I have written this book mainly to share with you some of the wonderful and unpredictable incidents that happened to me and my family through the years.

My parents were Peter and Reginal Albrecht, and I was a twin, one of thirteen children.

These stories took place mostly in Forestburg, Alberta, where I was born and where my parents were some of the first settlers.

I hope you, my children, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren will enjoy reading these true happenings as much as I have enjoyed writing about them.

STORIES GRANDMA REMEMBERS, VOLUME I

Title Page

1. My Pa 1

2. My Ma 2

3. The Phonograph 3

4. The Letter 4

5. Grey Henning 5

6. Chickie Chickie 8

7. Acrobat 9

8. La Verne and the School Van 10

9. Gopher Poison 12

10. Soda, Sugar, Shoe Polish and a Lamp Chimney 14

11. The Pitcher 15

12. When Grandma Learned to Drive 16

13. Leaving High River 18

14. The Dummy at the Second Hand Store 20

15. Boiling Woolen Underwear 21

16. Lighting a Lamp with Gas 22

17. Russel the Milker 23

18. Colleen Stout 25

19 Strawstack 26

20. My Side of the Story 27

21. Lost in the Woods 28

22. Young Mother Shoots Grizzly Bear 30

23. My Husband was Hungry 31

24. Isaac 32

25. Last Word 33

I must tell you about my Pa. He was like a rock. When I was a child I used to say he was the best dad in the whole wide world. He was strong and worked hard for his daily bread, was honest and trustworthy. My parents had 13 children and when people would ask my Pa how many children he had. With a twinkle in his eye he would watch the surprised look on their faces as he would answer, "I'm on my second dozen now."

His favorite joke was: a city man was running across a field with a bull chasing him. He yelled to the farmer who was on a tractor, "Say mister is that bull safe?" The farmer called back, "Well I reckon he's a lot safer than you are right now."

There was a coal mine six miles south of Forestburg, Alberta where my Pa used to get coal for $1.00 per ton.

On this particular day Pa was on his way to the coal mine with his wagon and team when he noticed two stray horses the color of hay coming down the road to meet him. He stopped his horses and caught the runaway team and hitched them on the back of his wagon, and continued on his way.

A few miles up the road coming toward him was a man with a wagon of coal driving a team of horses. My Pa asked the man if the horses he caught were his and the man said "Yes they are mine, I just bought them at an auction sale and they were originally from Sedgewick, I'm so grateful you caught them, can I pay you?" Pa answered, "No my friend you would have done the same for me."

Many years later, my Pa Was taking a load of grain a man wanted for seed, when all of a sudden it started to snow, which turned into a blizzard. The wind was cold and raw, and Pa couldn't go on so he stopped at the first farm house and knocked at the door. A man opened the door and Pa said, "I'm Peter Albrecht and I need shelter for my horses. The blizzard is treacherous and it's blinding their way."

The man in the doorway looked at my Pa and remarked, "I don't like to take in strangers" Pa said, "I can sleep in the barn." The man asked Pa, "Do you smoke?" and Pa said he didn't. So the man reluctantly led Pa and his horses to the barn. Then Pa noticed a hay team of horses in the barn and said "Say isn't this the hay team of horses I caught years ago when I was going for coal and they were running away?" The man looked surprised and looked at Pa. "Why yes, of course, you are the man who caught my team." The two men shook hands and he gave my Pa's horses a good feed of hay and oats and took Pa in his house. He whispered something to his wife and she served Pa a supper fit for a king. They had a lovely evening together and my Pa slept in the guest room instead of the hayloft.

I'm sure that when you do a good deed, it will come back to you in a wonderful way.

My brothers and sisters and I had the most wonderful mother in the world. She was loving, sweet, kind and gentle and I have never heard her yell or scream at any of us. But when one of us were hurt she would reprimand us with "Why can't you be more careful?" She was a most thrifty woman and firmly believed, as I do, that it is a sin to waste food, when there are so many starving people in the world.

A man walked into a hotel carrying an umbrella. He decided to go for a walk so he left his umbrella on a desk with a note saying "Don't anyone take my umbrella. I am a champion boxer and I'll be back in 10 minutes." When he came back, his umbrella was gone and there was another note in its place saying. "I took your umbrella. I am a champion runner and I won't be back at all."

I used to marvel at Ma as I watched her hoeing in the garden. I would help her pull weeds. She seemed so relaxed and not worrying about dinner, so I would ask "Isn't it time to go in the house and get dinner ready?" and she would calmly answer, "Don't worry, dinner will be ready on time", and it always was. About 15 minutes before dinner, she would put up the hoe, wash her hands and fix a dinner fit for a king.

One Sunday our Pa brought someone home from the Baptist church from South Dakota where our parents used to live when they were children. Pa introduced him to Ma and he asked her where she was from originally and Ma said "South Dakota, in Yankton". "Oh," he replied. "Did you happen to know a girl there by the name of Regina Senner?" My Ma smiled because who could know Regina Senner better than she, for Regina Senner was my mother's name before she married my Pa, and she answered, "Oh yes I knew her very well." "Well" he said, "she was the strongest little girly I ever saw. I offered to help her carry the big pails of water one day, and they were so heavy I could hardly lift them, but she picked them up as though there were light as a feather. You wouldn't think that a dainty 10 year old, blond haired blue eyed girl would be so strong." My mother gave him the surprise of this life when she told him she was that girl. I'm thankful I had such a good Christian mother.

In the year of 1877 Thomas A. Edison invented the phonograph, and I'm glad he did, or I wouldn't be able to tell you this delightful little story. I am going to tell it as I remember my mother told it to me.

My Pa and Ma were invited along with some other couples to a country home one evening. The object of this gathering was to hear their new phonograph, or sometimes called gramophone, perhaps the first one in their remote little area. I'm sure everyone was excited as they travelled the road, which brought them closer to their destination.

