Jean was an intrical part of my life and the most influencial, other than my own parents. Jean was our teacher at Aspen as I entered Grade 2 and she remained teaching at Aspen, as she said, 'until you go to high school'. If I am not mistaken she did just that, ending her teaching at our country school in June 1960.

School was so much fun because of Jean. She took part in many of our games; put all our desks around the old barrel stove to keep us warm in winter; broke ice on our water 'cooler' so we could get a drink; played 'Pig 'n The Poke' each week that culminated every Friday with someone winning and then supplying next weeks prize; heated water/snow on the barrel stove to wash her hair and anything else she could after getting sprayed by a skunk on the way to school as she came from Grandma and Grandpa Cable's old farm where they lived by way of horse and toboggan. We cleaned the front yard of the school, planting flowers and hoeing the 'Etomami clay' around those huge spruce trees that still stand at the gate to the school yard. The teachridge is gone but I remember the many times staying with Jean when Bob or my parents were away or sometimes just because...!  I remember her making cabbage rolls, something I had never seen or done before. Each time I go by the school yard I think of her and our special times. 

Each Christmas we would put on a Christmas concert. Jean was great at that; sometimes she just had a few students but she always made it grandeur in our eyes (still think it actually was). It was oh so much fun, especially when we went to the Etomami Hall to practice and put on our presentation with a pianist to accompany 'the best choral group' she could make out of us!  This was her life long lesson that helped me become the best 'Recreational Director' I could be in Senior's Homes for 25 years. A position I truly loved. Everytime the resident's and I put on a program at Easter, Rememberance Day, or especially Christmas, memories flooded back. Sometimes I wondered, 'how would Jean do this?'. I thought of Jean and appreciated all she taught me; all she had done for me.

Jean always had a smile, a sympathetic or interested ear, enjoyed a joke or a funny story.  Mrs. Cable was not only my former teacher and neighbour but Jean remained a real true friend that I could count on!