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happiness

Mom Standing, School Dances, Neighbourhood News (FGK-38)

Stressing about school seems to be something that is timeless. My poor girl seems to spend as much time stressing about school as she does in school, and I know I was the same (am the same still since I’m back in school now). I’m guessing the trip Edith is taking is the one for the Stampede Queen that was written about a while ago. These school dances and parties sound like they were really something!! Nothing boring at all about a small, one room schoolhouse.

Oct 27/53

Dear Margie

It seems like ages since I last wrote. Sheila just phoned, she said you were getting along fine. I was very happy to hear that you had stood up for a few seconds by yourself.

We get our report cards in about a week and am I ever worried. We had the hardest math test, and the worst French test I ever saw. I was lucky I thought to make all my subjects last year, this year’s just out of the question.

My sorority is putting on a party a week this Saturday and we have to ask boys. I haven’t decided who I’ll ask yet but it will probably be Ron Scott.

I am rather looking forward to the Halloween dance that the school kids are putting on. I don’t know most what I want to see; Mr. O’Brien drunk or the kids have a good time and a good crowd.

My Grandmother and Grandfather went down to Rochester on a trip and a medical examination. They plan to be back soon.

Did you hear about Marilyn and Don Edge? I guess they will be married soon.

Hasn’t the weather just been grand, everyone must surely have their crop in by now. It will save quite a lot on feed too.

Kenny just got in from from going to a show with Ken McMilan, they go around a bit together. Tommy is sure growing up, he can talk quite well now. He calls me Toes which sure sounds cute, he makes such an effort.

I guess the Light Horse Association had quite a party last Wednesday. Mom and Dad went and had a good time. It was for members twenty one and over so that left quite a few out.

Edith’s and the rest of the family’s picture was in the paper. I guess she’s going on her trip on the first of November. Lucky girl!

Well I hope you can read the sprawl and make out the words.

Hope you are getting along fine.

Love

Anne M Copithorne

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A note from Grandpa (FGK-37)

This is the first letter I’ve found to mom from Grandpa. Like me, Grandpa was born left handed, except in his era left handed people were not allowed to be left handed and he got his knuckles rapped regularly to force him to write with his right hand. I have to say, his penmanship is quite spectacular, especially considering he wrote with his non dominant hand.

Grandpa died when I was only seven, and given the short amount of time I had with him I have many happy memories. I realize now as an adult that means that he must have gone out of his way to spend a lot of time with me (and his other grandkids) to make such an impression. My favourite Grandpa memory is of the time we drove up to our cottage (only steps from their house) and Grandpa was standing on the driveway. As soon as I got out of the car he called me over all excited to show me something. I was maybe 5 or 6. On the driveway was a garter snake, and Grandpa looked at me with a huge smile on his face and told me that I should take it inside and show Grandma and her friends because they loved snakes and they’d be very happy to see it. Grandma was having a tea party in the dining room with a few ladies and I danced into the room holding the snake up for all to see. I remember screaming and people running, and then the snake slithering across the kitchen floor while Grandpa laughed and Grandma yelled at him. Turned out the snake didn’t want to leave the kitchen either, and Grandpa had to sweep him out the kitchen door several times before he finally went on his way.

March 10, 1953

Hello Margie

Here is Dad at last with a note. Have been thinking of you a lot, seeing that I can’t see you these days. I was up in the hills yesterday to see if I could find any more cattle but did not find any. Len, Clarence, and Frank was with me. We put our horses in the truck and drove up past the ranger station and rode from there. Sure is a desolate country this time of year. Just snow and not a track of anything.

Anne is gone now so Mom and I have an awful time deciding who is going to get up in the morning and prepare breakfast. So far I think I have been getting the worst of it.

Rees is in the Hospital for a minor operation but is getting out on Thursday. So I had Jimmy Patterson to feed the steers in Grand Valley.

Marshall and I were riding on Saturday and the hound caught another coyote. Buster and Rex helped and between us all we got him killed. Rex chewed on a front leg.

Hope you are doing fine and didn’t catch any more chicken pox.

Am sending you a card to mail to anybody you care to.

Dad

I included his letter so you could see his penmanship. I love this letter, I wish I’d known Grandpa for longer.
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Cochrane News on a Rainy Day (FGK-36)

It seems like it’s always raining when people are writing mom, and I suppose given that most of her family ranched there would likely have been more downtime on rainy days to write letters. This letter must have been written in the spring if there are talk of crocuses. I had to do a double take at Aunt Ruth mentioning there were “only” 30 little kids to look after in Sunday School – it seems like plenty to me!!