When Pa and Ma finally got there, they still had to wait for the other guests to arrive. At last they were all there, and everyone was waiting in anticipation for the host to show them this new object. Finally he opened the door to the living room and beckoned them to follow. They glanced around, and there right before their eyes on a small table was this strange Victor object with a huge horn projecting out from it, and a dog emblem like a terrier on it. The record itself was a cylinder which was about 4 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. The host seemed to be enjoying the impatience of his guests and moved with slow and deliberate steps. He was entirely master of the situation and all eyes were upon him. After winding and adjusting a few things, the tension in the room was absolutely electrifying. I want you to take a note, right here and now that no one in this room had ever heard a phonograph, or a chair or a table, or any other object so to speak. so you can well imagine their surprise when this box of wood, horn and crank was speaking like a man. And it certainly wasn't big enough to hold a man either. One of the guests, a woman, went absolutely hysterical and started screaming, while rushing up to the phonograph she commenced to beat it with her fists and shouted "You can't talk, you can't talk". Of course they had to explain to her that this was a new invention and there was nothing mystical about a phonograph, other than the fact that it was a great invention and there really wasn't a man inside.

They were then able to spend a lovely evening listening to the amusing lyrics, one of which was titled "The Preacher and the Bear." Rosa Olsen, a dear old lady used to recite that lyric to me. Man could not have invented the phonograph were it not for God who created man, for we are wonderfully made. Without God, we can do nothing.

When I went to school we had to walk about 1/4 of a mile to meet the van which then took us to school. The van was a covered wagon having wheels in the summer and sleighs in the winter and was pulled by a team of horses. It had benches, one each side of it, so we sat facing each other. We had lots of fun going to school in the van, except on the days when it was extra cold, and the little ones would cry because their feet were starting to freeze. So the bigger ones would take our moccasins and rubbers off and put our feet upon their lap and rub them until they warmed up. Our Pa always said that when it was 40° below we didn't have to go to school that day. Sometimes we would have quite a long wait before the van came to pick us up.

There was an old Ruff school house sitting vacant on our property where my older brothers and sisters had gone to school. One day, while playing around the old school house we decided to explore that hole in the foundation. We would lay down on our stomachs and reach as far as we could with one arm. Sometimes we would fine a bottle, some bits of wood, some broken glass or tin cans which was very exciting, wondering what we would pull out next. I reached my arm in so far as it would go and felt around with my hand and pulled out a folded piece of paper. I opened it up and there in sprawling handwriting was a letter to my sister Viola. I will try to write down as much of the letter as I can remember.

Im writing you cus i like you i want to marry you or elsie graber whin i grow up i dont no wich i gess il marry both of you. don't marry eny body else when you gro up cus i want to marry you

I showed the letter to everyone at home and then took it to Viola to keep, she was amused. even though she was married at the time, as was Joe Gray and also Elsie Graber. I think they all had a good laugh at a social gathering one evening over that special little letter.

I think the faith and innocence of a child such as Joe Gray was, is very precious indeed.

Somehow I just don't quite know how to describe Grey Henning, except that he was slight of stature and exceedingly sure of himself at all times. You may get more of an insight of Grey after you read these stories. The government of Alberta paid my Pa a slight sum of money to let him stay at our place, and I'm certain he had a good home with us. One of the chores Grey did was to rise each morning early and help Pa and the boys milk the cows.

Every Saturday night Grey insisted on going into the town of Forestburg, and you can be sure that Grey Henning was the center of interest wherever he went. They all told Grey that he was a champion boxer and of course Grey believed them. There was a real show on as they took turns to box with Grey, and sometimes they would even fall down in pretense of being knocked out, and the referee would count to 10 and thus raise Grey's arm high to announce the winner.

One time they had Grey stand in the back of a truck in a new suit of underwear, while going up and down the main street of Forestburg. When Pa and Ma heard of this they tried to stop Grey from going to town each Saturday night, but that was impossible for Grey was having too much fun himself After all, wasn't he the champion boxer of Forestburg, or maybe even of the world?

I remember one day Grey got mad at George for something he had done and he started chasing George. Of course George was in his teens and could run like a deer up one building right to the peak and down the other side. And by the time Grey reached the peak of the first building, George was already down and starting to climb the next building. One day Henry Lund was talking to a building contractor in a restaurant when who should walk in but Grey Henning. Henry who was my brother-in-law knew Grey well, but the building contractor, being a new comer in town, had never heard of Grey Henning. Henry, who always appreciated a good joke, decided that he was going to have some fun. He called Grey over and introduced him to the building contractor. With a twinkle in his eye Henry asked Grey, "Is it true that you are seriously thinking about building a new barn?" Grey answered without the least hesitation, "That's right sir, I certainly am." The building contractor perked up his ears, and with a friendly smile he invited both Grey and Henry over to a table for a steak supper, entirely at his expense.

I don't know how Henry could contain himself for he was just about bursting with laughter inside and enjoying himself to the fullest, all the while keeping a straight face and looking the picture of innocence. After a good hearty dinner, the building contractor asked both Henry and Grey up to his room for a chat, and indeed he wasted no time in questioning Grey about the barn he was going to have built.

"How much did you want to spend on this massive barn Grey?" asked the building contractor.

To which Grey answered with clarity, "Money is no object sir, money is no object."

Well, to the building contractor, this was like one of his wildest dreams come true. He couldn't believe his good fortune and cautiously he asked, "Would you be willing to have our company build your barn Grey?" and Grey, without a doubt whatsoever in any matter, shape, or form answered, "Yes sir, absolutely sir."

Finally, after much discussion, the building contractor made out a sizeable cheque for Grey Henning to sign, all three men shaking hands with a note of satisfaction.

Grey, happy in the fact that he had so much money that he could make any sort of deal whatever the cost; the building contractor, happy to be so fortunate to be in the right place at the right time to meet this generous Grey Henning; and Henry Lund, bursting with pride to think he had pulled off the biggest joke of the year. He wanted to laugh, but he had gone too far to spoil the fun now. As they parted company the building contractor gloried in the new turn of events. Why, he could have that barn built for less than half the amount on the cheque and he could hardly wait for Monday morning to come, so he could cash the cheque. Who said he couldn't do business, who said he wasn't a shrewd executive? Why after a deal such as this, his boss would double his salary. Why he might even become the head manager for his firm. He phoned his boss about the deal he had just made. His boss was a bit dubious but he congratulated him all the same. Alone in his room he worried himself with the thought, "Just maybe the little town of Forestburg wouldn't have enough money to cash the cheque," and then he quickly realized how foolish the thought had been, for hadn't Grey himself said money was no object?

