Christmas in Taber 1947

 

In 1947, we decided to go to Taber for Christmas.  Marvelle wrote about this experience. 

By:  Marvelle Hyde Noble

Christmas was always an exciting time in our house.  We never really had “BIG” Christmases with expensive gifts, but Mom and Dad always made it BIG! One Christmas when Lester Ann and I were both adults we were discussing Christmas times we had enjoyed.  Mom said her worst memory was when we lived in Rosemary. We lived on the bald headed prairie and there was not a traditional Christmas tree to be found.  So, Mom decorated the ironing board. 

This photo is not of our ironing board, but a more modern version of what ours might have looked like.  Of course, the photo would be in black and white as the time was pre-colored photography.  I remember that Christmas and to me it was one of the best.

It was the first Christmas I remember being given money to buy presents for others.  I was given one dollar.  (That’s one Canadian dollar.)  Dad took me and Lester Ann into Rosemary where we went to Blinkie Bodnar’s store.  Everyone called him that because he was always blinking his eyes.  It took a long time to decide and make our purchases.  I cannot remember what we bought for Mom and Dad, but I bought Lester Ann some red barrettes for her hair and she bought me some crayons.      Dad must have helped Lester Ann pick them out as she was only three years old.

That year we went to Taber to visit Grandma Day and all our aunts, uncles, and cousins.  We wanted to leave before Christmas day, but we were worried that would present a problem.  How would Santa know where to bring our presents?  However, Dad had an idea.  We could write a letter to Santa Claus, then throw it into the wood burning kitchen stove.  The smoke from the fire would go up to the North Pole and Santa would know we would be at Aunt Verna and Uncle Clarence’s place in Taber.  He would take our gifts there. 

So that is what we did.  Lester Ann, Mom, Dad, and I all sat at the kitchen table and very seriously wrote our note to Santa Claus.  I helped Lester Ann with hers. Then Dad ceremoniously lifted the lid on the stove and threw in our notes.  We watched the flames for a moment or two as they curled around the paper and burned it to bits.  We knew the smoke went up the chimney and then to the North Pole because Dad told us it did.  I was about seven and Lester Ann was three.

Mom told us we had to be really good because Santa had elves who were watching very closely at that time of year.  She said they came in the form of little birds, sparrows in our neck of the woods.  They sat on our kitchen windowsill and looked through the window, probably because Dad had spread a few kernels of grain there for them to eat.  They definitely looked like they were watching us before they flew off to report their findings to Santa Clause. 

We drove to Taber in our car, a 1937 Model A.  The car had no heater, and it was very cold that year.  Mom put big rocks in the oven overnight and then wrapped them in big quilts and placed them in the car to keep us warm.  Lester Ann, Mom and Dad rode in the front seat.  I rode in the back.  We travelled south to Taber on Highway 36, which was just an old dirt road in those days, not the wide paved highway it is today.  When we got to the river, we simply drove across on the ice.  I remember in the summer we rode across on the ferry. That was always exciting to me.

Just north of Vauxhall, Dad stopped to check my feet as I was complaining about them being cold.  Dad was afraid they were frozen and decided we needed to stop somewhere where we could warm them.  He stopped at an old store that had a big potbellied stove sitting in the middle of the room.  The fire inside was roaring.  Dad told the store owner his daughter’s feet were frozen and I was immediately put on a chair, my shoes and socks were peeled off, and my feet placed near the stove so they could be warmed.  They were close to being frozen, but I think they were okay.  They were soon warm, and they had also warmed up my shoes. Dad wrapped me in a blanket and carried me back to the car. 

After stopping in Taber for a few minutes to see Grandma, we drove to the Brown’s farm in Purple Springs, just east of Taber.  It was Christmas Eve. 

