Day Off From The San December 1950

From the journal of Bill Nevard Dec 1: Payday. Eleven members of the North Regina Badminton club came to the San and played against 8 of our members. Dr. Reilly, Dr. Trasi, Frank Froh, Jack Bogart, Mrs. McKenzie, Mrs. McPherson, Miss Gore and Miss Healy. After which we all went up to the assembly room for lunch. Dec 2: I decided to go out to the farm on my day off. Caught the Regina bus at the lodge and rode to Lipton. Irene Zerr was the only other passenger. I had my new parka on which had only come the day before. I visited Jack Goff's and Fishers. Called in at Segal's Cafe and got a box of chocolates as a Christmas present for Silver Birches. Started out walking to the farm at 9:30 and was about 4 hours making the trip. Only a sleigh trail most of the way. Everybody at the farm reasonably well. I got some stuff together for the boys to take to Lipton in the sleigh but couldn't find Dad's parka. I went up to Silver Birches and had dinner there. Gave Uncle Arthur two months payment and started back about 3:30 pm. I called in at Charlie Huber's place and managed to get a car ride with his son Leonard. We got to Lipton about 6:45 and I had to wait about an hour for the bus.

Rained On Sunday

 May4, 1941

Dad, Dick and I went to Church service at Headland's School. Mr. Thomas got there late having had car trouble. Both uncles and Joy, Mr. North and Tom, Mr. and Mrs. Radwell and Mrs. Bowman, Mr and Mrs. Wheale, Mary and Shirley, William and Jim Millward, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy Newton, Mrs. Green and baby. Dad and Dick drove on to North's to change hens. I walked home sheltering in John Senft's from a heavy rain storm which made the road all mud and water. 

This was Bill's art work done that day. On the back of a Blue Ribbon Tea wrapper. Paper was in short supply in those days. 

Trip To Lipton January 1948

January 26: Roy came along in the closed in cutter about 8 AM and I went to Lipton with him. It was a cold day with a North wind blowing but with a fire on we were quite comfortable. The road was heavy and we could not make very fast progress. I went to the station and paid the freight. Then we put the two 100 pound boxes of fish out on the platform ready.
We went to the post office where I saw our new post master, Reg Waters for the first time as it was my first trip to Lipton since July 30, 1946.
We went to Charles Brinkworth's cafe for dinner (55 cents). Then I went to the bank, had my book fixed up and put $100 into a savings account. I hunted up where Fishers live and paid them a visit. Mr. Fisher showed me his encyclopedia and Mrs. Fisher gave me some tea and cake. Philip Fisher has two youngsters, both girls, and Kenny has a son. Will Lutz and Malcom Bordass were in town with Ed Miller's closed in cutter. Oshowey also in town. And Charlie Hook.
I went into the barber shop and pool room for the first time and saw pool being played. Charlie Bull was playing with another guy. Bill Miller and Robert Senft at another table. Jack Goff, Joe Kelsey and others in there looking on,
When we left town little Henry Schmidt rode with us to Jack Mintzler's. He was after a horse for his foxes. He has an 8 year old mare he is willing to trade off for an old horse.

January 27: Dick and I got two loads of wheat straw home this morning and put it in the loft. In the afternoon I went for a tank of water. In Uncle Arthur's pasture I got stuck as the sleighs cut off. Bud came along with the scoop shovel and dug some snow away so I could get started again and managed to get home. Bud was screening barley out of his straw pile.

Jack Goff in the 1940s

January 28 1946, Hogs to Market

January 28: We loaded up four of our young hogs in the sleigh and I took them to Lipton, Uncle Horrie going with me. Not too bad a day but a cold wind developed making it somewhat unpleasant. The sleigh seemed to drag heavy but we got down in plenty of time. Our pigs being the first stock there. John Fleming was right behind us with a steer loaded in his sleigh. After unloading our stock and putting the teams in, John Fleming, Uncle H. and I went to Joe's restaurant for dinner. I went to Andy Gray's after dinner and gave him the certificates to fix up. Mrs. Gray is much better now.
Quite a bunch of teams in at Kellsey's. I saw the train come in but Dick was not on it.
Blowing harder and snowing a bit on the way home. Bud took Carol to Lipton in the cutter about 9 p:m.
January 29: Snowing today so I didn't do a lot. Uncle Arthur went up to Winstanley Grove to feed Bud's pigs. Uncle Horrie and Donald came down in the afternoon with our rack and took their sleigh back and their groceries. Uncle Arthur brought the mail down with two letters from Dick who thinks he will be home in February. Bud came back tonight and told us that he and Carol are the proud parents of a son born at 9 o'clock this morning.

