Mahone Bay Old School_A Life and Times_Bob Sayer

The girls are shown. From left to right they are Helen, Fran and Lucille.
All three graduated from the new school. The photo was taken in 1930. The three
attractive Joudrey grandchildren pose playfully to wave goodbye to an aunt.
All three attended the school their grandfather hard worked hard to see built.
• This writer had the pleasure of talking with Lucille, well into her 90s, at the Mahone
Bay Nursing Home. Lucille went to Normal College and was to teach at Petite Riviere
and, later, Liverpool and Milton. Helen also went into teaching.
“Pumpey”’s great grandson , Mike Anderssen, [Lucille’s son] retired from a military
career and is a well known local dog trainer, and his great great grandson, Mike
Anderssen Jnr., went through Mahone Bay School in the 1980s, graduated from
Parkview Education Centre in 1992 and went on to a Business degree at St Mary’s
University. Mike’s sister is an award winning journalist.
Orren Snyder [“O.S.”] Joudrey, 1880-1966: ‘The Pilot:’
Town Clerk and School Board Secretary-Treasurer, 1919-1949
If there were three ‘Founding Fathers,’ O.S. Joudrey was the pilot who guided the
good ship, Mahone Bay School, safely. His influence is everywhere. Little happened
in Town business without him being close at hand. There is a fine old, pre 1914, photo
of the old wooden town bridge having its timbers replaced by steel girders. O.S., 82
A Close-Up
From left to right, Mr. Joudrey identified: I.L. Joudrey [his father], Howard Freeman,
Heber Zwicker, Charles Dorey, Harry Eisenhauer, Dr. Pickles [wearing white
overalls, owned the building], Frank Millett, Dr. Charles Hamilton, Mr. Ferguson
[boss of the job], Fred Langille, Robert Leopold [pushing the barrow]. Nathan Ham is
third from the right. Other men in the picture are William A. Kedy, Kenneth Langille
and Freeman D. Macler.
Clerk O.S. Joudrey stands in the entrance, holding the Pickles’ collie. The building
[previously located on the opposite side of the street] was the drug store. “…You were
expected to start early and work long after supper…. Hours were from 8 a.m. to 10
p.m. and pay worked out to be 43 cents per day.” He started at $100 per year, and
worked up to $200. Dr. Brent took over the store when Pickles died. It was also the
office and terminal for the telephone, and part of Mr. Joudrey’s job was to collect,
on a quarterly basis, the few telephone bills in town. He also acted as switchboard
operator when needed.
years old, supplied the information to the Progress Enterprise for its April 14, 1963
story.
In 1913, he went to work for Reg Hyson who operated a grocery and ice cream store.
In 1918, when the Town was incorporated, Joudrey became the first Town Clerk
and School Board Secretary-Treasurer. He held the positions for 30 years, until his
retirement.
“ The young people today wouldn’t want to live and work under the same conditions
we did, but it was good training and we learned to appreciate money.” were his final
words in the newspaper interview.
• In 1915, ‘16, ‘17 and ’18 he was appointed auditor at the school’s annual meeting
of ratepayers, and he presented his report the following year. He was constantly
moving or seconding major motions.
• As Town Clerk and Secretary-Treasurer of the school board, he prepared the
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