More Summerland Autographs (early 1940s):

The majority of the poems, quotes, and signatures in the this book are by people who worked in the cherry pitting plant in Summerland (Sunoka?). It is interesting to see how far away young women came from to work at the plant!

Summerland BC Oct 2nd, 1942
Dear Marjorie,
As ripples follow a ship at sea / May happiness every follow thee.
A pitting pal, L. V. Schmunk

Friendship is a chain of gold / Shaped in God’s all perfect mould / Each link a smile, a laugh, a tear, / A grip of the hand, a word of cheer, / As steadfast as the ages roll / Binding closer soul to soul, / No matter how far or heavy the load / Sweet is the journey on friendship road.
(no name)

(The above poem was also written by: Joan Rowley on October 4/42. She added: Three Cheers!!! for the pittery & I do mean pitting plant.)

The bee extracts honey, / and the spider, poison, / From the same flower; / We may extract either / From the flower of life.

Summerland, BC Dec 8/42
Dear Marjorie,
When the golden sun is sinking, / And your mind from care is free, / When of others you are thinking, / Will you sometimes think of me?
Your pitting pal, Una Inglis

Summerlad BC Nov 14, 43
Dear Marj,
Happy to meet / Sorry to part / Six little words / Right from my heart.
A pitter pal, Edith Neal

Summerland BC Oct 1 1942
Dear Marjorie:
Honest at work / Honest at pleasure / To some boy’s heart / You will be a treasure.
Your friend, Tinie

W.S. Land BC Oct 7/42
Dear Marjorie,
When you are old and cannot see / Put on your specs and think of me.
A pitting pal, Jeanne Froctier (?), (S’toon, Sask)

Summerland BC Oct 1st 1942
Dear Marjorie,
I hope you shall always be happy, and troubles be few and far between.
Sincerely, Emily Bell

24th of September 1944
Dear Marjorie
When a monkey climbs, pull his tail and think of me.
Stirling Welwood

Summerland BC Oct 6 1942
Dear Marjorie,
Never trouble trouble / Till trouble troubles you / For if you trouble trouble / Trouble will trouble you!
One who knows, Ragna B.

Summerland BC Oct 20th 1942
Dear Marjorie
True friends are like diamonds / Precious but rare / False friends are like autumn leaves / Found everywhere.
May yours always be the true ones. Sincerely, a Sunoka pal, Kay Skout (Rimbey, Alberta)

Summerland BC Oct 1st 1942
Dear Marjorie,
May your life be long and happy / And your troubles be but few / May you find a home in heaven / when your earthly tasks are through.
A pitter friend, Mabel Hallam

Summerland BC RR 1 Nov 10th 1943
Dear Marjorie,
The time has not been long / Since you and I as strangers met / A sun of friendship has arisen / And may it never set.
Your pitting pal, Mary Carey
Yours until the cherries pit themselves!

A signature page from July 1943: Rena Hayter; Thora Forster; Mary Ticky; Annie Joy; Ernest M. Bobey; Benjamin Nesbitt; Gerhart Huva (July 6, 1943 Trout Creek, Summerland BC); Harriet Cowan; Yvonne Cowan (Box 429 403R); Ken Young (20 Buller Str, Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England).

Summerland BC Thur Nov 11 1943
Dear Marjorie
As you climb the hill of the coming years / May you travel on high and never shift gears; / With plenty of spark and never a knock / And a joy-filling station at every block!
Sincerely, Pitter Ruby Chase

July 1943 West Summerland BC
Some may wish you wishes rare / Others a life that’s free from care / But my wish to you is greater far / Than any earthly riches are / And this it is, that may we meet / In Heaven, round “God’s mercy seat.”
Your pal, Laura Joyce Mott

Penticton BC Oct 15, 1942
Dear Marjorie,
As ripples follow a ship at sea / So may God’s blessings follow thee.
Your “pitting pal” Mary Kalmakoff

Summerland BC Oct 6, 1942
Dear Marjorie,
The oak tree’s boughs once touched the grass / But every year they grew a little farther from the ground / And nearer to the blue / So live that you each day may be / While time glides softly by / A little farther from the earth / And nearer to the sky.
Sincerely, Mabel Irvine, Nelson BC

Summerland BC Oct 17, 1942
Dear Marjorie,
To your enemy give forgiveness / There is nothing better / To your opponent, tolerance / To your friend, your heart / To a child, a good example / To your father, deference / To your mother conduct that will make her proud of you / To yourself, respect / To all men, charity.
Yours very sincerely, Jean Caldwell

West Summerland BC April 1 1944
Dear Marjorie,
I’ll write on white and be polite / And leave the yellow for your fellow.
Sincerely Wanda Mott

Penticton, oct 15,
Dear Marjorie,
When you are in the kitchen / Making cakes and pies / Don’t put in for currents / Little things called flies.
Your pitting pal, Mary Popoff

S’land BC Oct 5, 1942
Dear Marg:
How sweet to remember / How sad to forget / To let me to you whisper / My friend “forget-me-not”
Sincerely, Tillie Mathilde Mariam, (??), Sask.

Entwistle Alta, Sept 24 1942
Dear Marjorie,
The path of life lies before you / Like newly fallen snow / Be careful how you tread it / For every step will show.
Love, Fern

West Summerland BC Nov 19th 1943
Dear Marjorie,
May every hour of coming years / Be happy ones for you / and all the clouds be silver lined, / When joy comes smiling through.
Yours as ever, Mary Popoff

Summerland, BC Nov 17, 1943
Dear Marg,
The thing that goes the farthest / In making life worthwhile / That costs the least / That does the most / It’s just a pleasant SMILE!
Your pitting pal, Jean Jones (Kelowna BC)

West Summerland, BC October 7th, 1942
Dearest Marjorie:
Down by the stream / Carved on a log / Are these three words / Forget Me Not.
“A Pitting Plant Pal” Agatha Letts

Summerland, BC Oct 6th 1942
Dear Marj;
May your cares all fly away / Like clouds before the sun / When you have nothing else to do / Just think of me for fun / & the good old pitting days.
A pitting plant pal, Anita Proulx, Winnipeg, Man.
May you never feel the colour of this page [blue]

W. Summerland, BC, July 19/43
Dear Marjorie,
The grapes hung thick upon the vine, / When I chose you for a friend of mine / I chose you from amongst the rest / Just because I loved you the best.
Your friend, Ruth Nakamura

West Summerland, BC Nov 19th, 1943
Dear Marjorie,
In the memory of your garden / In the sweet and kinder spot / Plant for me a little flower / Which is called forget-me-not.
Pitting Pal, Mabel Popoff