How Did They Do It?

Wheww...what an adventure. (And I'm down off that cliff, for a while.)

Am looking forward to tomorrow's entry(s). Thanks!!!

I lived near Winnepeg for several years in Grand Forks North Dakota. I can't imagine walking the long distances your ancestors did in that frigid weather.
Sounds like the Indians were the saviors a lot of the times. I guess they were there and used to it long before the settlers arrived.
Great the way they always found someone living nearby to lend a hand. I bet the people were eager to see company living in isolated areas like that.

Great reading, waiting for the next chapter.

Me, too. That's funny about the former hotel's owner giving his buddies money so the bar appeared to get more business than it really did. Sneaky!

I'm amazed at the many different enterprises your Grandfather got into.Your Grandmother must have been quite a resilient woman to dig in and do her best with whatever came their way.

I found myself thinking about your next chapter on my way home from work last night..and wondering what on earth would he get into next!

Thanks for continuing.

Sure do appreciate your sharing this family history with us, and especially your efforts. This is GREAT!!!
Watching this thread for more!! And pictures? when you can.

I found the page that was missing so have included it in the empty post that I left above. I'm glad you are still enjoying it and I spoke to family members to see who might have a pic...will post when I get one. :)

"We, of course, continued operating the old hotel intending to move into the new one when it was finished. However, in the month of August of that year our eldest son Henry, contracted a severe case of Typhoid fever. Later in September, Ed (another son) came down with the disease to be followed soon after by Pete (another son). While the boys were convalescing Mother also took sick. Hers was a very severe case-so bad that for some weeks the doctor warned me that the end might come at any time. Under the circumstances I decided to lease the new hotel to Mr.E.C.Mathews who was operating the Windsor Hotel in Regina. The term of the lease was for 3 years at a rental of $200.00 per month. Due to the proximity of the site of the old hotel to some 4 or 5 livery stables, elevators, implement businesses, flour mill, stock yards as well as the railway yards we decided to renew the lease with Mathews and to build another hotel just across the street from the hotel we were living in. So in 1903 we built the new Brunswick Hotel (same name as the old) at the corner of River Street and First Avenue N.W. This proved to be a very good investment."

This message was edited Jan 18, 2004 11:58 AM

Starzz I am amazed to...my Dad talks very fondly of her and her cooking...he loved the deserts she made (very old world and very rich with calories).

The second Brunswick Hotel (the one that he built) is now a hundred years old and is slowly being renovated by it's present owner. Over the years it fell into quite a state of disrepair but like many old buildings in town renovations are being done to it.

I found this link that shows it...took forever to load on my computer and the hotel is the last picture on the page.

http://www.galenfrysinger.com/moose_jaw_saskatchewan.com
After trying this link I discovered that it will take you to the home page and I then had to click on the index, then on North America, then on Canada, then on Saskatchewan and then on the murals of Moose Jaw...takes awhile to get to it.

This message was edited Jan 18, 2004 12:39 PM

Yes..I tried it and it took ages as you said..but I found it..
Here is the photo of the old Brunswick Hotel.
Compliments of Galen Frysinger.

Their Children.

Thanks Starzz :D

How beautiful..just look at those elaborate clothes.

You are welcome Lilypon....I'm sure Mr. Frysinger won't mind LOL You can just see the date faintly..it was taken in July 03.

Cheers,
Carol

Great Grandfather...

The Canadian Prairie region in winter...the trees were planted recently by the TransCanada highway. In the grain growing area of the province there is nothing to stop the wind.

Lilypon..

Your Great-grandfather was a very impressive and strong looking man.

I just got to thinking about how your Great-grandmother could cook at the hotel..and look after all the children at the same time.

Beautiful sunset there..I have heard about the vast open spaces. I have never been out west any further than Kenora Ontario.

We once took a driving trip from International Falls, up along Lake of the Woods, to Kenora. I couldn't beleive all the flowers in that town,(it was middle of June). They were on all the high rise building windows, up & down the sidewalks, just everywhere! From Kenora we drove to Winnepeg, then south to Minnesota. The grain fields were headed out & some radish or rape was blooming. That ground was so flat you couldn't see the other side of the fields, instead they looked to go uphill from you. It was a type of mirage.
We spent the night at a park on the Ontario-Manitoba border.
Very beautiful place. This was still in the glacial area.
The lake by this park was said to have been made by a meterorite. It was very deep and had no shallows on the shore in most places.
That night was very short. It didn't get dark until 11PM & was daylight again by 4 AM. Kind of strange because we hadn't thought about days being longer the farther north you go in middle of June.
We will have to venture NW the next time we travel.
Bernie

Lilypon, I just found this thread last evening and read the whole thing in one sitting. Wow! what a life they had. It is a wonder they survived. Pioneer folks certainly were tough. Can you tell us where you inserted the missing page you found, what date? I am thankful for your diligence in typing all of this. I really think it should be published in book form since more people would be able to read it. People today have little idea of how hard it was for the pioneers.

