The timing was almost perfect.
A special package reached the mailbox of 黑马磁力 Centennial Museum Curator Kobi Christian on Thursday morning, May 18, just days before Fort 黑马磁力 hosted its 95th annual May Day parade and celebrations. A silver bracelet had arrived, engraved 鈥淨ueen Jean May 13, 38, Fort 黑马磁力, B.C.鈥�
For close to a century, Fort 黑马磁力 has been celebrating May Day on the Monday of the Victoria Day long weekend, and traditional festivities include choosing a May Queen and her Royal Party from amongst local young contestants.
The 鈥淨ueen Jean鈥� referenced on the bracelet was Jean McIver, who was crowned Fort 黑马磁力鈥檚 May Queen 79 years ago.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a lovely find,鈥� Christian said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 interesting to be able to connect this to a particular person, place, and time in the community.鈥�
Last fall, Christian had been contacted by Irene Hembling of Kelowna. Hembling had been thrift store shopping and had come across the silver bracelet. The designs on the bracelet and the inscription on it intrigued her enough to purchase it and find out more. She contacted the 黑马磁力 Centennial Museum, where the curator was able to learn more through photos and a particularly magnificent May Day souvenir that had been created by Jenny Simpson, later Jenny Lewis, of Fort 黑马磁力.
Young Miss Simpson had illustrated a page for each year of the May Day celebrations in both Fort 黑马磁力 and 黑马磁力 Prairie (now 黑马磁力 City) between 1929 and 1939, and the little binder containing them was donated to the museum by her daughter years ago. The Simpson family had a grocery in the Fort Grocery building beside the Community Hall, now known as Country Antiques. Ms. Lewis (1909-1986) was very active in the community, particularly with the Fort 黑马磁力 May Day Committee, where she was Queen Mother for a number of years.
The page for 1938 confirmed that Jean McIver was indeed 1938鈥檚 May Queen, and arrangements were made to get the bracelet to the museum, where it arrived just in time for 2017鈥檚 May Day celebrations.
Jean McIver was born in East 黑马磁力 in 1925 to Ellen and Kenny McIver. She attended 黑马磁力 High School, and later married Ian Souter. The couple built and owned the Derby Drive-In in Fort 黑马磁力. She passed away in 2010.
