In sending this story, I wish to include a very short biography of my life.

I was one of 13 children born and raised in St. John's. I graduated from the Presentation Convent in the Forties, and went to work as a secretary at Fort Pepperell. I subsequently met and married the base commander of Fort Pepperell at that time, Colonel Frank Blunda. We were married for 18 happy years and traveled the globe. We also had two wonderful children who live near me in California. Frank died in 1964 of Lou Gehrig's Disease.

In 1982 I met and married a wonderful man, Ralph Haney, who was Vice President of Kaiser Aluminum, and he died shortly thereafter of brain cancer.

I have written several stories about my family and Newfoundland, which were published in the Insight column of the Evening Telegram.

My brother, Ray Gallagher, who is a member of the Newfoundland Sports Hall of Fame, still lives in St. John's. He subscribes to Downhome.
at 58 Empire Ave., A1C 3E6, Tel: 709-722-5165 My sister, Rita McDonald (who was maid of honour in the wedding photo) also lives in St. John's.

Florence (Gallagher) Haney

Do you remember the Forties and Fifties when young people were married with very little fanfare and practically no expense? My younger sister, Loretta Marie, and her fiancé, George Lewis, had one of those beautiful weddings in St. John's, Newfoundland, on January 22, 1947. The ceremony was held in the Nun's Chapel of the Presentation Convent. Their witnesses were Loretta's younger sister, Rita Catherine, and her fiancé, John McDonald.

In this nostalgic wedding day photograph they proudly pose on the steps of the convent, looking young and happy. They are dressed in their Sunday best, and look very cute wearing pretty hats, and holding their leather gloves. They also carried leather purses on their arms, which they put aside for this photograph. All were residents of St. John's.

Much has to be said for marriages performed in those years, because they seemed to survive "for better or for worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health," and I believe those unions lasted longer, because they were more involved with family, church and friends. In those times divorces were rare, and most of those young people stayed together for a lifetime, and raised wonderful families.

Loretta and George have six beautiful children, and 12 grandchildren, and after more than 60 years of living happily ever after, they are still in good health, and enjoying their well-earned golden years. They live near their children in Plainview, Long Island, New York.

Four years later, on August 15, 1951, Rita and John were married in St. John's, and had a more elaborate ceremony. All the same family members, relatives and friends were present, and during the ceremony, Rita's youngest brother, Ray sang Schubert's Ave Maria. Their witnesses were John's brother Kevin, and Rita's oldest sister, Jenny, who came from New York with her two children for the occasion. Jenny's little girl, Irene, was the flower girl, and her youngest son, Gerard, was the ring bearer. A wonderful reception was held later at Glenfer Farm.

Rita and John had two beautiful children, John and Lynn, and three grandchildren. They were happily married for thirty-seven years, until John passed away in 1988 at the age of 62. Rita never remarried, and still lives in St. John's.   Submitted By: NULL