(Inserted Pam’s memories)
Mother and Dad:
Mother and Dad’s house was always open to relatives and friends. Should it be meal time, they were welcome to stay and share what there was to eat.
(As a young child, I remember that grandpa called all the grandchildren “guys” ( I always thought there must have been too many of us to remember all our names!!!). He always offered the kids a drink, saying “Give that guy some Schnaupps” which was always stored in the same lower cupboard in the kitchen.)
George and Anne:
In 1939, George was called into the army in approx. September. I to this day can see him walking up the road with his German Shepherd following him. After he returned George and Anne started farming close to the Pivinuk farm. The second year I spent the summer with them and tried to help make the farm a farm???. George and Ann’s house was also open to friends and family.
(When we lived in Thunder Bay we always spent our 3 week vacation in Saskatchewan and Manitoba visiting family. Auntie Anne knew how much we loved her Creamed Chicken and Creamed potatoes and she always served these favourites to us each year when we visited. She made the BEST creamed chicken and served it lovingly and with a smile. I also seem to remember some pretty good pyrogies and cabbage rolls!! Auntie Anne treasured and had a big heart for her family, both immediate and extended.)
Mary and John:
In 1950-51, I was working at the experimental farm in Brandon. John was in Ninette and Mary was the cook. There was a Doctor at Ninette whose husband lived and worked in Brandon. I would ride with him on weekends. I spent Christmas and New Years with them and Mary had the staff include me in the functions. In 1952 Mary and John had the restaurant in the Queen’s Hotel in Russell. I was Jack of all trades and had a room in the hotel 7 days a week. In May 1953 John had to return to Ninette. That is when I started working for CP Transport.
(Again, on our summer vacations to Saskatchewan and Manitoba, we always visited Auntie Mary in Yorkton, and no matter what time of day it was, she prepared a wonderful meal for our family. The one thing I remember about her home, is that Harold had a basement full of toys! We always thought he was so lucky to have so many toys!!!)
Elsie and Phil:
Elsie was a Supervisor for Woolco. When we lived in Thunder Bay, she would stay with us overnight when she visited her stores in Thunder Bay. Each night she would bring chocolate bars for the kids; they looked forward to that.
(Each night when Auntie Elsie came to our place in Thunder Bay, she had treats for the three of us. She always stacked them exactly on top of each other, and placed them on the exact same place on the dresser in her room. After supper she would tell us to go upstairs and look for our treat!! We missed her visits when we left Thunder Bay and not only because we got candy every night!!! When I think of Uncle Phil, the first thing that comes to mind is his cigar, and what I thought as a child was his booming voice!!)
Margaret and Gerry:
Margaret and Gerry married late in life and raised three great children.
(I remember the glow on Auntie Margaret’s face during pregnancies, in the anticipation of her children).
Ray Davidson:
Ray loved music and loved to play for dances, always jolly and happy when doing so.
(Uncle Ray had a common nickname for the nieces and nephews – can’t remember what it was now, and also for many of his children. Remember his love for music)
Brother Dave:
What can I say! He was always there to go fishing. He was an expert at filleting fish and frying them better than anyone else could. Many good fish fries!
(During our annual summer visits, fishing was always on the agenda. While the boys always loved going fishing, I always enjoyed the fish fries, which were the best. Simple: the key ingredients were flour and lots of butter in the pan!! Haven’t enjoyed such good fish since those days! Uncle Dave also loved to make Borscht and a few other favourites often using ingredients grown in his garden by himself and Auntie Carol. Uncle Dave was a kind gentle soul who was always calm, happy and smiling. He loved to entertain and spend time with extended family. Kerri was “the apple of his eye” and he lovingly teased Auntie Carol. I also remember how he loved to spend time with the Wagner cousins who also lived in Langenberg at that time – lucky cousins!!!. He welcomed everyone into their home. Chauntille and Kyler have fond memories as very young children staying with Uncle Dave and Auntie Carol in Langenberg!!)
(Frank and Darlene:
When I think of Frank, I think of his gentle, kind and soft demeanor, his love for music, and his love for his daughter Carmen. I remember the days when they lived next to Uncle Dave and Auntie Carol in Langenburg and Carmen and Kerri developing a close friendship as cousins.)