A Letter from Isabella May 1st, 1937

                           Grandmother Isabella Glen Shiels

I found her letters again. They were addressed to my mother, Nessie, who was newly married, and living in Victoria, B.C.  My pioneer grandparents lived in Bethune, Saskatchewan; tilled the soil with oxen and horses. I visited the homestead quite  few times , long after they were gone. A quiet, windswept place, where wild prairie forever stretches. "Like the ocean," my mother would say. You could walk the fields getting lost in the grain . To find your way back , all you had to do was turn around and see the homestead in the distance. When I see the old photos, I can still smell those warm prairie nights, and all those people come alive again.....

       (Stuart, Isobel, Nessie , Bill, Isabella Glen Shiels and Robert Shiels
                                                                               and Jessie  their favourite dog)

(This  letter deals with a measles epidemic and a blistering mustard plaster.......)

Keddleston, Saskatchewan                       May 1^st, 1937

Rain everywhere, but around this district . Bit it still comes in time .  I guess Edda and you had quite a nice time. It was nice for her, anyway.

    

 Just as I started to write this I got one of my turkeys poisoned with formaline wheat. I had 3 set on 49 eggs, so one is gone, and eggs spoiled. Blanch Ferraby is off with her sister to the old country and I met Blanche Wilke at Ferrabys on Tuesday. Went to spend the afternnons to get my curtains run up. I bought the same material as the front windows, changing them to bedroom and North window.  

     

Bill, waiting to hitch the horses.

      Blanche  was blowing on about Mrs. Bunker and Mrs. Smith, being absent and Mrs. B had shown her all over. Oh Hell,I said, Nessie is all.Electric and all kinds of lovely furniture. She has been subbing for Jean Muirhead, until they got another teacher . A Friend of the Family….Principal of Scotts. Got her a school, or room, rather, 23 children, 8 grades at $800. A salary she deserves. She did a lot for Keddleston , even starting a girl guides. They got a Miss Griffin from Regina.

    

     The measles has taken it s last person. A. Thompson. It did not miss a house that had got it. Left behind weak eyes and 5 that I know of had ear operations. Doctor Gillis’ boy had 2 mastoids. Niel Wilkie , two of Art Beals’ kids and quite a few more, but with the last two warm days I think the worst is over.

   

Nessie and her beloved horses

     Dad is back to his old self and has been on the land the last two weeks with 6 horses, so you can judge from that. I blistered him with mustard , just as I did Stuart, and it has cleared out the Bronchitis, I think.

    

     The men have all the wheat in now, and burning for oats, but won’t sow for some time.Helen Tomlinson lost out in the finals of the Amateurs, the best singer, but her voice was not suitable for radio. They must have had quite a time choosing, as they cried out her name. Too bad.

    

     Had a long letter from J. Irwin, he is working and work is plenty over there, but the weather has been wet and more wet.

   

      I am sending you Mac and also one of the Boyce and his Ma. Where is you snap shots ( eh?). Harry has got a new Bug he is renting. Hargraves , 14 acre and group to keep a cow and 100hens and 2 pigs, raise 400 bushel of grain to feed them, and be Independent.The grass is just showing, and the cattle have to be fed yet.

   

      Oh yes, Freddy has bought the Hotel, and giving a dance to tonight, with the Beach Orchestra. I think Silsby is renting Ferraby’s and Harris’ had to rent his to Guy McConnell, as he had only 3 horses. Oh, again Herb and Aggie have moved into Irwins, and rented their own to F. Goolatt, as no others would take it.

    

Ferraby's in Kedelston, 1931

    Mac works with Willie all forenoon, then sleeps all noon. He is the whole cheese to see his little legs dancing around the cows and horses. To make them go is to laugh, but he takes a great kick out of it. Now, he is chasing the 10 little pigs , but I have two red ones and when I let them out, and they just shoulder aside. They say: No thanks. What are you getting 50 chicks for, Norman, and us this week. Oh, I forgot to tell you was at Regina two weeks ago, and had a fine time…skinned my heels with new shoes and sent your money to the Victoria Bank ( $105). Please let me know if you got it all right. Going up to Keddleston, tonight, taking Stuart up to the Davee Hall.

Stuart, Mar 21, 1934

    Fred Lydall will sell his pool tables to Fred Goolatt, I think, for the Hotel, so am glad. Must stop as I have the kitchen to clean up, yet, and it looks like rain. Has Champ got $300 as honary Relief? Does he still talk about building the Hotel, and I hope his Ontario one has not caught in the flood.

    Must stop…Love to Davy and Nessie.

                      From all, including Mother.