How many of you remember going to Grade 1, barefooted? Do you recall that being bare-footed in school did not make you conspicuous either, as the rest of the kids were the same and the accepted attire in the Spring and Fall sessions?

That was the way of life for Alden after birth in 1930. His entered school at the age of eight following his older brother, Floyd, sisters, jean and Sue, four miles to Pine Ridge School located near Bright Sand Lake. The nearest community was fourteen miles to St. Walburg, directly North of North Battleford, Saskatchewan..

Alden recalls his brother Floyd asking his father “what is the difference between Dynamo and Dynamite?” after returning home from the Bright Sand School which was the equidistant to Pine Ridge School from the family farm.

His father questioned his brother, “what did your teacher say?”

“No difference,” responded his son.

“Well from now on, you kids are attending Pine Ridge School, where the teacher likely knows the correct answer” the father decided.

The family originated in Michigan USA.

“Even before the Great War,” Alden went on, “Dad had heard about all this unsettled cheap land on the Canadian Prairies. He travelled to have a look before he married and thought that at some time that locating there would be a way a man could afford to raise a family”. To this end he signed a commitment to the Canadian government in 1912, that he intended to become a Canadian citizen, paid a $10 fee and received his homestead.

Then the War broke out and his dreams were interrupted. He returned back to the USA and enlisted in the US Navy. Alden recalls. “My Dad served in the First Great War on a Mine Sweeper stationed at Inverness, Scotland. He didn’t talk much about the war but had an aversion to the smell of cabbage and boiling mutton which reminded him of his sea sick days.”

After the War, he became involved in various occupations which included:

• Building cars in a Chevrolet Factory
• Tried Teaching
• Trained as a Bookkeeper
• Returned to the Chevrolet Factory after the War

Marriage and a disinterest into these various career opportunities brought back visions of freedom in the open lands of Saskatchewan. After a few more investigating trips, the family decided on moving in the mid 1920s, to three (3) quarters of land (480 acres) on the shores of Bright Sand Lake.

Alden’s memories were of hardships and ingenuity that it took those pioneers to eke out a living on virgin soil that required clearing trees and breaking land so that marketable grain crops could be grown. Nothing was more disappointing to another “crop” of stones to gather in the Spring after a thorough job last year, it appeared that they “grew continuously”. He also recalled that at no time did they feel that the government needed to support them or that they were unhappy. It seemed that an acceptance of all that came was their way of life.

Alden could not stop laughing as he recalled this incident, “Harry Read brought a load of firewood to Bright Sand Lake School. In those days people traded services for taxes and everyone contributed what they could to ensure that community facilities, such as schools would be available. Harry was proud of his newly painted red grain box that was set over the sleigh. This was too much for one of the students, Alonzo, who took a chalk and wrote, on the side of the box, the words “BULLSHIT HARRY READ” and promptly scampered over the field, directly home. As it was in those days, it seemed that news of his prank preceded him home. Alonzo’s father started looking for him and found him under the bed. All attempts to coax him out failed and so a poker was heated on the stove and one poke did the trick. Yes, capital punishment was administered by the parents as it was customary in those days.”

He also commented that “in those days there were no flush toilets at home or at school. In fact, the first time that I saw a flush toilet it scared the living daylights out of me.”

Then the Depression and the climate change of the 1930s challenged even the hardiest of these settlers so that money became a scares commodity. The Bigsby family had decisions to make:

• The oldest brother, Floyd, was completing grade 8 and high school would require boarding in North Battleford, the closest high school
• The economic conditions looked bleak and may not recover in a farming enterprise
• A decision was eventually made to return to Michigan where Alden mother’s brother had stayed to look after the family dairy farm.
• Alden’s uncle was by himself and there was an opportunity to become involved in this operation
• Alden’s father remembered his Chevrolet Factory days and perhaps there was some confidence that he could gain employment again

“Let’s sell out and go back to the USA!” was the family decision.

There were displaced people from Europe being relocated to various parts of the Prairies, at that time, and so the government needed to assist and became interested in the family farm which sold for $1,500. Alden reminisces “that the land adjacent to the Bright Sand Lake is now populated and developed with recreational cottages. Pity that the family could not retain ownership as a small family fortune may have resulted.”

