Visitors From The City

From left: Roy, Alice, Horace at back. Front row Donald and Joy. Seated on the running board?Arthur? Ernest Nevard?

Notice the "HSD" patch on Donald's overalls which stood for Headlands School District.

As seen above, my Nevard grandparents, mother and  two uncles. As none of the Nevards owned a car at the time, approximately 1937,  I'm guessing the occasion was  a  visit from  the Regina relatives, Uncle Eddie and Aunt May Edwards. May was a sister to Arthur Nevard's wife, Daisy. I don't even know if they owned a car but they always had a neighbour drive  them out to the farm for a  visit each summer. Here is an entry from Bill Nevard's journal which describes the day,or one much like it.
August 3, 1937: Dad left off cutting the pasture 20 acres and started on the basement 13 acres. Uncle Arthur and Roy went to Lipton and Uncle got his wagon wheels fixed. The Normans and Billy West came up from Regina in their car bringing Uncle Eddie and Aunt Flo with them. They arrived about dinner  time and had dinner here, going up to Silver Birches (H. Nevard's farm) after dinner for a visit. After they had left Dad went back  and cut wheat for about an  hour.

Dick Returns From Leave

January 5, 1944

Regina, Sask.

Dear Dad

This is my first letter for the new year. I arrived in Regina about 5:30, the journey being uneventful I did snatch a few winks of sleep on the train. Tell Bill I sat on the opposite side of the train at Lipton station so he woud not see me if he looked. I was arranging my luggage and taking my coat off when the train pulled out. I ate one apple on the train and the other one when I got to the barracks.

When I got to Regina I asked the provosts if there was a duty truck. They said I would have to find my own means of getting to camp so I started to hoof it. I had not gone very far before a car pulled up to the sidewalk and a man asked me to hop in, which I did. He took me right to the barracks which was pleasanter than going by duty truck. The guard at the gate asked me if my pass was good till this morning. I said yes, then he asked , "do you want to go uptown tonight"? I told him yes and he said, well buzz off then, but don't tell anyone. So I went and drew my blankets and two kit bags. They could not locate my large pack so they told me to call for it this morning, which I did. I was told that it was 15 below zero in Regina yesterday morning, the same as at home.

After getting everything straightened out at barracks I walked to Uncle Eddies, taking my civilian clothes with me, and the books. Aunt May put them on the verandah. Aunt May had a cold. Uncle Eddie is about the same. I listened to Fibber McGee and the news, then we played five hundred rummy until around 11:00.

So far I have been doing next to nothing and have heard nothing as to what they are likely to do with me. So I spend some of my time catching up with my sleep. I hear a couple of fiddles tuning up in the next bay so we are going to have a little entertainment.

Your loving son, Dick.

P.S. will you please give the enclosed letter to Aunt Alice.

Dick Nevard at left with Uncle Eddie Edwards.