 A somewhat unrelated photo but it shows how deep the snow can get some winters in Sask. Centre is Margaret (Daisy) Nevard when she worked at a farm near Pense in about the winter of 1912-13.

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. 

A Funeral On Christmas Eve

More from the journals of Bill Nevard
December 24, 1970.
Dick got the Christmas pudding made yesterday and started cooking it this evening. I got the half turkey in to thaw out and we made the stuffing.
 I went to the San for the mail this morning and got my senior citizen's travelling card. The wind was blowing hard and a fellow said the Lipton road was blocked by drifting snow. After dinner Harry Lindsey phoned up up to say he was going to the Sid Phillips funeral and would pick us up about 2;45 so he did and we rode with him to the Lipton town Hall. We met the snow plow on the highway. Snow drifting across the highway both going and coming but we had no trouble getting along. A lot of people there and Mr. Badham took the funeral.
 Dick, Phil fisher, John Radwell, Edwin Senft, Hugh Robertson and one other were the bearers. Pat Neil, Charlie Hook, Fred Wagner, Ernest Senft, Sandy Goff and I were the honorary bearers. We all rode out to the cemetery after the service. The bearers in Edwin Senft's car and the honorary bearers in Ernest Senft's car. Cold and windy at the cemetery although we were sheltered from the wind  by a tarp. Then we drove back to town hall but did not stay for lunch, coming home with Harry Lindsey.

Coming into the valley we passed a car that had gone off the road into the deep snow and been left. We had supper and Dick went to bed for a while. He got up in time for us to go to the Christmas eve service at 11:30 pm. It was not cold and the Church was well filled. Mr. Badham asked me to light the Christmas candle. We had a good sized choir and they sang well but I could not sing in exultation having a cold and a sore throat. I helped Harry to count the collection. It was after 2 am when we got home to bed.

A Funeral

December 12, 1966

I went to visit Bob Drever this morning. I also cut up three more pumpkins for jam. In the afternoon I dressed up and drove to Lipton for Bill Peak's funeral. It was held in Lipton Town Hall. Most of the people were there when I arrived. Pat Neil, Philip Fisher, Harold Phillips, William Michelson, Edwin and Victor Senft were the bearers. Anne Yackel played the organ. Quite a number of people attended. Les and Joy, Mr. and Mrs. Fisher, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Neil, Gladys Hays and Thelma Kreutzer, Mr. and Mrs. John Senft, Mr and Mrs. Sid Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hook, Bill Newth, Mr. and Mrs. Reg Waters, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Huber, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Bryant, John Kube. I did not go to the cemetery but came home. It was a beautiful day. Bill Peak was 81 years of age and came out to the country in 1911.

Bill Peak is somewhere in this photo taken at a Church service at Balrobie School.

December 16 1947-Winter and Winstanley Grove

Got another two loads of wood in and after dinner we went and chopped a bit.
Donald went off on Rusty to phone the doctor. John Fleming and his family went
to Lipton in the morning. Charlie Huber brought the doctor up as far as his place,
then Donald and Joy went down with the team and sleigh and fetched him up to
Winstanley Grove that night. But Bud and Carol had become the parents of a baby
girl before the doctor arrived. Richard Supple brought a Mrs. Tom Berner there.
She was an English war bride and a nurse. Joy stayed there while Bud drove the
doctor back to Lipton. He never got home until about 5 a:m .

December 17: I went up to Silver Birches and heard the particulars of last night's
events. Dick and I put in the morning cutting wood in the bluff and cleaned up the
manure after dinner. Blowing and drifting quite a bit with a nasty cold wind so we
did not bother to get water.