When Monday morning finally arrived he walked over to the bank. With confidence and assurance, he slapped down the cheque. The bank manager himself waited on him. He glanced at the cheque and saw the signature of Grey Henning on it. He started to laugh and the more he thought about it, the more he laughed.

By now the building contractor was quite indignant and wanted to know what was so funny. The banker explained between laughs that Grey Henning himself was the richest man in town, but it was a known fact that he didn't have a penny to his name.

Only then did the building contractor realize he had been the butt of the biggest joke in town and finally he had to leave the little town of Forestburg to evade the razzing of the townspeople.

Another little incident I am going to relate to you, happened in the year of 1932. We were all sitting around the big kitchen table reading the "Home Loving Hearts" in the Free Press Prairie Farmer, when Kay turned to Grey and said "Say Grey, why don't you write a letter to the Home Loving Hearts? I'll bet you could get a girlfriend." Now Grey, who always thought Kay was pretty special, willingly agreed, so Kay offered to write the letter for him. I will try to relate the letter to you as much as I remember it.

Dear Hearts,

I am a bachelor and I live on a ranch. I have 5000 head of cattle and 5000 head of horses, two Catelacs and a big house and barn.

I would like to meet a young girl, object matrimony.

Sincerely,

Grey Henning

The letter was put in an envelope, sealed, stamped and mailed. As I recall, it wasn't too long before there was a letter in the mail from Chilliwack to a Mr. Grey Henning. Grey read the letter, but when questioned, he wouldn't breathe a word of what was in the letter and the very next morning Grey went to our Pa and said "Pete I want $17.50." Pa was startled and asked "Now what in the world do you need $17.50 for?" "Never mind sir, that's my business." I guess Pa realized that Grey very seldom asked for money, and his wants were few, so Pa took out his wallet and gave Grey the money and Grey immediately went to town.

Pa learned later that Grey had taken the train to Chiliwack and the return fair was $17.50. A few days later Grey came wandering in to our home and I remember some of the family questioning Grey were he went and what had happened. But we couldn't get a word out of Grey. It was not until the year 1947, when our parents lived in Chilliwack, my Pa was sitting by a man at the Chilliwack bus depot. The man asked Pa where he was from? Pa answered "Forestburg, Alberta." The man then asked, "Would you by any chance know any one who lived there by the name of Grey Henning? Pa smiled and answered, "Well sir, I don't believe there's anyone who knows Grey Henning better than I do for he lived at our place on the farm for years." The man was deeply interested and told this amusing little story.

It must have been about 15 years ago when my daughter who was around 16 years old at the time, answered one of the letters in the Home Loving Hearts of Free Press. It seemed only days until we had a knock at the door one evening and I opened it to find a stranger who announced with determination: "I'm Grey Henning and I came to marry your daughter sir." Well needless to say, Grey Henning was on his way in a matter of minutes.

Many times through the years, I think of Grey Henning. I remember I used to feel sorry for Grey, and I always treated him kindly. I believe when we meet people who are less fortunate than ourselves, we should put in practice the golden rule. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Once every week Oscar, Louis and George had to clean the chicken coop. They would clean the platform where the chickens roosted at night. With hoe in hand, Oscar was doing his job well when a chicken came on the platform and Oscar hit it with his hoe to get it out of the way. But I guess he hit it too hard for he killed the chicken. George said "Boy are you ever going to get it, look what you've done. You've killed a chicken." Poor Oscar was so sorry, he said "I didn't mean to kill it." Louis threatened, "Boy when Pa finds out you're going to get it." Oscar pleaded, "You won't tell on me will you?" Both George and Louis warned Oscar, "You'd better be real good or we're going to tell Pa."

So many times when George and Louis had work to do they would ask Oscar to do it for them, and Oscar would say "That's not my job, Pa didn't tell me to do that." Then George and Louis would say, "Chickie Chickie" and Oscar would do their work for them. Oscar was kept very busy doing all sorts of favors for his older brothers such as, one of them would say, "Get me a drink of water," and when Oscar refused, they would say "Chickie Chickie." They would say "Get me a pail of coal" and if Oscar didn't get it right away, they would say "Chickie Chickie," and Oscar would get the coal fast. Oscar had a constant fear that Pa would find out about the chicken. And I'm afraid he wasn't too happy about this chickie chickie business either.

There's a good lesson to be learned in this story. I'm sure if Oscar had gone to our Pa and explained to him exactly what happened and said he was sorry and didn't mean to kill the chicken, our Pa would have understood and forgiven him and Oscar would have been free from his load of guilt. I can't help but think of Jesus, how he wants us to come to him and tell him our troubles.

In Mathewt 11:28, 29 and 30 we read, "Come unto me all ye labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yolk upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly at heart for my yolk is easy and my burden is light." So when we are troubled, tell Jesus.

It all started when Viola my sister came home from college and said that she would give anyone a dollar if they could kick their feet to the back of their head. Of course we all tried and to my utter delight I found I could do it. That started me right then and there to do acrobatics. I was about 11 or 12 years at the time and I would practice bending back against the wall for support and touch my head to the floor and before long I could bend back without the use of the wall or using my hands.

I remember going to the theatre one evening and they were showing some acrobatic stunts. I was so excited I could hardly wait to get home and try out the acrobatics I saw. It was almost midnight and there in my bedroom I realized with a little effort I could do most of them. I practiced every day and many times when we had company, I was asked to do my acrobatics.

I remember one time at a Sunday school picnic they asked me to do my stunts. They passed around a hat and I got the sizeable sum of $1.75 for my endeavor. One day I heard they were going to have a amateur contest at the Hastings Coulee Hall. I wanted to enter it and I asked Laura if she would play for me. At first she flatly refused, but then I coaxed here until she agreed to play for me. Then I got the bright idea that I would like to sing a little first. I said to Laura, "I'll sing this little ditty: "Snap your finger, walk around a bit, shake your shoes and go to town a bit, Mi di ho down that's the low down, that's college rhythm." Well you should have heard Laura, she remarked blankly, "That does it, if you think for one minute that I'm going up there to play for you to make a perfect fool of yourself you're mistaken." Well I just had to coax Laura some more until she finally gave in.

