Mary Abercrombie Verner

Present address: 827 Hamilton Terrace, Baltimore, MD.

February 1910 Kalends:

Mary Taylor Abercrombie has announced her engagement to Mr. Hamilton Verner, of Vancouver, BC.

June 1910 Kalends:

On April 28 Mary Taylor Abercrombie was married to Mr. Edwin Hamilton Verner, on Vancouver, British Columbia. At present they are visiting Mr. Verner's parents in Tyrone, Ireland. After returning to this country, they will stop in Batlimore, before going to their home in Vancouver.

April 1911 Kalends:

Mary Abercrombie Taylor (sic) has a son born in February.

June 1912 Kalends:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has a daughter.

February 1915 Kalends:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has a new little daughter, Kathleen.

July 1930 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner expresses regret at not being able to return for reunion and has written us some news of herself: "We have recently built a home. It is a homesite in the virgin forest although we are only four miles from Vancouver city limits and two miles from New Westminster. We have all the city conveniences, electricity, water, telephone, etc. We have ten and one-half acres hillside and bottom land. Our house on the hill (the name "Garranard" is Gaelic for "high garden") is 90 feet above the level of Deer Lake, a beautiful small sheet of water set in the hills, and in the distance a range of mountains stretching across the skyline for twenty miles. It is truly a magnificent view.
Within the last year my husband has started a bulb farm, partly as a hobby and partly to pay the taxes which are very heavy so near the city. The land at the foot of the hill - four acres of it, is wonderful soil, and will grow practically anything. I think we shall specialize in daffodils. We have one small green house - 100 feet by 10 feet - which has been finished only a short time. We shall have as a first crop Easter lilies. Last spring and summer we sold the cut flowers- -daffodilss, tulips, peonies, gladiolas, asters, and some perennials.
Besides this hobby my husband is a very busy man professionally as he is District Engineer for the Provincial Public Works Department, and especially in a new country there is much road building.
We have five children- the two boys aged respectively eighteen and seventten are in the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. The oldest girl, Kathleen, is in the 2nd year Technical High School - aged 15 - and Jean, aged 11, is in the 5th grade, and Margaretta, the baby, aged 7, goes to a little private school just near home.

July 1933 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner and her husband and three daughters had an unexpected trip to California in the spring. In Palo Alto they visited Esther Robinson Meyer '00 and had "a grand talk fest, after twenty-six years."

July 1936 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner, who lives in British Columbia, reports a trip to California for the Easter holidays. After such an excursion it was "hard to pick up the thread again and get back to routine."

November 1937 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner and her husband went to Berkeley, Cal., this fall to visit their elder son, Ted, and his family. He had been in Colombia, S.A., for the past seven months on geo-physical work and was expected to be assigned to Africa next so they hastened down to see him while he was home on a holiday. However, his firm has now reorganized and he eventually hopes to ahve his headquarters in Los Angeles, with his work in the oil fields of California. Mary enjoyed her two grandchildren: Donna, past five years old and Ronald two and a half years old.
Their second son, Jimmie, is in the Royal Canadian Air Force and is stationed at Ottawa. Their eldest daughter is now at home, after an extended visit in Baltimore and in Ossining, NY, with another brother. Two other girls are high school students. A lively family that!
Mary lives at "Garranard" on Burnaby Lake, BC. The "Garranard" comes, she tells us, from a Gaelic name "Gorry" meaning garden and "ard", "high", and is most appropriate for their hill home, 90 feet above the flat along the lake shore. "We have our green house on the flat for the forced daffodils but we grow our specials and seedlings up near the house. My husband is an enthusiastic daffodil hybridist."

July 1938 Alumnae Quarterly

"My oldest daughter, Kathleen, is to be married in June, and a short while ago she had to have an operation for appendicitis and while she was ill, Jean (the next daughter) and I had the 'flu, and Margaretta (the youngest) had chicken pox. However, we are all fine now. My sister has just left for the east after a visit for a couple of months, and Ned's brother, from Toronto, is visiting now and will be here for the wedding. I am also expecting our younger son Jamie, who is in the Royal Canadian Air Force, home for his holidays in June, and we are also hoping to have Ted's wife and two children from Berkeley, Cal., for the wedding. So you see I am a busy woman.
I am making Kay's wedding dress- in fact it is just about finished and I have dresses to make for the other two girls. We are plannign a garden wedding, and are hoping for fine weather. It is wonderful now, one bright beautiful day after another."

