OPENER, JAR

Description: STAINLESS STEEL "TOP-OFF JAR & BOTTLE SCREW TOP OPENER" WITH A YELLOW WOODEN HANDLE. ALSO MARKED ON THE BASE IS "EDLUND CO. INC. BURLINGTON, VT PAT. NO.1894556". HANDLE TWISTS TO WIDEN AND NARROW THE GRIP TO FIT VAROUS SIZED LIDS. METAL HAS A FEW SPOTS OF RUST AND THE PAINT ON THE HANDLE IS SLIGHTLY SCRATCHED, BUT OVERALL THE ITEM IS IN VERY GOOD WORKING CONDITION.

History: ITEMS BELONGED TO DONOR'S AUNT, PHYLLIS MARY (WHITTON) MCDONELL, WHO CAME TO CANADA IN 1903 AT THE AGE OF 3 AND SETTLED IN LETHBRIDGE. IN 1938 SHE MARRIED WILLIAM MCDONELL, WHO WAS A RANCHER AND A FARMER WHO WORKED FOR JOHN DEERE, BUT ALSO INVENTED AND BUILT CONASTOGA MOTOR HOMES. PHYLLIS WORKED AT CITY HALL AS A RECEPTIONIST, AND WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SOUTHMINSTER CHURCH. THE COUPLE REMAINED IN LETHBRIDGE, AND DID NOT HAVE ANY CHILDREN. PHYLLIS PASSED AWAY IN THE 1990S. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDING A ROBE, TWO PURSES, AND A HATPIN DONATED BY MCDONALD. A PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD STATED PHYLLIS MCDONELL PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 13TH, 1997. ACCORDING TO THE MCDONELL'S HEADSTONE IN THE SAINT PATRICK CEMETERY (LETHBRIDGE), SHE WAS BORN IN 1903. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970033013 FOR COPIES OF RESEARCH SOURCES USED.