Cape Breton's Magazine

So that's as much as I know. But they were--Mother used to tell me they would...be out walking up and down the beaches, trying--seeing if the bodies would wash ashore. And they did that for a long time, she said. Every spring they'd be looking, but they never saw any bodies. I suppose, every now and then, some bodies would be washed up from some shipwreck or something, and there was always a chance. When a body was discovered on the shore, they'd think. Well, maybe this is Father. They'd be on tenterhooks, I suppose, till it was proven otherwise. So they didn't have an easy time of it, but they seemed to come through it all right. And they're all strong, well-balanced char? acters, the family that survived. They lived to a ripe old age. Mother's ninety- four (Dolena Thurgood, Sydney, 94 at the time of her death). Ranald was 92, I guess, when he died (Ranald Thurgood, Morrison Road near Broughton). Mary Ann was 98 (Mary Ann Thurgood, Arichat and Calgary). And Mary, she was probably 80 or so--died younger (Mary MacCormack, Sydney). But all the others died in--you know, as young la? dies, as young girls (Kate, Maggie, Effie, and Kitty Ann of Malquish). Lois (MacKay) Thurgood Recorded September 2,1992, in the living room at C. & L. Thur- good's cottage, Augustine Cove, P.E.I. Ranald Thurgood: Lois Thurgood is my mother, the wife of Charles Thurgood, and the daughter-in-law of Dolena Thur? good • Murdoch MacDonald's daughter. Lois is from Prince Ed? ward Island and lives In Windsor, Ontario. She spent a great deal of time with her mother-in-law. As this excerpt begins, she Is talking about Dolena. Lois Thurgood: She never said much about her sisters and their deaths, at all. She did talk about her father dying and that she always--because they never recovered his body, for years she thought he'd show up again. She used to hear people at the door and she'd think he was coming. (Ranald: Do you remember what she said about her father dying? Did she actually talk about what happened?) No. Wait now--I heard a man talking to her about it, out in Fourchu. And he said he had seen it, that the ship came into the harbour. It I came in. BvignoUt 'warm welcome awaits you at 'yv Cape Breton's most popular gift shop, located in the centre of downtown Sydney;. 'eati/rm/' an &xte;//A'/oc ,se/ectwn o/i ' Maritime & Canadian Handcrafts ' Quality Souvenirs & T-Shirts -' Folk Art & Country Gifts ' Seagull Pewter ' Scented Candles & Potpourri ' Imported Gifts & Collectibles • ' Kitchen & Home Decor Accessories ' Year Round Christmas Shoppe Open Daily 9am-5pm Thurs & Fri 9am-9pm 303 Ciiarlotte St., Sydney, Y Telephone: (902) 539-7338 and then sud? denly there was a squall, and when it stopped, there was no ship. Now, how any? body was res? cued or any? thing, I don't know. She said she remembered her mother. She was about --what?--ten or less. Her mother was go? ing out to the barn to milk the cow, and she had the bucket in her hand. And the men came to the door and came in and told her mother that the ship had gone down and Murdoch and her brother--one of the Fergu? sons- -had been killed. And she said, "I 84 Main St. • Sydney Mines 736-8701 Bob Francis • 736-3419 "Four Generations of Seirvlce" yi M S & M Trucking Ltd. • General Trucking • Local & Long Distance • Loader & Trailer Rentals Float, Flatbed, Drop Deck Service r- OFFICE 1 567-2260 FAX 564-1443 • ' SYDPORT INDUSTRIAL PARK IF Operating in: NS, NB, NFLD, PEI, ONT, PQ, and the U. S. A. Donald Sives Manager GARAGE & DISPATCH 564-2011 BUSY CALL 564-0204 - SYDNEY. NOVA SCOTIA :j