First Sunday At The San

October 3rd , 1948 marked Bill Nevard's first Sunday spent at the T.B. San. Here is what he had to say about it.
My first Sunday at the San but I worked just the same as Saturday will be my day off from now on.
It was also my first day alone in the vegetable room but I didn't find it too hard and was all through by 2:30 pm. Mr. Poy, the Chinese cook from 31 came in and told me they won't need any spuds on Monday. After supper I climbed the highest hill to the North and West of the San and got a good view of the district. After getting my ear fixed up I went back to my lodgings and washed my head.
The next Saturday.......

October 9: My day off and after breakfast I started out walking to Lipton. I walked about half way and rode the rest being picked up by John Hepting. A cold wind blowing. Dad and Uncle Horrie were doing Jack Goff's chimney. The three of us had dinner at the cafe. Roy came to Lipton on his bike. I picked up some rides on the  way back but walked most of the way and was too late for supper. A big road gang went through Lipton from the East. 8 big diesels with road graders , cabooses and other stuff. 

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.

Spring Time 70 Years Ago

Headlands P.O.
March 27, 1944
Dear Dick
Since I wrote to you a week ago there has been nothing very thrilling occur around here to get into the headlines. Last Tuesday ,the 23rd, Dad and I loaded up 5 or the young pigs in the sleigh to take to Lipton. It wan't a lot of trouble an I started out for town about 8 am.  getting there at 10:30. So I went along fairly good. The road wasn't too bad most of the way down and of course five pigs didn't make a big load. Bailey who is in the lumber yard ships pigs every Tuesday and Buster Dobson's boy helped me unload them at the stockyard. After the pigs are unloaded they are stamped on both shoulders with a special instrument. Every owner's pigs having a different set of numbers. Uncle Horrie came down with a load of wheat but he was quite a bit later than me getting down. I think his team had all it wanted to do in spots as some places it was pretty well bare. Roy came down with him. I posted a letter off to you. I guess you should have it by now.
Monday was a mild day and the snow kept melting as the day progressed. On he way home near town the ditches had water in them while the highway was getting bare. I had planned going to town with wheat on Thursday but that thaw fixed the roads. I got home about 5 pm. The 22nd was another mild day and the snow going quite a bit. I hauled away 5 days manure and got water. Roy was helping Uncle Arthur get his oat straw home before the loose horses eat it all up as that is where they mostly stay now. He was hauling some to Uncle Arthur's and some home. Dad let the hens all out of the new hen house for the first time. After dinner I cleaned out the old chicken house.
Dad heard from Goffs that McCullough is in hospital with a bleeding ulcer and had to have two transfusions. On the 23rd I went on 25 with the team and sleigh and got 30 green poles for a hen house and had a look at the barley to see that it was ok.
Dad made a steak and kidney pudding, Uncle Arthur and Donald being here to help us eat it.
On Sunday I picked up the mail at Silver Birches and got your latest letter and , believe it or not, one from Bud. A fairly long one too and more interesting than usual. He had been to visit the ruins of Pompeii and was writing mostly about that. Uncle Arthur got a letter from him too but I haven't heard anything about it yet. Bud wants me to write to him but he didn't send any address. I suppose I can get that from Uncle A.
Sunday being a nice day I let the team out and likewise the cows. Dad went up to Silver Birches for his usual Sunday afternoon constitutional and while he was away Sandy Goff came along bringing the saw back. He didn't stay as he had chores to do. Tom Goff is sick with the flu and in bed quite a bit.
Today I took three loads of wheat out of our big bin up the hill to put in another bin to make room so I can begin fanning. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'm taking two more young pigs to Lipton and will post this letter.
So long and don't tumble off any mountains. From your loving brother,
E. W. Nevard

Joy Nevard, probably going for the mail on Rusty

Narratives 15 WWII

In 1944 the Reverend Tingey took the Church services at Headlands school. He came from Cupar. Up til then we had been having the rector from Ituna.

Anglican congregation at Headlands school in later years. 1951.
In the summer of 1941 Cousin Bud joined the Canadian Army and went to England later that year. On January 19, 1943 Bill drove us to Lipton with the team and sleigh  . It was a cold morning with the temperature dipping down to 40 below zero. I took the train to Regina to begin my life in the army. The saddest part of my life came in September of that year when I got a letter from my brother Bill informing me of the death of our mother. My Major granted me ten days compassionate leave so I caught the midnight train from Wainright, Alberta where I was stationed at the time. I arrived the next morning in Ituna at ten a:m. I did not stop for anything to eat there figuring I would reach Keliher by dinner time. I headed West on what is now the grid road not realizing that Keliher was further North and I would not pass it. It took me 12 hours to walk home. Towards the end I sat down for a rest every now and then. I was hungry, not having eaten for 24 hours. 

