Uncles Don And Roy

Its interesting to look back on this old video I shot back in August of 1998 viewing the antique cars with Uncle Don and Roy. They enjoyed the old cars. Being a rider it allowed me to shoot more video during the drive back. Plus a tour of the local cemetery showing a couple of family grave stones. Some of which were made by their uncle Ernest Nevard who was a brick layer in Essex, U.K. before he came to Canada. He made a lot of off farm income here doing various brick laying jobs here too.

Visitors At Winstanley Grove

I'm calling this one, based on the photo, visitors at Winstanley Grove, the Arthur Nevard farm. Although they likely visited with all three Nevard families on the section at the same time. The city relatives would drive out most summers for a visit in the country. Uncle Edde and Aunt May Edwards. May was a sister to Arthur Nevard's wife, Margaret.
In this photo, taken at Winstanley Grove, from left to right we have, my Uncle Don, my mother, their uncle Eddy on the white horse, my uncle Roy, and at right, holding the horse and colt is Bud Nevard.

The date I am guessing mid to late 1930s.

Headlands Picnic 1943

From the daily journal of Bill Nevard.
June 29, 1943
Dad and Uncle Horrie both went to Lipton with wheat. I was cultivating. Jubilee seemed to find it hard work so I let him out after dinner and got Spark instead. I found out this afternoon that Violet has a wire cut in her fetlock so I let her out tonight.
Roy and Joy went to Balrobie dance.

June 30: I caught Embers this morning and went on 25 with the John Deere gang plow. Dad had put the new shares on but it soon cleaned and is working alright though plowing rather deep. Not an awful lot of tall growth on the stubble yet excepting stinkweed. Joy and Donald went to Headlands picnic and all three of them went to the dance.

December 1970

December 11: I cut the beef up this morning and Dick took it out to the shed to freeze. Then we jacked up the Beaumont and put blocks under it to take the weight off the tires. In the afternoon I drove to Lipton and visited Syd and Rose. Their daughter, Irene Huber was there with one of her boys. Rose gave me a cake when I left. Then I went to see Mrs. Fisher. Olive was just leaving. Gladys was there. We had a game of Chinese Checkers. Mrs. Fisher also gave me a cake. I visited Mrs. Goff and Doris, then went to Dave's store for groceries before driving home.

December 18: I got up in good time this morning and got ready to go to Regina with Don on the bus. Dick thought he might be along about 9:50 as he had done before. Dick started the car to warm up at 10:00 am but no Don arrived. When 10:30 rolled around we knew we had missed the first bus and were likely to miss the second but just then he arrived with a truck load of firewood. Dick drove us to the bus depot and the bus arrived just as we were buying the tickets and we were the only passengers. One old lady got on at Qu'appelle and 13 other passengers at Balgonie.

Don was not particular where we had dinner so we walked from the bus depot to the Chi Gardens. It was closed, to our sorrow, so we had to look up another eating place and on the way back we landed up at the Town And Country where we had a nice meal for $2.94. We went to the book exchange where I bought six old books. Then Don wanted to go to the Bay so we did. It was the first time I had been in the store. Don bought three records and I bought two. Then we went to the Medical Arts building between Scarth and Cornwall to keep Don's appointment. We got there by 3:00 pm but had to wait until 3:45 before he could see the doctor. I think the doctor was satisfied with his progress. He has to keep on with the diet and come back in two months.
Then we had to go to a special store to get the stuff Don has for his diet. Then to Simpsons where I stood guard on our stuff while Don looked around and bought some shirts. By then it was time to get back to catch the bus. They had to put on a special bus to take care of the home coming passengers and that one was filled right up.

First Year At The San

September 30, 1949:
Today I completed my first year at the San and after finishing my day's work I started for home on the bike. Got to Lipton about 5:30 and found Jack Goff at supper. I bought bread and chocolate bars at Jampolsky's, then headed North. It was getting dark before I was half way home and I walked most of the way. I found Uncle Arthur at home. Had supper and went to bed.

October 1: The morning after breakfast I walked  up to Silver Birches and found them all well. Threshing and combining have been completed and dad's wheat went about 700 bushels, oats 400, and barley 120. Nine horses have been sold. Spark, Violet, Frank, Jubilee, Betty, Blaze, King, Beauty and May. We now have only Gleam, Embers and Castle. Arthur Lutz has Cloud and wants to buy him. I stayed at Silver Birches to dinner and then went back home. There is water in the big slough and also in our dugout. Donald has done quite a bit of disking but he had to take the new tractor down to Lipton yesterday to get the gears fixed.
I left home about 2:30 p:m and started back for the San. Arriving in Lipton I had supper with Jack Goff and waited a while in case Dad should turn up but he didn't. It was dark when I left Lipton and walked most of the way back to the San but picked up a ride for a little way with Dielson who got his arm scalded last week in the pig's mash. It rained a bit on the way back but not enough to wet me.

