Rose McColl

Rose used to tell the story about when, during the "hungry thirties" she
was walking alone through a datkpart of the City going home from work, she
was accosted by a burglar. He had a gun. Rose eyed him with disdain and
really told him off: 1,vhat on earth is a nice, big fellow like yourself doing
picking on a poor working girl like me, taking my money when I've worked so
hard for it?" Whereupon the would-be thief fled.
It rather sums up her character - a common-sense, gutsy person, not afraid
of anything. Yet she learned to be that way.
When she first arrived in Canada about 1929-1930 she stayed at her sister's
home in Vancouver (Gertrude Wolfe/Betty Hood), who was married to James Hood.
Her sister had two small girls and she helped in looking after them, but later
established herself in her own apartment and worked out as a housekeeper.
She didn't care how far she had to go to work, and the hours were no detriment,
thus she often arrived home late, walking alone in the dark.
For a while she worked at the tea pavilion in Stanley Park, and then told
fortunes (read tea cups) at Scot's cafe on Granville Street, as well as at
various private parties. She was a very popular tea cup reader, and her dark
eyes and hair served her well in this occupation.
She married late in life to John McColl, who had been a prairie farmer until
coming to Vancouver, where he took up the occupation of welder. They had one
son, Ian.
Rose became deeply involved in motherly activities, and being inrer mid 40's
at that time, was perhaps a bit over anxious and tried to be perfect. When Ian
started school she attended all the PTA (Parent-Teacher Assoc.) meetings and
took an active part.
It w~s on coming home from one of these meetings that Rose died, believed to
be of a c.v.a. (cerebrovascular accident). Her son was still quite young at
the time.
Rose would have been very proud of her son. He has turned out to be one of
the City's finest (Vancouver Police Force) and is a tall, handsome, very likeable
fellow. He is married and has children.
Rose will always be remembered for her dark soul-searching eyes, her love of
children, and for her courage.