Introducing…
Our Spotlights!
They truly are inspirations in their own rights!

V2-N16 March 15, 2004

Lawrence Harman
"Uphold high moral standards."

It’s always inspiring to hear about and meet those who never seem to slow down even after retirement. Maybe the term ‘retire’ isn’t appropriate in this day and age, anymore.

Lawrence Harman is one such person who will go strong as long as he is able. Retired in 1988 from a 36-year career with Manitoba Hydro, he has since maintained a full and busy schedule. Each day Lawrence calls and checks on a fellow tenant and friend who’s in his nineties. He’s on the Volunteer Transportation Committee ready to shuttle anyone in his building—Vasa Lund Estates—to an appointment or shopping excursion of some sort. He was a volunteer driver for the Riverview Health Centre for a couple of years until he developed a knee problem. Lawrence seems to be on permanent call for that handyman job that arises from time-to-time in his building as well. He’s there when you need him and that’s the way he prefers it. Making life pleasant for someone else is satisfying to him. He endeavours to be a man of principle. Being a Christian, supported by his actions, not only in words, has been the springboard of his livelihood and lifestyle. His greatest lesson learned and advice for all is, “Don’t try to live your life without God’s help.” Other life-learned tips are, “Don’t be over-confident, don’t think you can’t make a mistake, and be patient with those who do.”

Lawrence hails from Manitou, Manitoba. With his father being in the forces, he had attended a total of eleven schools. He was educated in Manitou, Winnipeg, Vancouver, B.C., and Stonewall. The last school he attended had been the Stonewall High School when Bobby Bend was principal.

Now 71 years of age, Lawrence has been retired for 17 years. During that time, he and his wife of 48 years, Betty, travelled extensively throughout North America in their motor home. They recently experienced first-class travel by train with Via Rail
across Canada to B.C. “Ours was a good experience, with very hospitable service.” He recommends it to everyone.

In 1998, Lawrence became interested in clean air products for home and commercial use with help from his son-in-law.

Always concerned about his own well-being and the well-being of others, Lawrence decided to travel to Scarborough, Ontario, to get involved and learn more about these air cleaning products. He was so impressed with the technology and efficiency rate of the air-cleaning process that these products offered, he immediately saw the health benefits. After learning that the most harmful airborne
particles to your lungs are smaller than 3 microns in size (1 micron is 1/25,000 of an inch) and that many air cleaning filter systems aren’t efficient in removing particles under 1 micron, he was relieved to learn that there were products that would do the job.

Lawrence launched C.A.P. Marketing and offers several air cleaning products. One is the Clairity table top air cleaning unit that treats air with an Electrophoresis process and removes particles as small as .001 microns. It uses the same process nature uses in lightning and waterfalls. Negative ions are emitted charging the harmful airborne particles which are drawn to the positive charged collector band of the Clairity unit, capturing them and preventing them from entering your lungs. This process cleans, purifies and revitalizes the air, similar to a Caribbean atmosphere, or the revitalized
outdoor air after a lightning storm, promoting overall well-being.

Lawrence has two Clairity units in his home—one in the bedroom and one in the kitchen—in addition to an electronic air filter in the furnace. He attributes his and his wife’s cold-free health to these cleaning systems. A clean air environment in the bedroom is important, according to Lawrence, and it only makes sense as we spend an average of eight hours at a time there—one third of each day.

With buildings having such high energy-efficiency rates, indoor air can become 10-20 times more polluted than outside air. Places such as the University of Manitoba (Health Protection Dept.), some residents of Vasa Lund Estates, and Minuk Denture Clinic have invested in the Clairity Air Cleaner as did numerous other health-conscious individuals.

Lawrence’s other air-cleaning products are the Airscreen Electronic Air Filters and the Electrostatic Filters both which replace standard one-inch size filters in furnaces.

“Clean air is as important as good nutrition,” says Lawrence, “as is clean water.”

Lawrence is somewhat puzzled that people will invest in tangible items such as big screen tv’s opposed to investing in beneficial devices to remove the invisible things that adversely affect their health. Incidentally, big screen tv’s and other electronic devices emit positive ions having a detrimental effect on overall health.

