My Father George Bond

My father was a Woodcutting Machinist in charge of a crew who worked the “Big Machine”. He was the first one to have a wireless set in the city of Belfast. He sent off for the parts and put it together himself. It turned out to be about the size of a sideboard. The neighbors would complain, "You’re interfering, You're interfering".

He had a love for mechanical things. He was always interested in new inventions. He sent away off for some electrical handle machine of some sort. He and mother would hold onto one end and then Edmund and his friends all joined in and he turned on the electricity and they all got a good jolt ( I suppose he had quite a sense of humor).. Once he sent off for quartz lights. They were in a sun lamp but they could burn you. Both Amy and I wanted a suntan, there were goggles available and you were supposed to only remain under the lights for a small period of time. Me being the oldest daughter refused to wear the goggles, but little Amy did put on the goggles. Amy didn't get right up when mother informed her that it was time ( but I did.) The next morning Amy awoke to a red face with large white areas like raccoon eyes!

Father told me he worked for a while at the shipyard where they built the Titanic.

My mother died when I was 4 1/2, that was 1917. Father remarried soon after. He married my mother's sister, my Aunt Essie. They had a wonderful marriage and I never really thought of her as anything other than mother. She never treated me as anything other than daughter, there was no difference between my sister and me.

I remember the day they got married. They walked to the Church, Knockbreda, through two lovely Belfast parks. To get there it is a very pleasant walk. first Park is Ormeau, which is abundant with flower beds. They also have an outside grass lawn bowling green. As you walk along you can see the playing fields a way off to the right. The River Lagan runs along side the park. As you leave this park you cross Ormeau Road. Then a few streets up through the Holy Land (so called because of the Street names). Now you enter the Botanical Gardens. There is a huge domed hothouse there, also a tropical ravine.

This is a picture of my brother Edmund and Me and Mother (Aunt Essie) about the year 1919.

Sayings of Mother and Father

Mother, "You're hungry and I'm angry. Put those two together."

Father, "Always have a good address."

Mother, "Handsome is as handsome does."

Father, "Never finish dressing in the street."

Father, "Never stop learning."

Father on food that dropped on the floor, "Someday you will lick where that

lay." (what he meant was that the day may come when food is so scarce that you'd be so hungry for just a memory of the taste)

Mother, "Good corn grows tall."

Mother, "Cream always rises to the top."

Edna, "Use your head to save your feet."

Mother " Always polish your shoes before you go out, even if it's a rainy day, that way it will be fresh dirt"

Mother, "Never sit in a draft."

This is a photograph of Mother when she grew old.

This is Nanny in New Orleans in 1951 holding my daughter on her Blessing Day.

And here is Nanny with Colleen Esther (named after her)
Nanny Billy, Maurice and Lorraine


Looking back over my life I feel very blessed that Aunt Essie gave up her plans to emmigrate to Canada (her bags were packed) and honored her sisters wish to stay in Ireland and help raise my brother and me. We were truly blessed.