Thursday, December 23, 2010

98 Years Old 

The symmetrical house at 648 West 15^th Street was built in 1910 by Mr. Syver Christenson and Mr. Standal.  Mr. Standal also built the second house from the north-east corner of 15^th and Bewicke. The Vance House that was at the east end of the 600 West 15th Street block was built  in the same year.  George W. Vance was North Vancouver Mayor 1917 to 1921. 

Mr. Christenson came to Canada  from a small town outside of Oslo, Norway before 1903. He first worked at Pete Larson’s Hotel on Esplanade, then as a logger, and finally as a laborer for North Vancouver City.  He retired from the City in 1948 and died in 1951. Martha Hanson arrived in North Vancouver from the same town in Norway in 1903.  She and Syver married on July 24, 1907.  Martha  worked for Reeve Keely.  She died in 1945.  Syver and Martha lived at 648 West 15^th until their deaths.

 Gladys with her mother, father, and a friend on the front porch

of 648 West 15^th Street, North Vancouver, 1925.

Gladys Christenson was born in the bedroom of the 15^th Street house on September 27, 1916.  The midwife Mrs. Ellingson (who lived at West 18th and Lonsdale) not only delivered her but also became her Godmother and gave her a silver spoon.  Gladys’ brother,  George Martin was born in 1912, but died from meningitis in January 15^th 1915 . He was named after George Martin the doctor that delivered him with the assistance of Mrs. Ellingson.  Gladys' sister, Helene, was born in a house next to the Palace Hotel on 2^nd Street in 1908.  She lived until May 14^th, 1992.

Gladys went to Queen Mary School and North Vancouver High School. Gladys  walked and played on the  wooden sidewalks of the 15^th Street area.  She roller skated on the paved road to Ambleside Beach or the Capilano River to swim and coming back would sometimes walk along the PGE tracks. She and her sister went to Napolean St. Pierre, the man with the snake, to have their fortunes told.  Almost everything he predicted for her sister came true. Gladys attended Girl Guides in a building near St. John’s Anglican Church.

Because her home was on West 15^th, Gladys was also the neighbor of the George Washington Vance family. Gladys’ little brother would give Mr. Vance flowers for his button-hole. He would always accept them, even if it was only a dandelion. George Vance and his wife Catherine had two daughters, Leila and Thelma.  Gladys played with Leila’s daughter Thelma.  They remained friends throughout their lives.  When Thelma died, her nephew gave Gladys a painting from Hong Kong that hung in their home and he remembered Gladys admiring. 

On August 3, 1940 Gladys married William Downie Jr.  William was born on Helmcken Street in Vancouver July 14^th, 1912.  When he was nine months old his family moved to the house on West 15th St. and Bewicke Avenue that had been built by Mr. Standal. 

Gladys and William  Downie first met while he was playing baseball on the grounds of Queen Mary School and when riding the ferry from North Vancouver to Vancouver.  They first lived at 438 East 5^th St. in North Vancouver.  The house was owned by Capt. Renollf who worked on the ferry to Vancouver.  It was where the Ridgeway School Annex now stands.  They moved back to 648 West 15^th Street in 1946 following the death of Gladys’ mother.  William worked for Houlden Transfer for thirty five years.  He also worked at Burrard Shipyards  until 1977. He died on May 19, 1990 at his West 15^th Street home.

May 15, 1941 Gladys gave birth to twins at the old Lion’s Gate Hospital.  William donated three pints of blood to her during the difficult births.  There was no blood bank in North Vancouver at that time. Her son, Ray, was seven pounds and six ounces.  Her daughter, Patricia Lynn was smaller and sadly did not survive.

Gladys lived at 648 West 15^th street for  78 of her 84 years.  Her son Ray, grandsons Chris and Daryl, and great-granddaughter Raina, born July 21, 1998, all live in North Vancouver as well. They call her “Bama” and she makes them “Everyday Cookies”.  Gladys  traded stamps with Zena O’Neil of Christ Church New Zealand since 1950. The life long pen pals never met.

Gladys’ remarkable memory for dates pepper the account of her life on West 15^th Street in the City of North Vancouver. (This interview was conducted for the Year 2000 Project by Suzanne Wilson.)

Glady's Downie's home was demolished in 2008  and two new houses have been built.  648 West 15th Street in on the front part of the lot and 650 West 15th Street is in back of it.

For more about the Downie's see Blog Post December 22, "Presbyterians and Black Sheep".

Demolition: House demolished in 2008.

Photos: Top photo taken for the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your
                 House/Our Home by SW. 
                 Donated by Glady's Downie: Gladys with her mother, father, and a
                              friend on the front porch of 648 West 15^th Street,
                              North Vancouver, 1925.