How Did They Do It?

This is really good stuff everyone - so enjoyable! The earliest stories I have are from the early 20's from newspaper clippings - no where near as good as these are!

I'm glad Kelli started this thread and gave me a chance to share it. It's so interesting to read the early settler's
experiences. The quest for new land in bare feet makes me cringe...if there wasn't snow there was cactus underfoot.

This message was edited Jan 19, 2004 4:55 PM

Our family has a theme book full of my grandma's writing from when she was in high school; they're from the early to mid-30's.

My great grandfather was killed by a train in 1883 when his horse shied and his buggy wrecked at a crossing.

He was back in Ohio partying with his buddies in what was called "The Grand Army of the Republic"... Union vets of the Civil War getting together again. My family all believe he was probably drunk. Probably racing the train, LOL. Unfortunately he left a wife and 6 children on a farm in Kansas.

My grandmother and 2 sisters, all under the age of 24, went to Colorado and homesteaded 140 acres by themselves. Grandma was a crack rifle shot and ofter picked off rabbits at the salt lick for supper.

We should NEVER let these stories die!

Kooger...earlier when I posted I was at work and didn't have time to read your whole posting...your Grandparent's story makes my scalp crawl!

You are right Darius neither the stories nor the momentos
should be lost.

This message was edited Jan 19, 2004 10:00 PM

So...Lilypon, is there another entry coming? Or how did the diary end?

Lilypon - some of my dad's stories do make my scalp crawl. He never talked much about the awful ones until about 10 - 15 yrs. ago. Years ago he told us lots of stories about stealing guns from the Nazis and finding unexploded bombs and hand grenades and playing with them and sometimes throwing them at patrols. We could never figure out how they all made it through alive. He talked about how strange it was being a teenager and his parents training about stealing and listening to authority, etc. and then all that teaching going out the door when the war began. One time he was with his dad and a couple of Germans had captured a Russian prisoner and they were abusing him. My Opa then approached them and told them that if they had to kill him, then do so but don't torture him anymore. They threatened him and dad but then shot the Russian and made dad and Opa bury him.

Every farmer on the island had to provide a cart (they were 3 wheeled) and a horse one day a week to the Germans. They had to take the cart to a designated place, Russian prisoners would load the cart with sod, then he would have to take it to the end of the island and more Russians would unload it and cover the guns and fort they built there.

My mom said when the soldiers finally moved out they shot the house with a cannon but only hit the one corner of the house. She was a little younger and was still in school. Her teacher moved the kids all over the island whenever it was too dangerous in one place or another. An incredible teacher, he was, too. It's hard to imagine what they went through and so many are in the same place today. Sad, sad!

It's one thing to read the history in a book another when it's happened to your own family.

shoe...his diary goes on to talk about investments he made,
money that was made and lost...1929 and 1935 hurt everyone.
In the end he and Wilhemina were comfortable...they had started off with nothing, took chances that those without will take and lived a rich life (with and without money).
They became Snowbirds in their retirement and would head off to California come winter and stay in a Motel with a
kitchen and a peer nearby for their boat. They also had a little bit of land where he grew passiflora and Dad remembers that occassionaly a bag of passion fruit would make it's way back to Moose Jaw.


The day Moose Jaw was incorporated as a city was celebrated in his "new" Brunswick Hotel. In the "old"
Brunswick they played host to one of the Royals before he
became King. The "old" Brunswick had Moose Jaw's first school room...he set aside one room for his children and the city's youngsters. From there Victoria School was built and it became the first school in the first school district in the Northwest Territories.

They sold the "new" Brunswick Hotel in 1910 and he went on to build a Brick Factory in Claybank.
http://www.sasktelwebsite.net/cbphm/CLAY0002.HTM under the name Moose Jaw Fire Brick and Pottery Company which later
reorganized to become Dominion Fire Brick and Pottery Company. The brick that the factory made was well known for it's fire retardent capabilities and some was sent to Florida where it was used on a launch pad at NASA.

This message was edited Jan 27, 2005 10:11 PM