Miss Catherine Black - a Blanshard Spinster

 This blog post follows the last one about Laura Delamater chronicling the life of an unmarried lady from the former RM of Blanshard who had a remarkable life story that I wanted to share.  It is being told due to the generous help of her family -  nieces and nephews and their children who fondly remember Aunt Kate for who she was and what she over came in her life. 

Catherine Isabella Black (better known as Katie or Kate) was born March 18, 1905 on the family farm south of Oak River, MB to James and Mary Black.  She was raised with two older brothers Alex and Archie and a younger sister Florence.  An older brother Elwood was born in 1906 and died 4 months later. 

Kate on her Dad's knee, Archie and Alex in the middle and Florence on her Mom's knee in about 1910

James had come from Bruce County Ontario with his father Alex in 1879 and they were two of the very early pioneers in Blanshard, Manitoba.   You can listen to a very interesting oral history here https://wmrl.ca/files/Oral%20Histories/Black%2CAlex-Oak%20River%20pioneer/  as told by James and Mar's son Alex in the 1980's. Just click on the mp3 file beside the music note to listen. James' wife, the former Mary Ann McLean joined him later and they settled on SE 16-13-22 W1 to begin their family and carve out their future from the prairie. Kate, born in 1905 and her younger sister Florence in 1908 were both born deaf, with poor eyesight and unsteadiness.  Such a blow to those parents but I wonder if they took solace in the facts their girls had each other.  The support from their parents is so evident in the fact that both Kate and Florence attended The School for the Deaf in Winnipeg, Kate from 1913 to 1923.  

The logistics and expense for 10 years close to 300 kilometres away from home must have been a real challenge.  The C.P.R. did offer reduced fare on train tickets to students,  beginning in 1891.  There was no tuition for the deaf school, the same as any other school, but there was a charge for room and board. For it to continue, their education must have been deemed a real success and important to the family.  

Exercising on the lawn - Sherbrooke and Portage Ave

New school opened in 1921 at 500 Shaftsbury Blvd

Beside academics, the Black girls learned sign language, took dance lessons and made life long friends.  The 1916 Canadian Census shows Kate as an 11 year old 'inmate' in the dormitory of the Deaf and Dumb Institute of Tuxedo Park.  42 other girls and 57 boys are listed with birthplaces all over Canada and beyond.  Other students came from the city of Winnipeg for day school.  Most were teenagers but some were as young as 7.  Teachers hired were often deaf themselves and were in charge of formal academic education as well as vocational education such as homemaking skills and carpentry. Students who lived in residence were given daily chores to help run the institution.  The Principal at this time was Howard McDermid who had taken over from his father, the previous principal.  Life in residence for the girls would have been a huge contrast from life at home on the farm.  Living in close quarters was a risk during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1919 and in fact the school closed for a time.  Chicken pox and diphtheria outbreaks also happened and sick children were attended to in the medical ward. 

Not only were the Black girls students, they became teachers at home in instructing many of their relatives to use sign language so they could communicate with them.  For those that didn't sign, they communicated by writing. Following along with being teachers, spelling errors in what was written to her were always corrected by striking the word out and putting the proper spelling above it. Kate was also really frugal to use every last bit of space on the paper. Once the sheet was full she would flip it on its side and write there until it was full.

Kate and Florence made many friends at school and always kept in touch through letters. Her nephew remembers there weren't many days they didn't get a letter or two in the mail. He also remembers friends coming to visit and he would look in the parlour where they were visiting and the fingers were going so fast he didn't know how they knew what was being said! Kate could also sit down and write a letter and have it ready to mail in a few minutes.  Besides friends Katie kept in touch with many relatives and never forgot a birthday.  She was proof that social and family connections did not rely on the spoken word.

Katie was also an artist, a trait that has carried down in her family.  She would draw little animals and again with her teacher skills, showed her nieces and nephews how to draw them.

Younger sister Florence loved animals and preferred outside jobs on the farm while Kate  liked to cook and do the housework. This led to a few disagreements when Florence would bring animals in the house and Kate would shoo them out! Brother Alex and his wife Blanche and their 4 children lived in another house in the same yard. Every Sunday night the family would gather at Alex and Blanche's for supper. 

