A recent three day blizzard here in Western Manitoba reminded me of pictures I had copied from old Kinnaird pictures. I recall the hen house above that was on my Grandpa and Grandma Kinnaird's farm north of Hargrave at W1-11-27. The middle picture of the three shows after a tunnel was dug to get to the door and the last picture looks to be before. Helpfully written on the picture is the year 1947 - 70 years ago! Thousands of pictures were taken of the storm of 2017 but to take three in a row of the hen house shows it must have been outstanding to them!
The photo above was also captioned 1947 - Snowplow on Cecil Carruthers' road. Further research online turns up that January 30 - February 8, 1947 goes down as one of the worst blizzards in prairie history. Stories remain about farmers who had to throw feed down holes that they chopped in the roof for animals trapped in barns and coops. Some roads remained blocked for months until the Spring melt. Other pictures of the aftermath of the Blizzard of '47 that were taken in Saskatchewan and found online are below:
What a huge challenge that must have been with limited communication, no prior warning and only the most basic in machinery to clean it up! I have a feeling the people of the post war time, including my grandparents, looked after themselves and their neighbours without expecting any outside help and without complaint. It was just a reason to take pictures for their granddaughter to see 70 years in the future!
Sharon - we are distant relatives by marriage. My Father was Harry Handley REEVES,and his father was Frank REEVES, son of HENRY REEVES Sr. My great grandfather came to Canada and settled on
ReplyDelete5-13-26 under the Rankin Colonization plan.
Frank married Lily Handley and together had five children (Helen, Violet, Albert, HARRY, & Joyce). Harry married Lavina Agnes TURNER, whose mother was Gertrude Florence CASSELL Turner and her father Gordon TURNER.
Viney and Harry Reeves also had five children. (Donald 1939, Gail 1941, Beverly 1943, myself 1947, and Susan 1961).
I was born Feb.21, 1947 during the storm of the century.
My grandmother (Gertrude CASSELL Turner) who was worried about her daughter due to give birth and stuck out on a farm during storming weather, made arrangements for Viney to be brought into ELKHORN, Manitoba two weeks before her due date. It took two teams of horses, and an automobile to accomplish this and it took several hours. The first sleigh team broke ground (driven by Albert Reeves), and the second team by my father (Harry Reeves) followed. Mother said she was buried under fur rugs with heated stones st her feet.
Nannie (Gertie CASSELL Turner) was a wise woman to arrange this, as I was born BREECH in the ELKHORN hospital on 21st of February,1947.
Hi, I love the story you wrote. I am trying to complete my family tree. Do you happen to have a picture of Harry Handley Reeves, Barbara?
ReplyDeleteHi Julie. Barbara Reeves Vermette here! You were asking for pictures of Harry Handley Reeves. I sent four to Sharon Simms this morning. If I cannot enter them here, perhaps Sharon can share them (with my permission)
DeleteI am curious. Your family heritage. Do we have a connection? I am interested in knowing more.
Looking forward to hearing from you. I can be found on Facebook. However, we’ll need a password in order for me to recognize you.
(Please use my fathers three initials).
Looking forward to connecting with you.
Barbara Vermette