July 1939 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner tells of her pleasure in returning last fall, and speaks of a son who is Flight Lieutenant in the Canadian Royal Air Force. He is soon to leave for England to receive a course in Aeronautical Engineering. Dear to the hearts of Mary and her husband is their Daffodil Farm. For Mother's Day they picked and tied 10, 000 blooms. Mary's family numbers thirteen including children and grandchildren and themselves.

August 1944 Alumnae Quarterly:

...I am sure Commencement time must be drawing near, and I am wondering if, perchance, our class may be having an informal reunion. If so, I would like to send greetings to all my classmates. I have been so disappointed in the last few issues of the Quarterly (except February 1944) not to have one word of news of our class. In the summer of 1942 we started out bravely to go down the alphabet, and have letters from several girls in each issue. As my name begins with 'A' I had first shot at it, and then Claire- but after the first one or two issues, the whole scheme petered out. What happened? and what has happened to our class letter? The last time I had it and wrote in it was January, 1935. I have written a number of times for the Quarterly, and I do not mind writing, but I do not want to 'wear my welcome' out, so to speak, and I would like to have letters from others to read.
As you see by the heading of this letter, we have come to California to live. We have definitely given up our home 'Garranard' at Burnaby Lake, British Columbia, and having burned all our boats behind us, have launched out into flower growing here at Carlsbad. We are very pleasantly located, having rented a six acre ranch and furnished house...

Winter 1949 Alumnae Quarterly:

"My best 1903 contact in California was with Mary Abercrombie Verner wh ocame up from Carlsbad to see me. After forty-five years we were not sure we would recognize each other, so Mary wore the class colors, the college ring, and as she walked through the Los Angeles station with poise and dignity looking fo rme, I could not have failed to identify her. She carried her knitting bag and knitted as we talked. She and her husband have bought ground for gladiola which they raise for the Los Angeles market and are turning an old barn into a house for the antique furniture they brought down from Vancouver. In a first day cover of the Palomar Observatory Mary sent her regards to all of us...

August 1950 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has a new address: Route 1, Box 621, Carlsbad, Calif. She writes: "You asked for it, so here goes! Was there ever a mother and grandmother that didn't want to talk about her family?
Ned and I are still growing glads here in SOuthern California, but the past four unseasonably cold winters have put a crimp in our operations. As Herbert Hoover so aptly put it, "About the time we think we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends." When we had to leave the ranch unexpectedly we had been leasing for a number of years, we bought this old barn, well built of redwood on a concrete foundation, and we have had the most interesting time fixing it up. We have lots of room for our bulky old and antique furnishings, and we are most comfortable. We are hoping to stage a family reunion some time this year, and as we number twenty-two (Ned and myself, five children, four in-laws, and eleven grandchildren) it will take some doing. Our eldest son Ted has his own office as COnsulting Engineer in San Francisco and with his wife and four children lives in Berkeley. Our second son, Jamie, is Commanding Officer at the Goose Bay Station, Royal Canadian Air Force, in Labrador. Kathleen, the eldest daughter, and her husband Tommy Hall were with us in the glad-growing for a few years, but they have gone back to Cnaada and are settled in Burnaby near our old home, and Tommy has taken back his old job (with promotion) in the Department of Justice. Jean, the second daughter, is living with us. She was let out of her job at Camp Pendleton last fall, and has been going to the Junior College at Oceanside, and getting quite a kick out of being back in school again. Margaretta, the youngest, is living near Seattle.
I have been going to night school in Oceanside four nights a week. I took lessons in driving and, although I finished th ecourse, I need more practice before I can get my driver's license. The other two nights I worked in the wood ship, reconditioning antiques and making redwood shelving, etc., for the barn. My first attempt was a coffee-table for in fron t of the fireplace, made from the remnants of Grandmother's walnut dining table, brought from Scotland over 100 years ago. It is most satisfactory and so useful and rather unusual.
My sister Maud was living with us here fo rthe past three years, but she now has her own little home just a stone's throw from us and seems well and happy. We have the usual interests, Woman's Club, Garden Club, church activities, etc., to take our minds off the confining tasks of running a home. Jean, Ned and I had a fine trip to Canada last September, saw the families en route, and renewed friendships in Canada."

