Tanty Loyda’s Recollections of Alexander and Annie Cameron

At my request Tanty Loyda (at right) wrote her recollections of her Grandparents: Alexander and Annie Cameron. The following entry is entirely in her words.

My story begins at my grandparent’s home. I cannot explain why I was so often with them, but I do remember that when I did go home to my parent’s home, I felt very shy and had a strange feeling…

One of my aunts told me that they loved to have me because I would amuse them with singing. She said that I used to sing while sitting on the window sill, with my feet barely touching the kitchen table. She thought I was smart, for I was only three years old.

Grandpa Alexander was a tall, handsome man, with gray hair, blue eyes and a well trimmed beard. He was very kind and always happy. He also had a very good sense of humor.

As I remember, grandpa got up very early every morning; he lit a fire in the dining room stove and then in the kitchen. He boiled some water to make himself a cup of tea. Then he sat in his favorite chair by the dining room stove, to sip his tea. Many times as grandpa drank his tea I would get out of bed and join him in the dining room. I loved it when grandpa would sit me on his lap and share his tea with me which I would sip from the saucer. Every morning grandpa would take grandma a cup of tea while she was still in bed.

Grandpa loved to read. He had a very large Bible: he read it every morning and night. In the morning he also read the newspaper. The English newspaper’s name was “The Pacific Mail, published in Valparaiso, Chile.

When grandma got up she cooked breakfast. Grandma’s breakfast were so delicious. The table was set with fresh bread, cream, butter and jam, all made in the farm. Grandma made the best oatmeal. I’ll never forget the taste. She served it with fresh cream and milk.

My grandparent’s home was very neat and beautiful. Grandma brought many things from Scotland. She had beautiful rugs, dishes, furniture and an Organ.

When we grew older and grandpa came to visit at my parent’s home, he always brought little gifts for the children, candies, nuts, chocolate, which he would pull out of his pocket.

Alexander Cameron was born in Scotland. When Alexander was a young boy, he had an accident. He fell against a hot stove burning two fingers of his right hand. This would affect his life tremendously. Grandpa earned the best education given in Scotland during that time. Grandpa wanted to go to Military School, to become an officer in the military; but unfortunately he was declined entrance to the school because of his hand. This changed his life and the decisions he would make, for ever.

Grandpa heard rumors that in “The Americas” or as grandma would say, The New World, the military schools were accepting men from Europe to join the army and also the navy.

Grandpa decided to try his chances in Chile, South America. Many immigrants were leaving Europe to settle in the New World. Grandpa joined in with them and traveled to Chile.

Left: Rhoda, Nunny and Loyda Cameron (circa1939)

When grandpa arrived to Chile, he applied to the military school, and again he was rejected because of the defect on his hand. All the immigrants that came to settle in Chile were given a piece of land, grandpa decided to settle in this beautiful land also, and accepted a few acres in the south of Chile, 40 miles from Traguien, the nearest city to where he would build his home.

Santa Catalina was the name of the place where grandpa started his new turn in life. In a few years grandpa built a house, started an orchard of various fruits, for which Chile is known today. He planted a beautiful vegetable and flower garden, and when he felt comfortable he brought his bride to be, from Scotland.

Grandma left Scotland by ship and arrived in Chile at the port of Talcahuano. There are some people that say, they were married by the captain of the ship. I imagine they wanted to have a Scottish wedding.

From Talcahuano, the couple traveled to the city of Traguien. In this city they had a Chilean wedding, and then they traveled by ox cart to Santa Catalina their beautiful home. Ox cart was the only means of transportation in those far away days.

In Santa Catalina grandpa and grandma began their new life and started a family.

The couple had five children, the oldest John, was my father, he attended a Seventh Day Adventist School, which has now become a university.

My father studied theology. It was one of the two curricula that were offered in those years. He was one of the first graduates from the SDA School in Chile. Next came Auntie Mary she studied nursing in Argentina. Auntie Catherine became a teacher. Auntie Annie studied nursing in the United States. Auntie Colina, the youngest, became a teacher. She studied in Chillan, Chile.

Grandpa was a comedian at times, He had many funny anecdotes. Once while he was traveling from the city in his ox cart, he was attacked by robbers, and as the story goes, he fought them all. Since he was very tall and strong he beat them and they all had to flee.

Some years after grandpa was settled, he bought a coach drawn by a horse, this means of travel was more comfortable and faster. After grandpa died, my father inherited the coach, and many times my sister Rhoda and I would saddle the horse and drive to the train station to pick up the mail, in the afternoon.

Grandpa Alexander died when I was still very young. He was not sick too long. I still remember when a messenger came very early to tell my father that grandpa had died.

Rhoda, Loyda, Donald, Mavis and Margie Cameron (2002)