(1953)

Dear Margie:

I’m sorry I have been so long getting a letter off to you. I really don’t know where the time goes to. It’s pouring outside today, Gordie was going to pick you some crocuses but they are all under water I guess. I was sure glad to get your nice card Margie and to know you are doing so well now.

Mrs. Boothby was over the other day and told me the Sunday School was going to send your papers into you so I won’t bother anymore, not that it was any bother but there is no sense in sending two lots in to you. We have quite a time in Sunday school. I go in and help with the little ones – only about 30 of them and quite a handful but they sure are cute, some of them anyway.

We just got the scoop today so I stuck it in this letter. There doesn’t seem to be much news in Cochrane these days. The curling rink is to be torn down, in fact is torn down now and I believe they plan on building a new one on that lot next to the United Church between it and Rabiys (?).

Everyone is burning their yards now I sure like the smell of it. In the spring they had quite a fire up near your Uncle Claude’s but it will look a lot better later on I suppose.

Mrs. Curly Rowan had a fire out at their place a while back and she sure was scared. It nearly took their buildings but the wind was in the other direction and that’s all that saved it.

Well Margie, I just go now and get some supper for the hungry men.

Lots of love

Aunt Ruth

__

(this is a single page, looks to be part of a different letter from Aunt Ruth, it hasn’t been folded so it wasn’t mailed like the others, no idea the date)

Monday afternoon

Hello Margie

How are you today? Fine I hope. I have just finished ironing so thought I”d parcel up the Star for you. Oh oh, here’s Jordon home form school he has just got a bunch of stamps from the States so he and Ronnie are busy picking out the ones they want and are sending the rest back. Quite the business. He went to a bingo for the skating rink the other night and came home with these prizes. A feltwork set, salt and peppers, and a lazy daisy tray. Was he ever excited.

There was a dance and supper at the Nag Way on the road to Calgary and the Light Horse Association were all there. Here are a couple of pictures that were in the herald (unfortunately they weren’t with this letter but perhaps they’ll show up). It was a send off for Marion Boothby and Edith Edge. Maybe you can pick out some of the people in it!

Well Margie dear, I must go now and get some supper started so bye for now.

Love Aunt Ruth

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Hospital Friends, Lightening, Toothaches (FGK-35)

These letters from friends mom made while in the hospital must have been kind of bittersweet. I’m sure they built extremely close friendships, and they would have understood each other in a way that no one else could. Their shared experience would have bonded them because no matter how hard anyone else tried, it would be impossible to fully understand what life was like for these kids isolated from family and friends in the hospital. I feel for mom being one of the kids who had to remain in there after some of her friends were well enough to go home and return to their lives. Grandma talked of mom’s loneliness and I feel it in my soul even though I know I don’t understand but a small part of it. Mom was in the hospital almost 3 years when this letter was written.

Based on the handwriting (and I know I probably shouldn’t make assumptions), it seems that Anne is younger. And Janet, if you’re out there, I find you anything but an old bore!

I wonder what happened to these old friends. I don’t recall mom ever getting together and visiting with them in my lifetime.

Stavely, Alberta

August 15, 1954

Dear Margie;

I guess it’s about time I wrote eh? You’ll think I’ve dropped off the face of the earth again.

How’s life at JRCH? Same as usual I suppose. Do you have an y idea at all about when you’ll get out? I just can’t wait for you to get out of that place and we can see each other again without having some nurse’s permission, and then only being able to say “hello” and “good-bye”.

I at last got my results the other day, and I was even pleasantly surprised. I got 4 H’s , and A, and a B. My B of course was in math, but was better than I expected at that! If you happen to see Mrs. Aiken, you might tell her my marks. She may want to know. I should write her myself I guess, but I very likely won’t get around to it. You know me and my letter-writing well enough to agree with that.

I’m in Stavely at present – have been here since last Wednesday. Anne is with me and we’re staying at Broomfields. You remember Mrs. Broomfield don’t you? The one I called Auntie Ella. They know George Lane quite well. Now you know!!

Auntie and Uncle took us to the drive in last night. While we were there it started to pour rain. We had the windshield wipers going, making it awfully hard to see, and the lightening was blinding. We left before it was over and had an awful trip home. The lightening was the worst I have ever seen, about six streaks would come at once, and it was mixed with sheet lightning. Every time a flash would come it was as bright as day only it looked like kind of a blue light.

