Fremlin family news. From Duncan in Toronto

The following note from Duncan Fremlin is one of many special greetings that SooToday.com will be publishing over the holidays from expatriate Saultbies.

If you're a former resident now living 200 or more kilometres away, SooToday.com would be delighted to post your 800-word-or-less message.

It's absolutely free, but the deadline for submissions is the stroke of midnight on December 31.

For details, click here.

************************* This 800 words-or-less Sootoday.com tradition reminds me of old newspaper clippings from years gone by.

There was always a column that revealed hot news items of the day, such as this entry from 1955: "Mrs. Bill Fremlin (Muriel) hosted a meeting of the Laird Women's Institute on Thursday evening. Attending was Mrs. Jim Khull (Vina), Mrs. Albert Headrick (Catherine), Miss Aggie Murray, Mrs. Bill Buller and Mrs. Alf Tuckett. Mrs. Headrick recorded the minutes and plans were made for a pot luck dinner at the Laird Hall in April. Mrs. Fremlin provided raisin biscuits and tomato aspic to the attendees."

So, to continue this tradition and perhaps inspire a new generation of gossipers, here's my 2008 contribution to the cause.

Local Sooite, the illustrious business executive, Vic Fremlin and his wife Tami visited the Toronto home of Duncan Fremlin and his wife in the spring of this year.

There was much discussion about last year's crop of hay in Laird Township and surrounding area.

While in Toronto, they ate at a local eatery called Allen's and heartily enjoyed the fare.

Former CUPE union executive, Paul Jordison died suddenly at a local Toronto hospital.

Though he lived in Toronto, he often visited his cottage on St. Joseph Island.

Local retired farmer, Roger Fremlin, travelled to a Toronto hospital on two separate occasions in 2008, to have new body parts inserted.

Mr. Fremlin is happily back in the Sault with his new knees and hip and is recuperating quite nicely.

While in Toronto it was an opportunity for some of Roger's relatives and friends to visit with him.

Visiting from the Fremlin side of the family were nephews Peter Omnet, son of former Bar River resident, the late Nora Omnet (nee Fremlin) and Duncan, son of the late William (Bill).

Sadly, some local Torontonian is now being wheeled around town in a chair wondering what the heck happened to his knees and hip.

In October, former Sault March of Dimes employee, Jim Fremlin, travelled to the Thessalon area to visit Mr. and Mrs. Peter Denley.

This reporter was informed that he brought his single shot 410 shotgun and tried to cull the local partridge population.

There was much laughter and good cheer during his visit, mostly over his 410 single shot shotgun.

While in the north, he drove to Sault Ste. Marie and visited with retired LCBO store manager, Ron Chaput and local hair stylist, Gail Bernardi.

The matriarch of the large and notorious Fremlin clan, Mrs. Don Collings (Girlie) visited Toronto on a number of occasions in 2008.

One of the most memorable was on Thanksgiving weekend to attend events featuring Fremlins named Duncan.

Her grandson, Duncan Rickaby and the future Mrs. Rickaby had an engagement party that required her presence.

While in the city, she also attended a wedding reception for nephew Duncan Fremlin and his new missus, Karen Laing.

She ate many varieties of cheese and enjoyed a glass of Cave Springs Chardonnay.

Also attending the wedding were former Bar River residents, Mr. and Mrs. Dan Buchanan (Janice Fremlin) from British Columbia and Mrs. Judy Geiselman (nee Fremlin) from the state of Washington.

See attached photo of the wedding party enjoying Thanksgiving dinner on a Parry Sound lake.

They too enjoyed copious amounts of cheese and a moderate amount of wine.

Following the death of retired Algoma Steel employee, Beverly Hambly in June of this year, this writer telephoned Bev's sole surviving sibling, long time Echo Bay resident, Nyle Hambly.

They happily reminisced about life on Wilson Street in the 1940's.

Mr. Hambly's memory is remarkable and revealed many details about life in the Hambly household from that era.

In November, the estate of Mrs. Bill Fremlin (Muriel Hambly), made a donation to the Sault Ste. Marie Museum.

This included a series of radio broadcast scripts from J.C. Pinch Limited (536 Queen Street East).

These was a series of radio scripts from 1934-35 called Miss Williams' Cooking Chat.

Each contained recipes from an era where ingredients were hard to come by.

The estate concluded that the culinary value of these recipes was questionable at best.

********************** Look who else has written to us this year

Judy & Ellis send their love from Mexico Merry Christmas from a Great Dane! Season's Greetings from San Andres Island Season's Greetings from Sarnia This is Adam's first Christmas away from home Corporal Ken's photos from Afghanistan Oilers okay, but Debbie & Lisa miss Hounds First Christmas in Edmonton for Paul & Chantal Hugs and kisses from Cathy in Milton Big hug for Emily from three Sherwood Park girls Colleen shops at Station Mall...in Ottawa In London, gratitude fills Cathy Rohrer's heart Pam & Rich moved away last month. Already miss us Maddie in Ottawa writes nice poem about the Sault We got this from Peggy in Pickering Merry Christmas from Mike and his sweetie Bobby and Melissa check in from London Merry Christmas from Bruno in Mississauga In Kingston, Susan is thinking of us Merry Christmas from Texas, where there's no snow Two cute smiles from Maple, Ontario SooToday.com is Christmas tradition in Ben's family Gary almost makes it to the Sault from Florida Dapperly dressed Duncan says hello from St. Catherines Fremlin family news this year from a Duncan in Toronto

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