Alden recounted the story of his father directing the hired hand to transport grain to St. Walburg with the rail line located there. He never returned! So his father investigated and found that the hired hand had received cash for the grain (the practice of grain buyers then), left the horses and wagon at the Livery and absconded with the cash. The RCMP was able to catch up with the rascal and the Bigsby family ended up with his vehicle since the cash was spent. This 1929 Chevrolet was the car that became the moving van and passenger vehicle to move the Bigsby family off their farm near Bright Sand Lake.

In 1939, the five siblings and parents travelled to Biggar the first day and then on to the USA border the next.

The Second Great War had been declared and Floyd Bigsby and his wife, Edna, originally from Bohemia, could not produce proof of their former American citizenship, and that he was a returned Veteran. All attempts could not convince the US Border Guards that they and their Canadian-born children had every right to cross over and back to the USA.

Returning to Regina and an unsuccessful attempt at obtaining visas, precipitated a search for alternatives. Many were considered but it was unlikely that any action on Visas could be expected before their meagre funding was depleted. Then an idea: ” why not contact our former neighbors, the Milligan’s, who used to send us apples from Summerland? Maybe there are opportunities there?”

And so it ensued that the Bigsbies travelled to Summerland, stayed with the Milligan’s and were able to pick fruit that harvest to make ends meet.

But the Bread-winner was bound and determined to be just that and the elder Floyd started looking around at options. A farm two miles from Armstrong became an interesting prospect and with assistance of a Veteran’s Land Administration (VLA) loan, a total of 103.25 acres was purchased for $5,000. Five (5) years later an additional eight (80) acres of “wild” land was obtained for $200.

Soon a fledging dairy and chicken farm became a reality. The Bigsby family settled in the community. It was a struggle financially but at least it provided a place to live and the ability to grow most of the family food. It was home at last!

Alden was able to continue his schooling with a high school available to the elder siblings, Floyd, Jean, Sue Alden and Bob , all in Armstrong.

“Sue and I were often obligated to take care of our youngest brother Bob,” Alden reminisced, “so we decided that Bob would enjoy a ride in the wicker buggy. We let it go down this hill and somehow it stayed upright after the hundred feet or so that it travelled on its own. Thinking back now, makes me realize that there was not much thinking, at that time, by Sue and I!”

In later years, Bob would be frustrated by some mechanical problem that just could not get fixed on his various toys. Alden was very consoling to his kid brother by making faces at him and Bob calling him a “stupid ass” in return just as Bob turned to realize his mother was standing behind him. Well siblings had a special way to bond and they did.

Alden found a distraction in the local Pool Hall and was considered a front runner in Snooker 101. The fact that Alden was color blind and could not always differentiate the four ball (brown) from the reds, did not prevent him from establishing himself as a proficient player touted to be a match for “Minnesota Fats”. His fellow students who were missing school to play pool knew that one of the High School Teaching staff also frequented the Pool Hall and could be there after classes ended at 3:30 P.M. Of course, Alden and the gang would be long gone by that time.

In Grade 11, Alden became a bit impatient with schooling and was able to get a job building cement blocks for a Contractor in town. He found $0.30 an hour an enticing distraction from classes for forty-one (41) days. When questioned by the Principal, Charlie Clay, as to his absenteeism, Alden responded with “my Dad is bed-ridden and I have to help Mom with the chores and farm.” Well Mr. Clay did check up on Alden and was proven correct in his alibi as on that particular day, the elder Floyd was in bed. Still the Principal was able to use his Psychology on Alden and his Grade 11 was completed.

In the Summer of 1947, Alden “thumbed” a ride to Princeton after hearing that they were hiring at the Copper Mountain mine. By the time he got there, after a day and a half, they had already hired someone. Prior to “getting on”, he spent one night in jail, a courtesy by the local RCMP as he had no place to eat or sleep that night.

Alden decided to get serious about grade 12 and graduated in 1948.

