A Letter from Uncle Walt

In chapter one of part 2, we learn more about Elizabeth McKelvey, her family and her upbringing. Her parents, Louis and Lillian Glade, saw the world from a very unique point of view and they treasurered their daughter as if she were a porcelain doll. Louis and Lillian had a strange obsession with British Royal Family, to the point where her father tracked their every move, keeping scrapbooks of newspaper clippings and photographs. In particular, they loved Princess Elizabeth, who was in line to be Queen. Hence, they named their only child Elizabeth.

In describing her childhood to Adam Goldsmith, she tells him of the day her father died. It was October 18th, 1951, and Princess Elizabeth was visiting Canada. Louis was telling his family about her visit that day to an egg farm in Sarnia, ON, when he keeled over and died of a heart attack at the dinner table.

This incident stands as a turning point in Elizabeth’s life. The chain of events that follows leads up to Elizabeth’s mother moving to Chicago leaving Elizabeth completely alone in Kingston. Having been caudled and protected her entire life, she soon meets a wild and free spirited William McKelvey, and ironically ends up the wife of an egg farmer. However, this point stuck me for another significant reason. My father’s Uncle Walt was an egg farmer in Sarnia, and if I remember correctly, this visit by Princess Elizabeth is in fact a true story. I called my sister, a historian who happens to be the Director of the Lambton County Archives, to confirm. She sent me several photos of people in Sarnia preparing for the arrival of Princess Elizabeth in Sarnia on October 18th, 1951, (below) along with photos of my Uncle Walt’s egg farm (above).



"Children from the Sarnia area will see Princess Elizabeth." A photo from the archives of the Sarnia Observer. Dated October 13th, 1951.



"The 26th Battery of the 31st Field Regiment will meet Princess Elizabeth." A photo from the archives of the Sarnia Observer. Dated October 13th, 1951.

Using those images as inspiration, I imagined that my Great Uncle Walt was an aquaintance of Louis Glade, and that he wrote a letter about the Royal visit. The letter was mailed on the day Louis died, and Elizabeth received it several days later.

Click on the image below to download the letter.