Memory Monday: Going to the Farm

I've always enjoyed drawing.

I majored in Art in High School, put together a portfolio for art courses in college, and intended to go but had no funds. After getting a job at Canarim on Granville Street downtown as a credit clerk I discovered the joy of the weekly paycheque, so although I saved a great deal of money, I never did get to art school, and instead after 4 years of office work I got married and used the money as a down payment on a house, which in Vancouver BC was a wise investment, and maybe much better than two years in college!

Here are two hand drawings of a look at every day life in our family.

I wish I'd drawn more, but at the time I didn't think our life was all that exciting.

However, each summer as soon as school let out, we headed South to the USA. My Mom loved to visit Amity Oregon, where her brother Ed Brutke lived on the family farm where she had been born, and had grown up. To this day she misses the fields of Amity, and the quiet peaceful life of the farm. She only lived there for 19 years but it's still in her blood. She's now been in Canada for 60 years and is truly more Canadian than American! The drawing above shows the family car loaded up, with my Dad not shown as he's inside the garage locking up. Poor Dad never had a modern door with a remote garage opener; instead he had a heavy wooden door which had to be locked from the inside. Rain or shine he had to go inside the garage first, open the door, and heave it up with his arms. Poor man....Sugar was Leona's pet rabbit, bought in Richmond when she was 8 years old. At the time of this drawing Sugar was 5 years old, and I believe she died shortly after. Leona always loved pets. My Grandma Williams, who lived just two houses up the lane, took care of our house, garden, lawn, and any pets we had.

We usually stayed for 1 - 2 weeks at Uncle Ed's and had a marvelous happy vacation.

Another drawing...actually hand painted by myself with a simple paint set. I was only 13 and I was really proud of this drawing in my sketch book. The farmhouse is still there, with a new owner. It was sold in 2005 and we visited in 2006 with my parents. The place is changed but basically the same, yet not the same, as strangers now live there. But I'm happy someone bought it. I believe it was only $125,000 for the house and the acreage. A secret dream of mine was always to live in it, but of course, I'm not a farmer and it would be too difficult for Robert to commute to work, as I'm sure he could find work with his expertise in software design, but I don't think there is good WiFi in the area.

We visited again last summer in 2015, and the whole area is now greatly changed with the trees chopped down and many new large homes built. Uncle Ed and my grandparents, Adolph and Helen Brutke, would be horrified. 

Change is inevitable, so these old drawings which bring back such happy memories are a sweet blessing to me. I'm glad I didn't throw them out!

By Loretta Houben

Christmas 40 years ago

The colour prints of the 1970's era left much to be desired, in my opinion.

So I changed the photo to daguerreotype using my Picmonkey program.

I think it gives it an added depth!

Myself in the back, Leona, Marie, Marlene.

We had such fun together. And look at the stack of gifts!

Our tree improved in size too, and was put to the side of the front door.

The orange glow of the 1970's.

I'm grateful to have these few photos. 

My Dad (age 46) is holding a glass Avon container in the shape of a 1920's style car, which most likely held after shave. He liked these gifts, and had a collection in his own bathroom downstairs.I'm not sure what Marie is holding. I have a really neat old fashioned style book newly printed, filled with beautiful engravings and paintings full of artwork from children's books in the 1800's and 1900's. I loved that book. Grandma May Williams (age 67) joined us this year. I don't know what she thought! She never spoiled us with gifts of any kind. She sometimes gave us $1.00 and that was all. Maybe she disliked children being spoiled.

I think I prefer the black and white!

I do wish my mom would have been in a few photos.

By Loretta Houben

Days of the week T-towels.

A long time ago, way back in 1981 when I was engaged to Robert on November 1st, my mom Susie began to plan for my wedding shower. She had saved a set of 1940's flour sack fabric for T-towels (from Amity Oregon and which were really used for flour sacks) and she picked out a design and began to embroider while I was at work. She had 5 months to complete them in her busy schedule.

She chose a darling duck pattern and I just love her tiny exquisite stitches and the pretty colour scheme which she chose. I used the T-towels for many years, as that's what one did in the 1980's!

But then I came to my senses and realized that if I kept on using them they would wear out.