Sad days were ahead for the Black family that would change the habits of the past. Kate's dad, 95 year old James passed away in 1949 and sadly Florence passed away suddenly in 1950 at the age of 42. I cannot imagine how difficult that must have been on Kate.  More change came however and in 1951, Kate and her mother Mary moved into a little house on Limit Street in Oak River.  Daughter was the main caretaker for her mother until she passed away in 1955 at 91 years old.  Change happened again in 1956, when Kate took a solo trip to Toronto to visit relatives.  Imagine her bravery to manage the train and strange busy places on her own.  After returning to Oak River, Kate must have been happy with that taste of the world outside her hometown so that she journeyed  to Edmonton to visit relatives.  Knowing what a gem she would have been, they asked her to stay and work at their rooming house at 12320 104th Ave near the downtown which she did for the next 13 years.

Kate sitting in the center, surrounded by family at a Christmas gathering.

In 1970 at the age of 65, Katie moved back east to her house in Oak River. These were the years I remember Katie from. A friend of mine was her great niece and I would occasionally accompany her to take or get something from Kate’s little house. Visiting to collect Halloween treats or share Christmas carols and dainties with our youth group are two things I recall. Katie's expression lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw my friend Arlene. I have to admit I was afraid of Kate with her utterances I didn't understand. Arlene recalls that she always enjoyed T.V. and seemed to understand the programs even though she couldn't hear and there was no closed captioning in those days. She kept up to date on local and world news reading the Brandon Sun and other papers. Kate took a keen interest in politics and always voted Liberal. She was a big fan of Pierre Trudeau. At one family gathering, someone stuck a big picture of John Diefenbaker on her wall and she got a big laugh out of that.  

Kate holding one of the third generation of Blacks to live in Blanshard. 

She was a good cook and had some big family gatherings at her little house. It was crowded, spilling into the outdoors but lots of fun. Her growing family of great nieces and nephews were a joy to her.  Her family got groceries, mail and checked in on her so she could be independent as she wanted. Unfortunately, for the last few years of her life Katie was blind. She could still write to her family but they had no way of communicating back to her. She still never forgot a birthday and always made sure she got out to vote for the Liberal party. Despite all her hardships she always remained in good spirits. Kate lived on her own until her death in 1993.  

What an inspiration and I'm proud to be able to share the details of her life, well lived.

Miss Laura Delamater - a Blanshard Spinster

This post is not about an Ancestor of mine but in 1983, I did live in a basement apartment in Brandon on 13th Street on the floor below Miss Delamater.  When she saw my last name on the mailbox, she had to know if I was an Oak River Simms and and was delighted when I told her I was. We had a few visits over tea and she gifted me some old Oak River Post newspapers.  I've used the Blanshard history books and found a few online sources to tell her story as I know it today.  I'll be glad to add more details or correct my errors! 

Laura Ethel Delamater was the eldest of three daughters born to Ethel (Sparling) and Walter Delamater on September 13, 1915.  She grew up on her parent's farm at 11- 13-22 W1, south and east of Oak River.  Her parents married in 1914 with both being members of pioneer families. The Delamaters arriving to Blanshard from the USA in 1878 and the Sparlings from Ontario in 1909.  Ethel was the first teacher at Bankburn School before marrying Walter.  My family has a close connection to that school as told here. 

 Laura had two younger sisters, Mary who trained as a nurse and went on to marry a doctor, Robert Hoare and have a family.  Youngest sister Iva married a missionary John Wood and spent some of her life in Trinidad before settling in Windsor, Ontario with her family of four. As young girls, the Delamater sisters were members of the Upland Literary Society which operated from 1932-1938 as a social group of about 30 families who took turns hosting dances, literary meetings, debates, performances, card tournaments, and relay suppers.

https://indigenoustbhistory.ca/files/San-Board-News-Bulletin-July-1961.pdf

The most helpful biography above was found in the News Bulletin of the Sanitorium Board of Manitoba Volume 3 Number 7 from July 1961 found at this website.  It tells that Laura was stricken with tuberculosis in the 1930's and was sent to Ninette Sanitorium for treatment and her mother was sick with it as well.  Rest and isolation seems to be the way TB was treated. Laura was well enough to help in the laboratory and it was then that she discovered her life's calling.  She graduated with a Registered Technician's Diploma in 1940 and worked at Ninette for the next 7 years until she moved to Brandon to the Sanatorium there on 10th Street and Queen's Avenue where inpatient treatment of indigenous people for tuberculosis had begun after WW2.  She helped write a paper found here in 1950 and remained at that facility until it closed in 1959.  

