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 The Memoirs of Annie M. Holt and the People of Bocabec, Past and Present Posted 3 Dec 2000 The next building on same side is the Lower Bocabec school, noted, like Upper Bocabec for the great number of teachers and quite a few professionals-- two Doctors (M.D’s) lawyers, dentists and many nurses it sent out. On the other side of the road, a little beyond the school, stands the home of Rachel Turner and Daniel McCallum of Elmsville. They had no family. Rachel’s parents were Mr. & Mrs. David Turner. His sons were Colin, who went to Newcastle, N.B. area, Douglas and Joshua, Saint John, Dorcas, one of the teachers to Saint John, where she married Henry Botterell. They lived at first in Saint John until Mr. Botterell moved to Montreal to join the firm of some uncles (furriers). He and Mrs. Botterell made two or more trips to England yearly to buy furs and Mrs. Botterell educated her sons in Edinburgh University and her daughters in Germany. Another sister was Mrs. Dadmun (Charlotte) who lived in Watertown, Mass. next town to Waltham, noted for its watch manufactures. Her family spent nearly all their summers in Bocabec. I knew them all quite well. Edward was a Methodist minister in Virginia; Arthur in Y.M.C.A. work, lived in Syracuse, N.Y. and Arthur was a very fine musician: then Dora, only sister taught Greek and Latin for many years in Virginia. Mrs. McCallum (Aunt Rachel) had much religious zeal and became noted as an evangelist, travelling even as far as Ontario. Mr. McCallum had died young, and she had little means. Mrs. Botterell with her plenty, rebuilt the home and it became her property eventually. Once, many years ago, she brought nearly all her sons and daughters to spend a summer there and her youngest son Jack, spent nearly all his summers there, in his latter years, selling the place to Mr. John C. Veness of Fredericton, who had been Forestry Director in Fredericton for a long time. Mr. Veness had been afflicted in World War 1 with supertension hypertension, which caused much pain and long periods of inaction in bed. In one of these spells, he was taken to hospital (oxygen tents) in St. Stephen, but lived only a few hours.

His widow lives there in summer, but after spending a few winters away-- in Worcester, Mass. and Edmonton, Alberta, she now goes to St. Andrews to be with her daughter, Mrs. Thurber, music instructor in St. Andrews. Another of David Turner family was Cecelia, who married a McCallum, brother of Rachel’s husband, Daniel. Two sons, Peter and David McCallum, Charlotte, a fine nurse and Cecelia, wife of Will Johnston. McCallum’s home was in Johnston Settlement, now Lower Elmsville. David was a millman in Nova Scotia. When David was killed, Peter went over and brought back Mrs. David and four daughters and placed them in an old McCallum home. Peter's wife was Etta Turner of Johnston’s Settlement.

    Members of nearly all the families liked the McCallum home. Miss Kate Turner with brother Allen's daughters, Susie and Muriel, were especially interested in the old place. One time Miss Kate Turner (teacher all her life in Saint John) had her sister Alice with Rev. Mrs. McCallum, had two men 

friends come from Toronto to visit and one in particular, who had recently recovered from a severe illness, came to get the benefit of the fine air Bocabec had to offer. He was Mr. Frederick Hodgon, who fell in love with Alice. They married and stayed on there all winter. He went into raising chickens-- had the first incubator known in Bocabec. They both were such wonderful people, we all felt sorry when they left Bocabec in a year or two and moved to a farm below Robbinston, Maine (South Perry). They later moved to Toronto. We also greatly admired Miss Kate. The history of that home is not complete without a mention of Kate and Alice. All these people were at our home so much, and correspondence still goes on with a few who are left.