Submitted

By C r d i e ( C h a p i n )

Anderson.

Dad, F r e d e r i c k L e w i s C h e p i n , was B o r n a t O s a g e , I o w a , U S A
on M a r c h 3 1 , 1 8 7 0 . K o t h e r , E t h e l K a y C h a p i n , was b o r n a t P a r k
R i v e r , N o r t h D a k o t a , U.S.A. o n M a r c h 9, 1 8 0 1 , t o K r . & K r s . G i l e s
C, C a k e s .
K y two e l d e s t s i s t e r s , A d d i e & I d a ( t w i n s ) w e r e b o r n
a t R o o s v e l t , M i n n e s o t a i n 1 9 0 8 . A b o u t two y e a r s l a t e r , 1 9 1 0 ,
Dad & M o t h e r & t w i n s t r a v e l l e d t o Canada b y o x e n team and f i l e d
on a h o m e s t e a d i n A l b e r t a a b o u t 8 m i l e s E a s t o f C o l i n t o n a d j o i n i n g Canoe L a k e .
I n t h o s e d a y s i t was a l o n g and h a r d t r i p .
The f i r s t home,of c o u r s e , was a l o g h o u s e .
I d o n ' t remember
much a b o u t i t - i n f a c t v e r y l i t t l e .
B u t h e r e was w h e r e s i s t e r s
E d i t h and E t h e l , b r o t h e r J o h n and m y s e l f w e r e b o r n .
I t t o o k a l o t o f h a r d w o r k and t i m e t o c l e a r t h e l a n d and
b r e a k i t . Dad w e n t i n t o m i x e d f a r m i n g , w h i c h I t h i n k was t h e
o n l y way t o g o . We h a d a l o t o f h o r s e s , c o w s , p i g s , c h i c k e n s
and f i e l d s o f g r a i n - w h e a t , c t s , b a r l e y , h a y , e t c . , a l s o a
big vegetable garden.
Some y e a r s l a t e r Dad b u i l t a s t o r e a
s h o r t d i s t a n c e f r o m t h e h o u s e , w h e r e he s o l d g r o c e r i e s , t o b a c c o ,
c a n d y , e t c . , a l s o a P o s t O f f i c e and C r e a m e r y .
T h i s l o c a t i o n was
called Stocks, Alberta.
Ee a l s o had a b l a c k s m i t h s h o p .
I
remember d i f f e r e n t f a r m e r s c o m i n g t o Dad t o h a v e s o m e i i h i n g w e l d e d
The f o r g e and t h e b e l l o w s a r e p i c t u r e d c l e a r l y i n my memory.
T h r e s h i n g was a b i g e v e n t , l o t s o f men t o f e e d , s o t h e women
w e r e k e p t b u s y c o o k i n g and m a k i n g c o f f e e and t e a . M o t h e r and
Dad o f t e n h a d h i r e d h e l p a s t h e y c o u l d n ' t b e g i n t o do i t a l l b y
themselves.
P i n e Creek r a n through our farm.
Vve c h i l d r e n h a d g r e a t t i m e s
f i s h i n g and s w i m m i n g i n t h e summer and s k a t i n g i n w i n t e r .
One
s p r i n g t h e c r e e k f l o o d e d - t h e l a k e must h a v e o v e r f l o w e d t<bo,
as t h e r e was -water a l l o v e r t h e f i e l d s .
We w a i t e d and w a t c h e d Dad s a i d , I f i t came up t o t h e b a r n , we w o u l d h a v e t o move t o
h i g h e r ground.
I t came t o w i t h i n a f e w f e e t o f t h e b a r n , t h e n
s t a r t e d t o r e c e d e , s o we d i d n ' t h a v e t o e v a c u a t e .
Some o f o u r n e i g h b o r s w e r e Bob G i l m o r e , G r a n d p a and Grandma
C a k e s , o u r m a t e r n a l g r a n d p a r e n t s , U n c l e W a l t e r and A u n t U n i c e
C a k e s and f a m i l y , C s c a r C a k e s , S r . , m o t h e r ' s c o u s i n , C r a c k l e s ,
W a t s o n s , A s h b y s , M o r b e e s , M i k e M i l l e r , R o b i n s o n s , R e e d s , no d o u b t
I h a v e n o t m e n t i o n e d them a l l . The s c h o o l t h a t my o l d e r s i s t e r s
w e n t t o , was two m i l e s f r o m o u r p l a c e - K e y e s S c h o o l . They usfed
to
walk w i t h o t h e r c h i l d r e n , i n c l u d i n g our c o u s i n s .
Sometimes
M o t h e r o r o u r A u n t w o u l d t a k e them o r b r i n g them home w i t h a
team o f h o r s e s .
The s c h o o l d a n c e s w e r e g r e a t f u n I n t h o s e d a y s .
The w h o l e f a m i l y w e n t end t h e l a d i e s s u p p l i e d t h e l u n c h . The
M i t c h e l l s were p o p u l a r m u s i c i a n s a t t h a t t i m e .
A new s t o r e was b u i l t on Bob G i l m o r e ' s p l a c e ( I d o n ' t know
w h a t y e a r ) who o p e r a t e d i t u n t i l h i s d e a t h .
So t h e s t o r e o n o u r
p l a c e was r e m o d e l l e d i n s i d e f o r o u r home and a k i t c h e n b u i l t o n .
T h i s i s t h e o n l y o r i g i n a l b u i l d i n g s t i l l s t a n d i n g . The I v e t a n k c s ,
who now own t h e f a r m , l i v e d i n t h i s same h o u s e f o r f i f t e e n
y e a r s a f t e r we l e f t i t .
c

