Canada 2019 – Part 6 - Finale

July 10, 2019

We were up, packed, and ready by the time the hotel served breakfast at six a.m. Still, we were not alone in the dining room. Apparently others wanted to get an early start, too.

We ate and finished putting everything away. With only one carry-on bag each, plus my tote and Larry’s backpack, there wasn’t much to check for. Since we went to France in 2014 with just this much luggage for three weeks, we never take full-size suitcases anymore.

We checked out and put our things in the rental car.

For this trip, we asked for a compact car (the cheapest available) since there were just the two of us. We got a Kia Soul. It was a nice, roomy little car, and, it reminded us of our PT Cruiser. It had plenty of interior space and drove well.

Our flight was scheduled for 12:50 p.m., but we still had to get back to Great Falls, MT, fill the tank on the rental car, and drop it off. The border crossing on July fourth had taken us a long time, and we wanted to be sure to give ourselves plenty of breathing room.

We had learned our lesson and programmed Google Maps for the trip all the way to the airport.

Because of our early start, once we got out of town, we encountered very little traffic on the road. In fact, when we reached the border crossing, we were all alone. We pulled up, showed our passports, and zipped right through.

After a stop for gas, we returned the car and then went to the restaurant area where we got a drink and waited for our plane with a couple of hours to spare. I pulled out my Surface tablet, plugged it in, and answered email.

Uneventful flight to Seattle. We had a three-hour layover at the airport, so we had a leisurely dinner at a very nice restaurant. Then onto the plane for the short trip back to Orange County, where a friend picked us up.

I love to travel, but I also love coming home. We live in Paradise (Dana Point, California) and are truly blessed to be here.

EPILOGUE

DeLoss Christensen has visited Spring City to assess our great-grandmother’s headstone. It is still in three pieces, although it appears someone tried to glue it back together with something resembling brown tree sap.

He’ll talk to his monument person to see what we can do about getting it fixed or replaced. When it is finished, several of us will try to go there to rededicate it.

I’m so grateful to have gotten to know all these relatives in the north!

Canada 2019 – Part 5

July 8, 2019

We had planned to spend Monday seeing Calgary, return to our hotel, and drive all the way to Banff and back on Tuesday, but Linda Salmon said it was a long trip to make all in one day. She invited us to stay with David and her on Monday night so we could get a head start on Tuesday morning. Since they live on the north end of Calgary, this was a HUGE help. The drive from Lethbridge, where our hotel was located, to Calgary is over two hours. From Calgary to Banff is another hour and a half.

It didn’t take too much thinking to figure out our best bet was to accept her offer.

We ate breakfast at the hotel and re-packed for the night. Then we took our time driving to Calgary. On the way, we were, once again, impressed by the vivid yellow of the fields. We thought they looked like mustard, but we were later told they were rapeseed. We had seen the same crop growing in France on our trips to that country.

Fields of Gold – Alberta, Canada

We had said we’d take Linda and David to lunch, but David was doing some work when we got there. (Yes, it was a weekday…) So, Linda made us lunch. She had baked some homemade chia bread. She proposed grilled cheese sandwiches. How could she have known this is my comfort food? And made with homemade bread, this was truly a treat! (I used to bake all my own bread—and made my own mayonnaise, jam, yogurt, and other things—but I gave it up along the way. I must confess, Linda’s was better than mine.

After lunch when David finished his work, he offered to take us on a guided tour of Calgary.

At first glance, I loved the city. It is large enough to have all the amenities I would want in a city, but it is new enough to have been well-planned with terrific architecture. It seems very accessible. It isn’t overwhelming or intimidating.

Calgary

David had a couple of errands to run, so we were afforded a glimpse of what it might feel like to live there. Fabulous architecture and lovely neighborhoods.

We got out several times to take in the views. We saw the stadium area and Indian camp where the Stampede was being held. Linda had invited us to attend with them the next day since seniors would be free. However, I don’t do well sitting in the sun, and Larry had promised a friend we’d go to Banff and take some photos. So, we thanked them for the offer, but decided to go on to Banff the next day.

We said since we hadn’t taken them to lunch, we’d take them to dinner. They made several suggestions, and we ended up at Il Chianti Restaurant, a family-owed Italian place. Wow! Great food, service, atmosphere. Larry ordered linguine with clams, and I had a fabulous orange chicken dish. Of course, we had to try their desserts, and they were as good as our entrees. We felt this was an excellent choice, and we thoroughly enjoyed the company and our meal.

Back at their house, I showed David how to access Ancestry and how to update their branch on my tree. I realized I still needed lots of names and information. I also discovered the Canadian records are not as thorough as the American ones. Since David has lots of the information on the Canadian branch, he was the logical one to fill in the blanks.

July 8, 2019


We wanted to get an early start and tried to be quiet, but Linda and David were up when we got ready to leave. We thanked them once again for their hospitality and for the fun we’d had with them.

Then we were off to the north.

