and 80's. It would be an exciting time especially when someone visited in the winter months as my family didn't visit Branch much in the winter due to school, weather etc. I'd be "perked up" at the table as Mom and Dad got all the news from the Branch, who got how many partridges, who is working, what the roads are like, how much fish is in the plant , is there ice on the ponds...there'd be tea at the kitchen table and a lot of laughs! Hearing this even in January made me feel excited about our upcoming family summer trip out.


On several occasions my Grandfather Mr. Joe Power would arrive for his overnight stint with the same business to take care of each time: do his banking, pick up some clothes downtown, and his visit with former Premier Joseph R. Smallwood. "Mr. Joe" had a happy glow about him, but was always cordial , somber and did not suffer fools easily. Each time he visited the former Premier at his residence in St. John's a limo would arrive at our door for him. On one such occasion he insisted I come with him, after my mother dressed my up in my Robert Redford 70's style finest off I went in the Limo, with Granddad Power. When you are 8 or 9 years old it is a real trip to be in a limo to say the least.

 

When we arrived at the former Premier's home there was no fun and games...I sat there dumbfounded as the 5 or six men present proceeded to argue, debate, slam their hands on the table and present their cases about Newfoundland's place in Canada. All of a sudden my Grandfather and  Mr. Smallwood, stopped talking, looked straight at me, paused and then asked me what I thought....AN 8 YEAR OLD!!! ha-ha!!! I replied "well, we get unemployment" which was met with roars of laughter. The night went until about 10 pm. By then the men had a few drinks in and the pipes were out. Present were me. the 8 year old, Joey Smallwood, Mr. Joe Power,  Ray Gallagher, a couple of retired MHA's and a young up coming Liberal by the name of Chrétien who years later ascended to the Prime Minister's chair .
Quite a Political party that night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Submitted by: Glenn Power, son of Catherine (English) and Charlie Power

 

 

Culinary Delights Came Full Circle

I was chatting the other night about stories that my parents Charlie and Catherine Power used to tell me about receiving packages from the states via the Argentia base, different foods, cool clothes etc.. As a new married couple from Branch, raising kids in "town" must of been hard on my parent's taste buds, as young kids from town we introduced  Mom and Dad to many varieties of food they surely were not used to growing up in a remote outport at the time: pizza, Chinese foods etc...I can still see mom's face when the lady next door came over with a recipe of a Greek meal consisting of bark from a coconut tree!!! But overall our diet consisted of McDonald's, Burger King etc... These meals were boring compared to the "packages" Dad used to receive from Branch in the fall and winter. My Uncle Allan Power in Branch had his deepfreeze in the back porch and every so often Ronnie Nash's taxi would pull up with a "parcel" with a myriad of things like partridges, salt fish, rabbits, moose, berries etc...When Dad received his package he acted like he had won the lottery!!!  We would look forward to a nice meal "from Branch" Homemade soup, rabbits with pastry, blueberry cake. It's funny and ironic how when my parents were growing up in Branch, looking forward to these "treats" from the states that years later living in the city they turned back to what they grew up on. I guess everything comes full circle....
 

Submitted by: Glenn Power, son of Catherine (English) and Charlie Power

 

 

In Memory of my Grandparents

Aggie (Mooney) and John Power

 

Branch holds a very special place in my heart and  I wouldn’t trade my time in Branch for anything. When I think of Branch, I think of two very special people who played a very important role in my earlier years. My grandparents, Aggie and John Power, had a very positive influence on my life. They taught me values that one could never learn by reading a book.

 

My grandmother was the kindest person I ever knew and she left me with a deep respect for people of all walks of life. She gave me the gift of realizing that when I place a dollar or two in the panhandler’s basket, it benefits me more than the panhandler; thus every time I help the less fortunate I feel her presence.

 

My grandfather, with his very passive manner and quiet wit, left me with the gift of appreciating the simple things in life When I am fighting for my autistic son’s rights in this world I think of him and always remember that honey will always get me more than vinegar. I often laugh at the things he would say and the names he had on objects. I will never forget that, to my grandfather, a pair of binoculars was “a spy glass” and a clock was a “timepiece”.

 

So, really it is not the people we are going to see at this reunion, but the people that we are going to remember that will make this a wonderful occasion.

 

Sherry Gambin Walsh

North Harbour                                                                            


Sherry is the daughter of Marina (Power) and Pat Gambin