I just got Anne going and she’s going to put in a note too. I’ve had a time keeping her mind off homesickness. She had a bad toothache off and on since we came and last night we noticed that one side of her face was swollen. It must be abscessed to make it do that.

We’re going home tomorrow on the bus. I think Anne’s glad. I just noticed her telling you the same thing.

We wanted to get home for the fair on Tuesday, and anyway, we’ve bothered these poor long-suffering folks enough.

I hate to disappoint you dearie, but this is all the news I’ve got. I’ll write as soon as I can and tell you about the fair.

Start putting the pressure on Dr. Walsh and Miss Olsen and fly out of there one of these days.

bye, and bushels of love,

Janet (that old bore)

Stavely, Alberta

Aug. 15 1954

Dear Margie

I hope you can get out of the Red Cross Hospital quite soon. When you get out you have to come and see us. I really should write to you more often, I’ll try.

Auntie Ella bought me a new doll and a dress. Janet bought me some other new clothes, including a pedal-pusher outfit so Ill be well dressed for a while.

We went to a drive-in last night.

I’ve had a bad toothache the last few days. My face was swollen this morning.

We are going to leave Stavely tomorrow morning early on the bus.

Love Anne

Hope to see you soon.

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Teepees and First Nations Celebrations (FGK-34)

I feel like anything I could say would ruin the perfect beauty of this letter. I am simply going to make the statement, as I do every time this terminology comes up, that I think Aunt Gertie would want to use culturally sensitive words, and this was the language they had at the time. There has always been a lot of respect for our First Nations neighbours to the west of us (and elsewhere).

Cochrane, Alberta

July 23, 1953

Dear Margie:-

Well Margie Sumer is certainly well underway. Haying is in full swing. Last night we had a lot of fun setting up the teepee for the Indians crew in our yard. The children helped us make the wickets and pickets and set up the poles. Afterwards they ramped through the doorway and had pillow fights on the beds. You could hear the giggles everywhere I thought I never would get them in the house to go to bed.

We surely enjoyed the Indian Day celebration at Banff. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. It was held on the grounds of the Banff Springs Hotel. The enclosure was made to resemble a theatre stage and the walls were made of small pine trees set close together. Three gaily painted teepees and a microphone were the main stage feathers. The Indians wandered in leisurely and squatted in groups around the tents. Their beautifully beaded costumes and headdresses lent the whole scene a gay colourful note. The announcer was the best I’ve ever heard. He was from New York and had been made a blood brother ie his wrists had been slashed and his blood mixed with Indian blood. Not many white people have had this honour. He was so witty and interesting that he held us all spellbound.

I wish you could have seen their dancing: the elk dance, the deer dance, chicken dance etc. Each Indian is doing something different and yet all are keeping perfect time. Even the little children join in. Two were only about 3 years old and they were so comical. They kept pulling their gum in and out of their mouths watching the crowds with big brown eyes and keeping the step perfectly. One little boy of the “Ear Family” was only 4 1/2 years old and he was a wonderful dancer. He spun hoops on his arm and both thighs all the time he danced. The crowd kept cheering and he came back three or four times to give solo dances.

I saw the famous dancer “Saddleback”. He is supposed to be the best Indian dancer in Alberta and I can well believe it. You just couldn’t help but notice him. He had a beautiful powder blue suit with rose heading and more snow white fox skins at his waist and one he held over one arm like a muff. He put his feet down so carefully and lightly and they were never still a moment. The many bells on his ankles tinkled merrily. You could almost imagine the deer’s movement as he danced. He also danced with hoops whisking on both arms and legs. One thing I noticed particularly in the Indian dance it is the play of the muscles in the shoulders. It was a steady rhythm and must take quite a while to learn.

Eddie “One Spot” sang some cowboy songs. Another “One Spot” boy played the guitar and sang. Music takes on an added charm in the mountains as it seems to almost echo back. I was sorry we hadn’t taken all the children as they would have enjoyed it so much.

At one point in the program the announcer asked which people thought they had come from the longest distance. Some were from South America, Switzerland, Sweden, England, Germany etc. One girl called “Karen” came from Sweden. Another gentleman was from Switzerland. These were considered to have come from furthest away. As a keepsake of their visit to Canada each was given a beautifully beaded pair of moccasins. They surely were pleased.