We had a wonderful time playing with our cousins.  Arliss, Louiene, Bonnie and Harold were the only kids I remember being born by then.  I slept with Arliss in her bed.  Her bedroom was right above Uncle Clarence and Aunt Verna’s room. It was the first time I ever heard someone snore.  It was so loud we could hear him from upstairs.  Besides, it was Christmas Eve, and we were all having a hard time sleeping. 

The next day was Christmas.  Santa Clause found Lester Ann and me and there were presents under their tree.  All our other cousins, aunts and uncles and Grandma came out to the Browns for a big turkey dinner.  It was wonderful.

I don’t remember the ride home, but we had a wonderful Christmas, even if we had a decorated ironing board instead of a Christmas tree waiting to greet us when we arrived. You see, children do not care if they have a beautifully decorated tree. They remember the feelings they enjoyed and the fun they had. 

Mother's First Train Ride by Marvelle Hyde Noble

 Mom said she first rode on a train when we lived in Rosemary. We went to Cardston to the temple. We were going to be sealed as a ‘Forever Family’. I was seven and Lester Ann was three years old. Our whole family caught the train in Rosemary and rode to Brooks. From Brooks, we rode to Medicine Hat where we changed trains. It was a mixed train that had booth passenger cars and cattle cars. It stopped in every town along the way. Horses. Cows, and chickens also rode on the train on their way to market. Every once in a while, we stopped for the trainmen to feed the animals. I can remember seeing men herd the horses and the cattle into corrals located at the side of the tracks so they could give them hay and water. Today, you can drive to Cardston on paved highways in about three hours. In Lethbridge, we stayed at the Marquis Hotel before we resumed our journey to Cardston. The hotel was about two blocks from the train station. When we got up the next morning, Dad left to do some errands and to see if he could see any of his old friends from the area. Mom got herself and us girls ready for the day.

When we were ready, Dad still had not returned so Mom decided we would go for a walk and do some window shopping. We were to catch the train at noon. It was about 9:30 so we had lots of time, or so we thought. Dad was going to pick up the luggage at the hotel and eventually “See that train out in the yard? It was supposed to leave five minutes ago for Cardston, but it’s still here. I don’t know what the holdup is.” 

Somehow, we had been given the wrong time. Dad was no where in sight. Mom panicked!

She sat Lester Ann down on a bench.

“Don’t move.” 

Remember, I am seven. Lester Ann is three. It was my job to make Lester Ann sit there while Mom went to find Dad. I held her hand tightly. She never moved.  

Finally, I could see Mom and Dad. They were running hard. Dad had the suitcase and he kind of three the tickets at the clerk. 

The clerk yelled, “Run! I think you can make it.” The train had just started to move forward again. “It will take a while for it to build up steam! 

People stood on the platform, watching in disbelief as we jumped off the platform and started to run. They urged us on. 

Dad put one suitcase under his arm and held the other by it’s handle. He then grabbed Lester Ann and tucked her under the arm that held the handle. She bobbed up and down like a sack of potatoes as he ran, headed for the slowly moving train. On the caboose platform at the end of the train, the conductor was waving, telling us to run as fast as we could. I tried to make sure my feet hit one of the ties every time they landed. I didn’t want to slip between them and fall. Dad was finally close enough to throw the bags to the conductor. He handed Lester Ann up and then swung on himself.

Mom and I were right behind Dad and just as he reached back to grab my hand my foot caught on the railroad ties. The strap on my beautiful new black patent leather shoe broke. Mom lifted me just as Dad reached down to gather me up. I was on the train!

We thought Mom would be right behind me, but she had gone back to pick up my shoe. The train was now moving faster and faster. Dad, Lester Ann, the conductor, and I stood on the platform and watched helplessly as Mom ran after the train. 

“Run faster!” Dad yelled. “You can make it.” He leaned over the railing and reached out to her. Now, if you know my Dad, you know he could get excited. And I think he was excited. “RUN FASTER!!” Mom was running as fast as she could but when he called to her, she spurted forward at an even faster pace and renewed effort. She was now close enough for Dad to reach down and lift her up and onto the moving train. 