Jan 14 2004 at 11:49pm by my time is where I put in the missing page. I'm glad people have put their experiences in Canada here as well :) I will be printing this out eventually with everyone's story. :D

Starzz the furthest east I have been is just into Ontario when I was on a boat on Lake of the Woods.

Lilypon...Maybe one day we will both get to see the other side of Canada..LOL

It's really interesting to see pictures of them now that we've read his story. Is there more of his story you'll be posting? It's been so fascinating to read!

Hopefully we will :) At least we don't have to walk it.

Great Grandfather added a new introduction to his diary after the love of his life died. Together he and Wilhemina
lived to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary:

"In loving memory of a dear wife and mother, to her who for nearly 66 years gave all her thoughts and labor to the care and welfare of myself and our children. She truly was a wonderful wife, mother and helpmate.
We owe to her a great debt of love and of gratitude for the untiring devotion she so unselfishly gave for our care. We owe he a great debt for the help she gave to me right from the beginning of our wedded life. It was through her help that we started to prosper with the dye works in Winnipeg, in the store business in Josephburg, but her help was especially great when we came to Moose Jaw and entered the hotel business with which neither one of us had any experience. Through her cooking and the serving of good and plentiful meals, clean beds and rooms, she built up the business. She did this for nearly 17 years, working from 7:00 am until 9:00 pm seven days a week. In addition she nursed and cared for the children. No doubt she was tired many times but she never complained. She was such a patient and pleasant soul that everybody knew her for her kindly and friendly ways.
Yes, Dear, you were truly an honest and noble woman and I pray that we may meet again.
Good bye, Dear.
Auf Wiedersehen





This message was edited Jan 18, 2004 8:22 PM

Oh.......that brings tears to my eyes.

What a loving tribute to his wife.

And thank you for sharing his story with us Lilypon.

Lilypons, I just found this thread again today, and finished the fascinating story so far. Hope you find time to write more if there is more. Just great reading about all their trials and experiences. Thankyou so much for taking the time to type all of the above so we could read it. Donna

Oh, that's beautiful. It's wonderful when a man speaks so tenderly of his wife; there are many, especially from his time, who would not. That's just beautiful. I'd love to hear her story, too.

Starz - we had friends in Newcastle that my parents visited every once in awhile when we were kids. Now I can't remember their name! We always drive through New. on the way to/from Dad's because then we avoid most of the traffic down south. We take the north route to Sarnia/Port Huron - much less hassle than Windsor/Detroit.
Lilypon - really enjoyed that diary! I love history too!

She didn't write her story...we have no records with her writing. I haven't found a picture of her yet but Moose Jaw Public Library has an Archives room and has collected many pictures and newspaper articles about it's early history. I may find something there.

Hi kooger..I noticed in an earlier post that you had an uncle in Orillia..

It sure was an interesting story..and a lesson for all of us, to be thankful we don't have to deal with such hardships.

Lilypon, thanks so much for posting this story. I just found the thread tonight and read it all. What an amazing story!
It kept me up way past bed time.
Kris

LilyPon,what a wonderful diary.I really enjoyed reading your posts.

If i may add this-if anyone wants to read a good book-try reading-Longwalkers Journey,a novel of the Choctaw Trail Of Tears.Author-Beatrice Orcutt Harrel-Based on the author's family history.

And if i may add just a bit of my family history on what some people had to endure during those cold winter months.

One of my Grandmothers way down the line was one of those who endured the Choctaw Trail Of Tears.My family history dates to the Mississippi Band of Choctaw.My Grandmothers name was Kannakli-she was 18,and pregnant in 1830.They traveled by steamboat to Arkansas Post and disembarked there during one of the worst blizzards they had ever seen.
They were kept in open camps for several weeks.She had no shoes and no blanket to help keep her warm.They waited at Arkansas Post for horses and supplies that were being delivered overland from Louisiana.She waited 5 weeks.Then she found that her husband had died,probably from Cholera.
She and several others started out to Oklahoma by foot.At one point from all the rain,sleet and snow,the roads through the swamp areas were impassable.They traveled some 40 miles knee to waist deep in water.Some of the Choctaw went their own ways,those that were stronger.She became ill and was left behind..From the story that i have been told,she was found by a man traveling on horseback,and he found that she was not dead,and took her home and nursed her back to health.The snow had let up, and she went into labor while the man was out hunting.When he returned to find a beautiful baby girl had been born.She named the baby girl,Hashtula Kana(which in english means),Winter Grace.It's sad the things my ancestors had to go through.



This message was edited May 19, 2005 10:06 AM

Oh, my gosh, what an incredible story, Bitty! God's hand was certainly on her life.

What an amazing story Bittysgarden! Another great example of what people endured and the perserverance that they needed to survive.

Lilypon, thanks so much for taking the time and effort to post this amazing story. I love history and this diary should be made into a book. Your great-grandparents are prime examples of the kind of people that built Canada and the USA into such great countries from harsh wilderness. I'm afraid that we have lost some of those types of hard-working, honest, ambitious people. Thanks.

