|
Mabel Schnare served first as assistant chef and then as head chef in The Dining Hall. Mabel drove with Cyrus and Anne Eaton from Deep Cove, their summer home on Mahone Bay, and carried the fresh fish that her husband Roy at caught from Blandford to Pugwash for the guests to enjoy.
|
Mabel Schnare Interview July 7, 2010 by Adele Wick and Cathy Eaton, Blandford, Nova Scotia
Visit with Mabel Schnare in her mobile home near the end of Deep Cove where she lives near her sons Brian and Gary.
Mabel, eighty years old, worked many years at the Deep Cove Cabin for Anne and Cyrus Eaton and also came up twice to help cook in the Lobster Factory to cook at conferences.
Mabel moved to Blandford when she was about 12 years old. She married Roy Schnare who was 12 years older than she, and they had 7 children. In the late 50’s or early 60’s Mrs. (Greta) Gates, (care taker with her husband Mr. Cecil Gates) if she would like to come clean; shortly after Mrs Eaton asked Mabel to help at the Deep Cove cabin from 9-12 in the mornings. Roy said they could manage because she could walk to and from work and easily pop back if there was a problem with the kids.
After working for several days, Anne Eaton asked how she was getting along. Mabel said in her usual forthright manner, “My dear lady, you don’t need a maid here, you need a slave.” That was when Mabel explained she was working til early afternoon and getting home after two without having had lunch or even a break. She set her limits immediately and established friendly relationships with Anne Eaton that lasted until Anne died.
She walked to work. She started working when Brian, her youngest was five. The older girls managed hers and Roy’s house and took care of the younger boys. They lived a few houses down for Greta and Cecil Gates, caretakers for the estate.
During her tenure with the Eatons she cleaned the cabin, changed the beds, served meals, and cooked. Raymond Bouque acted as butler during all those years. She also often chatted with Anne about the guests. When they left, Anne would ask what she thought and Mabel shared her assessment of them. She developed a close relationship with Anne Kinder and found Cyrus and Anne wonderful people to work for. She said Cyrus (Mr. Eaton) was always kind.
Condense: Story about helping change her clothes so she could go back to Lake Houlihan. One fall day when it was a bit chilly, Mabel was helping Anne get ready for an expedition to Lake Houlihan, Because of the chill weather, Anne (a victim of polio since she was in her early 30’s) had struggled into a warm blue one piece jumpsuit. It was a struggle to dress and when she realized she had to used to bathroom, Mabel asked if she really wanted to go on the expedition with the men back to the woods where she would have to be carried on a platform. Anne said she really did want to go but admitted she was too tired to tackle taking off and putting on her one piece jumpsuit. Mabel solved that. Quote needed.
Dog story: Leo Jamison, German Shepherd, and everyone afraid of dog. Mr. Eaton said, “it’s only a dog,” and walked up to him, unhooked him, and led him down to the Margy.
The Eatons helped finance the first two years of her daughter’s Kathy’s nursing school. Cyrus and Anne had tried to convince Kathy to go to medical school. FIND OUT FROM JOHN ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS FROM PUGWASH PARK COMMISSION AND INTERVIEW RECIPIENTS. Mabel was adamant that her children be independent and pay for their own education, but Anne and Cyrus helped Kathy anyway.. All seven of her children went to college. Her seven children and 11 grandchildren mostly live nearby and all are hardworking, contributors to the economy. One is a lawyer, one a nurse.
Mabel said that working for the Eatons changed her life. She claimed, “It was the best thing that ever happened in my life. [Working for them] “took me out of my cocoon.” She said she met the nicest people. The Eaton’s guests came from all over the world: directors of the Chesapeake and Ohio, visitors from other countries, numerous children and grandchildren. Get list from Ray Szabo of some interesting guests.
Story about flying on the C & O plane to Cleveland and working at Acadia Farms. Met Raymond’s wife and family of seven children. Mrs. Kinder (Anne’s mother) drove them around and turned around to talk to them and almost served head-on to a truck. Greta Gates thought the highlight of their trip was going to a museum; Mabel retorted, (get quote) The highlight was not being hit by that truck.
Anne Eaton asked her to come to Pugwash to help cook in the Dining Room which she did for two summers. Frances McGuiness also cooked for Pugwash as did Wanda Gates. Once Mabel was the assistant cook or cookie (cookee) and other times she was the main cook. Her husband Roy caught the haddock in Mahone Bay and they brought the fish to Pugwash and fried up the fish for 60 people. The next day they used the haddock for fish chowder. They also cooked up lobster caught in Pugwash. One day she split all the lobsters for a dinner of 60.
The kitchen was wonderful, she said. There was always lots of help hired. She concentrated on the cooking the main courses while others prepped the vegetables and served. She often had long 16 hour days arriving at 6 to fry the bacon and then cooking up people’s requests. Meals included roasted turkey, and roast beef meats for lunches., The lamb for dinner was freshly killed by Leo Jamison, manager of Eva’s sheep farm. His wife Donnie ran the lodge at one point. There were three or four refrigerators and an island wired with outlets that made cooking easy. There was a huge big oil stove. She stayed in the staff house and remembers playing a goofy game of Mother May I in the lodge living room that was witnessed by walkers.
