A Nine Mile Walk In January

Actually 18 miles in total distance walked.
January 15, 1949
This being my day off I decided to try and get home.  I caught the Regina bus and was the only passenger until we reached Lipton. The driver said the roads were good.At Lipton Bill Rutherford and his wife and one of the Wesa boys got on. I got off at Gillespie's corner and walked the rest of the way home facing a pretty stiff wind all the way but the road wasn't bad. I met about four cutters going in.
I found all well at home. Dad had made a meat pudding for dinner. Four of us ate it. Uncle Arthur, Roy and I. Roy is cutting wood for us. Dad found up some clothes for me to take back. He has put beaver board on the ceiling and has burnt quite a number of old clothes out of the way.
About 3:30 I started walking back to Lipton and I had to walk all the way. Still blowing and colder than before but the wind was behind me. It was bright moonlight when I reached Lipton and got to Brink's cafe about 6:50 p;m.  Bob Montgomery, more than slightly stewed, greeted me like a long lost brother. The bus soon arrived and took me safely back to the San.

Bill Nevard at upper right of photo along with some of the other workers at Fort San. 

January 13, 1965 Continued

I drove back home for dinner. In the afternoon I went back to Lipton, called on Mrs. Goff. She phoned Joy to let them know I was going to see Uncle Horrie. I drove out to the cemetery again and gave Lerat a thermos of hot coffee. He thought he might be finished about 4:00 pm.
I drove out to the farm, parked by the gate and walked in to Silver Birches. They were not surprised to hear about Uncle Arthur. I did not stay too long as I did not want the car to get too cold to start. When I got back to the cemetery about 4:00, Lerat still had an hour's work in order to finish. I drove into town to see Bud but he had gone off again. So I called around at Mrs. Goff's for a while. Then drove back to the cemetery, waited til Lerat had finished, then drove him home. Hannah came along this evening with a few boxes of Uncle's things including the Waterloo stick.

January 14:Dick and I both off work today and we left home in good time going down to the Fort to pick up Lerat. Inclined to snow a bit but much milder. We drove right up to the cemetery as Lerat wanted to make sure everything was ok. Then going back to Lipton and we left Lerat at the hotel. Then went to Mrs. Goff's where Les, Joy, Ralph, David and Ivy Hobetzeder were there. . Uncle Horrie and Don soon arrived. The service was delayed as Mr Ellis got his car stuck near Jim Potter's and had to be pulled out so we went to Bud's place next door and waited.
Nothing else untoward occurred and at the close of the service most of us went to the grave side. Pat Neil, John Senft, Tom North, Philip Fisher, Manuel Miller and Melvin Grainger were the pall bearers. Then we came back to Goff's for a while. When we thought Lerat had time enough to fill in the grave we went back to pick him up. He wanted to go into the hotel for one quick beer so we left him and went to Our Store to buy a few groceries. We talked a bit with Tom North and Philip Fisher and then Dick went to look for Lerat. Met him coming back from the hotel. We drove back to the Fort and I paid Lerat with a cheque for $25.

Arthur Nevard January 11 1965

When Dick got home this evening from work he received a phone message from Regina General Hospital that Uncle Arthur was in serious condition.  While we were having supper Bud phoned Birns and told us that Uncle had died.
January 12: When I got through my work I drove to Lipton calling in at the San on the way where Dick told me that Mr. Ellis could hold the funeral either Thursday or Friday. When I called at Buds he wasn't home from Regina. He had to go to sign a release before the hospital would let Uncle Arthur go.
I then called at Walton's to see about the grave plot. Then to Mrs. Goff to see if she had any suggestions as to pall bearers. We were expecting Bud to call in on his way home but he never showed up. As we had been up late the night before we went to bed fairly early. Hannah (undertaker) phoned up Birns and they got Dick out of bed to provide the necessary information so he could put a death notice in the Leader.
January 13:  Dick phoned Bud from work and found out that he couldn't start his car when he got back to the Fort last night and had to get a ride home. Bill  Lindsey let me off work at 8:30 and I went home, started the car and drove down to Lerat's home in the Fort. He wasn't ready, told me to come back in an hour so I went home, kept the fire going and went back for him about 10:30. We drove to Lipton and he stopped at the hotel for lunch while I called at Bud's where Mary told me that Bud had got a ride back to the Fort to get his car.
I went to the municipal office and Walton told me where we could dig.  I picked up Lerat and we drove out to the cemetery. We had to  shovel some snow at the entrance where the snow had drifted. I made a couple of rounds with the car and Lerat started digging about 11:45 and I went home to dinner.