Person:Frances Elliott (5)

Excerpt from The Days of the Years of My Pilgrimage^S3 (the story of Alex E Elliott) -- page 60-62

Our daughter, Frances Roberta, was born in Regina General Hospital on June 10, 1916. She took most of her elementary and high school training in Milden, Saskatchewan.

On the day she finished writing her grade twelve examinations, an opportunity was presented to her, an opportunity for which we have always been grateful. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Francis, of Outlook, former Mildenites, whose daughter Margaret was a chum of Frances called at our home.

Fred Francis said to me, "Frances wants to go to university, and as things are right now, you simply can't send her. But Luther College, in Outlook, offers Second Year Arts, and we'll expect Frances to be our guest for the year."

When I hesitantly replied that we would see about that, he took me by the lapels of my coat and put it to me direct, "Which is stronger --your pride or your love of Frances?"

To that, of course, there was only one answer. Frances had a grand year with the Francis family and Luther College faculty and students.

I have told in 'Part One' of Frances' graduation from university and her joining the staff of Toronto General Hospital. Shortly after her appointment to Dietetic Staff at Toronto General Hospital, she was asked to go to the affiliated General Hospital at Kirkland Lake where they had just added one hundred new beds. She accepted the appointment.

She was there only a few days when she was spotted by a young man, Charles Leslie Denison, whom she had met at a party in Toronto, and never expected to see again. Result -- love and marriage...

I will not go into detail regarding Charley's association with the Royal Canadian Air Force, of his return to university, and his graduation in Mining Engineering.

While Charley was attending Toronto University, the Denisons lived at Ajax, Ontario. During this time a son was born... Frances was overtaken by multiple sclerosis, and in 1950 that disease brought her very close to her death. For about two years she was almost completely helpless. Then the disease seemed to let up and she was able to preside over her home.

Meanwhile, following Charley's graduation in Mining Engineering, Frances, Charley, and their children had taken up residence in Sudbury, where Charley had accepted a position With the International Nickel Company, moving later to Lively, Ontario, a residential town owned by the company.

Then another tragedy -- Charley went down from cancer. Because Frances was living in a company house, she and the children had to vacate their home at the expiration of the school term.

At this point it was agreed between the two families that Frances was not fit for the bringing up of her family. We brought Frances home to Saskatchewan, and the Denisons undertook the care of the two children, Roberta and Burke.

For some time we had Frances with us at Summerberry. Then a district nurse, who had heard of her, came and made enquiries. A few days later, a male representative came and talked things over with Frances and us. Soon after, we were advised to take her into what was known as the "Physical Restoration Centre" where every effort was made to restore her arms and legs.

When the medical staff found that the treatment was quite ineffective, she came back to us at Summerberry. We did all we could for her until her mother was breaking down.

At this point we asked if the Centre would take her again to let her mother have a rest. This they did. Two months later we went to Regina to bring her home; medical advisers said that it was clear that we could not give her the care she needed, and that the hospital was the place for her.

She has been there ever since, and we--and she--have been abundantly satisfied with the care and kindness shown her. We hope that there will be a place for her there as long as she lives.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 E.F. White, Jr. Copy of Rhoda Johnston's Records
   Page 3.

   Frances Roberta (Elliott) b. June 10, 1916;

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 Ada J. Flynn. Johnston Family Tree
   Page 13 & 13a.

   Dietician, Provincial Geriatric Centre, Regina, Saskatchewan;

3. ↑ ^3.0 3.1 Elliott, Alex. E. The Days of the Years of My Pilgrimage. (Grenfell, Saskatchewan: United Church of Grenfell, 1975)
   Page 60 ff.
4. ↑ T B White's Family Record with annotations by Phyllis Sine
   Page 3.

   Frances Roberta (Elliott) m. Charley Denison, 2 ch.

5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2} Moffat 0001 - Notes on Alex Elliott's family.

   Jan. 21, 1981 - Frances Roberta Denison
   Charles Leslie Denison - d. Feb 29, 1960
   b. June 10 1916

6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2} Saint Johns Cemetery on the Humber, in Find A Grave.

   Frances Roberta Elliott Denison