Now they are carefully kept in a dark cupboard.

For Christmas in 1972 my mom gave me a lovely yellow sewing basket complete with needles and embroidery thread, and a set of T-towel fabric so I could sew my own. I chose an iron on pattern from Harvey's store on Kingsway and Earles. I picked little Dutch girls, and set to. It was hard work. 

I finally completed the set years later as an older teenager.

I think it's interesting that I married a man of Dutch descent, don't you?

By Loretta Houben

40 years ago...my Grandfather, John G Williams, died.

My paternal grandfather, John Griffith Williams, born on February 17, 1888 passed away on June 28, 1974, 40 years ago today. In my little diary I wrote: "Grandpa died. Aunt Audrey phoned up and told us Grandpa had an attack and they rushed him to the hospital and he died. So Dad is going to a graveside service." We had just arrived at my Uncle Ed's home in Oregon on that day for our summer vacation. Grandpa had been fine before we left. He had a heart attack. It turned out that no one was able to see Grandpa's body, and there wasn't a service after all, so my Dad didn't go back to Canada by train as he was thinking of doing. It was so expensive to travel in those days and having just arrived in Oregon we weren't going to turn around and go back right away for nothing. We stayed for two weeks. On July 11th I wrote: "Grandma is taking the death of Grandpa hard." She was 20 years younger than him; age 66. She died in July 2004; 30 years later.

My Grandfather was an adventurer. He was the only one from his family in North Wales to venture to the barren wilderness of the Canadian prairies in 1910. He lived for a while in Three Hills Alberta, and then moved to Spalding Saskatchewan in the 1920s. I love the photo above.

After his first wife, Ellen, died in 1926 along with one of his sons, he married Alma May in 1928 and had 7 more children. Here he is in Saskatchewan on his farm, with Jackie, Audrey and Harry.

The prospering family. Two more children came to join them after this time.

John, Audrey, Glenys, Jackie (my father), Harry and baby Ruth.

Photo taken in 2012. My grandparents final resting place in Mountain View Cemetery at 5455 Fraser Street in Vancouver BC. Until we meet again on the farther shore.

By Loretta Houben

My high school graduation dress...1978.

June 9, 1978

36 years ago!

I thought I was all grown up but realized that although I was 18 at last, and graduating from Windermere High School, I didn't know everything as I had imagined I would.

I wrote in my journal: "I wonder where I'll be 18 years from now..."

Now it's been another 18 years from "now" which I find unbelievable.

How the time flies when you're having fun!

This pretty baby blue dress was purchased from a store in McMinnville OR in 1977, the summer before, at a sale; it was only $15.00 US! It fitted me perfectly except for the length.

A few days before grad I was frantically hemming the delicate fabric ruffle and the lining.

I believe I weighed 92 lbs at the time. My parents gave me the lovely corsage from Crest Florists on Kingsway in Vancouver BC, and I had my hair done at Collingwood Coiffures in the same block.

This was one of the happiest times of my life.

By Loretta Houben

September...a new month.

On Sept 3, 1955, my parents were married in a pretty garden wedding.

I've blogged about this before, but it will be 58 years they've been married this year!

Imagine being married to one spouse for so long. I think you'd be very attached to one another for sure! My parents are both Christians and love the Lord with all their hearts. Their faith has been an anchor in their married life. They also share many of the same interests.

Happy anniversary, dear Mom and Dad!

On another note, it's a new month with only 4 months left in 2013.

The summer has whizzed past, with July being the driest month ever on record in Vancouver history. It pleased us immensely, let me assure you.

August was a month of renovations. A new front side fence was added, and a beautiful new back deck. We plan to have a deck party tomorrow in celebration of my parent's 58th, and the new deck.

Linda P's husband Fil did the work. He's a very good carpenter.

He's also working on a front fence. I'll post photos at a later date.

It's also back to school time for all those lucky children out there.