We went to the amateur contest and there were about 20 contestants. When it was over they passed around 3 slips of paper to everyone for 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes. When everyone handed in their slips of papers they were read out and I won 1st prize, 2nd prize and 3rd prize. They had to do it over and were asked not to put the same name on more than one slip. I was a very happy girl to win first prize which was $5.00. I paid one half of it to Laura for playing for me so beautifully.

The closest I ever came to performing in a large theatre was in Medicine Hat, Alberta. I practiced just once with a live orchestra before the opening night. It was an evening for amateurs and professionals to display their talents. I sent the article of the local Medicine Hat news paper home to Viola and I still remember what it said: "Miss Dale Albright then gave a wonderful display of acrobatic dancing. Hatters are not often fortunate enough to witness such grace and suppleness."

On another occasion I was playing on the roof of our lean to pump house and my twin was watching me below. Now it is one thing to bend back and touch your head to the floor, but it is quite another thing to bend back with your heels on the edge of a roof. Esther, my twin was urging me not to do it, but I did. I'm puzzled and have been for years. I can't quite figure out whether children are more daring than grown ups, or do grown ups simply have more good common sense.

I'm not sure, but I believe my guardian angel was watching over me that day. God cares for all of us even if we are a bit foolish at times.

When my youngest sister La Verne was in her teens, she drove the school van. Each morning she would hitch the horses to the van and pick up all the school children on her route. She had quite a long way to go, as we lived in the country and sometimes the houses were one or two miles apart. The van held 12 to 20 children and had a long bench on each side of the van. The high school girls used to tease my young brother Oscar by poking their finger almost in his face and he would brush them away. They just kept on and on and finally he put a stop to it all, he spit in their face. They never did that again.

One day, La Verne was driving the van home, she was just passing Ambie Mallets place when Mrs. Mallet came running out with some papers to give to La Verne. And as she was explaining what to do with the papers, the horse Spike got restless and the team started running. La Verne couldn't seem to hold them back and that's when she noticed that Spike had the bit out of his mouth, which made it impossible to stop them from running away. Now, La Verne had the presence of mind to realize that she was in a dangerous situation, and felt very responsible for the welfare of the children, so she asked them all to jump out the back door,. They were reluctant, but finally they all jumped out, except one who was our seven year old niece Erlyce Albright who was too frightened to jump.

By now the horses were running just as fast as they could run, and that old van was wobbling from side to side. While LaVerne was desperately trying to get Erlyce to jump, but Erlyce wouldn't, several times the van nearly upset, and La Verne was worried about Erlyce, not thinking about her own danger. At last, La Verne had to give the wee frightened Erlyce a push to get her out of the van to safety.

The team of horses went absolutely wild, and were running at top speed, Then the whipple tree came loose and the horses ran home leaving the van sitting not too far from our gate.

What a relief it was to La Verne to know that none of the school children were hurt. This heroic act of La Verne's reminds me of a captain staying with his sinking ship until all his passengers are safe. Jesus is like that too He gave his own life to save us and he says in Hebrews 13:5 "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." I will guide thee with mine eye Psalm 32:8. Isn't that wonderful news? when Jesus is for us, who can be against us?

On the Alberta prairie where our parents lived, they made their living by wheat farming, dairy products and eggs from the chickens. As the main source of their income, being wheat, they found that the gophers and the crows were a real threat to their crops. In fact the government of Alberta offered the farmers a penny for each gopher tail or crows egg they could turn in.

One day a salesman came to our door to sell Pa a radio, but Pa said he didn't need one. He was getting along just fine, but the salesman wasn't giving in that easy. He coaxed my Pa to let him set it up to hear how it sounded. He turned on the battery radio and the song that came over the air, won my Pa completely, for it was a catchy little tune, and I remember some of the words which were:

_"If the farmers gonna get relief, I'll tell you folks it's my belief, you gotta have protection from that thief with his "Ca Ca Ca"_

That was our first radio which was around 1928 or 1929. One day my sister Gladys and I were asked to take a small can of poisoned wheat with a spoon and put a spoonful in each gopher hole we saw. We were in the field where the milking cows were and we let our imaginations run wild, and I said to Gladys "I wonder how a person would get if they ate some gopher poison? Gladys answered "Well I think they would act like this," and putting her hands on her stomach, she started to groan and double herself over, pretending to be sick. I thought that was pretty funny, but not quite expressive enough, so I said, "No, No I think you would act like this" I dropped down on the ground moaning and groaning, rubbing my stomach. It must have looked very real, because Betsy our pet cow came right up to me with sympathy in her eyes and sniffed my face, she was such a pet and as sympathetic.

Finally, we brought the cows home and I completely forgot about the incident, until the next day when we heard moaning and groaning and I recognized the very same sounds as Gladys and I had made the day before. Esther went running out to see what was the matter, and Francis said 'Hurry, Hurry Gladys has eaten some gopher poison." I said "No she hasn't she's just pretending," to which Esther commented, "How can you sit there so calm when Gladys ate some gopher poison and may be dying?" "She's just pretending" I answered, for I remembered the scene we had enacted the day before, and this was certainly a replica of it. I was certain this was a counterfeit, so certain that I wouldn't even go out to see.

I can't help compare this story to Matt 24:26 "Wherefore If they shall say unto you, behold he is in the desert, go not forth, behold he is in the secret chamber, believe it not." We have to be sure how Jesus's coming, for it says in the 27 verse "For as lightening cometh out of the east even unto the west, as shall also the coming of the son of man be. It is very important to get our facts straight. In Matt 24:24 it says "For there shall arise false christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders in as much that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." I don't want to be deceived do you? I want to be sure of the facts, as sure as I was that Gladys was pretending that I didn't even go out to see.

I guess you are wondering what soda, sugar and shoe polish and a lamp chimney is all about? Well, this happened at High River, Alberta when Dixie was 2 years and 4 months and Jacquie was one year old.

