A City of Loving and Living
User Story
By Cheryl Kerr
The older woman in this picture is Helen Bertha Stephens Donnelly, a longtime resident of Edmonton. She moved to Edmonton back in the 1930’s to Calder and raised her twins, Jim and Jean, their brother Tom and then much later in life, their sister, Linda, in Edmonton.
Helen was known both in Calder and later lived in the Westmount area: 129 Street across from the Boys and Girls Club and the city playground. She was known for her homemade chocolate chip cookies and friendship. In fact, her son Tom’s friend, Tommy Banks, preferred Helen’s chocolate chip cookies to the ones his own mother made. And he told many people about them!
Helen welcomed so many Edmontonians into her home and she always had a cup of tea, a glass of lemonade, and a cookie or a sandwich for them. And she loved this city. She walked the streets of Edmonton and taught all the grandchildren to walk after a big meal and to talk out their problems and concerns. She listened and explained issues clearly. She was a great teacher both to her neighbours about gardening or plant issues or to her granddaughter, me—Cheryl Donnelly Kerr—about how to sew clothing, cook, clean, and advocate for better conditions in our city neighbourhoods.
It is because of my grandmother that both my cousin and I worked for the City of Edmonton’s Parks and Recreation department for years and years. I worked in Playgrounds later on too, administering of the Green Shack program. It is because of this visionary and inspirational woman that I helped to pioneer one of the very first Parks and Recreation play-van programs back when the City of Edmonton was expanding so fast and city departments were trying to come up with responsible and cost-effective ways of delivering services to all citizens.
It is also because of this inspirational woman that our extended family boasts three talented teachers, two gifted chartered accountants, one lawyer, one international land developer, one gifted commercial pilot, a journalist, a business manager, an exceptional guitarist— and I haven’t even begun to describe what the great grandchildren are doing now. One of the great grandchildren is in this photo—Andrew—at a much younger age. He is now completing an honours economics degree in the United States. Here he was celebrating great grandma’s birthday on October 31—Halloween.
This picture was taken at a home in Patricia Heights where Helen Bertha Stephens Donnelly spent many, many days helping her son, Jim, and his wife Doreen when Doreen was fighting pancreatic cancer. Helen was courageous and never gave up, despite facing big problems or issues in her life in Edmonton. And just like this beautiful big-hearted city of ours, Helen never grew tired of loving or living here. I just thought it was time Edmontonians knew about this quiet, faithful citizen and long-time resident of Edmonton.
Grandma passed away last fall, five days shy of her 99th birthday, but somehow I know she is still smiling down on this wonderful city of ours and reminding us to help each other and keep living and loving in the city of Edmonton.
