Memories from Myra

by Myra Matthews

   As a further tribute to Marjorie Densmore, I want to tell you about her career choices.  Marjorie decided she wanted to be a funeral director at one point; she did a little research and decided then, again, that it was not for her. You see, she not only wanted to drive the hearse she only wanted to drive the hearse  - nothing else!  When she discovered that all hearses were standards her dream was shattered.

   After all, the reality was, she couldn’t have a hearse grinding gears and hopping up and down the road like a Jack-rabbit with peoples loved ones bouncing up and down on their final journey to God knows where, with Marjorie at the wheel As my story continues, you’ll understand what I mean by that comment.

   Marjorie’s next plan was to become a police officer.  That year Holland college, in PEI, was starting its first police training program and women could apply. Marjorie and two other girls made the cut! About this time, my husband Graham came on the scene, and he met Marjorie for the first time. He could not believe that she was training to be a police officer and he asked her, “Do you have your own handcuffs? Bring them over the next time you come.”

   After a few weeks, in comes Marjorie swinging her handcuffs. Graham looked them over, snapped them on, and said, “OK. Where's the keys?”

   Marg replied, “Well, I'm not sure. I don't even know if I brought them over with me.” Graham was in a panic! Marjorie said, “Well, there is a bright side to all this. Myra know what you're up to this weekend and I'm guessing you'll be sober.”

   Back to driving with Marjorie, we all have stories and a good deal of our roadkill could be traced back to Marj - even our sacred Beaver; it was lying flat as a pancake in the middle of the village in Noel.

   I was with her when she wrote her brother Carmen’s car off down the Colbert Road. Erma and Marj ended up in a lady’s fancy cement pond and had to be towed out! The list goes on but it never stopped Erma and I from traveling with her despite the many “Jesus, take the wheel moments,” long before Carrie Underwood made the song famous!

   Then, Marjorie decided to give her life over to the Lord - that's right, she became a Catholic and she didn't stop there; she had an epiphany: Her calling was to become a nun. This was when the “Real Housewives of East Noel,” with Madeline Hamilton heading the delegation, decided to do an intervention and save Marjorie from the “nuns.”

   When I told Graham what we were up to he suggested I mind my own business, that if Marjorie wanted to become a nun it was her choice. Then under his breath he said, “This is going to be good.” Well, sister Clem failed the test. She told us, “I could take all the vows but I could never take the vow of celibacy!”

  We tried to be supportive. We agreed what a weird vow to have to take in this day and age, but, secretly, we were just glad to have her back with us.