I was really busy that day for I had floors to scrub, bread to bake, along with getting meals, making beds, washing dishes and washing diapers. The day started out just like any other day. We had just finished breakfast, and I was upstairs making the beds and when I came down there was Dixie and Jacquie laughing with delight, for they had emptied the box of baking soda and the sugar in the sugar bowl in a pile and were mixing them together. They had sugar and soda in their hair on their clothes, on the table and on the floor. What a mess. I had to clean it up. When I was finished, everything was little too quiet for comfort. So going upstairs to see where Dixie was I was shocked to see she had my white shoe polish with the lid off, spilling white shoe polish all over my good quilt on the bed. I was beginning to think this was not my day at all. I still had my living room to mop and bread to bake. I put little Jacquie in her crib for her afternoon nap and I was thankful she went right to sleep. So I took a pail of warm water and started to mop the living room floor. When I suddenly realized I had better check the bread in the oven. I opened the oven door and bang! crash! I ran into the living room. There was our brand new aladdin lamp chimney all shattered in pieces on the floor and Dixie holding the mop, almost in tears. My first impulse was to turn her over my knee. I guess she sensed my feelings, for she looked up at me and said "I was ony trying to elp oo" How could I possibly spank a small child who was trying to help me. I was exhausted. I sat down on the chesterfield and all of a sudden the whole day and its happenings seemed funny. Just imagine soda, sugar white shoe polish and a lamp chimney all in one day. I was in tears laughing and do you know what Paul said in Romans 5:3? He said "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation worketh patience."

When I was a little girl my mother had a white milk pitcher. It must have been made of strong material because she had it for as long as I can remember.

It had its place full of milk every morning on our breakfast table. I had never seen one that I liked as well, until the day many years later, when the members of our church were putting on a yard sale. I was in charge of the long table that had a different assortment of dishes on it. When suddenly a woman picked up a pitcher and asked what price it was, I was almost speechless for she was holding up a replica of the pitcher my mother used to have. Dumbfounded, I said seventy five cents, not even realizing the value of it. Why, I would have given triple that amount and more. When the sale was over, I regretted not keeping the pitcher for myself. The idea of losing that pitcher bothered me so much that I even went to town to the stores to see their pitchers. But I didn't like any of them and the price was much too high. I fumed and fretted and even phoned my neighbor to tell her about the pitcher. Well, Mrs Frieda Waterfield said they were going to Vancouver soon and she would pick one up for me. I stewed over that pitcher for about a week. And one morning I thought about the pitcher and suddenly I realized how foolish I had been. I was putting that pitcher before anything in my life. Why I didn't really need that pitcher. I could easily use a fruit jar or a milk bottle. I was simply being selfish. I asked the Lord to forgive me and it seemed like a great burden was lifted from me. How greedy and covetous I had been! I forgot about the pitcher and simply used a fruit jar for milk. Then one day I was in the 5 to $1.00 store looking for a gift for one of my grandchildren. When right before my very eyes I saw a lovely brown and tan pitcher for only $1.98. And right there I realized what was happening. The good Lord was telling me that when we want something so bad that we put it before God it is wrong.

I came home and guess what happened, I opened the door and there on my kitchen table was a lovely glass pitcher. I wondered who brought it and then I remembered, my neighbor Mrs. Waterfield. I phoned her and she said "It's yours. I brought it as a gift for you." I thanked her. Now I had two pitchers. In Luke 6:38 it says "Give and it shall be given unto you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over." Isn't God wonderful?

In 1974, just before my husband passed away, I realized I had to learn how to drive a car, as I didn't want to be dependent on my sons, Ronnie or Rocky to drive me to town. My first teacher was Rocky. My husband advised us to go out in a vacant lot to practice. My husband got out of the car to watch us personally. I think he would have been safer in the car. My husband laughed and laughed as I drove the car in leaps and bounds and jerks. My next teacher was Ronnie and after making so many mistakes he finally said "Mom, why don't you give up trying to learn how to drive?" I had many teachers. My next teacher was Jerry La Marsh. He said, "I'll teach you how to drive in a weeks time." But at the end of the week I still couldn't drive and when Jerry asked me to park along the curb, I drove the car right onto the sidewalk. I wondered what I would do next. I almost hated to get in a car. Each night I would study my driving manual until I knew it inside out. My next teacher was my daughter Dixie and then my daughter in-law Vickie. I finally had to pay Pat Sabo to give me lessons. I wrote my written test and passed 100% but my driving test was a different story. I wanted to learn to drive because when we were first married, my husband tried to teach me. He said, "Step on the brake," and I said "Why?" and went into the ditch and my husband said, "Move over, this is too hard on me. You will never learn how to drive." And now when I was 58 years old I was learning how to drive. I dreaded my first driving test. I sat in the drivers seat with the examiner beside me, I looked at him and he looked at me and I said, "Aren't you going to tell me what to do?" And he said, "Start the car." On that first test I don't think I did anything right. And when it was over I didn't even know what I had done wrong. He handed me the test paper of which I had failed so I had to practice some more. My second driving test came later and I was hoping against hope that I would pass, but I certainly didn't do too well. On one occasion the examiner said, "Do you know what you just did?" and I said, "No," and he said, "You just went through a stop sign," and I said "Did I?" and looked back to see the stop sign I had just passed-and the car swerved to the right! The examiner quickly grabbed the wheel. Needless to say, I failed that test too.

On my third test I thought I was doing very well until my examiner asked me to park behind that car by the curb. Well no one had told me to step on the brakes and go slow, and I went so fast that the examiner grabbed the wheel and pulled the emergency brake. He had a scared look on his face.

After that little episode I almost gave up on wanting to learn how to drive until my sister Vi said, "Just keep trying. You have as much right to learn how to drive as anyone." So I kept on practicing until finally I was ready for my fourth test. My preparation for this test was a lot of earnest prayers. I believe I made one little mistake and I don't remember what it was, but the examiner said, "I think I'm going to pass you." "You are?" I cried, and he smiled, and I remember thinking, " He smiled, he must be human after all."

In the year of 1945 my husband left High River to go to the Dewdrey mill, near Mission B.C. for work.

We had 4 children, all under 4 years old when we left High River Alberta on July 2, 1945 and Dixie our oldest girl would not be 4 until July 18.

