Built in 1916 and nestled beside a picturesque switchback of the tea-colored Tlell River sits the Richardson Ranch family homestead.  Originally purchased by Eric Richardson back in 1919, seven different generations of Richardsons have worked hard over the last 98 years to maintain their family farm and serve the community.

Sitting around the kitchen table are long-time friends, Alice Richardson, Lois “Smitty” Akana, and Bill and Karen Ronnenkamp.  Stories are plentiful, and smiles abound.

LONG-TIME FRIENDS…

Alice Richardson, who recently turned 85, has five children, all born on Haida Gwaii, and is the grandmother of 10, nearly all born on-island, as well as the great-grand-mother of four.  Originally from Halkirk, Alberta, Alice has lived in Tlell longer than anyone presently residing there.  In 1951, she met and married Doug Richardson.  “I was never, ever going to marry a farmer because I did not like living on the farm,” affirms Alice.  When Alice met Doug, he was in the logging business, but a year after they were married, his father, Francis, fell ill, and in February 1953 they came home to Tlell to take over the Richardson family business.  And so, living back on a farm for Alice was just meant to be.

Smitty, aged 92 years very young, is a dear friend of the Richardson family.  At Christmas time in 1952, she arrived in Queen Charlotte, and for two years worked as a nurse at the Queen Charlotte Hospital.  “I was on duty the night Don [Dr. Don Richardson] was born.  I’m his god-mother,” Smitty proudly notes, “I always say, if I ever had a son, I would like him to be just like Don.  He’s a fine gentleman that boy, well, ‘boy’, at sixty odd years!”

After her time at the QC Hospital, Smitty continued her nursing career in Vancouver for a couple of years and then moved and worked in Hawaii for eighteen more years.  She considers the Richardson family, and many other folks on Haida Gwaii, to be her unrelated family, and thus has come for a visit nearly every summer.  In fact, when her good friend, Sergius de Bucy of Queen Charlotte introduces her, he says, “This is Smitty Richardson.”  Smitty and Alice have been pals for nearly 65 years.

AND LONG-TIME NEIGHBORS…

Bill (84) and Karen (74) Ronnenkamp, who live about a potato gun’s shot away (liter-ally - a Richardson Christmas morning tra-dition) on the other side of the river, have been neighbors and friends with the group at the kitchen table for many decades.

To all the Richardson kids, Bill is honorari-ly adopted, and known as Uncle Bill.  “He’s also known as Sweet William,” Smitty giggles.

Bill, who was an RCMP Mountie for 20 years, was born in Stettler, Alberta.  Talk about a small world.  Halkirk, where Alice was born, is like Tlell is to Port Clements, only a short drive away…but they never knew each other back then.

Karen was born in Vancouver but grew up in Mount Sheer, a now abandoned mining town above the Britannia Mine Museum in Britannia Beach.  Karen’s grandfather, who homesteaded up in the Tow Hill area back in the 1920's, told her many stories about the Charlottes/Haida Gwaii, and thus she was excited when she and Bill travelled to the area for the frst time in the early 1970’s.  “We had a lovely visit,” Karen says, “and on the way back to Kitimat, where we lived at the time, we stopped into the RCMP ofce at Prince Rupert and they asked how we liked the Charlottes.  We said we loved it and they said that was good because Bill was to be transferred there!"

“Alice and Doug Richardson sold us a cabin,” Karen shares. “Doug made our road and moved the cabin, outhouse and porch all for $1000. The cabin came completely furnished with gas lights, bunk beds, an oil stove and I painted it chocolate brown with orange trim.  It looked like an A&W!”

AND SOME SLOWER PACE GOOD OL’ FUN…

"Back in the 70’s, when Sergius de Bucy's Mom, Sybil was still alive,” Ka-ren says with a grin, “she was in her 90's and still driving…"  As couples often do, Bill continues telling the story, "If you saw Sybil coming, well…you just pulled the police car over."  Now full-on laughing, Karen adds, “And let her go," and with a smile from ear to ear, Bill fnishes, "She was following the white line down to the store…Oh, here comes Sybil, every-body knew - you pulled over.

"Keeping the merriment going, Alice adds, "I think the best driver I knew was Bob Beitush, who owned property at the mouth of the Tlell River.  He used to have one of those old Model A or T's and he would sell vegetables in Skidegate and he would go about 15 miles an hour…all the way to Charlotte.

”More topics are covered, such as the secrets of living a happy life and what they know now compared to when they were in their 20’s or 30’s:

Bill: “It’s all small stuff.”
Alice: “I knew it all then.”  (another hearty group guffaw)
Smitty: “You live to 92, you don’t drink, you don’t smoke, eat lots of on-ions and listen to your Mother.
”Karen: “I never listened to my Mother.” (it’s a giggle session that goes on and on)

VALUES LIVED BY:
Bill: “Honesty.”
Karen: “Bill’s the most honest person I know, so yes, honesty.”
Alice: “If it’s got some money in it, I’ll do it.” (sly grin)
Smitty: “A sense of humor.  If you can’t laugh at yourself, then you’re in big trouble.  And, you can’t please all the people, all the time.”

ON GETTING OLDER:
Smitty: "I'm only 92, ask me when I get old."

AND THEN THERE ARE THE GATHERINGS…

In the early 80’s, a common get-together this group of friends helped coordinate was the Tlell Fall Fair Pit BBQ.  500 people attending was not un-common.  Sometimes, there were people 4 deep, lined up for as far as you could see, to enjoy the feast.   A pit was dug, and rocks were put at the bottom of it.  Covered in wet burlap, beef, pork, and at times turkeys, were then placed on the rocks, roofing was put over them, then dirt, and then a big fre was built on top which stayed lit all day.

“Back then, we didn’t have people come and sell food at the fall fair,” Karen reports, “we did this big dinner ourselves.  We made coleslaw right here in Alice’s kitchen.  One year, we decided to do strawberry shortcake for 500 people, so I made all the cake and froze it.  Well, it rained so hard that year, we ate this cake at every Farmers’ Institute gathering for the next three years.”

It was a huge undertaking done by a select group of volunteers.

Back in the day, if you happened to attend a Richardson family gathering, chances are you’d hear an accordion rendition of the song Whispering Hope, played earnestly by the late Doug Richardson.  So often did Doug play this song, the mere mention of it today has Alice, his beloved wife of 64 years, smiling while rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

AND THE LASTING SUCCESS OF THESE BONDS OF  FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP…

According to sixth generation Heidi Richardson (23), who for this whole time has been quietly enjoying her elders chat while sitting cross-legged and of to one side on a kitchen counter, “Family dinners are very important for the Richardson family.  In fact, Alice still makes the work crew lunch every day except Mondays.   We’re a big family and everybody, for the most part, gets along with everybody else.”

“Keep your mouth shut and your nose clean,” Alice adds, “I had  in-laws when I came here, and we had our own lives, and you didn’t interfere with other people.”  The consensus around the kitchen table: don’t stir the pot and respect each other’s privacy.  “Mind your p’s and q’s as people used to say it,” Smitty  confirms.

Be kind.  Be grateful.  Be polite.
Live with integrity.  Work hard.

All four elders shake their heads in agreement.

Heidi too.