July Memories

Lake Five just west of Glacier Park, MT
view from the Swantz cabin

I've been spending some quiet days with lots of "thinking time".  I put the above picture as the desk top on my computer.  It's such a peaceful scene and brings back precious memories of the special times in Julys past that our family spent there.  This one was taken on our last visit there in 2009.  This year we should have been back there as we had been on an "every three years" schedule.  We all loved it there so must make a point of booking it again.

The month of July holds a lot of memories for me.  In July of 1968 Howard and I were on our way to the west coast.  We stopped in Fort McLeod to visit cousins Helen (Olson) and Johnny Knox.  There we got the news that Uncle Herb Haaland had died in a car accident near Invermere, BC on July 4. He wasn't quite 52 years old.  We considered going back to Climax for his funeral but decided to keep heading west the next day.  Our trip had already been delayed due to a car accident in Lethbridge.  Howard and I were riding with Dad, Mom and Aunt Selma on our way to cousin Marilyn and Flemming's wedding reception on June 30. While crossing an intersection we were struck on the passenger side by another car.  Aunt Selma was sitting in the front seat beside Mom and was hurt the worst with several broken ribs.  Needless to say, she didn't make it to her daughter's reception but recovered in hospital and lived many more years until she passes away at the age of 94 in 2001.  We had made a quick trip to visit Aunt Helma and Uncle Jimmy Parkins at Bowden, then drove Mom and Dad home to Frontier as the Chrysler wouldn't be fixed for over a week.

On our return from that one and only trip to Vancouver and the Island (Butchart Gardens was a highlight!) we came home by Frontier.  When we got to the farm we saw a baby basket and baby clothes in the living-room.  Mom and Dad were now Grandma and Grandpa to Alan and Judy's son, Thomas Alan Erickson who was born on July 10 at Climax Hospital.  And now we were Uncle Howard and Aunt Elaine!  That birth took place 44 years ago yesterday and Tommy was in my thoughts a lot.

On July 19th, 1986, just nine days after his 18th birthday, Tommy died in a tragic rollover on the grid road just a few miles north of their farm.  Clare had planned to go to Frontier that day with Clint and Muriel Pederson to meet  Tommy in Swift Current and spend a few days with him at the farm.  Instead, I had to tell him the sad news that instead of going to see his cousin, we would be going to Frontier for his funeral.  I'll be landing in Norway on the 19th but I'll be thinking of our first nephew who will always be missed.

I also remember July 13 when I was ten years old.  My mother had come down with polio and was flown by air ambulance to the General Hospital in Regina that day.  She was expecting a baby in October and was now unable to walk.  She spent some time in the isolation ward with no visitors, not even flowers were allowed.  She spent six weeks in the hospital before coming home again. I enjoyed those six weeks, mostly at Uncle Herb and Aunt Edith's.  Playing with one year old Cheryl was likely the highlight of that summer for me.  That, and learning to ride cousin Ralph's bike, under the bar!  

Sandra Helene arrived right on her due date, October 5, in the Frontier Hospital.  I jumped up and down on the cellar lid at Grandma and Grandpa Erickson's when I learned that a sister had arrived!  (And I'm still rejoicing that I have a "little sister"!)  We had a hired girl, Inez Simons, from Divide.  She agreed to come as long as she didn't have to take care of the baby!  But Mom was well able to do that.  Dad moved the mattress in the little crib up higher so Mom could reach the baby on her own.  Mom was so thankful that she still had the use of her arms as she had seen a lady in the hospital whose arms were turning to stone..  She did more in that wheelchair than lots of women with two good legs ever did!

Another July memory is from July 23, our wedding day, as well as Mom and Dad's 25th anniversary.  It will be a special day this year even if Howard is no longer with me.  Sandra and I will be spending that Monday through Wednesday visiting the birthplace of our Grandma Haaland,  mom's mom or mor mor as she would be known in Norsk.  Howard and I were there on our first trip to Norway in 2005, along with Todd and Kristy and Sandra's daughter Mareena and her husband Gavin Conrad.  We were met by a "maxi taxi" to take all six of us and our luggage to Elise's house. Todd and Kristy stayed with Gunvor and Steffen.  Elise has since passed away so now Sandra and I will be staying with Gunvor.  She doesn't speak English so this will be a chance for us to have Norsk immersion!  Two of her children live close by so they will help us out but I'm hoping we learn some good Norsk through this experience.  Gunvor has kept a guest book since she and Steffen were married so she'll be able to show us when several of our aunts, uncles, parents and  cousins have visited over the years.  We better learn enough Norsk so we can leave some comments in her book! 

Bremnes Church
where Grandma Haaland was baptized and confirmed

One week from today we'll be in the air, arriving in Oslo, Norway about six on Thursday morning, SK time.  They are eight hours ahead of us so we will have some jet lag to deal with when we get there.  Can't wait!  Next week I'll have our itinerary on this blog.