Eva Pilon (on the right)

Note from Jeannette, Sister of Ste-Marie de Namur:  "Mother thought that I was a saint but we know that you are not"  said her siblings.  Nelson was a printer for the Government of CanadaÖ at lunch time he would sit on the threshold of the window frame to eat his lunch while watching Éva in the cardboard box factory across the street.  She is the one who taught my brothers how to waltz.  She always sang.  Very strong lady, enjoyed playing tricks and eating fudge.  She was very pious.  In her frequent moments of discouragement, when she felt that she had just about enough, she escaped to the Church of Notre-Dame du Perpetuel Secours and there, in front of the statue of Mary, would quietly pray.  We knew where to find her when times were tough.  After the death of her husband Nelson the family experienced years of povertyÖthese were the war years.  Quite often all we had for supper was Puff Wheat !  To make ends meet she worked as a cleaning lady at 3.30 in the morning at Government buildings on Carling Street.   She eventually married Charles Rowe, her first boy-friend, when she was 16 years old.



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