I bet you though this was going to be a religious or spiritual rant. Rather, it’s a testimonial to the awesomeness of my grandfather, George Coolen.
My Granddad was born in 1903 in Prospect, Nova Scotia. He spend much of his life either in Halifax or in Prospect and lived the last years of his life doing exactly what he wanted to be doing: keeping the village shop, pumping gas to the villagers (FINA) and getting up before God did and going fishing on the waters off Prospect Village before opening up his shop for the morning rush of villagers either preparing to leave the village for the day, or those (usually our mothers) who stayed there for the day needed to get ‘5 pounds of potatoes and a loaf of bread’ to make the day last! Did I forget the Peter Jackson King Size??? THERE’S a story to tell.
My granddad was a quiet, yet strong man. He was a fisherman most of his life, but had a go at being a barber in his younger years, delivering the Royal Mail on horse and wagon, and being ‘George Coolen Sr.’ to those who dealt with him at his shop. He fathered 6 kids, that I know of. (Said with extreme tongue-in-cheek!) His older sons, George (not Jr. !? ) Weldon, Jack and Paul were the ‘boys’ while my mom, Mary Regina was a fraternal twin to her sister, Mary Clarissa.
For many years of his life, when the children were young and getting to be older youngsters, George Coolen Sr. was the keeper of the light at Betty’s Island Lighthouse. He kept his post for 13 years, as you will see in the attached website:
http://marinas.com/view/lighthouse/1046_Betty_Island_Lighthouse_NS_Canada
Granddad ceded his post of ‘Keeper of the LIght’ in 1953 after his service since 1940. While working there, his family of 6 kids and wife, Viola, kept life going on as one would in the village, a 1-hour and something row in a ‘flat’ from Betty’s Island…..that is, when you could do it. Granddad spent many, many months stuck on his island throughout the year was the weather would often be unforgiving. The summers were for the kids when they were younger! For many summers, the kids would chose a friend to take to ‘Betty’s’ for the summer. My grandmother would often play hostess to a gaggle of youngsters for the summer, not to mention the many visitors that would pop by for a game of cards or such.
Whenever I see a lighthouse, I always think of the stories that my mom and grandmother told me throughout my childhood of the extreme pleasure of living in that era. I was only 13 when my granddad left us, but to this day, I always remember him in my often fabricated memories….granddad was much like a Superman to me: Keeper of the Light, Keeper of the Family, Keeper of the Faith! He could do ANYTHING and he worshipped the ground that we walked on.
My granddad’s fishing warf:
This is the ‘gang of 4’ at my granddad’s gas pumps. Notice the package of Peter Jackson’s King Size in my hand? Going to the shop for my mum! xo
And finally, my nan and granddad posing as the vigilant shop keepers @ Coolen’s Grocery!
I invite you to take the short video tour of my village. I dare you to go there!!!!!!
thetomryan 