Fall 1952 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner is very busy with their farm project = growing gladioli - now cutting from a 20 acre patch and tying or shipping them from their home base in Carlsbad, Calif. She has a family of 23 now, counting 5 children, 4 in-laws, and 12 grandchildren, some living in Canada. - Anna Slease

Spring 1954 Alumnae Quarterly:

"We have just settled on a ranch near Pala (the Indian Reservation and Mission) and have not yet moved all our things from the 'Barn' in Carlsbad - all our files and many other things in storage there. We came here in the middle of last November, and have a two year lease on the Ranch for growing our gladioli. The Ranch consists of 726 acres - mountain, canyon, and river bed - with only about 30 acres tillable for any purpose. It is well wooded with live oaks, alder, cottonwood, sycamores, etc. The San Luis Rey River runs through the Ranch, so there is plenty of good pure water, which is the king-pin for growing here in California; then we have spring water piped to the house from the hills and well water for irrigation.
We have a large, comfortable house, built of concrete blocks. Torrential rains in mid winter swept down from the denuded hills, forming a new creek which washed across our recent plantings of glads. Not as much damage as might have been expected, for we found we could replant many of the washed-out bulbs. The Ranch was very much run down and needs a lot of tidying, but there are endless possibilities. We love it here and are looking forward to having a real garden spot."

Summer 1955 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner might be excused from writing at any length to us for she says, "My husband and I live alone on the ranch, so it means tha we have to write letters to 26 members of our immediate family, if we wish to keep in touch with them, - an average of more than 2 birthdays a month, besides wedding anniversaries, graduations, etc. I really find myself swamped. We welcomed into the family last September our first great grandchild, a girl born in London to our granddaughter, Donna, and now we have Dona Anita Garnet Charkowicz- quite a moniker! As soon as they could travel with her, her parents brought her to America, to settle in Berkeley with our son Ted. We went up to see all of them for a short visit in February. Of course we were delighted with the baby, a lovely little girl. Is this the first great grand child of our class? Greetings to all my classes, "via con Dios."

Fall 1956 Alumnae Quarterly:

"We are no longer at the ranch but are back at 3795 Adams Street, Carlsbad, Calif., and have been happy to have visits from various members of the family. Our son Ted and his family were here and later on a niece from Detroit (Elizabeth Abercrombie, Goucher '27). Then my brother, Doctor Ronald Abercrombie, came from Baltimore for his first trip West. We ejoyed so much talking over with him all the family history (my sister Maud lives with us). It was a grand visit. Now our daughter Jean is with us for her vacation from work in San Francisco." You will remember that Mary is wondering if she is the only great-grandmother in the class.

Summer 1957 Alumnae Quarterly:

"It was so good to get your letter and it has been on my mind for some time to write to you,"says Mary Abercrombie Verner, of Carlsbad, Calif., "but I was ill during the winter- a slight stroke, the doctor says, leaving me weak in the kneees with impaired memory and wobbly handwriting, as you can see. My son visited me and insisted on taking me away for a rest and check-up.
Back home again I soon got back to normal and feel quite myself again, except that I tire more easily and must do things slowly. Our eldest grandson, Ronald Verner, is to be married next Sunday, and I am sorry not to be going (too much to undertake) but my sister Maud, who lives with us, is going and will give us a good report of everything. Our daughter, Kathleen, from Saskatchewan, and her husband, Tommy Hall, have gone to Toronto, to the wedding of a great niece and while there will see our son Jamie (RCAF) and his family from Ottawa, so that will be something of a family reunion. Tommy, who is Warden at the Federal Penitentiary, had a conference in the Dept. of Justice in Prince Albert. Margaretta's husband, Gordon Leen, has gone to Norfolk in connection with the celebration there, but Margaretta could not go with him. In March, Gordon had Naval duty in San Francisco, (he is in the Naval Reserve) and we had a grand visit with them at the time. They live in Kirkland, Wash.
I was saddened to read that Louise Lawrence had died. Our number dwindles! I am going to try to get up to the Southern California Goucher meeting July 5. I have been to no meetings in the last three years. Ethel Cockey will be there and I had hoped that she might make us a visit, but she says she can't make it."

Summer 1959 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has a system for answering family letters and most of the letters from friends. She writes to each o his birthday and as there are 27 in the family that's quite a chore. She adds wedding anniversaries and birthdays of many friends. With all those letters to write Mary still keeps up with her hobbies - knottong, braiding rugs, quilting and renovating antique furniture. She keeps up her membership in the Philogians and in the literary section of the Women's Club, each of which is an organization within the church. Her sister Maude who lived with her for so long is now in a lovely Presbyterian Home in Pasadena.

Winter 1960 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner, writing on December 19, speaks of the sumemr temperatures they were enjoying, actually getting something like a sun bath while doing their out-door chores, such as sorting, grading and counting their gladiolus bulbs. She still carries on her hobbies (they ought to be catalogued) of knitting, quilt making, restoring antique furniture, etc. Recently she did over an old rosewood chair, netting her twenty-fiive dollars "talent money" for her Women's Auxiliary.