Thanks Lilypon and Bitty for your fascinating family histories. If I can do it right, I would like to add a story my son wrote about some of the war experiences they had during occupation by the Nazis in WWII. It is clean because he was about 9 at the time he interviewed my parents so they didn't include any gory stuff they saw.

Oops, I'll try that again!

The Russian War in Texel (April 6, 1945 - May 5, 1945)
By Daniel Feucht

A story in my family's history, on my mother's side, took place on the island of Texel, which is part of the Netherlands, or Holland. My grandfather, Opa, and my grandmother, Oma, both lived on this island when they were young and remember this terrifying time very clearly.

The background on this story starts with the Nazis invading Holland. Oma's father saw the paratroopers land at the small airport about in the center of the island. (Texel is about 18 miles long and 10 miles wide.) Where they lived are very high dunes along the western edge of the island, by the Atlantic Ocean. Because it was in this location, the Nazis forced them to move out and took over their farm. Now, towards the end of the war, the Nazis were running short of soldiers because there had been so many killed already and things were starting to go downhill for them. They forced men from countries that they conquered to serve in the German army or starve to death. About 1,500 Russians, men from the area of Georgia, were sent to the island to serve for the Nazis. These men were patrolling the island and carried guns but were never given any ammunition. This is where the story starts.

On April 6, 1945, the Russian soldiers were given live ammunition because they were to be sent to the front lines of the war in France and Belgium the next day. As soon as they received the ammunition, they revolted and killed all the German officers that ruled over them. They controlled the island for about half a day when the Nazis started shelling the largest town on the island. Oma's uncle was killed by shrapnel during that bombing.

The Russians had taken over the harbour too but then moved farther inland and the German reinforcements landed at the harbour and began taking back control of the island. The soldiers spread out and went over the whole island, walking in rows about 10 feet apart. They burned every grain stack they found because Russians were hiding in them. They also burned every farm that they suspected were hiding Russians. One night, Opa saw 17 farms burning at the same time.

Many times when Russians were found, they were forced to dig their own graves, then had to undress and were then shot and buried. Opa saw one patrol use hand grenades to kill a Russian that they had discovered hiding. Opa and his dad buried that man.

Islanders were forced to help the Nazis find the Russians. One job that Oma and her sister had to do was bring water to the men that were firing the cannons. The cannon barrels would get red hot and the girls would have to bring pails of cold water to pour over the barrels to cool them down. One day they realized that the farm the Nazis were shelling was their own. That was a sad day.

Oma's mother gave coffee to everyone that came to her door. Russians would come out of hiding in the dunes every night and get coffee and bread and go back to the dunes before morning. The Nazis didn't dare go in the dunes because they were full of land mines that the Russians were forced to plant earlier. Only the Russians had the maps of the minefields so they were safe in the dunes.

One time, four German soldiers came to Oma's door and Oma's mother gave them coffee. They had earlier come from the front lines of WWII in France and they were exhausted. They told her that they would have rather served back on the front lines than on Texel because there were no prisoners of war on Texel. It was kill or be killed. It really was a tragic time. By the time the war ended on May 5, 1945, about 2,000 Germans had died, about 1,200 of the 1,500 Russians had died and about 130 islanders were killed, too.

After the war was over, the Allies were in control of all the conquered countries. On Texel, the Allies forced the Nazi SS, who were the most brutal officers of the German army and responsible for millions of deaths, to clear the minefields in the dunes. When they were finished the job, they had to walk side by side through the area to make sure none were left. The only casualty during that time was Opa's dog who usually obeyed but one day chased a rabbit into a minefield and died. The End.

Mother’s note: My parents didn't tell him some of the gory details they remember. Also, the Russians were from the Republic of Georgia so calling them Russians is not accurate but it is what the islanders called them. I have read that it is now called the Georgian Rebellion in Texel.

That's really interesting, too, especially for those of us who have been blessed with an upbringing during a time of relative peace - it's something we've not lived with, and a needed perspective.

Please, anyone with stories that might be added, do so. This is very good reading!
I have found several writings of area history at my local Ranger Station, where they are free to the public, and the station will even send on request I was told. Perhaps they do this in other areas as well.

Too bad the only story I have is about a philandering grandfather and the scandal created with the local school teacher in the 1930's. Not wanting to embarrass anyone still living, if I told the story I wouldn't use names.

Mercy! What a great bit of history! And a fantastic thread! Keep it up folks!

I have it packed away now that I'm moving, but I have a letter written in early 1920's by an elderly great-great (?) aunt, about her parents and the three children walking barefoot across the Appalachians in winter, carrying all their belongings on their backs to Ohio.

tigerlily, I have some stories myself about a philandering grandfather and scandals! One of the funniest is about his wife, a nurse who worked nights, coming home early one morning. She saw "the other woman" walking down the street and then ran after her, carring the reading glasses she had left at the house!

Lilypon, I am in awe that you cared enough to type all that wonderful story for us to read! Thanks so much.