That Summer, Alden was able to work on construction of the Highway from Enderby to Armstrong. His sudden wage increase to $0.61 an hour was almost too hard to believe. He saved his money and bought a second hand Fordson Tractor for the family farm and a 1926 Model T Ford for himself. He recalls, “that car had four gears, two in the rear end and two in the forward transmission. It had slotted floorboards so I had to lift my feet whenever we would go over a puddle.” This act, for the family who did not have a car and still worked the farm with horses, was one that indicates Alden’s dedication and love for the family unit. This was a prevalent and a family attribute of love in the Bigsby family.

Summer of 1948 was spent in a Lead – Zinc mine at Field where he experienced working underground. These were some of the experiences there:

1. There was no electricity underground
2. Only light was with a head lamp
3. When Alden advised the Boss that he was leaving that weekend to go back to school, the next day he was taken off his sit down job of Shusher Operator and given a job of removing unused rails in an abandoned tunnel,……….. alone
a. The head lamp went out within the first one half hour with seven and a half hours of shift to go
b. Alden had to spend the longest day of his life, waiting for someone to come to his rescue as there were abandoned pits that could be stumbled into and so no chance to “feel his way out” on his own
c. Thoughts floated by Alden:
i. Was this an intentional act by his boss to “hurt” him?
ii. He could hear water dripping………
iii. He knew there were rats somewhere………..
iv. There was this absolute darkness………..
v. It was eerie and noises imagined and otherwise…………..
vi. His mood went from angry to disappointment
vii. “Why did he do this to me?
d. The rescue did not come about until the end of the shift when it became apparent that Alden had not reported in
e. One wonders why any supervisor, especially in a mine, would send a worker into an abandoned shaft alone????????????

It was back to Armstrong in the Fall where he was able to take his Grade 13 (actually first year university in these days). Try as he might, English 100 became a challenge with 51% his mark. This needed improvement if he was to pursue further education and so taking English by correspondence seemed like the best solution and a year off to earn some funding, all to further his education.

That year was spent working in a garage where his mechanical skills were perfected. Everything was just fine except the drip from under the cars, while he serviced under the hoist, became a constant irritation to Alden. This helped him resolve that he needed another career to make a living as the drips always seemed to find their way behind his neck.

His effort to improve his English 100 that year became a marginal success with a 56% improvement!

So off it was to Normal School (the dated equivalent to Teachers College) at Victoria College, to gain his Teaching Certificate in ten (10) months/ He completed a questionnaire that was to establish what Alden wanted to do with his career. He chose Industrial Arts.

After many applications, a response came from the school in Ashcroft to teach grades 7 through 12 with a speciality in Industrial Arts (IA). This meant a required stint of several weeks at Vancouver Tech to become trained by the Department of Education as to what would be required in an IA course.

He arrived at his first teaching job in mid August to find a big surprise. The IA shop was in the basement of the school and could only be accessed through the Boys Washroom which became a humorous challenge that had a story in itself. But the biggest surprise of all were the following:

• No power tools
• A small cupboard with hand tools consisting of:
o hand planes
o hand saws
o miscellaneous tools like chisels, etc
• No benches
• It basically did not look like an IA Shop whatsoever

The other surprises was mixed with a personal disappointment when Alden found out that he had only one class to teach IA and had to make up his day with other classes including his favorite — English.

On the other side of all this was that the classes were made up of the local mixed population that consisted of Chinese, Natives and many other foreign nationalities that were located in that area. His lasting memory was of one student named “Butch” Yeung, a Chinese Canadian who would use his “authority” to settle the rest of the class down with a very authoritive “shut up, Mr Bigsby is talking!”

After five (5) years, where Alden was able “build up” the IA Shop with proper tools, benches and much more, he decided to improve his experience by accepting a position in the Langley School District. Although the facility and equipment were much more sophisticated, the attitude of the students lacked the respect and discipline of the school and classes he had left. Obviously, the character and professional conduct of Alden, precipitated his interest to look for other possibilities.