Last week my aunt Mina and uncle Ed and 3 cousins were here from Toronto, Ontario. They were motoring through northern USA and back through Canada. They seemed to enjoy western Canada albeit uncle Ed was sure fed up with mountains. He was so funny describing his driving on mountain roads.

I guess Shirley is leaving me in another couple of weeks. She is going to get her old job back as secretary. She can earn a lot more money that way. I’ll miss her as she has sure been a good worker and i really need the help with a hay crew. Alvin is going to try and get a job with the oil wells as it pays well. It’s too bad young folks can’t learn to wait to marry till they have a bit of money saved up. They seem to have to learn the hard way.

My peonies have been just grand this year. I’ll still have bouquets of them for another week I think .The garden looks so nice since we used our new rototiller.

I’ve been busy canning fruit and making jam. It’s nice to get the shelves filled again.

We all send best wishes

Lovingly

Aunt Gertie

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Skipping Assembly, New Shoes, School Stress (FGK 33)

I was quite a ways into this letter before I realized who it was from. Before I throw my aunt too far under the bus, I’d like to say that compared to some of the teenage naughty school behaviour, hers is really pretty innocent. For example, the year my parents made me go to boarding school on Vancouver Island they had a Terry Fox Run and I think we had to go at least 10k. We were to run up the Malahat (seems super safe right?) turn around, and come back. I was with a group of kids who thought it was total BS and had no desire to run. We made it to the turn around spot and spent the entire time back to the school trying to hitch a ride. Fortunately no one actually stopped to pick us up or goodness knows where we’d be now! I never told my parents that story, so if there are sudden rumbles of thunder and lightening tearing across the sky today, it’s just them reading my blog in heaven!!

I miss my aunt a lot, reading these letters reminds me of how when I was younger and went away to both the boarding school and University of Lethbridge she consistently sent me letters to remind me I was loved. The letters I received were not nearly as hilarious as the ones she sent mom, but I suppose then she was an adult, I would send much different letters to my niece than to my sister. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for her because of that, and reading these letters to mom is like reading a letter she would have sent to a good friend of hers. It makes my heart smile. This is also the closest I have ever heard her use “bad” language. It’s nothing like my “bad” language, but that’s like comparing apples to pineapples.

Assembly period Tues

Dear Marg

I have just gotten into trouble I think. Five of us girls, Sheila Stephen, Evelyn Heinrich, Rita Holms, Pat Mrstik(?), and myself were sneaking up the stairs with the intentions of skipping assembly, and guess who was talking on the phone at the top of the stairs, that’s right Mrs Stevie. We kept right on going. Wonder what’s going to happen.

Yesterday Barbara and I went into the library to study during assembly and guess who walked in but mr Schula. He never said anything.

5:40

Well Mrs Stevie hasn’t said anything yet. I was just in her room buying stamps and it wasn’t mentioned.

I bought a pair of shoes today, black suede shoes. They haven’t got the toe out so I hope Marsh is satisfied.

Two of the girls from the college ran for the Teen Queen for Calgary. There as one from every high school. Anyways, one of the girls that lives in the dorm (Irene Stowell) won and the other girl from MRC got second, so we feel pretty happy. Irene got a real Hudson Bay coat and then tomorrow she’s going to Edmonton to compete against Queens from all over the Province.

I saw Aunt Irene, Heather Scott, Gina (?) McDougall, Mrs armstand, and Mrs Charlie Robinson. Aunt Irene is getting another baby! Honestly!

Must get ready for supper

Love Sheila C

Wed

Dear Marg

Went to assembly this morning for a change. Bored silly.

I have to read a take the minutes at the Council meeting today. Marilyn’s Modeling at a fashion show.

Love Sheila

8:15

Mum came in after 4 and went into speak to Mr. Collette. Wonder what they talked about. Then she took Marsh and Wayne downtown and they had supper out. Doggone that meeting anyways!!

Talked Marsh into going to the dance at Glendale so I’ll be able to wear my new shoes.

I sent in a request on Hospital Hour for you so you’d better listen. Don’t know whether you’d like it or not. You’ll have to hear it to appreciate it.

Must get to work.

Saw Anne Monday. She might come out during the latter part of the Easter Holidays.

Thurs 12:20

Dear Marg

Boy am I ever mad!!! I was under the impression that all the biographies for the yearbook were in and even written out, now I just found out that only half of them were in and some lost them. Gad. What a mess!!