From Hen House to Home

                                                Headlands P.O. Sask.
Oct. 25, 1945
Dear Dick; Dad is intending going to Lipton tomorrow so I will seize the opportunity to write a letter and get it off to you. You may find this letter rather more interesting than usual as I have some fresh developments to tell you about. Not exactly fresh either as they have been in the making for some time but i was waiting until there was something definite to tell you.
It will be no news to you to hear that Uncle Arthur and Bud don't get along very harmoniously  together. That was one fly in the ointment as far as Bud was concerned. His other trouble was with the new settlement board. After working 100 acres of summerfallow all summer and getting it prepared for next year's crop, he was told by the board that they didn't think the farm was suitable and they wouldn't help him with it. Bud was inclined to chuck it up and get out but I guess he didn't like to lose his summer's work so now he has leased the farm from Uncle Arthur until the end of 1947. The other development will interest you. You remember that Dad was building a new hen house near the basement, a second new hen house I should say. He had put a pitch roof on and shingled it but had never got around to plastering it and getting it finished. Well Uncle A. is going to live in it. He has bought cement and lime and we have been busy the last few days on it. The outside walls are plastered but it has to be done inside and door and window put in. It should be comfortable when it is finished so when you get back you may find Uncle A well established in his new domicile.
Last Friday Bud went to Lipton to get an x ray and posted my letter to you.
I picked some more stones . on Saturday Bud finished tillering our 25 acre piece, had dinner here and then went home and started tillering Uncle A's wheat stubble. I picked stones in the morning and hauled water after dinner.
On Sunday Dad and I went to North's for dinner in the democrat. We found them all well. Eddie had just received your letter of sympathy and you will be interested to hear that it was the first one they had received from England. Mr. North is still able to hold up his end in conversation and seems much the same as ever. Eddie told me that Syd has got his discharge and intends to get a job in Regina for the winter. We had supper at Tom's. Tom Heggie, his wife, and two daughters were there. Ethel went away in the afternoon to a confirmation at Cupar. Shirley Wheale and Mrs. Franklin (Ivadelle) were going from Headlands to be confirmed. After dinner I went for a walk with Eddie to look at his hens. A fine lot of Hampshires. He is getting rid of his older hens to the Keliher creamery. They have a plucking machine there now so he doesn't have to pluck them. He'll likely tell you all this when he writes. He was telling me that he'd like you to go into partnership with him in the chicken business after you get back as he finds it too much for himself alone and with a good partner he could expand the business a bit.
Of course I mentioned the Christian citizenship course you were interested in and that you were thinking of taking up Church work. Anyway, you'll have time to settle it when you return to Canada and I suppose that time is steadily drawing closer. Different fellows keep coming home. I hear Bert Binnington is back and looking for a job in Regina. William Michelson is taking the old Harry Millward farm. Bill Grainger is back on the farm again I hear.
Last Monday Bud caught the bus to Regina. Uncle Horrie and Donald took him to Lipton in the democrat while I hauled water and gravel. This was the day of John Walt's sale. I hear that Mrs. Bordass bought the car. For Malcolm I suppose, and its likely he'll do little else but exercise it as long as he can get gas.
On Tuesday Dad, Uncle A. and I were working on the hen house. Filling up holes in the walls ready for plastering. Uncle H. there too. Bud came back from Regina yesterday and today we have been busy plastering and have got the outside done.
Yesterday afternoon John Fleming took Uncle A. and Bud to Lipton and they fixed up the lease. I forgot to tell you that on Sunday morning we woke up to find our first snow covering the ground. Most of it has gone now.
So long and happy landing from your brother,   E.W. Nevard.

                                     Uncle Arthur and the new house.

Narratives 14 to 1942

In 1937 the Reverend Thomas started taking services at Headlands. In June of 1937 I had my first goiter operation and the second one the following January.
In May of 1938 I saw three deer on NW13, something I had never seen before. Bill had seen them when I was quite young. I remember Bill coming home for dinner and asking Mother and I to guess what kind of an animal he had seen. I guessed lions, tigers, and various others not seen around our hemisphere. So you can guess how old I must have been. I might add that I was rather disappointed in his not seeing something more thrilling.
On October 18, 1938 John Leslie sold out and moved from the district. He had been our faithful mail man for over 20 years. People coming home to our district from Regina knew that if they came to Lipton on Friday's train they could get a ride home with Mr. Leslie. John Fleming took over the post office (Headlands) until it was closed in 1947. On November 25 Bill recorded the sad death of Drizzly Inkblot Dwump, which was one of our cats. I was rather amused over the odd name Bill gave this particular cat.
On October 10, 1940, cousin Joy was confirmed in the Anglican Church in Ituna.
In May of 1942 the Reverend Frank Turnbull came and took Church services at Headlands. Cousin Donald was confirmed November first of 1942, also at the Anglican Church in Ituna.
In the spring of 1942 I had my first experience of working away from home when I worked for the Norths for two weeks while Tom North was laid up with the mumps.

