(3 ) SAID ZAKEM (1895-1966)
SAID ZAKEM was the eldest son of Joseph Albert Zakem and Zaryfie Ramieh. He was born on August 2 1895 in Kfeir, Lebanon and came to Canada in 1911 with his father.
In 1923, he returned to Lebanon with my father. Said married Salwa Aboujamra on July 19, 1924. On August 10, 1925 he, with his new bride, mother, and sisters Miriam and Nahile left for Canada. Immigration Records show that, after a short stop in France, they arrived in Halifax Nova Scotia on July 25th 1925 on the Royal Mail Steam Packing ship called Ohio. At the time my grandmother was 49 years old. I assume they took the train from Halifax to Quebec City where they were likely met by my grandfather.
{Is - ,,,,, : . Salwa Aboujamra and Said Zakem July 19, 1924
Said and Salwa settled in Montreal where my uncle engaged in buying and selling in the dry good business. He was a stocky heavyset person with a mild, pleasant, and jolly personality. He reminded me of Oliver Hardy of the comic pair Laurel and Hardy. I remembered him coming to Charlottetown a few times and he always enjoyed himself
when he came.
My aunt Salwa came to the Island in 1927 and maybe in 1932 when my grandfather made a visit to his daughter Mariam (Mrs. Albert Kays). All my other aunts and uncles came more frequently. I remember her as a smart, shrewd business woman who started making clothing out of her home and gradually had several people working for her and ultimately grew into a thriving wholesale clothing manufacturing. Although she was always nice to me when I visited, I never felt as close to her as I did to my uncle Said or my other aunts and uncles. I remember her as a person with a strong take control personality who was a
heavy smoker and drank a lot of coffee.
They never had any children of their own but Salwa became very close to the four children
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