Audrey Mingo

Class of 1958

Audrey (Mingo) Grantham – Retired Secretary

I graduated from Gander Academy in 1958.  I loved my high school years there, but then my father decided to move his business, and we settled in Middleton, NS, in the Annapolis Valley where I took my Secretarial Course, as a Grade XII student at Middleton Regional High School.  http://www.mrhsgrads.ca/main/template.php?year=1959

From there I was able to get a job with the Provincial Government in Halifax, Department of Welfare it was called, and I became a Court Reporter for the Juvenile/Family Court of NS.

In 1965 I married Vern Grantham in Halifax.  In 1967 we had our first child, Jody, now married, 3 little children, all with red hair; and he is an external auditor with Revenue Canada; second child 1968, Lenny, now married to a Newfoundlander, lives in Calgary, Alberta, first child on the way!; third child, Stephen, was born in 1971, is married, lives in Lower Sackville, NS, and first child on the way!    I was a stay-at-home mother for many years.  In 1973 we moved to Sydney, NS, as Vern was employed by the Heavy Water Plant in Glace Bay.  Five years later we moved to Port Hawkesbury, transferred to the Heavy Water Plant there, and stayed for 10 years.  We were very involved in the town, we curled a lot, Vern entertained as a guitar playing country singer at the Curling Club; I was on the Board of Directors of the Festival of the Strait, and on the Queen's Committee.  The Queen's Committee travelled to the Queen of the Sea Pageant in Lunenburg each year with our Queen of the Strait, and then off to the Miss Nova Scotia Pageant in Truro.  Then I got a job at the NS Community College in Port Hawkesbury as their accounting clerk.  I enjoyed my job there, it was a lot of interesting fun working in the midst of older teenagers.  Heavy Water Plants closed, so we moved back to Halifax (Bedford) and have lived here since 1989.

I again worked for the Department of Community Services as a Secretary to Directors of different sections.  Retired in 2000.

Once retired I took up a very lucrutative hobby, entering contests.  I have won about 12 trips, a Ford Escape, many many shopping sprees, BBQs, sewing machines, appliances.  Lots of 'stuff'.  We are on our way to Ottawa, a trip we won, to Celebrate Canada Day 2008; then to Banff in August 2008 for a 7day win to a lovely resort.  Each trip gives us a chance to visit our sons and their families.  I also love scrapbooking, if I can find the time.

My father is still living, he is almost 94, is somewhat frail but lives in his own home.  He was a building contractor, that was our reason for being in NL.  My mother passed away in 2003.  Sisters Joyce and Faye live in the Halifax area, Julia lives in Mississauga, and  Donna lives in Florida.

I have attached a photo of our wedding, and a recent photo of Vern and I, taken at Bedford United Church.