Picnic at Winstanley Grove about 1934. Left to right: Arthur Nevard, Alice Nevard, Uncle Eddie, Horace Nevard, Roy Nevard, Don Nevard, Dick Nevard, Joy Nevard, Bill Nevard, Mary Nevard, Unknown, possibly Mrs. Hammil.

Narratives 11 School Days

A few days later Aunt Daisy took across Section 26 and the southeast of 35 to Headlands school which had been moved a mile east to the southeast quarter of 34 that winter. Aunt Daisy drove us with Dan and the buggy for a few days until we got to know our way. She put about 3 flags or rags on long poles to guide us. I did not go to school much the first year due to illness and other things. I did not learn much. The things I was most interested in were the songs and games. These were the things I told Mother about when I arrived home. Mother wanted to hear of the serious side of my education.
There was some excitement in the district that summer when some of the pupils came to school one morning telling us of a lunatic being at large in a nearby district. Mother had dad's rifle across a cream can although she did not know how to use it. Bill and Dad went to bed armed with clubs. One night Bill's club rolled off the bed on to the floor causing Dad to awake and wonder what was up.
The fall of 1924 was a wet one with lots of water in the sloughs. There were lots of ducks also and they raided the stooked wheat. Uncle Horrie was especially bothered as he had a big slough on his SW quarter of section 30. Some duck hunters came up from Regina and camped in Uncle Arthur's yard. Just at that time my cousin Joy was born. Mr. Cresweller, one of the hunters went in his car to phone for the doctor. Bill went with him to the gate with a stable lantern so the doctor could find his way in. They had just begun threshing our wheat but we were stopped for a wet spell.
Just after that I had my adenoids removed using the kitchen table as an operating table. There was no more school for me that year.
The Reverend Bowley started holding Church services in Headlands school. The first service was held on a week day evening in the fall of 1924. During the service, the lamp which was suspended from the ceiling, fell to the floor. Aunt Daisy grabbed Mrs. Creaser's coat and smothered the flames. Mrs. Creaser was not pleased over her coat being used for such a purpose.
Mr. and Mrs. Bowley slept at Uncle Arthur's and Aunt Daisy's home that night and did some visiting the next day.
In the spring of 1925 I started back to school again and attended more regularly. At Christmas that year I took part in my first Christmas concert. I had learned a recitation for the concert the year before but the weather was too cold for us to attend. I will never forget my first concert in 1925. I got so far and then got stage fright. I could not think of the next words. It seemed like ages before the teacher, Miss Mill, came to my rescue with the next word. Mother knew it by heart. Aunt Daisy said later that she should have come to my rescue and prompted me. In 1927 Aunt Daisy took seriously ill and went to a hospital in Winnipeg where they put her on a diet containing liver. In July of that same year my cousin, Donald, was born to Aunt Alice and Uncle Horrie. Mrs. Orford nursed Aunt Alice.

Arthur and Daisy Nevard

Rebuilding the Old Cabin

After Bill Nevard retired from his work at the Fort San he took on the task of repairing the old original log house at "The Poplars" where he had lived up til 1948.
In June of 1969 he wrote about it....

June 30: I drove up to the farm today. Called in at Lipton and borrowed Mrs. Goff's step ladder again and painted Mr. Badham's name on the Church sign. Then I went to the lumber yard and bought 2 bags of cement but did not pay for them as Mindrum was not there.I took the ladder back to Mrs. Goff's. She told me that Mr. Fisher was unconscious and they had sent for the doctor.
I went on to the farm and got in to the old house but there has been more rain this time. Pools of water on the trail both south and north of the house so I walked up to Silver Birches. Don was hoeing spuds. He was willing to help me get some gravel. We put the box on wheels and pumped up the tires a bit. It was getting rather late by that time so I walked back to the house and had my dinner. I didn't bother to cook spuds or even light a fire. By the time I had finished my meal Don came along with the tractor and wagon. So we went down to the gravel pit and hauled home two loads of gravel with no trouble. Don came in for a while and by then it was getting on so after he left I came home.
July 1: I drove up to the farm again and started digging under the west wall of the house clearing 3 or 4 feet ready to put in a new foundation. Managed to do this without having the wall collapse.  I boarded it up, then had to figure out how to wheel my mortar from the cement place to the house across the garden made soft by the rain. I tried it with a barrow of sand but it wouldn't work so I had to hunt up boards and planks. This did the trick so I was able to get one piece filled in before I quit for the day. Roy came along with the tractor after drinking water. He said they had quite a big rain. My two wrens are quite busy feeding their family of six. The bush gophers also have a family under the wood pile.

West wall of the cabin about 1920. Bill Nevard at right.