While in Langley, the work ethic in Alden, found him finishing his work day at 1200 noon meant additional opportunities could be available. The family financial challenges at that time were as follows:

• The five (5) year expected salary was $340/month for ten (10) months with no salary for summer holidays in every year
• House rent was $60/month
• Coal costs were $28/week ($112/month)
• Power utility $25/month
o All that did not encourage him to stay as his house had a crawl space of about 6 feet and no insulation so that a ton of coal each week was required to heat that house in the winter, (December and January).

With an associate, they contracted framing of houses to the roofing and “lock-up” stage. This meant being on the supplementary job at 0500 hours and then being at school from 0700 to 1200, with the afternoon back at this framing job. This made life very busy but obviously met the financial needs.

It was partly based on the student attitude as well as his unsatisfactory residence that he began a process of finding another school. In this search he came to his final school, Stanley Humphries High School at Castlegar, B.C. in 1957. He intended to stay two years but ended his career with retirement in 1985.

It all started with applications being sent out in the Summer of 1957. Alden had a friend teaching in Salmo and wanted to find a position close to there. Salmo was a small school, but positions became available in Castlegar in the new Stanley Humphries High School built in 1952 to teach in the Metal and Wood Shops. Alden participated in the planning for Shop upgrades in 1962 through 1964.

Alden’s reflections in those years were of a working atmosphere between Administration and Staff as one where it was like a “family”. Everyone got along and cooperation was prevalent. This was passed along to the student body who were serious to learn and respectful of their Teachers.

During his teaching career, Alden needed to improve his qualifications credit from a two (2) year University of Victoria to enable him to teach at Senior Matriculation level. This was achieved by attending eleven (11) years of Summer School. Not much of a “Summer Holidays”.

Recollection of some of the following humorous incidents during those school years made him smile:

” There were two classes of Grade 12 girls developed to give young ladies some experience in the work world dominated by a mostly male population. Each class would spend one half semester in the automotive shop and the other half in the wood shop. Both were over-subscribed. The time table was so arranged that practical courses would have longer periods so that shop projects could be completed rather than stopped after one hour and so the lunch hour could be included in the project time. This was scheduled every four days.

After talking to the girls at the start of one of the double classes over lunch hour as how this could be accommodated to complete their projects, he explained that “today you can have a double period”………..a small voice from the group said ‘I sure hope not!’ He had to go to his office and close the door but could still hear them all laughing. He meets some of them from time to time now and they still laugh although they are grandmothers now.”

“The metal shop was demonstrating how to harden and temper steel by quenching hot metal in water. The first day was hardening and the second tempering. Frank came into the office with a grin on his face, ‘I fixed those little bastards.’ A number of them had urinated in the quench water! The steam had an unbelievable smell but Frank had recognized it right away but made no indication that anything was amiss. He made them all stay in the small forge room to enjoy their own sweet smell. Frank had told them that from birth he had not been able to smell. It never happened again.”

As the number of students and Teachers increased in the Province of British Columbia, both Government and Teachers kept searching for an equitable process to negotiate Teachers salaries so that the province, as a whole, was fairly dealt with.

Historically, each school district bargained independently, although the settlements in each district where known throughout the province. This had many different advantages as well as disadvantages in each district that may be, in part, listed as follows:

1. A recognition of special circumstances and living conditions
2. Cultural and economic status of the residents
3. Teaching staff and Administrators were all part of the B.C. Teachers Federation (BCTF)
4. Settlements affected Teachers and Administrators alike
5. There was binding arbitration
6. Many more

At the end of each negotiating year, there would be the negative issues like “why are Teachers being paid more in one district than in another”. Settlements then became an opening negotiation in the ensuing year.

Governments have historically taken action to resolve issues like these which inadvertently result in the “solution being worse that the initial problem.” During the term of the Vanderzalm Social Credit government, a legislated “solution” forced all teachers to collective bargaining as a whole.

The results, as Alden recalls, did not achieve the desired benefits as has been the experience with many government actions:

1. The local conditions were sacrificed for a province-wide model which did not meet local needs
2. Administration was separated from Staff suggesting a “professional boundary” that was not there before
3. The binding arbitration that was formerly existent in the previous system was traded for a collective bargaining model which introduced province-wide strike action as a bargaining tool that was totally negative for students and education providers alike
4. The BCTF became more of a union rather than a professional organization as a result

In Alden’s opinion, the system did not provide the intent of education with the student in mind.

