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
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Grandchildren Remember...
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Branch Come Home Year August 9-19, 2007 |
A Political Party
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 .
Culinary Delights Came Full Circle
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
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