When Lawrence isn’t busy raising awareness of the importance of clean air, he may be found in his building’s workshop. He enjoys playing the guitar, piano, accordion and mandolin, but sings for his own enjoyment only.

Lawrence is never bored as there is always something to do. His so-called ‘retirement’ life is great in his building. It has somewhat of a resort atmosphere.

Lawrence and Betty have one daughter living in Winnipeg, and another daughter and one son who don’t live as close. But who knows when the next surprise family reunion may occur? That’s what happened in B.C. during their recent train trip. A couple’s
60th Anniversary and Lawrence’s 71st birthday celebration turned into a surprise family reunion with their three children, seven
grandchildren, other relatives and friends reuniting from all over.

Thank you, Lawrence, for dedicating much of your time to the wellbeing of others.

V2-N17 March 29, 2004

The 'musical' Goertzens

If you ever wondered whatever happened to the‘musical’ Goertzens, the family from St. Laurent, Manitoba, who sang gospel, we have a surprise for you! Although the children have grown up and moved on, the music continues with Ben and Margaret Goertzen, the parents of the travelling band.

We owe thanks to Lyla Denbury, Ben and Margaret’s neighbour in Stonewall where they now reside, for recommending them for our Spotlights in this issue.

Ben and Margaret moved from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where they both grew up, to settle in St. Laurent to start a cow-calf operation. They both also drove a school bus for the Whitehorse School Division now known as the Prairie Rose School Division.

Despite the demands of farming and their bus-driving commitments, they managed to start a gospel music band involving all family members including four sons and two daughters ranging in age from six to sixteen. Ben and Margaret instilled their faith combined with their love of music into the hearts of their children at a very young age. They were all taught to play instruments and sing. They called themselves “The Goertzen Family Gospel Singers” and were invited to travel throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and even to parts of the United States to perform. On these tours, which were a few days only at a time, the children were allowed to bring their homework on the road.

Enjoying celebrity status, their next obvious step was to make a recording, and with the support of their bank, they cut an album at Century 21 Studios in Winnipeg. It was a costly venture but they got a return on their investment within one month. They had since gone on to record two more albums.

Now it’s just the two of them, retired, yet busier than ever. “If we don’t do one thing, we do another,” says Ben. Margaret adds, “We didn’t retire. We’ve just changed tires.” And that couldn’t be more accurate. Ben’s heart problems prompted them to retire from farming and live a less stressful life. Since moving to Stonewall nine years ago, Ben and Margaret, now in their 70’s, live with less stress, but both are still very active volunteering. Only two years ago, they resumed playing in their scaled-down travelling musical band they jokingly refer to as the “No Name Brand” band or more seriously, just “Ben & Margaret.” As a twosome they volunteer at senior complexes, hospitals, churches, bible camps, and almost anywhere they are invited to play. They are accepting bookings, however, they are booked solid up until August, 2004. In 2003 alone, they had 88 bookings.

When Ben and Margaret moved to Stonewall, Ben was battling cancer and had to have surgery. Having recovered, they expressed their gratitude by volunteer driving cancer patients to Winnipeg for their appointments and treatments. Many patients felt they were being an inconvenience, but Ben stressed that they need not feel that way. It was rewarding to them for being able to help someone in need.

In fact, when Ben and Margaret first moved to Stonewall, they experienced extreme kindness and generosity of others, themselves, when Bill was ill and needed surgery. About 23 neighbours pitched in to help with their lawn, laying the sod in 45 minutes.

Between the Goertzens’ musical bookings and their family which now includes 15 grandchildren, one great-grandchild and one great-grandchild on the way, they manage to find time to crochet afghans for the Christmas Cheer Board. Yarn is supplied to them and they both work with what they get to make attractive afghans for those in need.

Margaret playing the electric accordian and Ben playing guitar, a home-made electric harmonica and tamborines strapped to his feet. If you weren’t looking, you’d imagine a four-piece band.

Margaret and Ben demonstrating their duo-cycles and setting more good examples by wearing helmuts.

The Goertzens display their quilts.

Both volunteer for the RCMP Run for Cancer as well. It is a 300 km run that starts Friday at noon and ends Saturday night.

For a time, they volunteered in the community, patrolling the neighbourhood throughout the night “looking for trouble.”