My husband's brother Paul helped me with the children. What a day that was. We all got in the car to take us to the train and when the car door closed, Dixie screamed. I thought she got her finger caught in the door.

We were headed for Forestburg where my parents lived and planned on staying overnight in Calgary at Eva and Alf Evans. We stopped at a restaurant before going there. No sooner had we sat down when little Jacquie cried, "Mamma, I hast to go to the baffroom." I took her to the bathroom but it was occupied, so we had to wait and Jacquie, with her legs crossed cried, "I hast to go real bad Mamma."

When Paul and I and the children left there for a taxi station, we realized we had left the baby's bottle on the table in the restaurant, so Paul went back after the bottle.

There I was in a crowded taxi station with 4 small children and suitcases to watch. Suddenly I realized Dixie was missing. I just got a glimpse of her going out the door calling, "Mamma, Mamma!" I managed to get to the door and Dixie was running about 1/2 block down the street following a lady who she thought was me. With all the strength I had I called, "Dixie!" as loud as I could. My little precious girl heard my voice and came back to me. I couldn't help but think of Jesus. When he calls his sheep they hear his voice and follow him for he is the good shepherd.

What a day this was. Paul came back with the baby's bottle and we took the taxi to Evan and Alf's house, but by this time I was a nervous wreck. Eva made us a hot drink and I put the children to bed, but they didn't want to settle down. They were laughing and fighting, and I had gone in the bedroom a number of times to settle them down. Finally Alf, the big strong man that he was, asked, "Would you like me to settle them down?" Gratefully I said "Please do." So Alf Evans stood in the doorway and with a booming voice he yelled, "Shut up!" Well that did it, there was never a peep out of them until morning.

The next morning we left there to catch a train to Forestburg. As Paul and I were walking on the street someone remarked, "There's a soldier who has been six years overseas and he has 4 children." Paul laughed and laughed, but I didn't think it was so funny.

The ride from Calgary to Forestburg was quite pleasant. Bobby was 1 year and 8 months old and could say everything. He was sitting on his Uncle Paul's lap and talking to all the soldiers on the train. He seemed to be the life of the party. We arrived at Forestburg safe and sound and were so thankful that God's care was with us.

My mother had a bedroom for me and my four children and even had a cardboard box with a pillow in it for wee baby Bonnie Dee to sleep in.

Paul only stayed a day or two, then went back to High River. I was so thankful to get help with the four small children.

Later in September of 1945 I received my first family allowance and my husband sent me money for the train fare to come to Mission B.C. and my mother helped me with my children.

My husband was there to meet us at the station and we were a family again.

This story happened at Vancouver in a second hand store. We were living at Steelhead at the time and about once a year we would go to Vancouver to get some second hand clothing for the children. Money was scarce, and my husband worked hard to keep food on the table for him, myself and eight hungry children - although we never went without food, as my husband was a good provider.

On this particular day, La Verne and Larry picked up Rocky and me, and we went to a second hand store in Vancouver. I headed straight for the big box of stockings as your could buy them for 5 or 10 cents a pair. I was down on my knees trying to sort out the ones without holes and mate them up, as they were jumbled together. While I was doing this Rocky, who was four years old, was running up and down the aisle and around corners at split second speed. Trying desperately to get my stockings sorted out Rocky came round the corner bumping into something. Feeling certain that the object he ran into was falling over, I grabbed it at the base and slowly I looked up to see what I was holding onto. Horrified I realized I was hanging on to the leg of a man.

My face turned red as I stammered, "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were a post!" He looked daggers at me as he said, "Well thanks." "No, no," I blurted out, "I thought you were a dummy with a hat on."

Finally I had presence of mind enough to let go of his leg. He moved quickly to the far end of the room, eyeing me suspiciously. Through this whole episode La Verne and Larry were quite doubled up with laughter.

Yes I got stockings sorted enough to do the children for the winter, but I learned a lesson as well. It pays to watch a four year old, especially when their as rambunctious as Rocky was.

I believe God is amused at some of the things we do, don't you? And through it all he loves us just the same.

When my husband and I were first married we lived with his mother for about a year. Mother Isbell was immaculate. When she scrubbed her wooden floors she would change the water seven times and she would boil her linens in a boiler of lye water and they would come out white and clean.

One day I was doing the wash and I thought I would get my husbands woolen underwear white by boiling it in lye water. I did this and stirred it with a wooden spoon. When they were boiling good, I went to take them out. They came out in 4 to 6 inch strips. When my husband came home, I told him what I had done - but he didn't seem too upset and I'm sure he understood that new brides sometimes make mistakes.

One day a long time ago, I went to the employment office and got a job on a little farm in Alberta to help a lady cook for her two sons. They met me at the bus depot and took me to their home.

At about 8 p.m. they asked me if I would mind if they went to a show. I said I wouldn't mind. They said they would be back around eleven o'clock.

After they left I found some reading material and read until it started to get dark. I found the coal oil lamp, but it had no coal oil in it. So I went to the back porch and I saw two cans. One was about a 5 gallon can and the other was a small red can with a red tag. Now I had been taught that a small can with a red tag on it was gasoline. I filled the lamp from the big can.

I lit the lamp and it was acting very strange. It flared up and I would turn it down, and it would flare up again. This scared me so I blew it out and sat in the dark awhile.

I blew it out quickly and knew then it was gasoline, so I went and laid down on the bed and I remember thinking I must stay awake so I can warn them about the lamp. When they came home from the movie I jumped up and told them from which can I had filled the lamp. The two brothers said, "Oh no that was gasoline in the big can and coal-oil in the small can." The boys mother was furious for leaving me with an empty lamp and also having gas in the wrong can. She said it could have killed me and burned the house down besides. As I'm writing this story I want to thank my heavenly Father for sending a guardian angel to watch over me that night.

It was in the year of 1937 when I was working for Mr. and Mrs. Lauritzen at a little town near Calgary, Carsland by name. They had about 8 cows and sold milk and cream. They would hire a milker from Calgary and his job was to milk the cows, haul the milk to the milk house, separate the milk and wash the separator parts.