Sure have a lot of studying to do. Exams next week you know!! Where does time ever go!

Marilyn and Peggy are eating ice cream. Slurp Slurp

4:10

Dear Marg.

I have just disgraced myself. In French this afternoon I was reading a part out loud and I couldn’t say ‘monsieur’ finally I got the giggles and I couldn’t say anything. I felt like crawling through the nearest window. Another girl had to finish. The teacher just laughed and thought it was a great joke thank goodness. Still haven’t got those GD Biographies.

Must get to work

Love

Sheila C

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How to Kill a Skunk and Other Animal Stories (FGK 32)

There are many things I love about this letter. Mom was in a wheelchair and able to be out of bed!! She’d been in hospital almost 2 years by this time. I bet she loved the freedom of being able to move herself around! The young boy they had staying with them would have been the same age as mom, and I don’t know where he was from or who he was, but how kind of Aunt Annie to stop whatever she was doing and play with him in order to make him feel more comfortable. Small acts of kindness go a long ways.

When I was a kid, mom used to read Old Mother West Wind to my sister and I, as I did with my own kids when they were little. Aunt Annie gives a more graphic “from the farmer’s view” version of stories much similar to those. I can imagine Mr. Skunk had quite a time gorging on eggs before he finally met his demise. Out here there’s a man who can’t smell the stink of a skunk and he’s been called by various community members to help deal with a skunk who has made himself at home where he shouldn’t. Unfortunately, this man’s wife CAN smell skunk, so I’d imagine he’s not too popular when he returns home!!

RR No 1, De Winston, Alta,

4th July, 1953

My dear Margie,

I thought I would just sit down tonight and drop you a few lines. I was so pleased to get your nice card and to know that you enjoyed the box of what nots that I sent in.

Your mother had told me about you manipulating the wheelchair around. good for you. I bet you will have lots of fun getting about in that. Can you go visiting the other patients? I guess you would have lots of places to go in that beautiful big building.

We have been having a terrible year of it. We didn’t get very much of our crop in and what we have in is just being hailed.

July 5 – I had a little interruption while writing your letter. We have a young boy, thirteen years old, staying with us now. He seemed rather lost so I suggested a game of rummy. so we had a game and he beat me too.

As I was saying earlier in my letter, we got considerable hail last night. It smashed my poor flowers down most pitifully. However, I am still hoping I’ll be able to take you some Dahlias later on. It’s been so wet and cold that everything down here looks as if it’s a whole month behind schedule. I don’t suppose the snow when it comes will be “behind schedule”.

Our poor old duck has laid all spring and sat twice. Each time she sat the old skunk came along and helped himself to the eggs. I don’t know whether she’ll try again as it’s getting rather late. She had fifteen eggs in the first nest. I didn’t find the second nest but the skunk did as she is up and about again. However this morning Uncle Ed had Mr. Skunk in a trap. We had a lot of fun over him. Uncle Ed said he could kill him without him leaving any smell. I didn’t believe it possible. He said he would put a wire on a long pole and slip it over his head and choke him. Well everything went fine until the wire broke. However he finished off the sunk by drowning him and he didn’t smell very much either so I guess we had to admit that he knew the best way to kill off a skunk. Tippy took good care not to get too close as he had tangled one time earlier in the year. He surely did look disgusted. He came and sat by me and left Uncle Ed to hunt the skunks by himself. I didn’t appreciate him sitting by me very much either.

We have two pea-hens sitting this year. I was surely glad the skunk didn’t find their nests. They come every day to the door to be fed bread. They make quite a clatter too just to make sure i know they are all there. I have three that we raised last year and they surely are all in the dog house. They went to the garden one day and ate up the cabbage and cauliflower. It’s the first time they ever did anything like that. I think they found time on their hands and just decided to get into mischief and they did. I was really muttering to myself and out loud too when I saw what they had done.

Clarence has been sick again last week but he is better today. He is running around all over the place now. He followed his Dad down the road the other day. I saw him disappearing around the corner and had to chase after him. Tippy was with him but he wasn’t trying to bring him home at all, but just going away with him.

Well Margie, my dear, I guess I had better stop my chatter and close for this time. You’ll be hearing from me again soon.

Love from us all

Aunt Annie

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Coronation, creek crossings, and branding (FGK-30)

Mrs. Barkley is quickly becoming one of my favourite writers. I really wish I’d known her, and not just because of her wonderful handwriting (she and Lawrence have among the prettiest and easiest to read). She tells stories so well, and just sounds like she’d be a really nice person to be around.

