Rita Linehan was born in Riverhead, St. Mary's Bay. At 16 years of age, she moved to St. John's, then to Admiral's Beach where she got married and raised 12 children.

MOVING FROM COLINET ISLAND

We were the first ones to move over from Colinet Island. We decided to move because of the children being sick. We came over one time and going back there was a big thunder and lightening storm. I had an infant baby in my arms and when the waves hit us we went right in over the shoulder of the beach where the fishermen had their shacks. It was an open motor boat. I swore that the next time I came over I would never leave the beach again. So we decided to move to Admiral's Beach.

Once we moved here, it took about a year or longer before the others started to move. They thought we were foolish, moving over here with seven or eight kids. My husband Jack stayed over there working in the plant. The next year he moved over to work when everyone else did. I used to stay by myself with the youngsters. We had no electricity or phones when we first moved here. When we talked about leaving the Island no one helped us move, only Jack's brother Edmund. Only for the Beach men helping us carry the stuff over the beach hill we would not have made it. They got hay barrels and moved the stove and the beds. I pushed things up over the hill in the baby carriage.

There were no cars or trucks here so we did the best we could. Every time we had to go to the doctor we had to go to St. John's. If we wanted groceries we had to go in an open boat to St. Joseph's. It was too hard and dangerous trying to get back and forth from the Island. Hence our move to Admiral's Beach. We had to go to school in the old Church because they had no school here.

Just as things got settled our little fellow got sick. Gus Dalton and his mother, Mrs. Gertie Dalton, had to take him to St. Joseph's on a horse and sled. A lot of men had to go with him and help shovel a path. Then they took him by helicopter to Mount Carmel and then to Argentia. One place was just as hard to get out of as the other.