e

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0

0

We u s e d t o p i c k b e r r i e s i n t h e summer f o r j a m , j e l l i e s and
preserves.
Mom made us w e a r s t r a w h a t s , how I h a t e d them, o r
we w o u l d p r o b a b l y g e t s u n s t r o k e and l o t s more f r e c k l e s !
Cne
d a y v;e w e r e p i c k i n g s t r a w b e r r i e s ' , J o h n was a b o u t t h r e e y e a r s
o l d J he s u d d e n l y d r o p p e d h i s p a i l and s a i d q u i t e e m p h a t i c a l l y ,
" I ' m o t p i c k a n y m o r e o' t h e s e dod damn l i t t l e t w a - b a b i e s , I go
home t o P a p a " , and s t a r t e d m a r c h i n g down t h e r o a d .
Piy t h e t i m e A d d i e , I d a and E d i t h w e r e r e a d y f o r H i g h S c h o o l ,
Dad and M o t h e r b o u g h t a h o u s e i n A t h a b a s c a f r o m Mr. & M r s . P e r c y
Taylor.
M o t h e r ' s c o u s i n , C s c e r C a k e s S r . r e m o d e l l e d and b u i l t
on t o i t .
H e r e i s w h e r e I s t a r t e d s c h o o l i n the o l d b r i c k s c h o o l .
I w e n t f r o m G r a d e I on t h r o u g h h i g h r s c h o o l and r e c e i v e d my
diploma.
A l l t h o s e y e a r s I had o n l y t h r e e r e g u l a r t e a c h e r s M r s . G r e e r , M r s . H e a c o c k and H. G. Shaw. G r a n d p a Oakes s t a y e d
w i t h u s i n town u n t i l h i s d e a t h , as Mum and Dad w e r e s t i l l on
the farm.
VJe w e r e by o u r s e l v e s f o r a w h i l e , b u t o f c o u r s e , t h e
t w i n s w e r e o l d e r by t h e n . M r s . T a y l o r was l i k e a s e c o n d m o t h e r
to u s .
O f t e n when we came home a t n o o n f o r l u n c h , s h e w o u l d
come o v e r w i t h a p o t o f s o u p f o r u s .
She was s u c h a good n e i g h b o r and f r i e n d .
Some o f o u r o t h e r n e i g h b o r s and f r i e n o s i n
A t h a b a s c a wre t h e Nancekiv<£lls, t h e C r a w f o r d s , t h e B u r g e r o n s ,
^erx* D a n i e o u s , F a l c o n e t s , M a c k i e s , M a c I n t y r e s , D e n t s and o t h e r s .
Some t i m e l a t e r Brandma C a k e s came and s t a y e d w i t h u s .
VJhen t h e t w i n s l e f t H i g h S c h o o l , I d a w o r k e d fit t h e T e l e p h o n e
O f f i c e , and A d d i e a t t h e P o s t O f f i c e . E d i t h w e n t t o N o r m a l
S c h o o l and h e r f i r s t t e a c h i n g p o s i t i o n was i n A t h a b a s c a .