Norman McNabb was a neighbor in Castlegar and a member of the Volunteer Fire Department. He invited Alden to join in 1958. Since then Alden enjoyed the comradie with 15 to 17 Firemen that performed the following community functions:

• Replace street lights
• Wash out parking lots
• Practice burns on dilapidated houses or buildings
• other community services

Typically there were four different contact groups who would get a call in emergency and they would “fan out” the calls to members in their group. There was one Fire Chief and an Assistant Fire Chief that led the Department during this time.

He enjoyed his years with the Castlegar Fire Department and retired in 1983.

With the growth of Castlegar and the need for city workers increased in numbers. Separation of responsibility between Firemen and City Workers changed the original model.

Destiny placed Alden with a fellow Shop Teacher, Frank Bonderoff. The relationship evolved to common interests and an idea gelled for the construction of an airplane to travel into some of the local lakes for fishing. And so the talented individuals used their collective ingenuity to obtain drawings for a Sportsman Flying Boat.

Portions of the plane were prefabricated in the School Shops wherein students had an opportunity to experience the construction of a plane. Bill Plotnikoff, a School Teacher and son of a local businessman, was a trained Aeronautical Engineer, contributed his expertise to approve construction of the special parts.

The plane was completed in the years 1966 to 67. Alden along with Frank successfully graduated their flying lessons and the dream of fishing at a pristine lake became reality. Alden’s Pilot’s License was VRP-12624. Because he was color blind, he could not land on controlled airports but rural “landing fields” were just fine, especially lakes.

A favorite “hole” was Beatrice Lake located in the mountains between Burton and Slocan. There the two friends built a hunting shack together with two (2) Boy Scouts, and equipped it with sleeping bags hung from the ceiling, silverware and cutlery along with emergency foods so that not everything had to be brought in each time. They even left their fishing gear there so that the shack could be used by visitors as well as themselves. Fishing and hunting trips were usually three (3) to four (4) day duration.

They built a raft of logs and were are to get an outboard motor in so that this raft could be propelled around the lake. They would watch bears on shore but kept their distance. At one time, after the near left, they checked on his activity and found teeth marks through an aluminum pot. This discouraged further attempts to befriend the animal after they found scratches on the shack door.

Probably the most humorous event is when Alden recalled Frank shooting mice through the spaces in the logs to stop the irritating scratching at night.

This worked well for a time until they found the food all used up and the shack left in a mess. They tried to mitigate this abuse by caching their equipment, etc., to find that the desecration continued and especially the writing of notes that “people should not use planes to enter the wilderness.”

Eventually the shack was “torched” by someone. This entire episode sadly affected the two “partners” in “how could anyone be so short-sighted and unable to understand the law of the wilderness that when a shelter is discovered, use it and leave it in better stead than when found?”

The Sportsman Flying Boat met with a tragedy when Frank had an unsuccessful takeoff attempt from a private field in Salmo and the plane went down over some stumps. An energetic attempt to repair the plane was equated to an advertised Sea-Bee in Bellingham being available for $3,500. The decision was made to do the following:

1. Purchase the Sea-Bee
2. Spend two (2) years in counselling
3. Have all the parts checked out by a authorized Inspector
4. Such an Inspector was found in Abbottsford who also painted the plane
5. It took four (4) weeks to assemble
6. After four (4) years they were able to fly again.

There is more to the adventures of Frank and Alden when a hobby Sawmill and Planer Mill were constructed at Salmo. The majority of the parts came from abandoned equipment at former sawmills as well as structural steel members found at those and other sites. Both friends were Scroungers and capable Welders as well as Mechanically apt so manufacturing and assembling operating equipment was not a challenge but an enjoyable pastime.

Frank stopped teaching and got more involved in the Logging operations. Alden recalls that they undertook contracts to supply timbers to the Parks Board as well as other specialty lumber that customers requested.