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 Ten

That year Dad had a large steer butchered for beef. Charlie Gregory came to do the job. He shot Goliath (the steer) and the beast went down but did not stay down. Dad was standing close by and Charlie said , "jump on it". Dad was close enough but did not think they could have held down an animal that size. Goliath headed north for the bushes.  Charlie had a high powered rifle and used it. I think they used Tom, the horse, to drag the carcass back to the yard. Dad had the hide of Goliath tanned and lined and made into a robe.
That same fall we had a severe frost in early October and the potatoes were frozen in the ground.
In 1920 Uncle Horrie built his house and Dad helped. I was up there one day with Aunt Alice. The men were building the rafters when I asked, "Aunt Ack, is that where your children are going to play?"
That was the summer that the first plane flew over the district. Aunt Alice and Uncle Horrie were working on the house and were used to seeing planes fly over in England. Aunt Alice waved and called out, "have you any mail for us?"
Gordon Lawson came out and worked as hired man for Uncle Arthur. Dad had sciatica that year and was layed up for most of the summer. The sciatica never left him until he went to Regina and had all his teeth removed. He was never bothered with it after that. Dad never got dentures until many years later. He would cut the food up fine and was able to eat his meals faster than the rest of us.
Christmas day of 1920 the family gathering was at our house. The day after Christmas, boxing day, being Aunt Daisy's birthday, we all went to her house. Uncle Horrie and Aunt Alice stayed there.  On New Year's day of 1921 my cousin Roy was born. First child for Uncle Horrie and Aunt Alice. They got Dr. Hall from Fort Qu'appelle. Kelsey brought him up by car. Kelsey caught a coyote at our gate. Uncle Horrie held the coyote up to the window for Aunt Alice to see.
After a short stay at Winstanley Grove Uncle Horrie and family went to live in their new home which they called, "Silver Birches".

Alice and son, Roy Nevard in front of "Silver Birches"

In 1922 Dick Winstanley came out from England to work for Uncle Arthur. In the winter of 1922 there was a concert at Shawlands School. One item on the program was a play entitled "The Entomology of The Black Beetle". Thought up by Dick Winstanley. Bill watched them practicing and also saw it at the concert. I never saw the play but Bill related it all to me and it did not take long for me to have it memorized. The results, when Dick Winstanley came along I repeated the play to him. Mother said she did not think Dick was very pleased. He thought I was making fun of him, but such was not the case.
In the 1920s there was not the amount of entertainment that there is today. I remember hearing Aunt Daisy remarking to Mother that the Chautauqa had been in Lipton and May and and Annie Fox had gone to see it. She used a tone of voice that indicated this was a great society event.
One Sunday afternoon Harry Creaser came for a visit and entertained us with some of the popular music. He played some of them on my harmonica. "It Aint Goin To Rain No More" had sharps and flats and could not be played so he sang it instead.
In the fall of 1922 the Goffs and Nevards dissolved the partnership in the threshing outfit which had begun in 1910. We took over the portable engine and bought a smaller separator in 1923. That year we threshed for Bob Grainger and Syd Fox.
In the spring of 1924 cousin Bud (Sherwood Eric Holmden) came to make his home with Aunt Daisy and Uncle Arthur at Winstanley Grove.