Visit with Mabel Schnare in her mobile home near the end of Deep Cove where she lives near her sons Brian and Gary.
Mabel, eighty years old, worked many years at the Deep Cove Cabin for Anne and Cyrus Eaton and also came up twice to help cook in the Lobster Factory to cook at conferences.
Mabel moved to Blandford when she was about 12 years old. She married Roy Schnare who was 12 years older than she, and they had 7 children. In the late 50’s or early 60’s Mrs. (Greta) Gates, (care taker with her husband Mr. Cecil Gates) if she would like to come clean; shortly after Mrs Eaton asked Mabel to help at the Deep Cove cabin from 9-12 in the mornings. Roy said they could manage because she could walk to and from work and easily pop back if there was a problem with the kids.
After working for several days, Anne Eaton asked how she was getting along. Mabel said in her usual forthright manner, “My dear lady, you don’t need a maid here, you need a slave.” That was when Mabel explained she was working til early afternoon and getting home after two without having had lunch or even a break. She set her limits immediately and established friendly relationships with Anne Eaton that lasted until Anne died.
She walked to work. She started working when Brian, her youngest was five. The older girls managed hers and Roy’s house and took care of the younger boys. They lived a few houses down for Greta and Cecil Gates, caretakers for the estate.
During her tenure with the Eatons she cleaned the cabin, changed the beds, served meals, and cooked. Raymond Bouque acted as butler during all those years. She also often chatted with Anne about the guests. When they left, Anne would ask what she thought and Mabel shared her assessment of them. She developed a close relationship with Anne Kinder and found Cyrus and Anne wonderful people to work for. She said Cyrus (Mr. Eaton) was always kind.
Condense: Story about helping change her clothes so she could go back to Lake Houlihan. One fall day when it was a bit chilly, Mabel was helping Anne get ready for an expedition to Lake Houlihan, Because of the chill weather, Anne (a victim of polio since she was in her early 30’s) had struggled into a warm blue one piece jumpsuit. It was a struggle to dress and when she realized she had to used to bathroom, Mabel asked if she really wanted to go on the expedition with the men back to the woods where she would have to be carried on a platform. Anne said she really did want to go but admitted she was too tired to tackle taking off and putting on her one piece jumpsuit. Mabel solved that. Quote needed.
Dog story: Leo Jamison, German Shepherd, and everyone afraid of dog. Mr. Eaton said, “it’s only a dog,” and walked up to him, unhooked him, and led him down to the Margy.
The Eatons helped finance the first two years of her daughter’s Kathy’s nursing school. Cyrus and Anne had tried to convince Kathy to go to medical school. FIND OUT FROM JOHN ABOUT SCHOLARSHIPS FROM PUGWASH PARK COMMISSION AND INTERVIEW RECIPIENTS. Mabel was adamant that her children be independent and pay for their own education, but Anne and Cyrus helped Kathy anyway.. All seven of her children went to college. Her seven children and 11 grandchildren mostly live nearby and all are hardworking, contributors to the economy. One is a lawyer, one a nurse.
Mabel said that working for the Eatons changed her life. She claimed, “It was the best thing that ever happened in my life. [Working for them] “took me out of my cocoon.” She said she met the nicest people. The Eaton’s guests came from all over the world: directors of the Chesapeake and Ohio, visitors from other countries, numerous children and grandchildren. Get list from Ray Szabo of some interesting guests.
Story about flying on the C & O plane to Cleveland and working at Acadia Farms. Met Raymond’s wife and family of seven children. Mrs. Kinder (Anne’s mother) drove them around and turned around to talk to them and almost served head-on to a truck. Greta Gates thought the highlight of their trip was going to a museum; Mabel retorted, (get quote) The highlight was not being hit by that truck.
Anne Eaton asked her to come to Pugwash to help cook in the Dining Room which she did for two summers. Frances McGuiness also cooked for Pugwash as did Wanda Gates. Once Mabel was the assistant cook or cookie (cookee) and other times she was the main cook. Her husband Roy caught the haddock in Mahone Bay and they brought the fish to Pugwash and fried up the fish for 60 people. The next day they used the haddock for fish chowder. They also cooked up lobster caught in Pugwash. One day she split all the lobsters for a dinner of 60.
The kitchen was wonderful, she said. There was always lots of help hired. She concentrated on the cooking the main courses while others prepped the vegetables and served. She often had long 16 hour days arriving at 6 to fry the bacon and then cooking up people’s requests. Meals included roasted turkey, and roast beef meats for lunches., The lamb for dinner was freshly killed by Leo Jamison, manager of Eva’s sheep farm. His wife Donnie ran the lodge at one point. There were three or four refrigerators and an island wired with outlets that made cooking easy. There was a huge big oil stove. She stayed in the staff house and remembers playing a goofy game of Mother May I in the lodge living room that was witnessed by walkers.