Like a true partnership, Ben and Margaret do everything together. When we interviewed them, they were wearing the same shirts, the same jackets and they demonstrated how their mountain bikes are attached so they can ride safely side-by-side together. Ben constructed metal fittings that connect the bikes. Although the bikes are slightly different in size, there is no problem in turning as you might imagine. They own a tandem bicycle, but found it isn’t as comfortable or convenient as this new set-up. You don’t need to balance… just pedal, and one at a time if you wish, letting the other rest. Ben must exercise to keep his heart healthy and this truly is an innovative way to do just that. Ben is willing to help anyone interested in doing the same. And now, they have a tandem bicycle for sale at a reasonable cost.

Ben and Margaret, generous in their offerings, have a few copies left of their latest album, “Because He Lives,” which they are willing to give away to anyone who is interested. Songs included on this album are, “I’ll Fly Away,” “Springs of Living Water,” “When the Saints,” and “The Old Rugged Cross.” They can be reached at 467-8047.

Thank you Ben and Margaret for setting excellent examples of humanity, kindness, and family values.

V2-N18 May 10, 2004

Jenie Wolanin

"My faith keeps me on course."

If you want to talk about inspiration, talk about
Jenie Wolanin, our newest spotlight!

Jenie tried her best to divert attention away from herself when we interviewed her. She wanted the focus to be on her home town, Beausejour, the Holy Family Personal Care Home in Winnipeg where she volunteers… everywhere but on herself.

Sorry, Jenie, we tried. You have just so much to offer that may serve as inspiration and motivation for others who are a little anxious about retiring or those already retired.

Jenie is one of those individuals whom you really admire, not only for her personable character, but for her self-determination, her nature to help other people and her modesty.

Jenie was born and raised in Beausejour, Manitoba. From 1951, the time she married, she lived metres away from the place she was born in, a store that her parents owned and ran now called Bergie’s. Then, living quarters for the family were attached to the store. She resides in that house ‘next door’ to this day. She tells us with a laugh, “My house is like me,” referring to its age.

Jenie loves it in Beausejour. She, and anyone who lives there, enjoys the best of both worlds. If she wants the bustle of the city, she’s only an hour away from Winnipeg. If she wants almost total
solitude, she’s an hour away from the Whiteshell.

And in Beausejour, there’s everything she could possibly want. Besides the friendly people, Beausejour boasts also, a great newly-
renovated hospital, nice parks, and a brand new arena called the
Sun-Gro Centre where this year’s provincial Scott Tournament of Hearts curling tournament was held. There is even a golf course nearby.

Beausejour continues to be a growing retirement community.
New developments are being built to accommodate the newly retired, and clubs and activities for them are in abundance. There are many churches and roughly twenty restaurants in this small town with a population of only 3000.

Beausejour has so much to offer. There is even a Theatre Group that puts on a first-class dinner theatre production at the United Church twice a year that is enjoyed by all ages.

For the tourist, there is Pioneer Village that Jenie praises highly for it’s nostalgic atmosphere. It’s a small village comprised of old buildings that once were a part of the town, restored to its authentic state complete with furnishings. An old church, train station, grocery store and school are some that make up this historic site.

Jenie is 71 and is a bundle of energy. Curling, cross country skiing, square dancing and golfing are only a few of the activities that Jenie participates in. She hosts many dinner parties where guests and herself often partake in a game of dominoes. Jenie also is active in her church whenever possible. She used to paint with oils and water colour and doesn’t understand why she doesn’t continue as she found it to be very relaxing. Perhaps there is no time for relaxation once you retire. Who would have thought?

In warmer weather, Jenie rides her bike everyday as she has done since her forties. Ladies used to laugh, but now it seems to have caught on. Jenie prefers to travel this way in town to do her errands or to shop a little.

Jenie volunteers in Winnipeg at the Holy Family Personal Care Home on Aberdeen Avenue. Most tenants there are of Ukrainian descent which is one of the reasons she enjoys spending time there. She is able to maintain her heritage and her language, and keep up her driving skills.

January 2005 marks twenty years of volunteering at the home for Jenie. She would travel an hour each way, rain or shine, to assist and visit with the tenants there. She used to volunteer weekly but now twice only a month.