Narratives, 2

I know nothing more of Charles Fuller, never having heard of the name until I came across it at the Lands Titles Office. I'd heard that two other men came up with Dad and Uncle Arthur. The fact that Fuller filed on his homestead on the same date and his homestead number follows the others in sequence convinces me that he was one of the four. Bill told me that Dad spoke of a man named Wernick and thought he was one of the men who came up with dad and Uncle Arthur. There is no record of Wernick in Lands
branch office so I am afraid Mr. Wernick will remain a mystery. Bill also spoke of another Mr. Brown who he thought came up with the others.
I think Dad worked out both summers of 1904 and 05. He spent one winter on the homestead. He chored on a farm in Manitoba for a man named Foster. It was in open country and a blizzard came up while Dad was at the barn. There was no rope connecting the house and barn to guide him and he very nearly missed the house on his way back. He had just passed the house when a lull in the storm showed him where the house was.
In 1883 the Hogg colony was started over East in the next range. According to Walter Norris there were about two hundred came and settled a whole township. Mr. Quinton Hogg owned a large estate in England. He paid their way out to Canada and when they got their homesteads he took a lien on them. Crops were frozen and most of the men gave up their homesteads. a few stayed for a few years Tom Norris left his homestead and took another in the Hayward district close to Charlie Neil. Tom Norris had worked for Quinton Hogg in England as his gardener.
 Bob Drever told me that Joe Atkinson had the post office in Lipton in 1910.

Mr. Atkinson went back to England. Both he and Tom Norris homesteaded with the Hogg Colony.
In 1902 the Jewish Colonization Association started a Jewish colony northeast of the present site of Lipton. There were about 40 families in the colony. The Jews were scattered roughly from a few miles north of Lipton to a few miles south of Keliher. Herzel school was eight miles northeast of Lipton. There was a Jew on the southeast quarter of Section 24 after Charles Fuller left. His name was David Fastofsky. There is a Jewish cemetery three miles north of Lipton and six and three quarter miles east and three quarter miles north. There are 76 graves there.
Uncle Horrie came out to Canada in the spring of 1906. Mother and my older brother Bill sailed from Liverpool on June 20, 1906. Bill and I went to Liverpool to visit cousin Leslie Nevard and his wife Betty just 69 years later to the day. It was not planned that way, just co-incidence. When Bill got on board ship at age two he called out to his Aunt Emily, aunt Emmy, can I have another candy"? She replied, yes dear.

As a school girl Mother never dreamed she would ever come to Canada. One day in school Mr. Motom , the teacher , was taking a geography lesson and pointed out the province of Manitoba. He said "this is man-ah-to-bah, some day some of you may immigrate out there." Mother's thought was, oh maybe the boys might but she never would. Her brothers never did come out here but she did. Mother came out with another lady who had been out here before. I believe her name was Miss Prince. She came out to marry her fiancee, a Mr. Hammil. As the train steamed on it's way to Winnipeg Mother noticed the wild roses blooming and the prairie grass. She thought Canada can't be such a bad country if roses grew there. A passenger got off the train at one stop and picked some roses for her.

Mary and Bill 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. 

Building Goff's House

Ernest Nevard, Mary Goff, Grace Hobetzeder, Les Goff, Horace Nevard

Ernest and Horace Nevard took on the job of building a new house for Tom  and Mary Goff in 1951 in the village of Lipton. Here are a few details as written in the journal of Bill Nevard.
Dec. 5, 1950 Mrs. Goff and Sandy came down to see Dad on Sunday about building a house for them with cement blocks as they are buying a lot in Lipton.
June 29, 1951 Sandy Goff came in the car and took Dad up to Lipton this morning to put in the footing for Goff's house and brought him back tonight.
July 4, 51: Dad went up to Lipton on the bus this morning and stayed there.
July 13, 51: Dad came home tonight. He has put Goff's cistern in.
Aug. 3, 51: I headed north on my bike this morning. Dad, Uncle Horrie and Les Goff busy working on Goff's house. I didn't stay long but hit out for the farm.
Aug. 4, 51: Roy came through with his car on the way to Lipton so I went with him and bought a few groceries at Jampolsky's store. Very windy but they are working on Goff's house.
Aug. 9, 51: Raining. I had given up the idea of heading back to Lilac Grove when Bud came along in his car on the way to Lipton so I came down with him. Stopped at Fisher's for dinner and after that I went over to Goff's house but no one was there so I went to Jack Goff's for a while. As I was heading up town Dad and Uncle Horrie came along with Sandy and Les Goff in the car. So I left my bike with Fishers and went down to the San with Sandy and Dad as they wanted to get some of our bricks to finish the chimney.
Aug. 16, 51: I went up and saw Bud this morning and he drove me to Lipton in his car. We were going to fix up a lease but Walton was not home. I saw Dad and Uncle Horrie working on Goff's house.
Oct. 4, 51: Dad came home from Lipton on the bus tonight to get his best clothes as he is to be a pall bearer at Sam Wheale's funeral tomorrow.
Oct. 15, 51: Dad went up to Lipton on the bus but came home tonight. He is through at Lipton now.
Nov. 18, 51: Sandy Goff came along tonight to ask Dad to go back to Lipton tomorrow and help them fix up their furnace so Mr. and Mrs. Goff can move into town.