Alden went on to get involved in the construction of a major seniors housing project at Grandview in Castlegar. Here he served as:

• Director of the Kootenay Columbia Seniors Housing Cooperative
• Committee to build Supportive Living component of the project
• Volunteered his skills to build various advertizing display boards
• Served on the Promotions Committee
• All with an absolute positive attitude

Alden remained an enthusiastic member throughout the project wherein he purchased and still occupies a bungalow.

People who knew the Bigsby family and their humble beginnings and lack of wealth, “how did all of you afford to obtain a higher education?”

Alden reminisced with this explanation:

1. Mother, Edna Bigsby, had a brother who was a practicing Engineer in the USA
a. He would send money to Floyd to assist in his education as an Agricultural Engineer
b. Floyd eventually became a Professor in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan
2. Jean was fortunate to obtain scholarships to assist in a degree in Food and Dietary Science
3. Floyd was able to send part of his income to assist Jean and Sue
4. Floyd, Jean and Sue all stayed in one apartment, at one time, to save funds
5. Sue graduated in Home Economics
6. They all assisted Alden in whichever way to obtain his education
7. Bob worked as professional Faller in the woods
a. He also worked in a garage
b. A course opportunity came along in Industrial Arts Teaching which he took in Mechanical
c. He eventually carried on to obtain a PhD after using “Training of Untrainable Adults” as his thesis
d. Bob worked with
i. CIDA in Kenya
ii. the World Bank
iii. spent sixteen years as President of Olds College

A remarkable achievement for an ordinary farm family!

Today Alden enjoys working in his well-equipped wood working shop set up in his double garage at Grandview. The workmanship and array of various manufactured goods are a marvel to behold.

The listed experiences of Alden, provide only a brief profile of the depth within this person who very silently and modestly goes about his life without fanfare and self idolation. In one of the year books at SHHS, a comment was made by the editorial staff at that time which is very descriptive of their Shop Teacher:

“…….I can look on tempests and never be shaken…….”

That is definitely defines the person within this chronicle in the Writer’s opinion.

Written by Elmer Verigin March 11, 2015. The process involved interviews with Alden over a period of time. The Bigsby family have a well documented family history that is well written. This is intended to be a chronicle of Alden’s life.
The final draught was approved by Alden

Many acts of kindness, compassion and professional delivery take place and become part of the environment without mention. It is the manner within which we live in today’s busy lives, that we have created for ourselves.

My partner, Marilyn Verigin, was challenged with a health emergency on February 26, 2015 while we were passing through Saskatoon, Saskatchewan after paying our respects for our Best Man, Keith Tarasoff, in Canora, Saskatchewan.

Although we were both born, raised and educated in Saskatoon, we were not sure which hospital emergency we should go. Our family advised the RUH.

I was able to drive Marilyn to the RUH and I noted that her condition was fast deteriorating. Upon arrival, the Admitting Staff took over and soon she was admitted to the Emergency Room. From that point on, I was amazed and very thankful that we were part of a well rehearsed system that included Doctors, Nurses and other Staff that immediately recognized a serious condition was taking place that required expert attention.

The details if all that ensued are very important but not necessary to note here except that the results were positive and a diagnosis developed after almost every technological testing became immediately available to Marilyn.

Marilyn’s stay till March 02, 2015 was filled with continuing excellent care and professional attention.

We cannot begin to list all those responsible with our sincere gratitude but we were able to accumulate a partial list as follows:

• Dr. Wendi Fitzpatrick
• Dr. Syed Rizvi
• Other professionals (a long list that I was not able to obtain)
o Especially those in Emergency along with Dr. Fitzpatrick
• Staff on at 6300 which include in part:
o Shauna
o Leonora
o Jenny
o Others (who I was not able to get names for}

In quoting from a publication entitled “The Biology of Belief” by Dr. Bruce H. Lipton PhD, a Cell Biologist I make the following quotations:

“…….seers like Rumi knew……..for human babies and adults the best growth promoter is love.

A lifetime without Love is of no account
Love is the Water of Life
Drink it down with heart and soul………….”

