by Lorraine Hynes
Reprinted from The Packet, January 17, 1980
Wilhelmena Stringer was born at Caplin Cove, Trinity Bay on July 14, 1903. Her father, Josiah was a fisherman and her mother, Mary, was the former Mary Drover from the nearby community of Hodge’s Cove. There were six children in her family, three of each, however, she has only one living brother, Reg at Clarenville and one sister, Mrs. Ida Drodge at St. John’s.
At the age of six she first attended school and she was so small her teacher Miss Waye called for her on the way to school every day. Other teachers she had were Beatrice Brushett, Miss Cooper and Miss Emma Ash from Carbonear. She remembers quite well having to carry her “junk of wood” to school to help provide firewood for the one classroom school. Grade Six was the extent of her education when she decided to give up school. At the age of fifteen she went to Labrador on her father’s schooner and cooked for his crew of five men. She did this for three summers following, and at the age of nineteen, she moved to Clarenville to work at Allan Pittman’s Store which was located on Bayview Road where Harry Frost now resides. It was while she worked at Pittman’s Store she met her future husband, Lyman Strong, who came to the store to help his mother carry home the groceries.
In 1923 they were married at the old United Church on Vardy’s Avenue by the late Rev. Isaac Davis and went to live with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Strong. They had ten children: Bessie (Mrs. Bessie Davis), Clarenville; Mabel (Mrs. Wilbert West) Clarenville; Cyril living in Toronto; Pearl (Mrs. James Sweetland) Toronto; Larry at Clarenville; Bernard at Toronto; Bruce at Clarenville; Beatrice (Mrs. Harvey Warr) Mississauga; Flora (Mrs. Ted Wiseman) Labrador City and Judy (Mrs. Leslie Stanley) Clarenville; twenty-seven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren.
“Aunt Nina”‘ as she is known by everyone who is familiar with her, never went out to work after she married, but worked delivering messages for the Canadian National Telecommunications for eighteen years. She had the only telephone in the area where she lived for some time, so she copied messages and her children delivered them for her most of the time.
On January 20, 1957 her husband passed away and she had to manage the household and care for the children who were still home. She helped support them by taking boarders who went to trade school, usually three at a time. She continued keeping boarders until about 1972, when she decided it was time to give it up.
Aunt Nina was a member of the Ladies Aide from the time she came to live in Clarenville, until it changed to the United Church Women. She says, although she is not a member now, she still tries to help the organization when she can be of help.
For the past fifty-five years she has been a member of the LOBA, having held various! different offices in the organization, serving as a Charter member, Deputy Mistress, Worthy Mistress, Deputy Lecturer, etc. and recently became a Grand Lodge Honorary Member.
She was visiting St. John’s just over a year ago and met a gentleman by the name of George Squire. They visited each other from time to time and on August 4, 1979 they were married at the St. Mary’s Anglican Church, Clarenville by the Rev. William Noel.
Aunt Nina is up early every morning going about, doing her household chores and is feeling fine. She is known as a friend to everyone and the ‘Packet” extends best wishes to her for many more years of good health and happiness.
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Transcribed by Wanda Garrett, January 2026.
These transcriptions may contain human errors. As always, confirm these as you would any other source material.