A man came out from Calgary on the bus. He was the new milker and his name was Russel. Now Mr. Lauritzen had about 5 other hired men, and each night after supper they would play poker, so when Russel the milker came, they asked him to sit in on a game. But Russel said he couldn't play poker, he didn't know how, to which the others said "We will teach you". Russel reluctantly sat down to a game of poker and proceeded to lose every hand. But the stakes were not too high, so he didn't lose too much.

One day after Russel had been working there for 2 weeks, he came into the house and said to me, "I just spilled 2 cream cans full of milk. I was hauling them in a wagon and it hit a rock and upset. "Oh no!" I answered, "Are you ever in trouble, Mr. Lauritzen has a terrible temper."

Mr. Lauritzen and his wife were in their living room when Russel knocked at the door. The door opened and Lauritzen said, "Yes?" Russel the milker said, "I just upset 2 cream cans of milk."

Now Laureitzen in a booming voice shouted "How in the world did you do a stupid thing like that?"

Russel calmly replied, "Come out to the milk house and I'll show you." So they both walked out to the milk house.

Russel said, "Do you see that ½ pail of milk which I was carrying in one hand while I was pulling the wagon with the other?"

"Well,", said Russel, "it happened just like this," and Russel the milker gave the pail a kick and spilled the half pail of milk. Lauritzen screamed "You're fired, get upstairs and pack your bags you're leaving in the morning."

The men came in for supper and I heard Mr. Lauritzen say to the men, "I paid Russel his wages, but "I'll get it all back tonight in a game of poker." I thought that was a terrible thing to do. So I told Russel what Lauritzen said, and I always remember what Russel said, "Don't worry girl."

After supper was over and the table cleared the men sat down for a game of poker, Mr. Laurtizen asked Russel to sit in on a game, but Russel said "I think not, you know I can't play poker." But the man coaxed Russel and finally Russel said, "Well, just to show you there's no hard feelings I'll sit in on a game."

Well Russel played poker with the men, and the stakes were high, and Russel the milker took every hand. The others thought it was beginner's luck. And they wanted to win their money back, so they kept playing and Russel kept winning. In fact, Russel the milker was a card shark and I firmly believed that Russel had this whole thing planned: to work for 2 weeks, upset the cream cans and the milk pan in order to get fired, and then win the pot in a poker game. Good for Russel.

In the year of 1940 I went to look after 6 children for Mr. and Mrs. Stout while Mrs. Stout went with her husband on his truck driving job.

They said they would be gone about one month and as they were going out the door Mrs. Stout remarked, "The only one you may have trouble with is Colleen."

Now Colleen was seven years old at the time, and I wondered what kind of trouble I would have with her. But I didn't have long to wonder because, on the second morning, I made breakfast for the children. I don't know exactly what happened, but Colleen got angry and threw her spoon on the floor. I said, "Colleen pick up that spoon." And she said, "No, I don't have to." I said, "Yes you do." She said, "No!" I turned her over my knee and spanked her. She cried and ran to her bedroom. I called her and told her to come and have her breakfast or she would be late for school.

Colleen came and sat down at the table and I said, "Colleen before you do anything pick up that spoon!" Again she said, "No I won't." Well I just turned her over my knee again and I said slow and deliberately, "Now---pick---up---that---spoon." Colleen picked up the spoon and I said, "Thank you." I don't know if Colleen ate much breakfast or not, but who do you think was the first one home from school that day? Why it was Colleen of course, and she came right up to me and asked, "Can I help you with something?" I put my arm around her and said, "Sure let's make some cookies!" I had no more trouble with Colleen after that, she simply adored me.

I have learned through the years if you want the respect of your children give them discipline with love, one without the other is useless. That's how God is with us for he says, "If you love me keep my commandments" John 14:15.

Minnie Andre came from a very poor family. Her dad drank a lot but her mother was a real gem.

Once in a while, I would get to stay overnight at Minnies' house. Every time I came her mother would make cookies: ginger snaps and a lacy oatmeal cookie. They were absolutely delicious and you know how cookies smell when they come out of the oven. Mmmmm good!

I would say to Mrs. Andre, "You make the best cookies in the whole wide world," and she would smile and give me some more cookies.

Minnie and I slept in the shed and it was cold out there in the winter. But Minnie had a feather down filled quilt and we were warm as toast in bed. We had so much fun together. We often went horseback riding and one time we climbed on an old strawstack which was about 14 feet in height or more. I was just about on the very top, when all of a sudden I started to sink.

Terrified I called, "Minnie! Minnie! Help me I'm sinking". Minnie grabbed my hand and pulled me toward her we both got down from that strawstack real quick.

When we told Minnie's mom what had happened, she scolded Minnie, "I told you never to go on that strawstack. It's very dangerous, because when they get old, they go to a fine dust in the center. It's a burning combustion and if you fall in, you would smother."

I firmly believe that God was watching over me and kept me from smothering to death in an old strawstack.

I want to tell you about something that happened at the 1984 family reunion at Gull Lake, Alberta, at the Dutch Reform Church.

We were taking turns to entertain, either singing or speeches, when my twin sister, who many times had said to me that she was too shy to get up in front of a crowd and speak-and I believed her-came up to me and asked, "Would you play for me?" Shocked, I asked, "What are you going to sing?" And smiling with not a care in the world, she answered, "Home on the Range."

Well I thought, "That poor girl. I'll have to play as nice as I can, I hope I don't make a mistake." My twin walked on the stage and I gave the chord to start when she announced in a clear voice, "Oh I forgot I can't sing with my teeth in," and horror of horrors she took out her upper plate of false teeth and held them straight out at arms length for all to see.

Well let me tell you, I didn't know what to do. And I don't mind telling you that I have a thing about people taking out their teeth out, especially in public, and I thought maybe she will sing real nice to make up for it. Well, did I ever get the shock of my life. My dear twin started singing way up high and then real low. Was this really my twin who was so shy, singing like this?

I'll tell you honestly I was absolutely flabbergasted. Her singing wasn't getting better it was getting worse.

By now everyone was laughing and out of the corner of my eye I saw my sister La Verne hook the curved end of a cane around Esther's neck and pull her off the stage while Esther was protesting, "I'm not finished I'm not finished."

That is my side of the story and, Esther my twin, as long as I live I shall never forget this incident. It was absolutely priceless, and I love you for it.

