Caroline Ellen Smith (1914-2007)

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

Caroline Ellen Smith, b. 1 March 1914 in Birdshill, Manitoba m. Richard Foster 15 December 1937 in Victoria BC. d. November 18, 2007 in Victoria BC.

      Father: Thomas William Smith (1867 - 1946)
     Mother: Wilhemena Ellen Tohm (1880 - 1957)

Caroline Smith circa 1934, age 20

Spouse: Richard (Dick) Foster, b. 9 July 1913 in Victoria, British Columbia, d. 14 October 1959 in Victoria, British Columbia  (Married Cyril Shearing 27 April 1963 in Victoria, British Columbia)

      Father: Richard Foster (1878 - 1947)
     Mother: Esther Eliza Chapman (1881 - 1953)

    Married: 15 December 1937 in Victoria, British Columbia

Caroline Smith circa 1929

     Caroline remembers her family’s trip across Canada from Manitoba in 1919 as an exciting adventure. It was a time of trains, wagons, bad roads and very few autos.  The journey was broken for an interval at Clark’s Crossing, Saskatchewan where brother Les was born and she ceased to be the baby of the family.  Of the journey, elder sister Josie “always claimed she was a nursemaid to a lot of drippy-nosed young sprouts” (Murray).  The young spouts were Freddie(7), Carrie(5) and Leslie the newborn.
   When Carrie was 23, she married Richard Foster, a city boy with a government job in Victoria.  The couple set up housekeeping, first in a rental on Helmeken Street and then at 1431 Richardson St. where both their children were born.  The war intervened while they were on Richardson but not before Dick had established chickens and a fine garden.
     In a letter from Halifax in 1944, during his military service, he wrote “I sure miss my gardening but from all accounts David (2 years) is doing it or at least ruining it.”
     Prosperity descended on the land as the war ended and the Depression faded into distant memory.  Dick and Carrie purchased a building lot on Richardson, expecting to build a larger house to accommodate the growing family.  About 1950, their plans changed.  Both Richardson properties were sold and  they moved to 1542 Hampshire Road, in Oak Bay. (still exists in 2005 much as it was) 
     The Hampshire house was old but very spacious, with three bedrooms on the second floor.  The kitchen was enormous with sitting space and counters all around.  A walk-in pantry had a port to an outside cooling cupboard.  The back porch and stairs were roofed with a sliding window that overlooked the large back garden and gave access to the clothesline.  The big living room window looked onto the usually, quiet street.  The front entrance passed through a sun room.  

Foster family circa 1946

      The television era dawned while the family lived on Hampshire.  It was the beginning of life with Lawrence Welk and Ed Sullivan.  There were family battles over who should get up to change channels and who should adjust the “rabbit ears”.  There was always a western to watch and game shows made their debut.  
     Five years later they purchased a property at 2021 Carnarvon, two doors off Foul Bay Rd, just inside the Oak Bay boundary.  A typical mid-fifties 1250 square foot house with all the "modern" features was built.   The bedrooms were small, and  one bathroom was shared.  The tub had a shower, an innovation that was beginning to catch on at the time.  In the basement, Dick soon built a "rumpus room" for the kids to play and entertain.

Cyril Shearing & Carrie Smith marry in 1963

    When Dick died in 1959, Carrie was thrust into the workplace in order to pay the bills.  She landed a job at the Queen's Printer where she had previous part-time experience and was acquainted with Dick's fellow workers.  By 1963, when she married Cyril Shearing, her children had become independent and her financial future was secure.  Her life was filled with golfing dates, bridge games, poker parties, old time dancing and travel.  Grand children began to appear in 1963 and kept arriving at intervals for the next 10 years.  By 1974 when the last one was born, Grandma's role as matriarch was well established.  She took the children on little trips to town and big trips camping. She made endless lunches and dinners.

Cyril and Carrie circa 1980; Each winter they traveled south to Palm Springs for golf and lawn bowling.

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy