WALKING IN THEIR SHOES

With the sounds of possible world depression on the lips of many commentators, it might be interesting to step into the shoes of one of those who walked though the years of two world wars and two depressions.

My parents gave each other the Christmas gift of marriage in 1915. A four day round trip to a justice of the peace required an overnight stay half way there. They travelled in a horse drawn wagon - the first night required an overnight stay and two rooms must be rented since they were not yet married. Stones were heated in the oven the night before and kept them warm on their journey. Eleven months later a son joined them in their twelve by fourteen clapboard dwelling. My mother's small shoes walked willingly and bravely through their fifty years of marriage as seven more children joined the family, supported with mixed farming. Her large fenced-off garden fed the family, with half a dozen cattle, chickens and mixed farming activities on their half section. Dikes were built to keep the spring run-off from the Cyprus Hills at bay. Mother traded eggs and butter for luxuries such as thread, coffee, cocoa and any items not produced in her garden. During one summer she noticed a herd of the neighbour's pigs raiding her garden. Ready to nurse their son who was eight months old, she hurried to clear out the pigs. My father was away at the time. In her rush of anger at possibly losing their winter's food supply she finally cleared them out and then finished nursing her baby. Her stress fed into the child's system and he became very ill. Later she learned from a doctor they could have lost him. With simple home grown foods none of their children had a tooth cavity or required glasses while still at home.

The next year brought a small but good wheat crop. It was important to get the grain to the Orion elevator before the rains came since no grainery was yet built on their farm. Father drove one grain wagon and Mother was at the reigns of the other team and both loads were deposited in the elevator. He took their toddler with him to cash the grain cheques at the post office, the closest bank was 65 miles distant in Medicine Hat. Their second child was due soon. Into the sixth mile of the l0 mile journey home, Mother sensed labour pains. She descended from the high grain box and tied her team to an abandoned shack that once had been home for a homesteader who had not been able to cope on those parched southern Alberta plains. She entered the dusty place knowing her husband was waiting in a line-up at the post office. He noticed her team being hurried up the one steep hill in view - very unusual. He, with their two year old toddler rushed back to their wagon and headed toward home on that rough trail that called itself a road. They found Mother's team tied at the homesteaders shack. During that hour's trip their second son had already arrived. "Rush over to Mrs. Cup's place and borrow some scissors to cut the chord," Mother ordered. Another two mile drive there and both returned but were too shaky to do it, so Mother completed the job herself. Both teams arrived home finally, and a friend, who knew a second child was expected in the fall had come early. No one locked their doors in those days. Mother had wrapped the baby in her undershirt and handed it to her, saying, "Here he is." and hurried to stoke the fire and heat water to bathe the baby and make supper. The friend thought it was a bag of rolled oats and tossed the bundle to the couch. The baby protested loudly but landed safely. The friend nearly fainted. In years ahead this son was always in hurry to get somewhere, and had many more safe landings with his plane that was part of his future work. Mother's very busy shoes pedaled her sewing machine through many flour sacks, as tea towels softened themselves and then were recycled into diapers. Underwear was made from new flour sacks. Soap (with a little lye from the store) was made from farm products. All eight of their children were born at home.