( 1897 - 1992 ) --- ( 1895 - 1977 )
(Married in 1918)
EUGENE (1921-1945) * JOAN (1925 - )m.(1945) Ladd L Butler - Randolph, Bradley, Gary JACQULINE (1929 - 2009)m.(1951) Richard M Morse - Ladd, Janet, Dana
* Paul Eugene, a US marine, was killed in action during Second World War on Iwo Jima
Charlotte was known as Lottie. She was very short (most of the family were tall) and quite attractive. She was a very wilful and determined young lady.
For an early period of her working life, Lottie was a Nanny for Ferdinand, the baby son of Alphonse Reyrolle. Her father and Reyrolle worked together in the initial development of what was to become a huge and thriving Electrical Engineering industry employing many thousands on Tyneside.
Much against the wishes of her parents, she married a handsome submariner at the end of WW I and emigrated to Canada. Eugene was born in Hamilton, Ontario, as the family moved westward to California.
Later, returning to Banchory, Scotland, Joan Lavada was born. Returning to California with a young baby and a 4-year old, Bob found work with Douglas Aircraft Co. The family was living in Santa Monica when Jacqueline Genevieve was born.
With the onset of the Great Depression in the U.S.A. work became scarce, and the family moved north to Seattle, Washington where Bob attempted to find work as an electrician.
With no steady work for over 5 years, Bob struggled to support his family. Finally he was hired at United Airlines where he was employed until he enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Chief Petty Officer at the beginning of WW II. Bob was in the Navy Construction Battalions (CB's called Sea Bees).
His group built docks and landing fields in North Africa in preparation for the invasion of southern Europe. Throughout his life he was very proud of his service in two world wars, and remained an intensely patriotic man.
With the men away at war, Boeing hired women to work on bombers. Lottie was an electrician on the Flying Fortresses (B-17's). Daughter Joan was a blueprint tracer at the aircraft factory.
For four years Lottie and her girls worked and waited for the men to come home. Sadly, Eugene did not return. Lottie and Bob never got over the death of their only son. He was only 24.
Soon after the war Lottie, Bob and Jackie moved to Quilcene, a tiny town on the Olympic Peninsula, about 60 miles from Seattle by road and two ferries. They bought heavily forested acreage at the edge of the Olympic National Park, with pastures, lush forests and a salmon-bearing river running through it. The property, in many ways, was similar to that of the Lakes District "back home".
They built and operated a multi-unit motel with housekeeping rooms for travellers and sportsmen who came to this beautiful vacation area. While living in one of the motel units, Bob built a fine country home for Lottie while she put in lovely gardens. Bob hunted and fished for subsistence as much as for recreation (often joined by Joan's husband Ladd) while Lottie raised chickens, calves for beef and tended large vegetable gardens. The property was a wonderful place for Joan and Jackie to visit and spend holiday times.
Their growing families loved the times spent with Nana and Grandpa., although Jackie's children only made occasional visits as they were seldom stationed in the western U.S.
Lottie's younger brother Ted and his wife Dora emigrated to the USA in the early 1950's and came to Quilcene. Bob and Lottie provided them with one of the motel's housekeeping units while Ted sought to make his way in a new country. After a couple of years, it was clear that things would not work out for them and they returned to England.
Shortly after (1953) Lottie sailed on the Queen Mary to visit her family in England and there was a grand reunion (after an absence of over three decades). Six years later Lottie and Bob sailed again for a visit to England and Scotland.
As Bob and Lottie aged, operating a motel and maintaining acreage became harder. In the mid-1960's they moved closer to Seattle on Bainbridge Island, where Ladd Butler (by now a successful builder) constructed a lovely home for them overlooking Puget Sound. Bob, by now ill with emphysema, could potter in his workshop or watch the ship traffic on Puget Sound, and Lottie could walk to all the stores (she never did learn to drive an automobile). Bob died in 1977.