“……..Use the intelligence of cells to propel humanity one more rung up the evolutionary ladder where the most loving do more than survive, they thrive….”

There is no question in the minds of Marilyn and her family that the love, kindness and compassion shown her in her stay at RUH, contributed to her recovery and release on March 02, 2015.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Written by Elmer Verigin March 09, 2015

Although we had a get-together planned on February 26, 2015, Keith was called away on his special journey early February 18, 2015. This call was not to be denied and he, only, could travel solo. He had no opportunity to bid adieu. So it is in circumstances like these, that we stand here feeling that a robbery has been committed. Keith was taken by his Maker and so he was our treasure for a time and now he was obligated to return as has been the practice from time eternal. So it is today!

There was beauty in this relationship that I had experienced with Keith. At no time was there an opportunity to disagree. You might say that Quantum Physics sent coincidental environmental signals to both us almost in harmony. We wanted to do things together and we agreed on the principles, ethics and sociological aspects of all that came upon us. It just seemed obvious that our mates would also get along and all that followed with our children. They also enjoyed each other’s company.

What I will do now is recount the blessings and moments of joy we had together since 1958 when I first met Keith. That is almost 57 years of enjoyment and memories, so let’s not waste time and get on with it.

One of our mutual problems was this farmer who kept coming into town, looking for trouble. If Mitch just looked for it on his own, that would be just fine, but he did not have to do home-work and so he encouraged us to help him find trouble. So it was that trouble came in threes and we started our campaign to find others that were fun-seekers and so the scene was set.

Singing in a Doukhobor Youth Choir was culturally a perfectly healthy pastime for young boys and our parents approved of this without hesitation. Of course, there was the opportunity to check out all these girls that showed up from all parts of Saskatchewan with the same excuse. We considered it our responsibility to take each and every one of them on dates so that none of them would feel left out or rejected. We were very proud of our resolve and did this job with zealous abandon.

As has already been proven many a time, the “grass is greener on the other side of the fence”. I took a fancy to a former neighbor of Keith’s, 250 miles from my former home, and Keith noticed this good-looking blonde from my home town. We both approved of the choices and here we are still together to this day.

After struggling in boarding houses that did not seem to understand the appetite needs of a growing young man, I hit a bonanza when Keith invited me to be his room-mate, in the newly constructed family home on corner of Avenue H and Rushholme. We got the basement suite and I got a loving family that adopted me completely which meant two half-sisters Ruth and Donna, as we eventually joked about. Our land-lady, Susan had a rough voice but the softest heart as she fed and took care of her boys and extended family.

Keith and I always did research on easier ways live. At 11:30 at night, studying became sluggish and a break on our respective cots became a habit. Getting up to turn the light off was tough and so we devised an automatic light switch “turnoffer”. A long shoelace around a textbook that would teeter on the laundry hamper and then looped over the upright switch was the invention.

So at the agreed time, a slipper would be thrown at the wall just above the teetering textbook and “presto, ala kazam”, the textbook was dislodged causing the switch to turn off. Not always was the aim good from the cot located “kiddy-corner” from the switch and so several attempts had to be made using all the available slippers. Sometimes the ammunition had to brought back to repeat the performance. We were very proud of our ingenuity.

There were times when we convinced Mitch that we needed a study weekend and we would be well into it when the door would open and here would enter two to three of our other friends who had not been informed of our dedication to study. Sometimes 5:00 A.M., Sunday morning meant going somewhere to eat and absorb all that malted barley that was the inevitable result.

What was noticeable that no matter what we undertook, we combined enthusiasm with resolve and would get the job done. In later years, if we needed something, we could always rely on each other and we often did so.

It seemed that our mutual families got to know each other better as we continued to visit and enjoy each other’s hospitality over the years. When I had to inform my three daughters and son of Keith’s passing, there was an immediate request to pass along their condolences to the Tarasoff family of three sons and one daughter. Keith and I talked about that one time, so it was okay to duplicate offspring but how was it that we were able to do the exact opposite of each other? Perhaps Quantum Physics again! Looking back now, I realize that both of us never understood what was happening as we lacked the Sexual Health courses in school and our parents neglected to explain all this to us.