Banff is a charming little town in the middle of a National Park. It reminded me of Breckenridge, Colorado when we lived in Denver many years ago. We entered the park and went directly to the town. We walked around. (The actual town is only about three blocks one direction and about four the other.)

Since we had left without eating breakfast, we looked for somewhere to eat. We could have gone to one of the big hotels but settled for a little creperie.

Then on to shopping. We each got a t-shirt. Since we were flying, we didn’t buy much else, but we found some keychains we could use for Christmas ornaments. Each year, we have given our nieces and nephews and Kim ornaments from wherever we have traveled during the year. We now have another generation of great-nieces and nephews, so the tradition continues.

We drove farther into the mountains, and Larry took more photos.

Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel Banff National Park

We had already decided to skip the additional trip to Lake Louise since we had a long drive to get back to the hotel.

Once again, the lack of internet connection proved a challenge. Fortunately, we could follow the signs toward Calgary. Once there, we had enough internet connection to use Google Maps to set our route.

We had discovered that once a destination was mapped, it would hold until we got to the end, even if we lost connection in between.

Unfortunately, we missed a turn and ended up on a dirt road in the middle of a huge field. And we lost our connection. The only thing we could figure out to do was retrace our steps and take the turn we were supposed to have taken in the first place.

Fortunately, the road led to a highway whose number we recognized, and we turned south. Eventually, we saw the signs for Lethbridge. We turned off, but then realized we were on the wrong end of town and had no idea where to go from there.

We remembered all the Tim Horton restaurants had wi-fi, so when we spotted one, we stopped for a cold drink. I was able to use Google Maps to map the route back to our hotel.

We are very unaccustomed to being without an internet connection, and this happened at the worst possible time. However, we were able to get back, and it only took a bit longer than planned.

We stopped for dinner and then returned to the hotel to repack for our early morning departure the next day.

To be continued…

Canada 2019 – Part 4

July 7, 2019

We took our time getting ready the next morning after an exciting two days with the family. We were in for a nice surprise when we arrived in the dining room for breakfast. Another cousin, Lily-Ann Kenney had spent the night at the same hotel. (Lily-Ann had bid on and won one of the copies of our book.)

    

Lily-Ann Kenney

She lives in British Columbia and had driven her motor home to the reunion, intending to camp. However, she was stopped at a signal in Calgary on her way south, and the motor home stopped. She had to wait nearly two hours in traffic—with other cars racing around her—until help arrived. The repair person said he wouldn’t be able to get parts until at least Monday, or perhaps Tuesday. Lily-Ann just smiled. “Then, I guess I’ll plan on Wednesday.”

She inquired about car rental, and the prices were steep. But the repair many said he had a rental car she could use inexpensively. (She was determined to make it!)

Her son made reservations for her in Lethbridge for Saturday night and in Calgary for Monday and Tuesday. (I haven’t found out when she was able to get her motor home back.)

We had a great time talking during breakfast, and we finally stopped when they shooed us out of the room.

We said goodbye to her and then got on with our original plans for the day: to visit the town of Raymond, where my aunts were born. We already knew the ranch no longer existed, but we wanted to see the town.

What a cute little place—just a few blocks in each direction—with old homes and interesting buildings. Unfortunately, since it was a Sunday, everything was closed. I wish I could have seen the museum.

We drove out of town in several different directions, hoping we could get close to where the ranch used to be. A block or so beyond the town center, the paved streets turned into dirt roads. There is no ‘there’ there.

We later found out the ranch was much farther than we had explored. However, we knew there was a body of water somewhere near as we saw boats and other watercraft in driveways along the way.

Our final stop was the Temple Hill Cemetery. I loved it! It’s a charming spot on top of a hill, surrounded by trees.

We drove around checking each row for familiar names, and we found them.

Marinus DeLoss Lund and Mary Ellen Olsen Lund (center) surrounded by other family members - lots of them 

In addition to Lunds, we found several other family names we recognized from the previous two days. Once again, however, a misspelling… Marinus DeLoss’s first name is spelled ‘Merinus.’ All his records on Ancestry have the same spelling as his father: Marinus.

(My grandmother, Margaret Imelda McNamara Lund, is buried in the old cemetery at Mission San Gabriel in California. I hunted for a long time to find her. One reason it was difficult was her name is spelled with two ‘T’s’ on her headstone. I’m convinced people weren’t concerned about spelling in those days.)

The day before, we had seen a lovely portrait of Marinus DeLoss and Mary Ellen (Olsen). It has remained in the family and is treasured. The photo doesn’t do it justice.

Marinus DeLoss Lund (patriarch of the Canadian branch) and Mary Ellen Olsen Lund

My great-grandfather, Marinus, patriarch of the family (the one with the 23 children), was a very handsome man, even in his later years.

Marinus Lund

I have photos of all his children (except the two who died in infancy). Many of the boys were also handsome, and some were exceptionally good looking like their father. We all agreed Marinus DeLoss was one of these. He and Mary Ellen made a very attractive couple.

