Jim McConnell's Autobiography 1877 - 1957Canadian pioneer farmer in Ontario, Saskatchewan and British Columbia |
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29. in the new brooder house. All this made plenty of work -- feeding and watering and cleaning out. and gathering eggs and preparing them for market. We had had plenty of experience at the same work in the 17 years at Terrace, so it was quite easy for me to take a hand and help on the different jobs on this farm. I spent many happy days there -- sometimes two weeks at a time -- during the three seasons until they sold the farm in 1952. The Hewitts moved to Chase, BC, where Kenny had already begun building new houses for the people there. I sold the bees and all equipment at Armstrong. This ended for me 30 years experience with bees. I always enjoy the time I can spend visiting with the Hewitts and always value the kindly fellowship and hearty companionship in a home where God's way comes first and where the door is ever open for church meetings. It is a haven of rest for God's workers and handmaidens who may often come tired and discouraged after a long mission and much labour has been spent with littl e reward for their efforts. So God has provided a desired haven for His laborers who labor in His harvest fields -- Psalm 107-43 "Whoso is wise and will observe these things. even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the Lord." So I began to see that even I was given understanding to see God's loving kindness with His own people. In 1930, the Ediger family of Mennonites who had bought our Rosetown farms were making good progress. Fred then decided to move to B.C., where the weather was milder. He and his wife bought a house at Revelstoke, and with it, was a large garden. Fred worked his garden well and always had plenty of vegetables and berries for their own use and some to sell. Each Fall, Fred went to Rosetown to help divide the crop when it was thrashed. This continued until 1938, but that year, just as they were preparing to drive down to Saskatchewan in their car, his wife Mary suddenly was taken down with a stroke. They took her to the hospital, but she passed away that night. When we heard the sad news, we took the next train for Revelstoke to stay with Fred for a while. Then a week later, Fred and I went to Rosetown. Thirteen years had slipped away since I had sold the farm and gone away. In those years, much building had been done, and now they had a Union Station for the CNR and CPR right in town. The town was spreading and the streets extended on every side. Eight years of drought and depression had left their mark, especially on the farms. There were unpainted buildings in need of repairs, and there were empty and deserted houses. The threat of another war with Germany was already making people feel anxious. The harvest was light and was quickly thrashed, and then Fred and I returned to Revelstoke. In 1939 Fred came down to New Westminster and bought a house. It was while we were doing some work on Fred's new house, that the second world war broke out, as the German army invaded Poland in September 1939. Two years later in the summer of 1941, Fred married again. His second wife was a nice young Scottish woman of very pleasant disposition and from a very good family. In the company of a cheerful, pleasant companion, Fred seemed to relax, and I believe his last twelve years were the happiest of his whole life. About a year later, they sold the New Westminster house and moved back to Revelstoke. We had some good visits with them there; the last time was in May 1953. When we arrived, we found Fred in Hospital and quite weak. There was no general ailment, but his natural strength just seemed to be failing. He was wanting to get home again, but he was gradually getting weaker.
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