Back to the Boarding House and the fact Keith would habitually want to sleep in much to the disdain of our Land Lady, his mother, Susan, that was trying to get out of the house herself to her job. There was a great deal of hollering and rude comments about my room-mate as she was clearing the breakfast dishes, giving up on him. On my way down the stairs, Keith was coming up. I whispered “you are deep in shit” to a seemingly half asleep zombie.

As I hastily threw my stuff into my briefcase and hurried out the door, I hollered at Keith who was just covering his toast with jam “you’re going to miss the bus!”

Well it was just a block to Avenue I where I noticed the bus pulling up to the bus stop. I was a good track star in high school but I just made it to the tail lights as the bus departed. I knew that a block and a half down the bus had another stop and I turned on my “after-burners” as I careened down the hill to see the tail lights flash and the bus was gone.

In despair, I trudged up the hill to wait a half hour for the next bus and be late for class. I noticed Keith just crossing Avenue I to the bus stop. I hollered above the traffic noise “we missed the bus!” He looked at me with a blank face as I walked up to him to repeat my message when the correct bus showed up and we all got on. Keith asked me what my problem was and my answer “oh nothing, I am just having a bad morning when I get up too early.”

The common mutual joke in those days was that when nature called we would agree that, “we should go to Rushholme and P.” I know that most of you hearing this would not understand but in those days the farm fences were located about Avenue P West along Rushholme.

So the years passed and we aged but our friendship matured and grew into a bonding level that included the Ozeroff’s. We would gather, almost yearly, in Canmore, rent a suite and spend the entire time together. Someone may ask, “well what did you do?”

Here is a sample:

• Laugh
• Love
• Sing
• Play cards
• Repeat jokes that we forgot from last time
• Imbibe in liquid spirits
• Eat
• Reminisce
• Our past exploits wee repeated with greater achievement each time, as our aging memories embellished them
• Share our fears and disappointments
• We ended each occasion with a circle where we would hold each other in the advent that we should have someone leave us in the interim before next time
• Keith was the first to physically leave that tight circle

We had all planned to repeat all this on February 26, 2015 in Calgary and now we are here in Canora, instead.

One year we all decided to bake bread together at the museum in Veregin where Keith and Sonia directed us in the entire process of grinding the brown bread flour to mixing the dough, kneading and placing into pans. All required careful preparation and sequencing. Keith taught me the essentials of making the fire in the oven and the care that was necessary to ensure an even heating of the oven brick work. There was testing to determine when the oven was ready to receive the 30 loaves.

I wanted to build an oven in Whatshan and so I took measurements of that oven designed by Nick Trofemenkoff. Keith pointed out the arching at the rear of the oven that permits the fire to “roll” along the rear gable and then over the roof and down to continually repeat itself. I wondered where our Doukhobor ancestors got all this Stationary Engineering expertise?

I was unsuccessful in building an oven similar to that built by my grandfather Summa Morozoff, as described by my mother. So I shared that story with Keith and Sonia and they drove out to Whatshan in 2014 with many loaves baked in Veregin, to demonstrate the possibilities of that cusine. This was enjoyed by all. The greatest pleasure was for Marilyn and I in that our friends were able to experience this project that we kept talking about. Keith took responsibility for cooking the Shisliki in the Saskatchewan style and along with the Doukhobor bread, the 100 people there are still talking about it.

We watched as Keith and Sonia took a great pride in renovating the former Dergosuoff house that was located across the pond from my birthplace North East of Canora. We especially enjoyed the great socials there as they continued to beautify the farm with an ambitious and gigantic garden.

Keith, you were the Best Man at Marilyn’s and my wedding and you will continue, in my interpretation, of Best Men, with which I will be continuing to work with.

To Sonia, Greg, Glen, Corine and Brent, we bring our condolences. The extended family and friends are feeling your loss but you must accept that Keith lived a full life and he loved you all.

He is where there is no pain, no worries and ever-lasting life, to continue serving his Maker.

Written by Elmer Verigin February 22, 2015