In the meantime, Laura's parents had sold the farm in 1942 and moved into Oak River where her father was a dealer for Cockshutt Equipment until he became ill.  Walter passed away in 1961 and Ethel moved to Brandon to live with with Laura until she died in 1974.   

Laura was the head laboratory technician for 26 years until she retired in 1973.  The Brandon Sun has a picture of her retirement coffee party which was attended by 150 of her friends and colleagues at the Assiniboine Hospital. Laura was retired for 20 years before she died in 1993.  She is buried with her parents in Oak River Cemetery. A life well lived. 

Blue Willow Platter

I was intrigued when my cousin Marilee brought this platter to me to see what I could discover about it. It was given to her by our Aunt Dodie, Doris (Simms) Henry of Oak River, MB, years ago.  With my friend Google,  I was actually able to find out quite a bit.  I have had an attraction to Blue Willow for years and was even able to buy a boxful of it at an auction sale in 2018 for $1.  When it turned out to be 24 saucers and 2 cups, I smashed the saucers with a hammer and used them to tile a broken table. I then sold the table for a little profit!  

The Blue Willow pattern is one of the most easily recognizable and has been in production for many many years. It was first created in England by Thomas Turner in the late 1700’s even though it appears to be Oriental. The pattern was used on plates, cups, bowls, teapots and more by manufacturers around the world, each with its own distinct variations. Japan and the United States made their own designs in the post war years and it was quite popular china and restaurant ware in the 20th century.  There are many variations in the details of the picture and besides the most popular blue, it was also made in red/pink, green, black and brown.  Some have more than one colour but most are monochromic. It is still available new in lots of places. 
Transferwear is when the design is inked onto tissue then transferred to the china piece. Often wrinkles and folds happened and that makes it a sign that it was not mass produced. I found a great Youtube video showing the process here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9P7sIvxtLho

This platter of Marilee's measures 15.5 inches by 12 inches and it has a one inch deep recess. The stamp on the bottom says Warranted Staffordshire W.A. & Sons England identified here http://www.thepotteries.org/mark/a/adams1.html as belonging to Adams Pottery from 1891- early 1900’s. English manufacturers like this are more valued and sought after by collectors.  Some sites refer to the embossed numbers 10 and 21 on the reverse as a year of manufacture and some say it refers to the size. Like everything, Facebook and the internet have many sites for collectors to look through and find conflicting information! 

This pattern is called Standard Willow. The willow tree is just to the left of the middle with 12 branches, leaning over a bridge.  Three 3 people walking across it or perhaps fishing. Several tea houses are part of the pictures as is a boat and a zig zag fence.  The two lovebirds are always part of the pattern and in some they are chubbier and others they appear to be kissing! The legend as explained on this site is reprinted below. 
https://adirondackgirlatheart.com/vintage-blue-willow-china/

Once upon a time, Koong-se a young woman of great beauty fell in love with Chang, her father’s accountant. Enraged when he discovers their love, he banishes the obviously lower class young man and constructs a wall to enforce their separation.

Daily the girl walks to the property’s edge and stands beneath the willow tree, gazing out across the sea and dreaming of her love. She despairs when she learns her father plans to marry her to a Duke. 

But on the evening before her wedding, she escapes with her one true love; they race across the bridge and flee on the Duke’s own ship!  Sadly, their union isn’t meant to last.

 The Duke tracks them to an island where they’ve built a beautiful life, and he slays Chang, leaving Koong-se bereft. She dies of a broken heart.