I have questions about this letter, and a few thoughts. First off, I never really considered the fact that mom was in there without TV. I mean, it makes sense, and it explains why she knew the number of dots on the tiles of her ceiling. How did my uncle get out of exams? This is a trick I would have liked to have known. Why did she take off (and from where) and leave Grandma and Winnie behind? And I want to hear more about the creek crossing episodes. I hope for her family she wrote some of her history- like I said, I love reading her stories.

30 days of letters and I’m not even 1/4 of the way through the letters. I am loving every minute of this, the best part of my day is reaching my hand in the bin and seeing what letter I’ll pull out for the day. I’m so thankful these letters found their way to me.

June 22, 1953

Dear Margie,

Now, I’m not really so optimistic as I was the first of the month. Quite resigned to the fact, it can rain anytime! Not happy about it and the cold air isn’t a bit funny.

Did you listen to all of the Coronation on the radio? Certainly a number of solemn oaths for one individual to make, don’t you think? I wonder if she maybe felt a little depressed? It must have been an unforgettable sight to see. It will be wonderful when you can have television in there. I really think one would be wise to wait now until they sell the coloured sets.

We hope to go to Percy Copithorne’s tomorrow to brand. I suppose that makes you feel like birking the blankets from here to there. Bernard was telling us when they were riding the wagon across the creek today the riders were up close and of course the horses were splashing water on them so Louis picked up a pail off the wagon, reached down and filled it with water and threw it back on the riders.

She writes birking, and that’s not a word – it’s running at the edges of my brain, but won’t let me access it. Probably what happened to her too lol. Anyway, the meaning is clear. Mom would have wanted to be home branding instead of in the hospital.

Up at Bragg Creek, Bruce’s (?) horse fell in the creek so he got properly soaked, Clarence C’s horse fell but Clarence missed getting wet.

The bridge from Midnapore is to be moved this winter to the Elbow up south of Barnes or thereabouts so if this Monsoon season is not on again next year we’ll be having a picnic. We done that one other year and it happened to be a lovely day. Irene and Kay were along that time. I suppose your Mother told you I just drove off without her and Winnie last Thursday.

Are you doing school work yet? Do you find your school work any easier since you have done so much reading?

Wasn’t Marshall a smart one to get home without writing exams?

I hear my men coming in so guess they have the tractor all bedded down for the nite.

Best Wishes

the Barkleys

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Christmas Party Drama (FGK-29)

I recall hearing stories from community members of Mom’s generation about what a big deal their Christmas Concert was. If I remember correctly, there was a lot of excitement a couple of weeks before they were set to put it on as they all got to go to the Hall to practice instead of having to do school work. As a child, I loved having to go and “preform for my present” at the Hall Christmas party (especially the year I played Mary and just had to sit there rocking the baby Jesus while my cousins had to sing and do all the work), and it’s been revived in recent years by the Hall board (which I am fortunate enough to be on, but take no responsibility for being the brain child of) as a potluck and Christmas Carol party with Santa as the Grande Finale.

Box 58

Cochrane, Alberta

Nov 14, 1953

Dear Margie,

Well, I suppose it’s about time I returned your letter! Gosh I just don’t get around to writing letters!

I have quite a bit of news that won’t make you overjoyed. The usual Jumping Pound Christmas Show will be a thing of the past. A little school party will take its place. Darn! That’s where we really miss you, Margie. The main reason is that there aren’t enough large pupils to carry on a real show. A thing we have always done in yesteryear. However I believe that one big reason is that Mr. O’Brien is tired of putting on such a big show. He claims that he will do all in his power for a concert if people want it, but I notice he has tried with success to kill the spirit. I guess it’s best though because if we put on a poor job this year from lack of talent it would sure wreck our reputation.

How is your school work? I’m finding that I’ve really got my hands full. I have finished my first unit in Science and am finishing up my Social unit now but I am badly behind in Math and I am on about page 110. I’m behind in that too!

We have some baby kittens at our place. They arrived a few weeks ago. Dave and Mary say that they are big enough to purr. However I have not heard them.

Gee! It’s about winter isn’t it? There isn’t any snow or ice around here yet. I guess it won’t be long before there is though and it will be time for toboggans and skates.

I’m running a little low on news. Reckon I’ll have to go.

