The Frasers - part 11

Part 11 of The Frasers written in 2003 by Annie's nephew Murray Reid Fraser (1919-2013) to capture his recollections of his Fraser ancestors. Annie Belle Fraser was the youngest of eight children born to Douglas and Kate  Fraser. See Part 1 for the start of the series.

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Farewell Aunt Annie

The following portrait of Mom and Dad (Hazel and Murray Fraser) was taken at 400 St. Charles Street when Aunt Annie was in Winnipeg for a visit. A letter from her dated January 22, 1974 acknowledged receipt of the portrait:

The pictures came yesterday. Many thanks. Very good too, only that old lady you have out in front doesn't add any glamour.

Hazel and Murray Fraser with Aunt Annie

This may well have been the last photo of Aunt Annie. She passed away just two months later, on March 30, 1974, at age 82.

Published in The Winnipeg Free Press, April 2, 1974

Greetings from Bournemouth

Annie Belle Fraser was an independent, curious and adventurous soul. She often travelled back to Ontario and kept up with the Fraser folks down there. But sometimes she ventured further afield. In 1969, at 77 years of age, she took a cruise to the British Isles aboard the new RMS Queen Elizabeth II.

The website http://listverse.com/2008/12/29/10-great-atlantic-ocean-liners claims this was a luxurious ship:

At the twilight of the golden age of Atlantic steamers came the QE2, launched upon the retirement of the first Mary and her sister ship. From the late 1960s until 2004, the QE2 was the only way to cross in luxury (aside from the Norway, before she became a cruise ship). She sailed more than just the Atlantic, though, and came to port in Sydney, Australia, among other places. This gorgeous superliner finally retired in 2008, to become a floating hotel in Dubai.

RMS Queen Elizabeth II

Aunt Annie travelled from Blenheim, Ontario through Detroit and sailed to Dublin out of New York. This trip of a lifetime cost $1879.84.

The cost was worth it. Aunt Annie enjoyed her trip very much, as evidenced by a letter to Murray and Hazel Fraser dated September 11, 1969:

A most efficient teacher

Murray could never fathom why his father, Pete Fraser, who had attended Normal School (teachers' college) in Ontario, chose instead to homestead and farm out on the prairies.

Pete's two sisters Jessie (1878-1955) and Annie Belle (1892-1974), however, certainly dedicated themselves to teaching. Annie Belle had a very long career, and taught in several small towns. One of her better students (in La Riviere, we believe) was Hazel Stevens.

Annie Belle Fraser with her young students, in Gunton or Gilbert Plains, Manitoba

Below: a letter of reference from the principal of the La Riviere school, re-copied in Aunt Annie's hand.

Recommendation from ex-principal Mrs. Marjory Smith, BA, dated May 5, 1936

 Below: a selection of portraits of the independent and very capable young teacher.