Yeah! Yeah! She had made it. We were all laughing and crying all at one. 

I cannot remember much of what happened after that, other than the fact Mom sat in her seat for an awfully long time before she said anything. She was puffing just as loud as the train. I had no doubt she would make it. All she had to do was run faster.

Mom told the story quite differently. She claimed, as she ran, she thought she would never make it. She thought of all the that would happen if she missed the train. Her dream of us all being sealed was slipping away from her. She was convinced the train would leave without her. 

But Dad’s encouragement inspired in her an inner strength. She would make it. She would make it to the kingdom with her family. She knew the Lord lifted her up in her hour of need, up into Dad’s arms, into the circle of her family. She gave her all. She made it!

When she was finally aboard the train, she thought her heart would burst. The whole thing had almost been more than she could handle, but with Heavenly Father’s help she had been lifted up. 

We ALL made it to Cardston and were able to go to the temple and be sealed as a family. 

I don’t remember this experience. I was only three. But I love this story. I would suggest just one little change in Marvelle’s rendition. She could have referred to me as a rag doll, instead of a sack of potatoes - Lester Ann 

The Best Change

It was here at Rosemary, Marvelle started school in the fall of 1945. I remember well that morning as she went down the road to the gate to meet the school bus. She was so full of life and so eager to get going. This got me to thinking. “This girl is going to be a leader in life, no matter what she chooses to do. Many will follow her. Somebody needs to lead her in the right direction. I guess that somebody is going to have to have to be me.” 

At this stage of my life, I had picked up some habits that were not good me. I was a smoker. I wasn’t a big drinker but had taken a drink now and then. That morning I made the decision to give up my habits and get my life in order. That was when we started going to church and we have never looked back. 

On March 20, 1947, we were sealed in the Cardston temple and our two little girls were sealed to us. Marvelle wrote a story about our trip to Cardston. All the details of her story are true. 

Protecting the Hyde Credit Rating

 I was in my graduation year of high school that was when High School Jackets came on sale for the graduating class. I wanted to buy one, so I visited the store where they were being sold, “ANDERSON BROS. MEN’S WEAR”. I tried on one of the jackets and wanted to buy it, but they were $25.00, and I didn’t have that much money. I asked Mr. Anderson, if I could put it on hold and make payments until I had it paid for and could take it home.

He asked me who my parents were, and I told him, Clarence and Floy Hyde. “You are Clarence Hyde’s daughter?” he asked. It was as if he wanted to verify I was.

I answered, “Yes, I am.” 

He then said, “I’ll tell you what. Any daughter of Clarence Hyde has credit at Anderson Bros. You go ahead and take the jacket home and I will set up an account for you and you can make monthly payments.”

Dad was surprised I was able to bring the jacket home that day. 

I told him about what Mr. Anderson said, Dad’s advice was: “It is now your responsibility to keep the Hyde credit in good standing. 

Make it your goal to pay off that debt before the due date.” And I did! 

Then, in 1979 when Dad asked me to type his personal history, I knew where Dad was coming from when he told me to make sure I paid the bill for my jacket and to do it early. I had read about his experience when he borrowed money to build his house in Raymond and realized how much it meant to him that we pay your debts to the last penny.

I am so thankful for a father who had high standards and expected us, his children, to follow his advice.  

Rachel, and Our Car

If we were to be farmers, we needed a tractor. So, one day I went to Duchess and bought one. Everyone was excited when I came home with the brand-new tractor. Marvelle wrote about the tractor, I named Rachel:

OUR CAR

by Marvelle Hyde Noble

The first car I ever remember riding in was a Model A Ford. It was our family car. It was black as all Model As were. Because I was older, I always got to ride in the back. Dad and Mom and my little sister, Lester Ann, rode in the front. I remember riding in the back and jumping up and down on the back seat. To make sure I did not fall out one of the back doors while going down the road, Dad put hook and eye latches on the inside of the two back doors. The only way I could get out was to climb over onto the front seat and out one of the front doors.