Wishin’ you health and wealth

Lawrence

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Remember That and be Happy Always (FGK-26)

This letter from Grandma made me so emotional, especially the part where she described how she had made it all the way into the hospital only to be too late for visiting times. Instead of complaining or whining about injustice, she reminds mom that she is their guest and show appreciation for being there. Considering it seems we are just starting to acknowledge the mind/body connection, it seems Grandma was decades ahead here on the ranch by reminding mom that a glad heart purifies the body. I really needed to hear that. I always had a special love for Grandma, but these letters make me love her even more, she really was a remarkable woman.

March 14, 1953

Saturday afternoon 4:15 PM

Dearest Margie:

Just have to write you and let the work go hang. Sheila and Marshall are out helping Dad de-horn and I scrubbed and waxed the kitchen floor alone. We washed clothes this morning. Trudy Usher gave Sheila a lovely bouquet of spring flowers for her birthday and Sheila wanted to leave them in with you last night but I said let’s bring them home for the weekend to enjoy them too and then take them into you on Sunday. they look so nice on the kitchen table, the whole kitchen looks so nice and shining clean now.

I haven’t done any cooking today, made Sheila a birthday cake yesterday and we ate it at supper last night.

Wish I could have seen you last night, did Helen tell you I was so near, just at the office, but rules are rules, we don’t own the place, you are their guest and we must remember and show our appreciation to them for having you there.

Sheila and Marsh went to the dance last night, Dad and I were too tired. They said it was a very nice one. Slim was there with _______ – isn’t he a rascal?

Old Smokey is really feeling cute these days, guess I’m feeding him too well, he just seems to know everything you say to him.

Sheila just came in looking frozen. She said the men weren’t going to stop for tea so I packed up a snack and some hot coffee and sent her over wth it to them.

I phoned Aunt Ruth but she was up town – her and Aileen as usual, but Gordie answered. He is all excited he is going to the boy-scouts chuckwagon race or something.

Hope you see a nice show this afternoon. We saw Clarence Buckley at the garage yesterday, the Olds school were chosen to see the judging of the fat calf show or something.

Guess the bull sale is next week, Dad says he isn’t going to buy any bulls – but we’ll see.

Marsh says Mrs. Barkley has a really good dishwasher, isn’t that nice?

Have you done any letter writing? I wish you’d write to us. Sure wish those old chicken-pox would clear up.

Sheila says all the Normans were at the dance, and Gladys strained her stomach curling but she was there anyway. Springbank is sure curling crazy.

8:30 pm

Well here I am again Marg – Bill went to town so there was only us four for supper and we are all sitting quietly around the dining room now. Sheila is hard at work on her homework, wish Marsh would do that.

Hope you are getting along good with your school work. I just phoned in and they said you are well. This phone is almost impossible though.

We had a very lovely Star meeting on Thursday night. There were people from all over the province there.

I’m sending you in a corsage of imitation heather we wore, Dorothea Andison (?) made one for each of us, they’re made out of wire and needs. Betsy Bloom the Worthy Grand Matron is Scotch so we were wearing them to please her – we hope. You can give it to Mary McKinon if you like – she’s Scotch too.

The gophers are out now – around here anyway, wonder if they get Rabies too.

Dad was riding up in the hills last week and he saw the skeleton of a moose and also som huge wolf tracks.

They are going to de-horn our calves on Monday and the Lazy J cattle too – so suppose Winnie will be bringing up a fancy tea for them eh?

How are those old legs of yours coming along lately Margie? Hope you are finding the exercises easier and that you can move them a little more every day and the back too. Do you still go down for the tank etc at around 2pm? I am praying almost constantly to help you but more so around then if it’s possible at all. we must have patience though, it takes almost 18 months to heal those nerves they say, but I am sure you will be walking before that, even though they may not be entirely healed. It is certain that a glad heart speeds up circulation and sweeps impure matter from the bloodstream and health appears. Remember that and be happy always.

I couldn’t get that record of the Lord’s Prayer for Sheila at all so I got her the medium sized suit case to match her others and a nice card and Marsh signed it from you and him. Dad and I gave her a suede jacket so with the twin sweater set she got plenty eh?

Aunt Gertie phoned and wants us to go up for dinner tomorrow, so seeing we can’t get in to see you, I guess we’ll go.

Well, I must close now and sure hope I can see you on Wednesday.

Lots and lots of love dear

From mom xxxxxxxxx

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