Suffice it to say that I'm relieved I don't have children to raise in these days, with all the horrific problems out there, and the complete lack of morals in the world. (or it seems that way to me)

But somehow people muddle through! I'm glad I have the Lord to turn to, and the Word of God as my firm foundation. Underneath are the everlasting arms! (Deuteronomy 33:27)

It was 40 years ago I started High School in complete trepidation. 1973 was a very difficult year for me, as all my elementary school friends moved away or were in completely different classes. I also had to get glasses for nearsightedness and in some ways it helped, and in others it didn't as I hated wearing glasses and thought all my beauty had vanished! It's certainly interesting to read my diary for those years. 35 years ago, on Sept 2, I began my first office job at Canarim Corporation downtown at the corner of Granville and Hastings St.

Here's what I wrote in my journal about it all:

"I can't wait until I get my first paycheck, which should be next Friday. Karen Hunter phoned me Friday night, and offered me a job that she has quit. It is on Granville and Hastings, and is in an office on the 13th floor! I will do mostly filing, but also some typing and mailing. I will get paid $3.50 an hour, and work from 8:30-3:30. I accepted her offer, because I need to gain experience, and I would like some spending money. I am to start on Tuesday. I am quite nervous of course. Today we all went to Frank Baker's Attic, a nice restaurant with antiques. Afterwards we stopped by the place where I am to work, and 13 floors is a long way up! The building is modern, which is good, for then it won't be dingy." 

(Written on Sept 3, 1978)

By Loretta Williams Houben

Nostalgia re: summer vacations!

I am in a nostalgic mood at this time of year, the end of June and the beginning of summer!

Each year my Mom would save the income tax refund and we would head down to visit her brother,

Ed Brutke, who lived on a wonderful farm in the Eola Hills near Amity, Oregon.

I loved the weeks we spent there. Sometimes it was 3 weeks, sometimes only 1 week.

When I was a teenager we picked cherries in Uncle Ed's fields, or strawberries on a great uncle's farm. I saved my money and bought special things with it; fabric, books, school annuals, etc.

Here we are in the summer of 1975, me at the top, Leona, Marlene, Marie.

A cool creek ran through the property. I don't know if it has a name or not.

My Mom brought one of the larger rocks back one year, and it's now in my garden.

We had a grand and glorious time each afternoon, roaming the fields and hills on the farm, and playing in the creek, or reading in the cool farmhouse.

1975 was the last year we could go inside the "old house".

This was the house my grandparents, Adolph and Helen Brutke built in the 1920's, before building the farmhouse in 1932 where my Mom was born. My uncle used this old house for storing his tools and machinery, and where we are standing at the back, he used to store hay. That room was my grandparent's bedroom. Where the lightbulb is hanging used to be the kitchen.

After cherry picking was finished we would take a trip to the Oregon Coast near Lincoln City.

I adored the coast, even if it was very windy and usually cold. I loved hearing the crashing of the waves on the shore, and staying at the D Sands Motel.

The summer of 1975 we took my Mom's friend, Elsie Diewert, to the beach with us. She played a rousing game of dominoes with us. Here we are in our flannel nightgowns! Marie is asleep on the cot.

Family picnics were always a fun time too. All the aunts and uncles showed up, and usually gave us late birthday cards and gifts or money. It was a great time. It rarely rained. Our vacation was filled with hot temperatures and lots of sunshine. In this picture in 1975 I'm wearing a blouse and jumper that my aunt Emma made for her daughter Melodie, and it was passed on to me. I loved hand-me-downs as they were called back then. I have so many good memories of these happy vacation times.

50 years ago...Windermere High School

Windermere Secondary School in Vancouver BC turned 50 this December.

We attended the 50th reunion at the school.

It was fun to meet a few of my old classmates. I wish more would have attended.

There was a great crowd out, and not enough room in the gym for all who did come.

Most of them were from the 1960's era.

I attended this school from 1973-1978.

I adored school once I finished Grade 8. I've always enjoyed learning.

There are many fond memories of this place, and it was fun to visit again.

Matthew also went to this school, from Sept 2003 - June 2007.

He didn't want to return.

Helen Lee and I, in Mr. Grasdale's old science room on the second floor.

Helen and I in the main hallway.

Assembly in the gym. This was also the place where I graduated; no fancy Queen Elizabeth Theatre for the 1978 class!

Chhalinder, Leona, Helen and I.

The delicious birthday cake prepared by Windermere students.

A sign of the changing demographics of Windermere!

