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In Memory
Angeline Chisholm
I have often wondered what it would feel like to sit under a tree
with the Great Teachers ... Socrates, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther
King, Mother Teresa - people who understood that the greatest accomplishment
of a teacher is not to put greatness into someone - but to elicit it
from them, because the greatness is there already.
I have wondered what it would feel like to have that wonderful, solid,
real feeling when you being totally and completely listened to by a
person who you know is firm but fair, and whose high expectations of
you somehow make you want to live up to them. I have wondered what
it would feel like to have a teacher who, for as long as you can remember,
has known you right down to your core - a teacher, who, when they look
at you sees right into the soul you were born with. The kind of person
who you realize sees exactly what kind of person you are capable of
becoming, if you are prepared to learn the tough lessons when they
come and work at it.
I have wondered what it would mean to find the kind of person who challenges
the future inside you - and quietly dares you to put all of your weaknesses
and shortcomings to one side and to go about the day after day challenge
of making the strongest, kindest, most meaningful contribution you
are capable of to your neighbor, your country, society and the world
you live in.
The fact is - that I and many of us who knew Angeline Chisholm have
experienced that exact feeling, that exact sort of person and that
exact kind of teacher. Auntie Angeline was 57 when I was born. What
assures me, however, is that Angeline Chisholm was one of the most
authentic, consistent and genuine people I have ever met. The Angeline
I have known is probably the same Angeline that you have known for
however long you were lucky enough to know her. She was my Great Auntie
Angeline, in more ways than one.
My first memories of Auntie are of her driving into the farmyard north
of Maidstone, Saskatchewan where she took such very good care of her
mother Florence for so many years in the little white house across
the road from our house. Auntie's arrival was always marked by two
things - assorted black liquorice candies and pineapple juice - a smell
and taste combination which will forever send me back to dangling my
feet at the white enamel table a few inches above the gleaming kitchen
floor. At the time of day when Auntie normally arrived from Edmonton,
there was always bright and beautiful light coming through the windows
of that little house. And there was always a suitcase on the bed in
Angeline's room - a cool, calm and peaceful little room - with a well
organized suitcase already opened on the bed - ready to distribute
interesting newspaper or magazine articles, nice things to eat and
thoughtful small gifts for the people she would see on this trip home.
She was, as she had always done, quietly and gracefully balancing family
commitments at the farm with numerous voluntary commitments and her
career as a dynamic and inspirational teacher in the city.
She was also a great one for buying us socks. All kinds of socks. To
the great discredit of my brothers and I, there are several Chisholm
brothers Christmas time jokes which involve one of us asking the other
"I wonder what Auntie got us this year?" You can imagine the tailspin
she sent us in to the day she didn't come through with socks - socks
that - by this time - we had learned to count on. She chose to give
us a little bit of money, instead. We hastily went out on Boxing Day
to purchase some socks - putting the universe to right, once again.
We joked less after that - the last laugh just may well have been Auntie's.
Angeline was born on November 28, 1915 in North Battleford as the oldest
child of Florence and Alfred Chisholm. She attended her schooling in
Maidstone, and normal school in Saskatoon in 1935 and 1936 to obtain
a teaching certificate. She taught at schools across the mid-west at
at time when her pupils' families were facing the daunting challenges
of the Depression and The War - Albion School near Green Street, Northminster,
St. Walburg, Fielding, Payton. Having already found her vocation as
an educator, she returned to the University of Saskatchewan for her
Education degree and graduated in 1965.
After 9 years in Payton, she left for Edmonton, where she was employed
by the Edmonton Separate School Board teaching at 3 different High
Schools - including St. Alphonsus and St. Cecilia. Her reputation,
as many of you will know, did not suffer fools gladly. But never, ever
did she shy away from believing in and working after hours tutoring
students who others had written off. Did she always succeed in bringing
those at the edge back in? Of course not. But for the countless students
that she did bring back from the edge - she was an unforgettable beacon
- a powerful woman with an iron constitution and a heart of gold.
On several occasions, when I would be out with Angeline in Edmonton
at a concert, or a movie or getting groceries, former students would
approach us. And more than once, at some point in these short and lively
conversations, former students - many of them now with families, even
grandchildren and responsibilities of their own, would come clean to
admit to Angeline that she was, quite simply, the best teacher they
ever had. I never saw Auntie in action in the classroom. But I can
imagine it.
For me, the Angeline Chisholm experience happened a few times every
month between 1991 and 1996 - at her apartment with my friends for
Sunday lunch, or at the annual Robbie Burns Dinner (which became famous
for including 25 St. Joe's Rangers, girlfriends and Ian's Auntie Angeline).
The most memorable lessons took place in the driver's seat of Auntie's
1988 Oldsmobile Delta, on our many weekend trips between Edmonton and
Maidstone. The topics of conversation varied widely - from the decline
of modern music and fashion to theology, ethics and life.
In those conversations, I learned just how proud she was to be from
Saskatchewan, the prairies and a farming background. She believed that
- at all times - someone from Saskatchewan outside it was a representative
of this place to the world. Prior to my first ever visit to Scotland,
it was Auntie who supplied me with photographs, documents and research
she had compiled - so that my mom and dad and I might stand in the
centre of a little town outside Aberdeen and be able to look around
to the same soft and rolling hills that her dad had grown up looking
at.
In those conversations I came to understand what it meant to be in
a family - this family. Wherever I have gone, Auntie has always updated
me with news on how people are doing - Chisholms, Murphys, Hagertys,
Donovans. Some of the people she was updating me on are people who
I have probably not talked to for longer than 10 minutes - but it was
important to Auntie that I knew how these people were doing and who
their children were becoming. She would have been happy to see people
together last night and this morning. She also provided regular updates
on you if your last name happened to be Gretzky - someone Auntie prided
herself on living down Jasper Avenue from in Edmonton.
In those conversations, I also came to understand - by her example
- what it meant to her to be a true friend who kept her promises, a
travelled Canadian who appreciated the freedoms we share here, a devoted
parishioner who was no stranger to prayer and service, and a committed
citizen who knew that hard work need not be for reimbursement or recognition.
And there are things that I started to learn with Auntie that could
not be by example - they are things that she, herself, was never. She
inspires me to try to be a gentleman, a responsible son, a solid husband,
a great dad. I was inspired by Auntie to try and be a better person.
As a great teacher, Angeline made people around her want to improve
themselves, and to dare not waste the God-given talents we have been
given. She made those around her want to be as good as they could be.
One evening in Edmonton, I had invited Auntie to come with me to a
dinner party with friends from University. Angeline protested - "Surely
the last thing you all need is your old Aunt around". The fact that
between weekend lunches at her apartment and Robbie Burns nights --
she knew every single person who was going to be there. She came, and
we had a wonderful evening. She challenged and disagreed and sparkled
and laughed - and as the end of the night approached - she asked very
confidently if she could say something to all of us. She made a toast
with poise and personality that I will never forget. She toasted youth
and friendship and laughter and life - and thanked the hosts and all
of us so much for allowing her to be part of such an enjoyable night.
Class.
The kind of class that allows you to stand your ground, to disagree
with people, to challenge people and still let them know - silently
- that you think the world of them.
Angeline Chisholm was a class act.
IJC
Edmonton, Alberta, October 2003
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