Mary Ellen (Driscol) Ehlers Biography

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Submitted Jan 2006 by Nancy Russell
nanruss@icehouse.net
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Notes on Family written by Mary Ellen 'Nell' Driscoll Ehlers, Dec. 14, 1976

Mary Ellen 'Nell' Driscoll, originally O'Driscoll.  Nell's grandparents came 
from Ireland.  Her grandmother, Bridget (Redmond) claimed she was the Bell of 
Cork (baptism records at PANL state they were in Newfoundland from 1870 
forward).  Grandfather's name was Lawerence Driscoll.  Grandmother's maiden name 
(on mothers side) was Sennet.

Nell's mothers name was Katherine Kelly.  She married Patrick Driscoll in 
Newfoundland, Canada.  They had 9 children:
1.) Lawrence Valentine, born Newfoundland, Feb. 14
2.) Johnny William, born Newfoundland, died @ 18 months with Croup
3.) Patrick Michael Jr., born Newfoundland
4.) James Gerald , born Montreal
5.) William 'Bill', born Montreal-died in Montreal, age 4 of black diptheria.  
Nell remembers him sick and dying.  The family was quarentined.  The undertaker 
came with a white casket and the mother and grandmother who had taken care of 
the baby just handed him out of the door to the undertaker (the rest of the kids 
stayed with grandfather).
6.) Mary Ellen 'Nell', born Montreal
7.) Bridget 'Bride',born Montreal
8.) Kathleen Irene, born Montreal
9.) Lillian, born Rossland-Nell remembers going to church in Montreal, also her 
mother took them for street car rides to the boat locker.  Also the first 
phonograph at a little store-they would stand outside and the man would play it 
for them.

At 8 years old (when Nell was 8), her mother took the kids and followed dad to 
Rossland, B.C., where her Dad worked in the mines.  Lawrence went to B.C. before 
the family.  He worked in a grocery store (Vancouver).

Nell thought the train ride was really great.  They cooked the food on a stove 
in the back of the car.  Lawrence had great big apples for them when they 
arrived (thought they were great!).  Her mother thought she would pick gold up 
in the streets of Rossland.  Cost of living was much higher than Montreal.

Nell's folks located close to the mines in a new community about 2 miles out of 
Rossland.  They had to walk to school-lots & lots of snow.  Had over 100 steps 
to climb on way to school.  (Rossland is built on a very steep mountain slope!).

Nell went there until 8th grade, then went to work in the telephone office.  
$30.00 per month.  $15 went to folks for board & room.

Married William "Bill" Ehlers Sept 25, 1919 in Rossland, then they went to live 
in Trail, B.C.  Bill wored in Hunter Brothers Hardware.  Stayed in Trail about 1 
year then they moved to Vancouver, B.C.  Stayed only a few months.  Nell didn't 
like Vancouver, so moved back to Rossland where Gordon was born Sept 12, 1920.  
Lived in Rossland 2 years then moved to Spokane on Spring of 1922.  Then moved 
to Okanogan Sept. 1922.

Going back when we first went to Rossland to live, my dear old mother never 
complained about the work. She miled four cows, made all our butter, baked all 
the bread, washed with a board and took care of our father's mother (Bridget 
Redmond Driscoll) for several years.  Raised chickens and pigs, and a calf, and 
kept them in a covered shed-no refrigeration.  My mother told the story of when 
she was a girl in Newfoundland, she had gone to work at St. Johns, Newfoundland 
and it was only about 30 miles from where her folks lived.  While she was there, 
her mother died in childbirth, and before she could get transportation home, the 
mother and baby were buried.  Some old lady told her if she would go to the 
grave yard at twelve at night and pray on her mother's grave, her mother would 
appear to her.  She was very heart broken over her mother's death, so she went 
to the grave yard as frightened as she was, several nights, but her mother never 
appeared.

In Rossland, my dad worked six days a week from seven in the morning until five 
at night.

We came to Okanogan from Spokane, Bill worked for a hardware store in Spokane 
and through a Mr. Lush who worked for Blackwells (in Okanogan) at this time was 
going to Spokane to get his family and Mr. Blackwell told him to pick up a 
hardware man, and he got Bill to come to Okanogan.  He worked for Blackwells for 
13 years and then went to work in the Court House for Vince White, and then ran 
for Treasurer, a job he held until he retired at 70 years.

We both loved the Okanogan Valley and have many nice memories and feel we had a 
lot of good friends.