Several letters written to Vida Courser Achilles by various family members, including her mother, aunt, sister and father. Her mother's letters are undated, written while she is in Dunkin, Québec. She writes mainly of her health, asking for remedies. There is a also brief note written to her granddaughter, Zerella. Aunt Lilla, in a letter, dated May 13, 1921, also writes of health issues and describes the death of her mother. Grace (Courser) Hawley in a letter dated July 27, 1922 writes of preparations for an imminent strike in Montréal. There is an extremely brief letter from Vida's father, Verdine Courser, dated May 18, 1928, about finding work in Waterville, Vermont.
Robert Pontbriant, of French-Canadian descent, talks with Kim Chase about how his parents came to Winooski, Vt. from Canada. He relates many other family stories including soirées and the singing and dancing that went along with those gatherings. In particular he talks about the ability of certain family members and friends to be able to take the pain away from burns and to stop bleeding (side 3) by using a "power" or "gift" of faith healing. Also discussed are: trapping, foods, his blindness due to an inherited disease, farming, and more family stories and memories.
Lucille West, 80, talks with Kim Chase in French and English about growing up on farms in Canada and in North Troy, Vermont. In French she talks with Kim about various French songs. In English Lucille relates how her family came to move to Vermont when she was 10, and the adjustments she had to make in learning new ways and a new language, English. She also talks about celebrating Christmas in Vermont, which her family had never done before in Canada, home health remedies, foods eaten, how her mother became blind when Lucille was only 4, and other family stories. Lucille and Kim switch between French and English but there is enough in English for the non-French speaker to understand.
Claire Bouffard Chase, born in Winooski, Vt. and of French-Canadian descent, talks about her family, in particular her grandmother, mother and father, and the World War II experiences of her brother, Clem. She relates stories she heard as a child, talks about being raised to be self-sufficient and discusses her father's life philosophy. Most interesting are her stories about a healing tradition in the family that borders on the mysterious and mystical, where certain family members could take away pain (and Claire's warts) by the power of suggestion, and how this tradition was passed on in a very strict code of secrecy. Kim Chase conducts the interview.