Spring 1961 Alumnae Quarterly:

"I do not know where the time goes" is Mary Abercrombie Verner's wail. And what a chorus there would be if we all spoke our minds on the subject at once. Mary goes on to say, "I have close to 50 birthday letters to write each year and I am always behind. I have been knitting a shawl for our fourth great grandchild. There is no chance of my coming to Goucher for our get-together. Last year we had our fiftieth wedding anniversary and after planning several trips, we finally had one in September. Our daughter Kathleen's husband had been transferred from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan to New Westminster, our old stamping ground, and our son, Jamie, in Ottowa, in the Canadian Air Force, had a day's duty in Vancouver, so we picked up and flew north. We stopped for a week with our daughter, Margaretta, in Kirkland, Washington, and then went on to Kathleen's for Oct. 1st. Jamie arrived Friday night, Margaretta and her husband drove up from Kirkland and all day Saturday we visited together. "Do you remember" etc. We had not seen Jamie for seven years nor Kathleen and her family for nine. Jamie had just been posted to London and we felt that we had to see him before he went. He is now in London attending the Imperial Defense College; he is an Air Commodore now and we feel very proud of him."

Winter 1962 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner and her husband have bought back and moved into their beloved old "Barn" where they have more room, and were always so happy. Her son Jamie, Air Commodore in the R.C.A.F. was in London while he served with the Imperial Defense College, during which time he and his wife were presented to Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.

Winter 1964 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner wrote a different story about the weather - 72 degrees in the shade in their California home. She shivers just to think of the cold in the north and northeast. Most of us like what we have, so just weather doesn't make much difference. Mary now has six great grandchildren; that must be the record for 1903. Their son, Jamie (Air Commander, RCAF) will retire soon to make his home in Vancouver, and this makes the west coast roster of the Verner family complete.

Winter 1963 Alumnae Quarterly:

I had an unusual letter from Mary Abercrombie Verner, written on the under side of a place mat from the Horizon Lunch Room at the Seattle Fair. On their northern trip she and herhusband saw all of their 5 children, 13 grandchiildren, and 5 great-grand children, and missed seeing only one in-law. Some came from as far east as Ottawa for the meeting. Mary took home a new supply of yarn, called "tribal yarn" for a sweater for Ned. Mary says she is a charter member of the "Do it yourselfers" and I nominate her for membership in the "Never Throw it Out Club" because she is always unearthing things to make other beautiful things out of.

Summer 1964 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner wrote from California that they had a mild, beautiful winter this year, followed by a cold and backward spring. This spring her brother Fulton passed away. We send our love and sympathy to her.

Spring 1967 Alumnae Quarterly:

We also recieve greetings...from Mary Abercrombie Verner in California, visiting her children and grandchildren up and down the coast and still devoted to her garden and her "primeval forest." What is a jacaranda tree, Mary?"

Winter 1969 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has finished that large braided rug and theknitted bedspread she told us about, and has no inclination to begin any other ambitious project. She keeps fit was a daily walk to the Berkeley campus and seems to be easing up somewhat, but I'll not be surprised to hear that she is re-upholstering a colonial sofa!

Winter 1970 Alumnae Quarterly:

We can't keep track of all the art-crafts that Mary Abercrombie Verner cultivates. She says she has slowed down but I have my doubts.

Winter 1971 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has so many skills we can't keep track of them; she seems to do everything so quickly and easily. She has raided prize gladioli by the acre, has renovated and upholstered antique furniture with professional skill, cooks, sews, crochets, carves small objects d' art of wood, and knits for children and grandchildren - bootees, scarves, sweaters, and quilts - working on two of those when she wrote last. Now all you idle people take note!

September 1971 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner is not doing quite so much knitting; I know she is not, for she plays chess when she has a partner and solitaire when she has none. My favorite solitaire is the "Pierpoint Morgan" that is played with two decks. Try it!

Winter 1972 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mrs. S. Robert Shinn, '31, Mary Abercrombie Verner's niece, wrote to tell us about her aunt's condition, which is rather sad. Mary has withdrawn somewhat from the world about her, into a shadowy one that makes confusion for her. It is not uncommon, I believe, and another loyal member of our class seems to have followed that same path.

Summer 1973 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie has not been well for some time, and neither are Charlotte Jones and Florence Carmine Bankard.

Winter 1975 Alumnae Quarterly:

Mary Abercrombie Verner has moved to El Cerrito, California.

Winter 1976 Alumnae Quarterly:

DEATHS
Mary Abercrombie Verner