Cousins reunited after 60 years

by TIM SWITZER
Regina Sun Community News

Cousins Berna Clive (nee Price) and Irene Lawson have led very different lives.

While Clive has elected to stay somewhat of a homebody, spending most of her life in the Regina area, Lawson moved south of the 49th parallel and settled in Fredonia, New York.  Clive married a farmer, Lawson married a psychologist.  Clive had two girls, Lawson: three boys.

But even after losing touch for over 60 years, the two never forgot about each other and their childhood summers spent on the Price farm. Last week Lawson made her way back to the Regina area to see her cousin. "It's just such a long time (to be apart) and it brings back all these wonderful memories," said Lawson.  "Just to be together, that's the part that's so nice," added Clive. "We're both getting on in years so to find each other before it's too late is wonderful."

Finding each other, though, proved to be a lot tougher than anyone ever imagined.  First of all, after last seeing each other in 1940 both had married and thus changed their last names. Secondly, Clive wasn't sure where her cousin had ended up after Lawson moved to Chicago as a teenager.

Luckily both cared enough about their families to track their histories."While Lawson published a book on the geneology of the Kentner family (her mother's maiden name was Price), Clive and her daughters, Jean and Margaret, were tracing the Price family history. Looking to fill some holes, Jean called up a Kentner in Winnipeg hoping they might be able to help

She helped more than she'll ever know. She actually had a copy of Lawson's book which contained her phone number, allowing Jean to get in touch with her mother's long lost cousin. "Ed (Irene's husband) answered the phone and said, "You've got a call from Regina."  "I figured it must have been some Kentner," explained Lawson.  "I didn't really think it was Berna because we hadn't heard from each other in so long, but then, there we were."

The call actually came from Jean who immediately called her mother after saying goodbye to Lawson. "Jeannie phoned me back and said, 'Mom, I found your cousin.'" said Clive. "I started to shake like a leaf; that is a reaction I've never had before.  Jean said, 'Hold on for a couple of hours before you phone her, I think she's a little shaky too.'"

When Clive finally called back she got Ed on the phone.  "I said who I was and he just turned and said, "Irene, this is your day.'" she said. "We got on the phone and we talked for an hour and a half. Just like that it came back to us like we hadn't been apart at all."

Since then the memories and laughter haven't stopped.  The ladies have been sitting back remembering good times gatherings eggs and going to the fair, and the bad times of wars and depressions.  The conversations seem to flow like they have been neighbours all their lives.

Clive says it's no wonder they haven't missed a beat.  "We're the same blood and we're both only children.  I guess we're kind of sisters."

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