There were no seat belts in those days, so Lester Ann, and I had the freedom to jump up and down as we drove along. Sometimes, if we jumped high enough, we could hit our heads on the car’s ceiling, and I often did. Dad always sang at the top of his lungs as we drove along, and we would sing along with him. “You are My Sunshine – My only Sunshine” or “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You” were our favorites.

Mom claimed I talked all the time and although I know you find that hard to believe, I can remember Lester Ann stopping her jumping every so often, to turn and yell “Oh, lull up” at me as we drove along. She was just following Mom’s example, who could only stand my singing and talking for so long, then she would yell at me to “shut up” over the roar of the motor. In those days it was still OK to yell “shut up” at your kids. At any rate, when Lester Ann yelled “Lull Up” at me, we would all laugh and think she was so clever. I thought she was so cute. She was just learning to talk and who cared if the only words she could say were “Lull Up”. I was five and she was just over one year old.

We had been living in Raymond but then Dad decided we were going to leave the security of the job he had with Canadian Sugar Factories and move to Rosemary, Alberta where we could get to live on a farm he had leased. The farm had a house where we could live and I suppose I could elaborate on it, but suffice it to say, it was less than mother had expected. It was cold and drafty and seven miles from town. But off we all went – Dad, Mom, Lester Ann and me, to become farmers. One day, Dad came home with a new tractor. It was a beautiful red I.H.C Farmall tractor, brand new. 

We all gathered around to admire it. Dad had driven it home from nearby Duchess where he had bought it. It took a while for us to realize “our car” was gone! He had driven the tractor home and we soon realized he had traded the car in for that dumb tractor. That meant, for one whole summer, we did not go anywhere. Dad got groceries from town by riding the saddle horse, Old Bess, into Rosemary to get whatever Mom needed. As you can imagine, it was a long summer. Dad would often come home and tell us “our car” was still sitting on the car lot. No one had bought it yet. I can remember thinking how lonely the old car must feel, just sitting there by itself.

I cannot remember how long we were without a car, but I will always remember the day “our car” came home. Dad left early in the morning. We didn’t know where he had gone but sometime after lunch, we could hear the honking of a car horn coming up the driveway. It was coming from “Our Car”! Dad had gone into town and had bought our car back for a whole $50. 00. Our car was home again. We were a family again.

Nothing would do but we all go for a ride. So, into the car we all piled. Dad was singing at the top of his voice and I was in the back yelling as loud as I could. It felt good. In the video of my mind, I can still see Lester Ann standing on the front seat between Mom and Dad, jumping up and down and yelling at me in the back to “lull up”. I did not care. It was great. Our car was home, and we were having the time of our lives.

I can still picture Mom sitting in the front seat with her eyes shining. Probably from unshed tears because of the love she felt for her perfect little family. Well, I thought it was perfect and I felt the love my parents shared.

It had rained that day or the day before and the roads were muddy. Remember, there were no paved highways in those days and only gravel on the better roads. Most of the back country roads were dirt that became ice slick they were wet. As we topped a steep long hill, Dad stopped the car at the top to look down at the big pond of water that covered the road at the bottom. In the middle of the pond of water were two cars, already stuck. Oh well, we would probably have to go back the way we had come.’ 

But Dad had a different idea. “Don’t you dare, Clarence. Go back.” Mom said. “We’ll get stuck.”

“Don’t be silly, Floy. Model A’s don’t get stuck.” said Dad. “Hang on, kids.” 

And so ….. Dad backed up to get a good run at it. It was exciting but it was scary too. Two cars, much newer than ours had not made it. But of course, they did not have our Dad driving. The men were wading around in the water trying to decide what to do. In my usual style, I was screaming as loud as I could and of course, Lester Ann was jumping up and down. Mom just sat there holding on for dear life. Obviously, she was hoping Dad could get through or better yet, he was not serious about trying.

