1914- Great-grandfather Ernest Hackett- Part 3

 I have several more letters from Ernest to Kate written between 1907 and 1914. Some of them are dated only with month and day and I cannot place the year they were written. Neither Ernest, Catherine or Evelyn had easy lives in this period of time and finances were always tight. While Ernest spoke of his desire to be reunited in England, this was never meant to be. I end his story with two poignant letters from 1914, the year the Panama Canal was completed. There is no word of Ernest after the last letter when he said he was going travel 200 miles north in search of work. (I would estimate his age to be between 40-45 at this time and will update this when I get further documentation on his birthdate). The first letter was written to Eva, my grandmother, in response to her letter to him.

Ancón, Panama

Aug 17th 14

My dear daughter

In the precious name of Jesus I send you these few lines hoping them to find yourself and mother well as it leaves me at present still trusting in Jesus for all his goodness to you and Long since you have heard from me. But I am still thinking of you my dear girl, and of your dear mother whom I have not seen for such a long period of time...

The next letter, his last, is dated December 1914.

I am brokenhearted ****at this time and season of the year when 'wives' and Husbands are happy together with their children we are yet thousands of miles apart which brings me nothing but sorrow and grief, for at this rate I cannot be happy. I have tried my uttermost to send you money for Xmas. But I am sorry to say from the month of August, just as war was declared with the nations, everything here in Panama and Canal Zone shut down and I was thrown out of employment...

...by the time you receive this I hope to be at work again. I don't know what the Lord has for me in store *** I shall have to go 200 miles up country in 'search' of something to do that I may be able to support you and my little girl. I cannot just now comment on your last letter until future.

                                       from

                                         your Husband

                                              Ernest

And so ends the story of Ernest Hackett as I currently know it. Catherine and Eveline Hackett came to Toronto Canada after World War 1 in the year 1921. There are so many places where this story could have deviated, and our family line would not exist as it does today! I wonder what Ernest would think if he knew that through Eveline, he has at least 66 descendants to this date?