My Family Tree

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\cocoartf1404\cocoasubrtf340{\fonttbl\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Helvetica;}{\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;}\pard\tx560\tx1120\tx1680\tx2240\tx2800\tx3360\tx3920\tx4480\tx5040\tx5600\tx6160\tx6720\pardirnatural\f0\fs24 \cf0 Ruth worked in service as a young woman before working in the mill in Main St, Corunna Bay. Ruth and Jack had a long engagement as Jack was sending money home to help support his sister and her children. He was also out of work for a long time. \par On the 3 February 1931, the day of the magnitude 7.9 earthquake, Ruth was standing at the bottom of an unsealed corner of Breakneck Rd talking to a neighbour. Some of the hill came down and there was dust everywhere. She went to get Lorna from Firman's Brick Plant in Hydrabad Rd, where Lorna worked in the office. The building was on a hillside. The kiln towers had collapsed and planks had to be used to evacuate the building. \par Beatrice was 9 and it was her first day back at school after the holidays. She was at Central School on the hill. She remembers the walls fell out and she could see into the classrooms. She wanted to go inside to get her new lunchbox but the teachers would not allow it.}