My Dad and I arrived in Prince George and booked into a hotel that evening in the middle of a cold November winter. We got our wake up call at 5 o'clock the next morning and ate breakfast at the hotel restaurant. We headed west for about 15 miles and then turned north on a narrow road that led to our friend Willie Huff's cabin.

We parked the car and took our hunting gear along with some bacon and eggs and hiked the mile and a half to Willie's cabin. We kept the food at the cabin and headed west into Moose country.

We came across all kinds of moose tracks and we even stumbled across an area with lots of moose bones and two pairs of moose antlers locked together.

We were so caught up tracking moose that we lost track of time. And the first thing we noticed it was starting to get dark. About 3 p.m. Dad said to me, "We will just head straight over there and we'll hit Willie's cabin." I said, "No, we should go 90° to the left."

After going his way for about 20 minutes, we came across a river that we didn't know was in this area. Realizing we had gone the wrong way and soon running out of daylight, we decided to find a bit of shelter from the night. We found a big old spruce tree with branches that went right down to the ground, so we cut a hole in one side with a little spot to lie down in out of the cold northern nights.

We spent the next half hour or so gathering any burnable logs, roots, dead trees or branches. With a roaring fire we had to lay back quite a ways. But as the fire died down, we had to keep moving closer. It must have been midnight when we ran out of wood and with the temperature at 15 or 20 below, we soon were groping in the dark for more wood.

We were thankful for the first rays of light in what seemed to us the longest night of our lives.

In the morning we checked out the river and heard cars on the other side, after spending quite some time checking the river out we came across a lonely squirrel in a tree. Having had nothing to eat since 5 'o clock the morning before and it being close to noon, I took careful aim with my 30.06 rifle and the squirrel tumbled to the ground with just a small graze on the back of the neck. After carefully divided in half, it sure tasted good roasted over the fire.

After going up and down the river we found an old log jam that was just about impossible to cross, it took a good running leap off the log to make it to the other side.

With Dad being sick and weak from a cold night in the bush we decided that I should make the jump and find the road to get help from Prince George.

After arriving at the police station the decision was made to take a rescue team and stretcher rather than a helicopter at $600 an hour.

With the police cruiser doing about 70 or 80 miles an hour, we were soon sliding through slush roads to the rescue.

After arriving at the other side of the river, they soon had Dad strapped in the stretcher and on the way across the log jam with the help of a few ropes. We were a grateful pair that spent the next night in a hotel bed.

It was in the fall of 1968, when my daughter Sharon Maxfield and young Jacquie were living in a tent, while Doug, her husband was away at work. Each morning she would find a mess in their make believe kitchen, and she was determined to find out what was causing it.

She was thinking about getting some breakfast for her and little Jacquie on that Monday morning at Crescent Bay Nakusp, when she heard a commotion going on in the kitchen part of their camp. And by the time Sharon and her daughter were dressed, the noise stopped.

Upon reaching the kitchen a scrambled breakfast was laid before them, bacon, eggs, powdered milk, rice, honey, detergent, sugar and oatmeal all scattered about.

Sharon decided to start the fire and make some breakfast when she heard a noise a few feet from the camp. The bear looked at them. Sharon called Jacquie and they went to a small storage shed and Sharon found the 303 and magazine. Jacquie held the door shut and the bear started to walk away. Sharon got the clip in the gun, and the bear poked his head from behind a birch tree. Sharon did a real Annie Oakley, one shot right through the brain. It's a good thing she did too because when she went to shoot again from ten feet away the gun jammed. Then Sharon got worried, thinking a mother bear might be nearby. With Jacquie under one arm and the gun in the other, she ran a mile away to her parents home saying, "I shot a bear, I shot a bear." I said, "Oh you did not," and she said, "Yes, I shot a bear." With the spirit of disbelief that Sharon could accomplish this feat, her father went with her back to camp and found it was a grizzly bear. Sharon skinned and cleaned the carcass. She will have a lovely bear rug to remind her of her exciting experience.

At that time it was hard for a man to get a job, so after coaxing my husband, he finally agreed to let me go to the employment office and get a job.

I went out in the west part of Calgary and worked for a man and his wife who had a five year old son. I just can't recall their names.

They were very wealthy and there was always a lot of food in the house. They ate their meals in the dining room while I ate in the kitchen.

They treated me very well, but I couldn't help think of my husband who lived in a cheap place with hardly any money for food and I wouldn't get paid for two weeks on my new job, so one night after putting their young son to bed they went out for the evening.

I called my husband and told him to come over and I would give him something to eat. He came and sat down at the kitchen table.

I gave him a plate. From the fridge I took out everything I could see, bread, cheese, meat, peanut butter, jam, salad, cookies, milk and chicken. What a feast my husband had. He enjoyed every bite.

While my husband was eating, we heard the front door open. My heart skipped a beat, and who should walk in but the lady of the house. She looked at the table all covered with food and asked "What's going on here?"

I was so embarrassed, but my husband said he would never come back to this place again. In the morning the lady came to me and said "I'm sorry for bursting in on you like I did last night." "No, No," I said, "please don't apologize. It was I who was in the wrong. But I want to tell you the truth, my husband can't get a job and he has been trying every day to get work and he was hungry. I asked him to come over so I could feed him, and if you fire me I'll understand."

Well she didn't fire me and she asked me to invite my husband for Christmas dinner. Of course I asked him, but he said "No." I coaxed and coaxed until he finally agreed.

That was one of the best Christmas dinners I have ever had. She set our table herself and there was everything on it. What a wonderful lady she was, God bless her.

Isaac Maxfield was a little boy of 3 years old who couldn't pronounce his C's. Instead of cat, he would say, "Hat".

One day his mother was having corn on the cob and company was coming for dinner. When they arrived little Isaac ran out on the porch and announced, "We're having horn on the hob and mamma's hooking it."

On another occasion the family was riding along in a car and Isaac spied a cow and her calf in the field. Delighted, Isaac pointed and cried, "Oh look, there's a how and a half."

"Don't worry about the future. The present is all thou hast. The future will soon be the present and the present will soon be the past."

"You've been coming early of late, you used to be behind before, but now you're first at last."

"There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it hardly becomes any of us, to talk about the rest of us".