The gods take pity on the pair and turn them into doves, allowing them to fly together forever.

We don't know the history of the platter before Aunt Dodie had it but it was no doubt a cherished possession.  Thanks to Marilee for the chance to find out more.  I will print out a copy of this post to tape to the back of it so this piece of the story is carried forward with it. Make this the day that you write down everything you know about a treasured piece, sign it and attach it to the item.  Someday an ancestor will thank you.

Perhaps Not Unprecedented Times

Unprecedented times seems to be a phrase used often in the media and general conversations these days.  Covid-19 has been top of our minds for many months and will be a memory we will have for the rest of our days when it is over.  Historians and genealogists have a tendency to look back to help us make sense of the present and this post is the result of that reflection. 

 

My great uncle, Alexander Sinclair, died a few days short of his 21st birthday in May of 1920 near Oak River, Manitoba. Born June 1, 1899, Alexander was the second youngest of a family of six children of pioneer farmers James and Elizabeth (Henry) Sinclair. Educated at Bankburn School, Alex farmed 16-14-22W1 with his family until his young death. The Oak River Post newspaper clipping indicates he was stricken with influenza earlier in March and was unable to recover.  His family remembered him with a large stone at nearby White Bank Lea Cemetery. As deeply as the Sinclair family must have been grieving their son, they were not alone.  

Four of Alex's cousins, children of his mother's brother, William Henry, died a few miles away from the epidemic of influenza earlier that same year in March of 1920. This would have been the same time that Alexander got sick. Their obituary notice below was found online from the Oak River Post.

GEORGE T., WILDRED JAMES, DELLA and EDITH HENRY
To lose four children in two days has just been the exceptionally sad
lot of Mr. and Mrs. William HENRY, the cause of death in each case being
pneumonia following influenza. George T., aged 18 years and 11 months,
and Della aged 14 years and 5 months, died less than an hour apart on
Friday morning, and Wilfred James, aged sixteen, and Edith aged eleven,
passed away early Sunday morning. The deceased were all of a robust
constitution and particularly well developed for their age, but in spite
of this and all that medical science could do for them, the disease was
of such a malignant type that they could not withstand its ravages.
The four children were buried in White Bank Lea cemetery, the former
two on Saturday forenoon and the latter two on Sunday evening, Rev. Wm.
FERGUSON officiating.
Four pleasant faces will be greatly missed from the life of our
community, and our tenderest sympathies are extended to the fond parents
in their grief.

A photo of the Henry children's weathered grave marker at White Bank Lea is below. Over 100 years has passed but the story of the short lives of these children remains carved in the stone. Their small community had already experienced such sadness, unfortunately.   

Three young children of Thomas and Lizzie Wilson died the year before in 1919.  These children's grandmother (Ellen Wilson) and Alex's grandmother (Mary Henry) were sisters and they all lived within a few miles of each other, northeast of Oak River.  Robert Melvin was first to succumb on February 1, 1919.  He was only 9 years old.  His 3 year old sister Irma died the next day and on February 8, young Doris who was almost 2, was the third. They are buried in White Bank Lea around a single square stone with their names and birth and death dates on three sides.  

These stories are not shared to make anyone feel their worries of today are not justified.  Times have changed but emotion has not.   The eight children's stories continue to be told and remembered. The Wilson, Henry and Sinclair families carried on despite the tragedy and better days were ahead.  Keeping their own household in quarantine was the only was to stop the virus while waiting for medical advances and they did. We will too.  Stay safe at home, friends.

Memories of Oak River Memorial Rink

Following up on the previous post on my 52 Ancestors Blog about the school I attended, this one is about the rink where I spent many hours as a child learning to skate and socializing with the Oak River, Manitoba community.  My school classes skated and curled and the building was well used during the annual summer fair and other events.  The sources for my writing today are the local Blanshard history books as well as the little blue-covered booklet pictured written by Harold Griffiths (1903-2009).  Thanks to his great-nephew Garry Bridgeman and his wife Grace for sending it to me along with clippings about the rebuilding.  They knew how much I would enjoy them and put them to good use!