Ethel
and I w e r e s t i l l i n H i g h S c h o o l , J o h n i n P u b l i c S c h o o l . 'We had
o u r L i t e r a r y S o c i e t y , w i t h d e b a t e s , s p e e c h e s , c u r r e n t e v e n t s and
high school parties.
'We had many good t i m e s , w i t h s c h o o l e v e f t ^ s
s p o r t s d a y s , when we c o m p e t e d w i t h C l y d e , e n d i n g w i t h a d a n c e
t h e same n i g h t .
A b o u t 1932 o r 1933 we f o r m e d an a l l g i r l o r c h e s t r a ^ t h e o n l y
m a l e member was P e r c y T a y l o r , who was o u r i n s t r u c t o r and l e a d e r .
He p l a y e d v i o l i n a n d s i s t e r E d i t h had t a k e n v i l o i n l e s s o n s f r o m
him p r e v i o u s l y .
Dorothy (Hershberger) Tatlock played piano,
P e r c y T a y l o r and E d i t h on v i o l i n , A l v a h ( H a y s ) C o a t s on b a n j o ,
s i s t e r E t h e l on g u i t a r and m y s e l f on d r u m s .
I l a h Peterson played
w i t h us f o r a s h o r t t i m e , t h e n d r o p p e d o u t .
We w e r e c a l l e d t h e
C o l l e g i a n s , and h a d a b a l l p l a y i n g f o r d a n c e s i n and a r o u n d
Athabasca.
VJe a l l t h o r o u g h l y e n j o y e d i t . L a t e r on we b r o k e c t h e
a l l g i r l r o u t i n e and W i l s o n M i l l e r and J i m K e i e r j o i n e d u s .
They
b o t h p l a y e d h o r n s , so made q u i t e an i m p r o v e m e n t .
C o n s e g u e n t l y we
c h a n g e d t h e name f r o m C o l l e g i a n s t o "The Tempos".
A b o u t 19 30, I d a m a r r i e d A r t V a u g e o i s who had a meat m a r k e t i n
town.
A f t e r t h e i r m a r r i a g e they l e f t f o r B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a , where
t h e y t o o k up r e s i d e n c e i n V a n c o u v e r a r e a . A d d i e l e f t f o r B. C.
a b o u t 19 34, w h e r e s h e met and m a r r i e d J a c k Cummings, who w o r k e d
f o r B. C. I I y d r e .
I n 1 9 2 9 , t h e H a r r y A n d e r s o n f a m i l y came t o A t h a b a s c a , and t o o k
up r e s i d e n c e i n a home ? c r o s s t h e s t r e e t f r o m o u r home. T h e y had
f i v e c h i l d r e n , n a m e l y - C l i f f o r d , D o u g l a s , B e r n i c e , J i m and F r a n k .
Doug w e n t t o B a r b e r S c h o o l i n 1931 i n Edmonton w h e r e he r e c e i v e d
his barber's l i c e n s e .
He o p e n e d a s h o p i n A t h a b a s c a and l a t e r