Ready. Set. Go! And go we did. We hit the water with a splash. Dad expertly steered around the stuck cars. The men were obviously ticked off, as it was apparent, we were not going to stop and they quickly ran for cover from the wall of water spraying out from both sides of our speeding car. Well. It seemed fast to me. We did not slow down, even a little, as we went by, but as we passed the other car, Dad leaned out the window and called, “Watch the Model As go by!”

It was great. Memories were made that day for two little girls and a young mother whose mundane life was made fun by a husband and father who loved “his girls” to pieces and showed not only them, but the whole world he could do anything.

And he proved to two little girls, if you thought you could do it, there was nothing you could not do. Times were tough. Money was scarce, but for a little while on that afternoon long ago, it did not matter. 

 

 

Getting Established As A Family And Some Changes (Part 2)

 At this time (1945), there were a lot of young people moving to Rosemary to farm. Well, I got the bug too. So, we sold our house and on April 1, 1945, I quit my job at Canadian Sugar, and we moved to Rosemary. With $1,000 and a lot of nerve, we started farming on a rented quarter section. You may call it brave, or just plain dumb, but this was the beginning of prosperity in Alberta. The war was just over, and prices started to climb, but land was cheap enough that for $5,000 you could set yourself up for farming. An improved quarter section sold for $2,000 and an unimproved quarter went for $1,000. Rosemary was a good community with a branch of the church there. 

So, we were ready to dive in and become farmers. Marvelle was five, Lester Ann had just had her first birthday, and Floy and I, well, mostly I was excited about the big step forward we were about to make. 

There was one thing I was worried about. My dad was sick, and he had cancer. When we moved to Rosemary, I knew it would be the last time I saw him alive. We left in April and he passed away on the 14th day of May, just two weeks before his 85th birthday. 

Many times, I had heard him say, in his joking way, “When I die, you will have to hire some mourners.” But at his funeral, the church was packed. Every kind of people were there: people he dealt with, friends, neighbors, colored, white, Lamanites, people from all walks of life.

After the funeral was over, the Executor read the will and the bills were all paid with just a few dollars left over. He had paid his bills to the last mile. 

And this, I would like to say to my descendants. Pay your bills to the last cent you owe. If you don’t this is just as bad as stealing. I say this to my family with love and sincerity. 

 GC Hyde

Getting Established As A Family And Some Changes

Things were moving along well for us. Floy had relatives in Raymond and so did I. My Dad, John Walters Hyde still had his blacksmith shop in Raymond, and we saw the Hyde family often. By this time, my siblings were married. Mary married Martin Kendall and had four children. Ella married Henry Simmons and raised a family of nine. After the death of her first husband, she married Leslie Ballard. My next sister, Harriet Adelaide, married William Greep and raised a family of five, two of whom were stepsons. James was the next child. They had one son. My next brother, John Walters married Doreen Bishop. She was from England and a war bride. John married her in England and brought her home after he served in the Canadian Army during World War II. They had five children. 

We were getting along pretty well, and we bought a car. It was just at the end of World War II, and new cars were just about impossible to obtain, so it was a used car. There were only two new cars in town, and you had to be a doctor or someone more important to get one.

In 1942, I became a full-time employee with Canadian Sugar, and by 1945, we had our own little home and had it paid for. We had no other debts. When we decided to build our own home, we had truly little cash to do so. I went to the Mercantile Store to see the owner for credit. After asking several question, he said, “Well, Clarence, your Dad’s credit is good here for anything he wants and any amount of it, but that doesn’t make your credit any good at all. If you want credit here, you will have to earn it yourself.”

So, he gave me the credit and we built the house and after that it was my responsibility to keep the Hyde credit good. We borrowed money and bought materials to build part of the house, paid it back, then would do another part and pay that off. We did that until we had a nice home. We lived there, enjoying our home and our little family until 1945.