When our family made our home at Francois Lake it was October and too late to get wood or hay for the cow and calf and horse. For that first winter we had to buy hay and wood and low and behold Sandy Jenkens and Joe Roberts came to our rescue.
They hauled in wood and hay and traded this for groceries. Donny Peebles also sold us some wood. In the store and the residence we had three wood stoves and heavy wood burners. This deal worked out good for us for some years and for Sandy too. Time went by and we got our own hay and our own wood. Sandy still came and was a good customer for many years.
Sandy told us he blasted the rock cuts when they built the Colleymount road.
Sandy had a little farm northwest of Mr. Hewitt. It went through Mr. Hewitt’s hay field and then went west in behind where the Timber Ranch Holdings are now.
It was an early winter, some snow and 30 below. So I took our truck and went to his farm, the house was a shack dug into the bank, just a shell of a place to live in.
We loaded up oat bundles and it was a very heavy load as they were green. I went into the shack for a cup of tea, as soon as I stepped into the one room a voice kept calling me and I went up to this big chair and there was a lady, Sandy’s a lady companion, Rose Horner. She was so thin and her hands were like a skeletons. As I went to hold her hand a ferret was sitting on her neck and it hissed at me and was real mean. In fact it tried to jump at my face. It was a very uncomfortable visit. The shack was cold and I heard something walking around in the pantry and they had the hens there to keep them from freezing. The rooster was sitting on the head of the bed and it was starving it was so thin. I did manage to get out onto the main road and it was not much better. I got the load home safe and sound and I well remember just what poverty really was.
Rose passed away soon after. As to the ferret it had belonged to John Haragonic who at one time was the owner of June Herrick’s home and was once called the Golden Lion, named by J. Henrick the original owner. As I think back death was a welcome release for Rose as the conditions she was living under were terrible. The one and only time I ever saw her she didn’t weigh 70 pounds. It was so sad and I can’t get it out of my memory.
Run away car
Good neighbours are a treasure and we have had so many. This happened so long ago but I sure remember it. This was in the fall and I left my taxi with the motor running to warm up. It was a big Dodge, six passenger sedan. I just got a call from Mrs. Keefe, my mother-in-law, to say my father-in-law John Keefe had fallen off the roof of the house while working on the chimney and he is hurt.
I ran to get my car and it was gone and I saw the back end on the bank and the front in the lake. Earl Deeder and some guys at the store ran out. Earl jumped in his car, rushed up to Keefe’s as they had a little ford, so Earl came down the hill hooked the tractor onto the back bumper.
Everyone said it’s too small for that big car, it won’t move it. Earl said “Jump on the front and hold her down.” It sure worked and out my car came. Motor still running. There was no damage, how lucky could I get.
I thanked my friends, Earl returned the Ford. I rushed John Keefe into the hospital in town and the same day he was home again. A broken rib or two but he was fine.
To continue on with my little story of my runaway car and how lucky we were. The car was parked by our house on the hill, it had to cross the main road to get into the lake. We had our son Richard and he used to come with me on short runs and he used to wait for me in the front seat. Thank heavens he was not sitting in the car that day.
Sing song
Last Sunday we had the pleasure of having the Grassy Plains Gospel Church pay us a visit to the Tweedsmuir House. They sang some of the old time hymns and it sure helps pass the time. A big thanks to you all. They were on the way to sing at the Pines. Music and singing really goes well.
Last week the bus brought down to the Tweedsmuir House a number of the Pines residents. They really enjoyed the afternoon, played games and enjoyed lunch. It’s very interesting to visit with some of these people as I have known them for well over a lifetime. You could see it was a very enjoyable, pleasant afternoon for all. I think this little visit comes up once a month.
Nice visit
Last week I had the most pleasant surprise with a call from Eve and Helmut Isaak. They now make their home in Kelowna. We had the best visit ever. They will both be remembered with their work in Burns Lake. They were both active in the First Mennonite Church and Eve was very active in the hospital. They were both greatly missed in Burns Lake. I would very much like them to come back.
Low water
We really do need more snow as our little lakes will suffer and at the present time Francois Lake is the second lowest it’s ever been. Records have been kept for many many years. At our old home place in Saskatchewan they have more snow than ever. Good for them they sure need it.
Our son Mark and his wife Laurie have just got back from a holiday in Mexico. They had a great time and also brought back suntans. It will be some time until suntans will be here.
Get well soon Bob
I have been a bit concerned about my old friend Bob Moore, a long time pioneer resident of Tatalrose. Bob has been in Prince George hospital for the last three months taking therapy treatments. Lets hope these treatments will give him some much needed relief.
I have begun to realize how important your legs can be to your way of life. I have to rely on a walker to get around myself.
A little saying I thought was quite good
“We were born naked, wet and hungry then things got worse.”
Take care on the highway as the life you save could be your own. Always remember God loves you a whole lot and so do I.