when a l a r g e r s p a c e was a v a i l a b l e , w h i c h was n e x t d o o r t o D a v e y
J o n e s o f f i c e , h e h a d a b a r b e r s h o p , p o o l room and smoke s h o p .
Doug and I w e r e m a r r i e d on N o v . 1 0 , 19 36.
G u r f i r s t home was
i n J a k e B e n t o n ' s h o u s e w h i c h we r e n t e d f o r F i v e D o l l a r s a m o n t h ,
unbelieveable isn't i t ?
E d i t h m a r r i e d J o e McCoy t h e f o l l o w i n g month o f t h e same y e a r
and made t h e i r home i n B o y l e , A l t a .
On O c t . 1 3 , 1 9 3 7 , o u r f i r s t
s o n was b o r n , James L e w i s .
Twenty-two hours l a t e r a daughter
was b o r n t o E d i t h & J o e McCoy. E d i t h and I w e r e i n b e d s s i d e
by s i d e i n t h e m a t e r n i t y ward - w h a t a r i o t .
We had e a c h o t h e r s :
company t h r o u g h i t a l l , and h a d l o t s o f l a u g h s a b o u t t h i s a n d
that.
On Dec 1 5 , 1939 c u r d a u g h t e r , M a u r e e n May was b o r n .
By
t h i s t i m e t h e S e c o n d W o r l d VJar b r o k e o u t and a l l t h e r e s t o f my
f a m i l y h a d moved t o B. C.. I n t h e i r l e t t e r s t h e y s a i d t h e r e
was l o t s o f w o r k t o b e h a d i n V a n c o u v e r , B. C , s o we l e f t
A t h a b a s c a on D e c . 1 5 , 1 9 4 1 . Doug w o r k e d f o r B o e i n g s f o r a b o u t
two y e a r s , t h e n a t B.C. P l y w o o d s f o r a p p r o x i m a t e l y two y e a r s .
Our t h i r d c h i l d , a n o t h e r s o n , Wayne K e n n e t h was b o r n S e p t . 2 5 ,
1 9 4 2 , s o now o u r f a m i l y was c o m p l e t e .
Ethel married C l i f f
H u t c h i n s and h a s o n e s o n . J o h n i s m a r r i e d t o H e l e n ( K i s h ) and
h a s o n e s o n and two d a u g h t e r s .
Doug d e c i d e d t o go b a c k t o b a r b e r i n g , s o o b t a i n e d
a book
f r o m t h e B.C. B a r b e r s A s s o c i a t i o n t o r e a d , a s o n e c o u l d n o t
b a r b e r i n B. C. on an A l b e r t a l i c e n s e .
He w r o t e h i s exam a n d
r e c e i v e d h i s B.C. B a r b e r ' s r l i c e n s e .
A s h o r t t i m e l a t e r , he
o p e n e d a s h o p ora F r a s e r A v e n u e , f i r s t one c h a i r , t h e n two and
f i n a l l y three chairs.
He had t h i s s h o p f o r a b o u t 32 y e a r s .
C u r o l d e s t s o n , J i m , w e n t t o B a r b e r S c h o o l t o o , and w o r k e d w i t h
h i s Dad f o r a f e w y e a r s , t h e n w e n t i n t o p a r t n e r s h i p w i t h h i m .
I n 1975 Doug s o l d h i s s h a r e o f t h e s h o p t o J i m , who i s s t i l l
o w n e r and o p e r a t o r . M a u r e e n i s a c h e c k e r f o r M a r k e t F o o d s i n
L a n g l e y , and Wayne i s owner and o p e r a t o r o f M i g h t y B r a k e &
M u f f l e r I n C o u r t e n e y , B.C. on V a n c o u v e r I s l a n d . T h e y a r e a l l
m a r r i e d a n d we h a v e e i g h t g r a n d c h i l d r e n . Doug i s t e t i r e d , a n d
we l i v e i n a p l e a s a n t m o b i l e home p a r k i n P e n t j c t o n , w h e r e we
h a v e g o o d f r i e n d s and n e i g h b o r s .
We h a v e b e e n b a c k t o A t h a b a s c a s e v e r a l t i m e s s i n c e we l e f t ,
and r e a l l y e n j o y v i s i t i n g t h e r e and s e e i n g t h e c h a n g e s and o l d
friends.
Vve w e r e t h e r e l a s t summer, when we w e n t t o d i f f e r e n t
l o c a t i o n s w i t h Don & M a r j L o g a n , i n c l u d i n g o u r o l d f a r m s i t e .
We h a d a m a r v e l o u s t i m e .
I d a p r e s e n t l y l i v e s I n Edmonds, W a s h i n g t o n , A d d l e and E t h e l
i n B u r n e b y and E d i t h i s M a n u r s i n g home I n L e d u c .
They a r e
a l l widows.
J o h n and h i s f a m i l y l i v e h e r e i n P e n t i c t o n , w h e r e
he o p e r a t e s B e a v e r Gas B a r , s e l f s e r v e , on M a i n S t r e e t .
1