Mother of 2 Hants Border resident survived Halifax Explosion.

(The following was written by Butch Young) This is an account published in my book, Reflections of a Restaurant Owner's Son, concerning the Halifax Explosion which was related to me by my mother, Marjorie (Sheehan) Young.

Just one of the many stories about that horrendous event. Later in life Marjorie and Cecil Young owned The Palms Restaurant in Wolfville.  There her mother-in-law invented GRAPENUT ICE CREAM. It continues to be a popular flavour!  

"Mom, the second eldest child of five, had an older sister and three younger brothers. All lived though, and survived the Halifax Explosion of 1917. 

Mom had been in bed that fateful morning, (she was fifteen at the time) and was recuperating from an appendectomy operation when she heard a loud bang. Thinking the Germans had arrived and bombed the city, she jumped out of the bed immediately. Fortunate for her was this decision, as, at that moment, a large armoire came crashing down onto the bed in what could have resulted for her in a tragic injury or worse. 

Mom also related to us a story, that on that dreadful day, a neighbourhood lady, obviously frantic, approached Mom’s father to assist her in finding her missing husband. They eventually did. The husband, whose head was blown off was only identifiable by the tattoo on his arm. Mom’s own family, living at the time on Fenwick Street, had been so fortunate by comparison.

As for the rest of Mom’s family, her mother, Annie, was also at home and looking after a baby named Willis. This “Willis” later grew up to be Frank Willis,

wellknown CBC commentator and he had a brother, Austin, who became famous as an actor. 

Mom’s youngest brother, Bernie, was found after the explosion hiding behind a grave stone in the Holy Cross Cemetery. As for her sister, Myrtle, she had been attending St. Pat’s taking a secretarial course. 

Raymond Egan, granddad's partner in business, went to granddad's house and said they were all dead in the north end. He offered to go up and help find Myrtle’s body, believing her to be dead. They did so, but fortunately found her walking along the street with an apron wrapped around her head covering a bloody nose. A light in the classroom had fallen on her. 

The other two boys in the family were likely attending College Street school, or headed that way at the time of the disaster, but all survived."

- from Butch Young

Dave Young also lives in Hants Border.

Without the births of these men, one major Canadian hockey team and one major American team would be minus great die-hart fans.