My dad inherited the Lund good looks. When I first saw the movie The Way We Were, I thought Dad looked a lot like a young Robert Redford. What do you think?

Henry LaRay Lund

Dad loathed having his picture taken, and we have very few of him. In addition, he died at thirty-seven, so there are none of him as he aged. (The first one above is his high school graduation photo. The one in the center is his work photo, and the last one is his army picture.)

After our trip down memory lane, we drove through the town of Lethbridge and spotted an IHop, so we decided to stop there for an early dinner.

We had intended to see Calgary the next day (Monday), return to the hotel, and then drive up to Banff the following day. However, my cousin, Linda, invited us to spend the night with her in Calgary. That way, we’d have a running start the next morning. (She also invited us to go to the Stampede with them on Tuesday because senior citizens were free. However, I don’t do too well sitting in the sun all day, so we declined.)

We went to bed early on Sunday night because we wanted to get an early start in the morning. The drive from Lethbridge to Calgary was still three hours.

More to come…

Canada 2019 – Part 3

July 6, 2019

After having met many of the family members the day before, I was anxious to meet more of them on Saturday. The unofficial starting time was 10:00 a.m., and we arrived a few minutes early.

Some of the campers were up and about, and we waved to them as we arrived. The building was still locked, so we waited for someone to show up with the key. Finally, Marilynn and her husband, Neil, got there, and we were able to stash our fruit tray in the refrigerator.

Marilynn Lund Broadhurst, Lorna Lund Collins, Linda Christensen Salmon

Marilynn and Linda were the two cousins on this branch who were the first matches I found when we had our DNA sequenced. Actually, Marilynn and I had communicated on Ancestry.com before that. Other DNA “cousins” showed up later, and I got to meet them, as well.

I had been in touch with Linda’s brother, DeLoss Christensen. He lives in Utah, and came to the reunion with his wife, Toni.

Toni and DeLoss Christensen

I think he and my brother somewhat resemble each other.

I was very happy to get to know him because we share a common concern. When we visited the Pioneer Cemetery in Spring City, Utah (where the Lund family settled when they arrived in the US) in 2012, the headstone for my great-grandmother, Mary Jane Ashworth Lund, was in three pieces. It appears an attempt has been made in the intervening years to stick it back together, but it almost looks worse now. DeLoss wants to contact a monument maker to either have hers and her husband’s (Marinus Lund) restored or to have them replaced. Off and on since 2012, I have tried to locate someone to do it without success.

Now that DeLoss is taking action to make it happen, I am thrilled. I told him if he needed additional funds, to contact me. More later about his intention to fund the project.

I had talked to several of my cousins about this project, and my cousin, Roger Royal was as enthusiastic as I to see it happen. Roger died earlier this year, and this seems like something I can also do for him.

Lunch was served: Alberta beef sandwiches with lots of sides: industrial size pans of potato salad, coleslaw, chips, raw veggies, and a variety of other salads as well as our fruit tray.

I also got to meet many of the other descendants of Marinus DeLoss.

Linda Christensen Salmon, Jeffrey Reed Salmon, LeRay Ralph Witbeck

I was especially glad to know my dad’s middle name was perpetuated in the family. The original spelling was like my dad’s: LaRay. However, as often happens, somewhere along the line, the spelling changed. LeRay told me there is yet another spelling somewhere in the family.

Marie Ralph Witbeck is the eldest of the cousins. LeRay is her son.

Lunch was enjoyed by all.

After lunch, the kids (and those who still felt like kids) enjoyed outside games: water balloon fight and human piňata.

One of the highlights of every reunion is the auction. DeLoss Christensen and Terry Lund did the honors. Family members donate crafts and other goods to be auctioned. This photo was taken after some of the items had been bought—including two hard copies of our book, 31 Months in Japan: The Building of a Theme Park. We learned in past years the bidding sometimes became intense. (Are we Lunds competitive? You bet!)

DeLoss told me he had made an “executive decision” that some of the funds raised would be used to restore the headstones in the Spring City Pioneer Cemetery.

After the auction, desserts (a few of which can be seen on the left) were served. The Lunds are also great cooks!

We spent the rest of the time looking at pictures and other memorabilia. I had planned to share my tree on Ancestry.com with them, but there was no wi-fi. It seemed strange to find many stretches where it simply didn’t exist.

Terry Lund had salvaged the door from the family ranch before it was flooded. (The original ranch no longer exists.) He brought it to show us. In the photo with me are Linda’s daughter, Alita Salmon Laurie, and her husband, Evan Remington Laurie. Alita did her Mormon mission in Japan, so we had fun talking with her.

When we were cleaning up and getting ready to leave, Terry said we had to stop by his house, just a few blocks away, to see his “stuff.” His house should be a museum. His father and two others in the family were world champion rodeo riders. He has dozens of their silver belt buckles, several saddles and lots of other memorabilia. What a treat to see it!

DC Lund’s watercolor of the family ranch

Our trip wasn’t over yet, however.

To be continued…