“Oh no, Grandpa Has Another Story“
from the collection
In the early afternoon, one day in early 1956, a blizzard struck, with little warning, while I was at school in Colgate.
Even now, I have a first hand memory of the preparations that the School Board had made for just such an emergency. Every young child had been assigned a billet in a home in the small hamlet of Colgate. The high school kids were billeted right in the school. The school had an emergency stock of food.
I was billeted to the home of Florence and Art Mackay. Art was my school bus driver. However, on that day, we covered the two blocks to his house through zero visibility in the bombardier (Read More). I presume that we dropped other kids at their billets along the way. I remember sleeping in a heated lean-to type area of the house.
The next morning was still stormy, but the conditions has eased enough, so it was decided that it would be safe to venture a short distance away. So Art Mackay took Harvey and Beverly Ledingham (Beverly Freeden) and me to their house, two miles away.
I stayed at Earl and Jean’s house for at least one more night. The next morning dawned very clear and very, very cold. Earl hitched the team to the sleigh and took me the last mile to my house. To my memory, this is the only time in my life that I used horse powered travel for anything other than recreation!
That blizzard closed the school for a long period, perhaps 10 days (perhaps 3 weeks). We had real “snow days” back then!
Comments received when this post was originally published in 2016:
Beverly Freeden I was billeted at minister’s manse. Funny, I don’t remember you staying overnight at our house. We were so lucky to have such good years growing up.
Wayne Heise I never got to go to school in Colgate but for 1 day when the ones who would start school next year got to go see how thing went down in the halls of learning. We moved to Gull Lake in the summer before I was to start grade1. The things I remember about Colgate are my 2 buddies Wayne Waldal and David Underwood. My Father ran the Federal elevator there. The snow drifts in our yard made great places for snow forts in winter and the empty lot beside us was great in the fall after the garden came out for digging trenches to play army. Rafting in the ditch across from the elevators. Starting to skate when Dad flooded the ice at the skating rink. When Bells had the Fawn that was injured and they bottle fed it. Who could forget Kings store. Eating Rhubarb and brown sugar in our treehouse behind Underwoods. Leaving the house in the AM and playing all day. Spent a lot of time at elevator with my Dad weighing trucks, sweeping the scale clean and learning about life. Sad day when we left but my friend Lorne Carlson came in and we rode our bikes up the ramp in the moving van and out the side door.
Beverly Freeden Chris just have to tell you I had many rides in sleigh behind our horses. We had buffalo (cows) hides and even a coal foot warmer. One day your dad was taking your grandma, my mom and me to ladies aid at Candy’s I wasn’t in school yet. Anyway quess he hit a drift and your grandma fell out as sleigh had low sides. We got storm stayed overnight and when I woke up they had taken me out of a bed and put me between two chairs.
Lorna Cherpin Wow Chris you have a very good memory. People in Colgate were so nice to have us students stay there. Kings store was awesome. I think we went there just to see Mr King. We had lots of rides with the team and sleigh not to go to school but to visit neighbors. Only transportation all winter for us. As hard as it was it’s to bad this generation can’t experience some of it. Good times.
Verse for today:
“The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
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