Goffs house complete

November 28, 1943

Headlands P.O. Sask.
November 28, 1943
Dear Dick
Well its Sunday night again and as I am likely to go to Lipton again tomorrow I may as well send you another letter and keep you up to date on the latest local events. Before I forget it, Dad was suggesting that I should take a pair of your rubbers and felt socks to Lipton and leave them in Andy Gray's office for you to put on when you next come home and he wanted me to ask you if there was anything else you might want left there in the way of wearing apparel as it may be pretty cold when you come home.
This past week has been my town week as I made five trips with grain going every day but Friday. As the wheat quota has been raised again to 7 bushels per acre I may make four trips this coming week if the snow holds off. On Tuesday the 23rd I took a load of Dad's wheat to town. Andy Gray was filling a car with barley and he advised me to bring barley as he said he had plenty of room for wheat but only a limited amount of room for barley. So on Wednesday I took down a load of Dad's barley and had it stored making out the ticket to Osler-Hammond & Nanton as it was for the company's share of the crop on 25. Uncle Horrie went down too with a load of wheat. He overtook me on the way down. Donald was with him as he wanted to go to Lipton to get a sweater but he did not go all the way to town with his father as he got a ride in with a grain truck. On Thursday I took down another load of dad's barley but I could only deliver 100 bushels as the barley quota is 5 bushels per seeded acre and the rest of the load I sold for Dad.
Gleam was pretty sluggish on that trip as it was her fourth on successive days and the roads are hard and rough so I decided to let them have a rest and stayed home Friday doing chores .
Uncle Arthur went to Lipton with barley that day and brought home word that the quota has been raised from 5 to 7 bushels. He has arranged to have August Zielke take some of his wheat to Lipton by truck. On Saturday I went to Lipton with wheat and Uncle Horrie took a load of barley. Quite a lot of grain seemed to be going in to town owing to the quota having been raised. Fred Engel took a load down and broke the tire of his wagon at the big coulee so he had to borrow a wagon from Jack Mintzlar to get in with
Tehse, Red Schmidt's boy and Prairie Schmidt's boy are all hauling with wagons behind tractors. No less than 30 cars, trucks and tractors passed me on the way home so you see everybody are doing their best to save gas.
Today was dull but snow still holding off. Dad baked a cake. I went and cut holes in the slough on 13 for the animals. Fred Engel and Wm. Miller were trying to drive home a calf of Fred's that insists on being with our cattle but they didn't have any success then. Pat Neil came this evening just before dark and fixed our four little boars so that job is out of the way. They sure made a racket and the sow broke out of her pen and was rampaging around until we drove her back. I saw Bill Senft in town and he said that Arnold is alright again now. I never read your letter until I got home on Saturday night. Glad to hear that you are getting on ok.
The open weather is fine for the animals giving them a chance to clean up some of the food laying around. We haven't had any really cold weather yet although the wind is often a bit unpleasant when you're on the road. I paid up the taxes for Dad last week so they won't be able to turn us out of house and home for a while yet. Well I guess this is all for now Dick. Goodbye from your loving brother....
E.W. Nevard.

A Difficult February in 1933

80 years ago this month was not a happy time for the family. The extreme cold weather only added to the suffering. As seen in Bill Nevard's journal.
February 4 :Dad and Bud went to Goff's to bring the bull home. Young Tommy Goff had just died of pneumonia that morning.

February 6, 1933: It was 46 below zero this morning and I skied over to Goff's to see if they would be holding the funeral on such a cold day and heard that they were. Dad , Uncle Arthur and Bud went.
Aunt Daisy hurt her leg this afternoon by falling over a stoneboat in the stable.