Discussions to build a new rink began in 1948 when a group of local people raffled off a car and were able to raise $6000, according to Mr. Griffiths' book.  There was an airplane hangar being sold from the former RCAF station at Neepawa for that exact amount and plans began.


The first men’s curling club in Oak River was organized in 1900. They used a temporary rink until 1914 when a building was built to be the curling rink in the winter and the agricultural exhibition building in the summer. It was built north of present #24 highway on the agricultural grounds where it has always been since. Outdoor hockey facilities were used for both men’s and ladies' clubs forming just after the turn of the century. According to 1984 Blanshard history book, the 1914 building had a waiting room and 3 sheets of curling ice encircled by a 14 foot wide sheet of skating ice.

Demand for more modern facilities after WW2 led to construction starting in 1948 with disassembly of the hangar and transporting all the bits and pieces to Oak River.  Doors, windows, roofing, siding, lights, switches, gyproc and wires made their way over the 54 miles in 14 days with volunteer trucks and labour.  Art Glinz is credited with keeping all the materials organized and storing them in the old school which he had purchased as well as in Tom Paxton's barn.  Mr. Griffiths describes the dangerous job of lowering and moving the huge beams that would be the ribs of the facility. An engineer was hired for a while but there was a lack of funds to keep him on.  Volunteers worked away at the process over the next 3 winters.



The Oak River Memorial Rink opened January 10, 1953 and it was built at an estimated cost of $30,000. The skating ice was 72 x 178. With a wooden dance floor over the ice surface, it held 500 people with standing room for 500 more. The dance gardens in Oak River were famous and many people I have met over the years would associate my hometown with dances. Famous entertainers like Don Messer, Mart Kenny, Tommy Hunter and Frankie Yankovic stopped in Oak River in the 50’s. I have been told that Fred Glinz was the organizer of these dances for years and other performers included Marty Robbins, The Trashmen, Bobby Curtola and Bill and Sue-On Hillman.  At one time the dance floor featured a rainbow mural as well as stars suspended overhead. The 4 sheets of curling ice were converted to artificial in 1967 for a cost of $14,000. The waiting room in the main rink seated 200 people.

If you were ever there, take a walk with me through the main doors, past the ticket booth and you see the back of rows of dark red velvet theatre chairs facing out on the skating ice. Dressing rooms with mint green painted doors and cupboards are to your left and down the hall to your right was an office and washrooms leading to the waiting room. The lunch counter stood on your right and the curling ice viewing area to your left. One memory I have is of curtains around the snake pit during bonspiel time, to keep young eyes out of the liquor being served I suppose! The "snake pit" also was in the basement and you brought your own bottle too at one time! The snap of brooms on the ice and boom of contacting rocks were sounds heard while sitting on the wooden two layer benches covered with carpet.  The trophy cases must have been on the east wall but I don't really recall.  I do remember the record player in the waiting room that needed to be restarted to keep music going to the skating ice between games of crack the whip and pom pom pull away!  Mr. Glinz with his hands behind his back in his muskrat coat and hat with long bladed skates created his own breeze when he glided past.  The hockey scoreboard was a sought after job especially during the Tournament of Champions weekend.  After going up a ladder to the box, flood light bulbs were moved along a series of holes in a board to indicate the score.  Cleaning the ice with push scrapers before the age of zambonis kept the kids active during inermissions.

In 1977, renovations to the waiting room and new lunch counter cupboards were made. Four dressing rooms were in the basement. Due to declining numbers in 1984, one sheet of curling ice was no longer used. It became a pretty intriguing skill to make use of the hump of ice (perhaps caused by the roof leaking) on the right side of the sheet #4 to bank your shot off!

Disaster struck on November 14, 1987 when a fire started by arson destroyed the rink.

 Ever the strong community, eight days later the people packed a meeting chaired by Jim Forsyth in the school gym. Committees were struck, a contractor was hired and preparations for a new building began.

The new rink opened November 5, 1988.  I'd be pleased to hear your memories at ssimms@escape.ca 

Thanks to Alvina, Lyn, Louise, and Nicki for sharing your memories that I've added to the post.