The 1970's decade of students.

Leona and Mr. Jewel, her former science teacher.

The spot in the lunch room where we used to sit each day.

My friends used to shout hello to Leona when she wandered past.

An old annual with my uncle's photo.

Dennis Williams, Grade 10.

It was a fun evening, but not long enough to catch up!

Memory Monday...1974

January 1974; celebrating my Grandma's 66th birthday. Grandpa would be 86 that year. This is also the year he passed away. To me, he looks much older than my own Dad, who is 81.

My Mom always had them both over for a birthday celebration. No one else in the family ever did, to my knowledge. Notice the beautiful Valentine candy box on the cabinet in the background, and notice the plate of Valentine cookies on the table. My Mom would make pink icing, and cover "Dad's Oatmeal Cookies" and add cinnamon heart candies. "Dad's Cookies" is a Canadian brand and very delicious indeed.

I always loved it when we had company!

An old photo...

Isn't this the cutest photo?

I don't remember seeing it until today.

It was taken in July 1972, in Oregon, nearly 40 years ago.

Leona is sitting on the ground, and I'm standing behind Marlene.

Marie was asleep in the house. We were visiting one of my Mom's old girlhood friends, someone named Pat who used to work with her in a bank in Dallas. I can barely remember this visit.

I love the pink dresses Leona and I are wearing. My Mom sewed them from a panel which was pre-printed with the fabric. I had completely forgotten about them until today!

Isn't the mind an awesome thing? I wonder what else is in my memory that I cannot recall, until an old photo is presented to me.

1974 Memories, including Christmas Eve

Marie in the snow, March 1974. She was 3 years old. I believe she's wearing the red boots I wore when I was a child. We never threw anything away until it was in shreds! We understood the concept of recycling before it became the norm.

Christmas Eve, 1974. The presents became more abundant with each passing year.

I guess my Dad's job was prospering! He worked at Glidden Paint Company in the shipping department, managing a forklift and taking orders for paint. He loved his job and worked there over 30 years.

Our Christmas tree is bigger in the 1970 photos too. We always purchased it at Sears in Burnaby in the garden shop.

Myself holding a tiny doll and cradle made in Germany.

Yes, even at the great old age of 14 I loved collecting dolls and furniture.

Not much has changed.

Leona, the horse lover. I believe she still loves horses.

Marlene opening a gift with Marie and the family bird looking on.

My handsome Dad with his new Christmas sweater. He was 45 at this time; the age Marlene is this year. We thought he was ancient, but a nice guy all the same. I wish someone would have thought to take a picture of my Mom!

Marie with her darling doll food.

I loved books, and always say it's not Christmas unless you get a book or two!

What a group! My Dad looks rather resigned. We had such fun on Christmas Eve, shrieking with delight, and enjoying each others happiness. I'm so grateful for my parents love, and the scrimping and saving my Mom had to do in order to buy all those gifts.

550th post! Christmas photos from 1973...

Myself, at 13, and the gifts I received for Christmas that year, December 1973.

My Mom made my red plaid skirt for school in Grade 7, but I hardly grew after that year, so I could still wear it in Grade 8. I loved that thing and wore it until it fell apart. My gifts were: a corn husk doll which I'm holding; these were all the rage in the 1970's. Candy; perfume & lotion set which I was very pleased with; an artificial Christmas tree for my dolls, which was only 99 cents at Eaton's bargain centre on Kingsway; (I decorated it with a string of Kleenex "popcorn" balls) a set of measuring cups; a snowman candle; a rocking chair planter; (you were supposed to put a plant in the bottom); a Ken doll; a wedding dress for my Stacey doll; an alarm clock; and a journal. Yes, I still loved playing with Barbie dolls at 13.

Leona with her lovely gifts; a camper and horse! Plus a Ken doll and a wedding dress for her Barbie.

Marlene and her gifts; lots of Barbie items including a camper.

Marie with her gifts; she wondered why she didn't get a camping set too, but her pool is adorable and she played with it a lot. We were satisfied with the most simple gifts; no electronics for us back then, as they cost a small fortune! A cassette recorder was around $90 and I remember how excited my Dad was when he could finally afford one! I have so many fond memories of these years.