February 7: A whist drive at Winstanley Grove. It was 56 below zero when Dick and I came home at 4 a:m.

February 10: Another rotten day. I went up to Winstanley Grove at night. Aunt Daisy in bed and Bud gone to Barton's to phone up North's.

February 11: Weather better. Martha North came to nurse Aunt Daisy.

February 12: Sunday. Bud went to phone for the doctor.

February 13: Doctor Stewart came to see Aunt Daisy and stopped in here to see mother on the way back. Martha came with him.

February 15: Milder. Mr. and Mrs. North came to see Aunt Daisy. Moved her into the other room.

February 17: Nancy down in the stable unable to get up. I cut some green wood.

February 20: Uncle Horrie went to Lipton. Dad had to shoot Nancy today. Uncle Arthur's big bay, Paddy, was likewise gathered to his ancestors. I went to see Aunt Daisy in the evening.

February 22: Aunt Daisy died of a heart attack this afternoon.

February 23: Dad and Uncle Arthur went to Fisher's to arrange the funeral. Nonsuch Woodland Seeker of Rockhaven calved today.

February 24: John Senft and Uncle Arthur went to Lipton to fetch Uncle Eddie and the coffin.

February 25
The funeral was held in Lipton town hall. It was a beautiful bright day.

Christmas Letter Dec. 43

Headlands P.O.
Dec. 19, 1943
Dear Dick
I didn't write my usual epistle to you last Sunday as I had finished my last letter only two days before and had it posted on the Saturday so now I have 9 days news to tell you.
Roy went to Lipton with John Fleming on the Friday although I didn't know it until afterwards.
On Saturday the 11th Dad and both uncles went to Lipton in the democrat taking King and George. Uncle Horrie brought the mail down with him as he came and I got your last letter written from B.C. Pleased to hear that you are able to make a little extra money. Hang on to it as you will find it very useful later on. I don't think you need furnish any more towards the tiller as I will have enough accumulated to pay for it when it comes I expect. Of course there is always the possibility that the company may not be able to fill my order.
I got another load of wood home while the men were away in town. Uncle Arthur rode back from Lipton with August Zielke in his truck and August took a load of barley back to town for him.
Sunday was quite a bit colder, 10 below zero in the morning and Monday was quite cold but nice and bright and I managed to get 2 more loads of wood home. August Zielke took two loads of wheat down for Uncle Arthur who rode to Lipton with him the first time and sent away the final payment on the separator. On Tuesday the 14th I got 2 more loads of wood home which makes 20 loads piled in the yard and ready for the saw and I guess that should make a year's supply although I still have a little to get in.
In the afternoon I hauled away manure and got a jag of oat straw. Dad baked a Christmas cake. We are getting all the cattle in now. On the 15th I went on 25 and got 50 green poles for a new hen house. The weather was turning milder again. On the 16th I went again and got another 50 poles. I guess I will have to get a third load to have enough. Part of Uncle Arthur's big slough has had the snow cleared off with a fresno and there is a bunch come and skate or slide there every Sunday now. Wheales, Bartons, Suppples, Berners and so on. On the 17th Cliff Barton came to Silver Birches to help Uncle Horrie kill his turkeys and Dad went up to help. I think they killed 32 altogether. Dad is sending one of them to Regina and Uncle Horrie is going to have a gobbler from Dad. The Herrings went to a dance at Headlands. It was a farewell affair for Billy Bordass who is going overseas.
Yesterday we chopped oats both for ourselves and for Uncle Horrie. It was a mild day , hardly freezing but too windy for comfort. Donald brought the mail down in the evening. Besides your letter Dad got one from Uncle Cecil. I think he is going to live in Colchester when he can get a house. Today has been reasonably nice without any outstanding events to record. I have composed 4 new songs in the past week. Dad will take your rubbers, felt socks, mitts and overalls tomorrow and leave them in Andy Gray's office for you when you come home. If you are coming home for New Year's celebration I guess I'll probably be seeing you before I write any more letters. Anyway I'll wish you a merry Christmas and ask you to convey the compliments of the season to Uncle Eddie and Aunt May from us. I think thats all the news I've got just now so goodbye Dick
From your loving brother E.W. Nevard

Bill and Dick Nevard by poplar logs about 1922.