Lottie, now 80 years old, wanted to take the opportunity to visit Jackie who now was living in Nairobi, Kenya, where Dick was with the United Nations. So, it was a great family affair with Joan, husband Ladd and son Gary (now 11) and Lottie making a grand tour of it all, with several weeks in Kenya, and visits to Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece. Six months later Lottie and Joan made a 30-day tour of 11 European countries. She was a joy to travel with and always enjoyed the different views of the world.
At age 82 she flew to Hawaii with Joan and Ladd who had a vacation home in the Islands. But, by now travel was beginning to tire. In 1981, when Jackie's husband Dick retired from a career of national and international service they returned to the Pacific Northwest and Bainbridge Island, and made a home only a mile or so from Lottie.
Granddaughter Janet was by now living in Seattle, while Joan's entire family had settled only about 90 miles away, allowing frequent visits by grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lottie lived by herself for 15 years after Bob's death. She attributed her good health to her 6-10 mile daily walks all over the island.
She had the 'Nicod look' as described by Vi. She was a tiny dynamo (only 4'10" tall - her grandfather Nicod was short), an avid gardener, marvellous cook; her children were raised on home-grown vegetables, chickens, rabbits, home baked breads. Her hands were never still. Her knitting and needlework won many awards.
She often told us stories about her many brothers and sisters and her early years in England. She had fond memories of all of them, and fought homesickness for many years.
Lottie died after a series of strokes at age 94 1/2. She has left a great void in all our lives.
( notes by Joan Butler and Jackie Morse )
The following is the transcript of a letter Aunt Lottie wrote in reply to my sister's letter after Mother had died. It gives a little insight into the resourceful person Lottie was and the deep emotional tie she always felt for her family. (Terry)
2 Feb 83
970 Winslow Way E
Winslow Bainbridge Is
Washington USA 98110
Dear Jackie
First of all, may I say, how grateful and thankful I am for your loyalty towards your mother's sister, in other words, your Aunt Lottie, who lives many miles away. I had planned to get over there last year but never got round to it, consequently, I missed seeing my dear sister. I was shocked Jackie never-the-less, it was a god-send she did not suffer too long. Bless her heart she is at rest now. Yes, I suppose everyone in Hebburn knew her as she grew-up there from a little girl. The Nicod family are well known but gradually we get smaller and smaller as time goes by.
I don't know what your Daddy will do now, he is bound to be lonely without his wife after all these years. Myself, well Jackie, I miss my dear husband very much and get very lonely at times, despite the fact I am still very active, considering my age 86 this year and that's not young. I do lots of walking still and keep my pretty place up with the lovely shrubbery I have, my place really is a show place. The garden Club comes every year to see it.
I feel very fortunate Jackie to have what I have and I am most grateful and thankful you know Jackie, when you are in love, you say "Yes" to anything, so when Uncle Bob asked me to marry him and go to America, of course I said "yes". I have never regretted it. I have what I could never have in England, the only thing, I paid highly for it. I was completely severed from my family, which ate my heart out many times although I never let Uncle Bob know and so Jackie dear, it took courage, effort and faith, the same as you will have to have, now Mother is gone.
I never hear from the Nicod family that's left, Fred never writes and Nora has never written me, she is a sweet woman and I know if she only knew what a letter meant she would have written once in a while. But a lot of people do not care to write, for some reason or other, myself I never mind.
Your Uncle Ted was the only other one out of the Nicod Family to come to America and I think he would have stuck it out and made good had his wife Dora stood behind his effort, but she got home sick, but you have to fight it in a new country. America is a lovely country, she has everything, sure we have our problems also, unemployment, strikes etc. Never-the-less, to emigrate is a purpose in life which thousands of people have done, especially young married couples.
Yes it takes lots of money even to live these days, this is why Jackie dear, I am so very thankful that I am blessed with what I have. I do hope honey, you will find time again to write, I am sure it was not easy for you to let me know about your mother and my deepest sympathy goes out to her family she left behind. Will be thinking of you dear and many thanks again and console Daddy as much as you can, he needs it. I love you dear.
Always Aunt Lottie. xxx
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