Lucy Irene (Birch) Nisbet (1902 - 2008)

Born 2 Jul 1902 in Birch Hill, Prince, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Ancestors

Wife of Thomas Nisbet — married 11 Jul 1923 (to 1960) in Prince Edward Island, Canada

Descendants

Died 12 Mar 2008 at age 105 in Summerside, Prince, Prince Edward Island, Canada

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Biography

Lucy (Birch) Nisbet was a centenarian, living to age 105.

Lucy was born in 1902. She passed away in 2008.

Lucy was born July 2, 1902 in Birch Hill, PEI. ^[1] She was the 9th child of 13 of Swabey and Bertha (Burrows) Birch, a family of 7 boys and 6 girls.

She began her education in 1908 at the Birch Hill School, about a mile from their home.

Visiting any distance in those days meant going by horse and wagon or sleigh. When she was about 7 years old she remembers her mother taking her by horse and wagon to visit relatives in Wilmot Valley and vicinity. They would travel to Grand River, take the ferry over to Lot 16 and continue on to St. Eleanor's where they stopped to see relatives before going on to Wilmot Valley. This trip each way would take the best part of a day. They would be away three of four days and that was quite an event for a young girl.

She remembers the first time they saw an automobile. She attended school until the fall of 1919 when she left grade 9 to help in the household of her brother Sydney. At age 18 she was employed in the Tyne Valley Drugstore owned by Dr. John A Stewart and lived in their home. She worked from 8:00am to 10:00pm and was paid $3 a week plus board.

It was there that she met her husband Thomas Nisbet. They were married on July 11, 1923 at 11L99am in the Port Hill Anglican Church and had a two day honeymoon in Charlottetown. ^[2] After the first three children were born they were happy to move from above the store to their new home on Jan 1, 1928 where the rest of the family was born except Ronald.

Between raising a large family and helping out in the store and post office, Lucy was a very busy lady. However, when the children were young she was fortunately to have live-in help who seemed to enjoy being in the Valley. There was no electricity in Tyne Valley until 1955 so she didn't have all the modern conveniences except for the electricity provided by the wind charger.

Lucy especially like to grow flowers in beds around the house and in later years had rows of lovely gladioli growing in the vegetable garden. She was able to sell some of these to the florists in Summerside. She also introduced raspberry bushes at the lower end of the garden and started a strawberry patch.

She was a member of the Port Hill Anglican Church Women and sang in the Anglican Church Choir which she joined at age 14 and continues when home until 1978. She also enjoyed playing our piano and getting us to sing with her. She was a member of the Presbyterian Ladies Aid in Tyne Valley .

After her husband's death in June 1960, Lucy and her sons Arnold and Ron kept the store and post office going until the fall when the store was closed and post office relocated under new management. In the fall of 1962 she joined Arnold and Ron in Etobicoke, Ont where they had an apartment near Warren and family. Finding time on her hands she took a job nearby in the Ladies' Wear department of Morgan's department store (later HBC).

Lucy retired to her home in Tyne Valley in 1972 until 1978 when she sold the property and moved with Arnold to Fredericton, NB where Better and Family live. To pass the time she hooked many lovely mats, took up oil and watercolour painting and knitted many mitts and crocheted afghans for the grandchildren. In 1993 she received a certificate making her an honorary member of the Fredericton Rug Hooking Guild.

At age 99 she moved to Andrews Lodge in Summerside. She passed away at age 105 in March of 2008, peacefully while doing the crossword in her sitting chair.

Sources

1. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Records Office, Online database, Baptismal Index, Child's Full Name Lucy Irene Birch Birth Date 2 July 1902 Place of Birth Residence, Port Hill Baptismal Date 30 September 1902 Officiating Clergy Henry Harper Father's Name Henry B. S Birch Mother's Name Bertha Birch Church Name Anglican Church Location Port Hill Record Book Number 1 Record Book Page 111
2. ↑ Prince Edward Island Public Archives and Records Office, Online database, Marriages, Groom's Name Thomas Nesbit Groom's Residence Tyne Valley Groom's Status Bachelor Bride's Name Lucy Irene Birch Bride's Residence Port HIll Bride's Status Spinster Source RG19/s3/ss6: Marriage registrations, 1923 Notes Also spelled "Nisbet"

• Chelsea is the great granddaughter of Lucy Nisbet. Birth and Death dates are from her headstone:

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103709179/lucy-irene-nisbet