emmabox

Ella Emma Dunn

A picture of Miss Ella Dunn taken in 1913, photo courtesy of Judy Wong.

Little is recorded of the life of the porters on the C.P.R. through Lethbridge, but the pain of the subtle racism they may have been subjected to would have been lessened by knowing Ella Dunn. The story of Ella Emma Dunn is important to tell because of her contribution to Lethbridge and the surrounding area.

In 1876, Ella Emma Dunn was born in Des Moines, Iowa. She was the only daughter of an American slave. Miss Emma, as her friends and foster children called her, began working at a very young age at the Lucky Strike Cigarette factory. She was married at the age of twenty three, but they only stayed together for a short time. They separated and agreed to never remarry. Miss Emma then traveled to Vancouver to work as a governess. Shortly afterward their separation Miss Emma's husband died of typhoid fever. She then left Vancouver moving to Prince Rupert, Moose Jaw and finally settled at Lethbridge in 1932.

Miss Emma was a strong willed and determined young lady. She bought a large house at 215-2 avenue south and started her own business in 1933. Miss Emma's ability to do this can be seen as an outstanding achievement. Miss Emma was a young, widowed, black women who during the great depression took on the responsibility of running a cafe, known as Emma's Hot Tamale Parlor on 3rd avenue and 3rd street south. She has been described as a handsome, neat, tidy and smartly dressed lady. Miss Emma's specialty was hot tamales which consist of hamburger meat rolled in a fresh corn leaf-tied at either end rolled in cornmeal and covered with a spicy sauce of ripe olives, tomatoes and other ingredients. Homemade soup, fresh baked buns and fried chicken were also favorites of the locales. Her successful parlor was open all night. The cafe increased its popularity over time as people got into the routine of coming in to eat there after the movies, because other restaurants and bars had shut down for the night.

It was about ten years later that Miss Emma decided to close down her cafe and open her home to rail porters and transient boarders. Miss Emma's boarding house was seen as more than a place to stay the night. Miss Emma, through opening her home, developed friendships with many different types of people. Many porters considered her hospitality the best in town. She was able to give people what they needed in order to make the world seem a better place. Her boarding home became known for her cooking as her cafe had in the past. A typical night at Miss Emma's was a gathering around the kitchen table for talking, joking, playing canasta, and listening to the gramophone. When Miss Emma was in a playful mood she would entertain her guest with her rendition of the shimmy. She always enjoyed sharing a glass of Dubonnet with her guests because she believed it helped “to make the heart happy”. Many of the porters continued on their friendships with Miss Emma until she pasted away. One of these porters was Bodie Bowens. He often would take Miss Emma fishing and tried to visit with her on special occasions, such as her 101 birthday.

Miss Emma never had any of her own children, but she had a great love for young people. If someone needed her help, she was determined that she would try her hardest to make sure they got it. Miss Emma took in children from various cultural backgrounds. She often took in children on a temporary or permanent bases. Zenobia, Bill, Linda and Robbie were children who spent their childhood with Miss Emma. Besides having a love for humankind, Miss Emma also loved animals. She raised registered Pomeranians, but of course, she never turned away a stray animal.

After she broke her hip at the age of 97, she move to Southlands Nursing home. Miss Emma's eight years there were filled with pain and fun. It was difficult for her sometimes to follow a schedule set by the nursing home. Miss Emma died at the age of 105 and was buried beside her good friend Kate Thorne in the Lethbridge cemetery. On her headstone the following words are left to remind people of her character “kindness and thoughtfulness were your strength”.

There are many interesting facts and stories missing in the Miss Emma story. She would sometimes share stories of her past, but usually she was reluctant to do this. As a result her story is pieced together from people's memories of her and old photos her family has collected.

Due to the limited information that can be gathered on Miss Emma, her story is incomplete; however, that should not lessen her significance. Miss Emma's contribution to the Lethbridge region is notable and tells a story of an amazing women. Her love for life extended to everything and everyone that she came into contact with throughout her life time. This type of contribution is difficult to measure in hard evidence. But by talking to people who loved and knew Miss Emma it becomes very clear how she made Lethbridge more welcoming place for people of all different ages and ethnic backgrounds.