Jenie and other volunteers have recently been invited to the Lieutenant Governor’s Reception on May 25th at Government House. There, volunteers will be recognized for their outstanding
contributions to their communities.

Volunteering is very rewarding for Jenie. She values the experience, the friendships that develop and the feeling of self-worth. “It’s a wonderful feeling, the people are great,” she says.

Jenie is a widow of seven years. She has three children, and three grandchildren. One daughter lives in Italy, another in Victoria, B.C., and her son lives here in Winnipeg. Needless to say, travelling has been a major activity in Jenie’s life. Italy, Hawaii and Greece are some places she’s visited.

We are grateful that Jenie called us a while back inquiring about this senior publication she heard advertised on CHNR-FM 100.7, Manitoba’s Only Nostalgia Radio Station. For the record, Jenie wants to note that she is particularly fond of this station. She reminisces with many of the songs played daily. “I love it!” says Jenie.

Thank you, Jenie for sharing your story.
We look forward to visiting you in Beausejour.

V2-N19 May 24, 2004

L-R: Dick Piasecki, Norm Smith, Archie Trapp, John Shead

This issue is a little different as we have a group of dedicated, hardworking retirees in the “Spotlight”. All live in or around Selkirk, Manitoba, and have common concerns regarding the Winnipeg Floodway expansion project and flood protection north of the Floodway. Another major issue is the dredging of the Red River.

This group which was started four years ago with the guidance of Archie Trapp (a.k.a. Mr. Liberal) has a loyal membership of nine retirees and two younger individuals. The retired members are Archie Trapp, John Shead, Norm Smith, Dick & Gale Piasecki, Bill Guest, Kasper Szmigelski, and Jack & Sheila Jonasson.

Archie had started a group in Thompson where there was no Liberal rep, and slowly recruited members to identify problems in the area and voice concerns. When he moved to Selkirk, he brought the model with him and started again. Archie was active in every campaign since the MacKenzie King days. He campaigned with Paul Martin Sr. and served even as MLA for Lac du Bonnet in 1958.

For those who don’t remember, William Lyon Mackenzie King became leader of the Liberal Party in 1919 and was Prime Minister three times during 1921-1948. When King was Prime Minister in 1927, Canada's Old Age Pension system began - initiating national social security.

These members with diverse backgrounds have a common agenda—to help and protect their community. John Shead has volunteered extensively and was awarded “Citizen of the Year” by the Selkirk Chamber of Commerce” a couple of years ago. Jack and Sheila Jonasson were both educators and once they retired, had time to commit to their community. Norm Smith produced Maple Syrup and has built two fishing lodges in northern Manitoba. He is very aware of environment issues. “When you fool around with nature, you’ll get bitten,” he says. Norm lived on the river and saw how the ice can cause problems. Kasper Szmigelski started out farming and then became a barber in Riverton. In those days it was common to have a pool room adjacent and also sell confectionery. After 23 years as a barber, Kasper went into the hotel business for 13 years. Then, it was interesting to note that women were not allowed to go into beer parlors up until 1957. Bill Guest retired in 1990 from Shell Canada as a Power Engineer. Prior, Bill worked for the Canadian Standards Association - Engineering firm as a travelling inspector. He also worked as an electrician’s helper for personal aircraft and vividly recalls the Avro Arrow project—one of the world's finest aircrafts that was scrapped on 'Black Friday' in 1959 by the Canadian government. Dick Piasecki retired in 1997 from Betel Home in Selkirk. He has a banking and financial services background. His wife, Gale retired after 24 years working in a school library.

The group meets every Thursday normally at Smitty’s Restaurant in Selkirk for discussions, but are utilizing space, for now, in the campaign office of Bruce Benson, Liberal candidate for Selkirk-Interlake. They are hoping that Bruce will be able to help boost action in parliament if he is chosen to represent this constituency.

Group members say that water quality in the area is being jeopardized due to flooding. There are between 10,000-20,000 wells on both sides of the floodway that draw 1300 imp. gallons per minute from the aquifer, the ground layer that holds or transmits water. By running polluted floodwater over this ‘scarred’ aquifer, it destroys it permanently. And with the Floodway expansion plans, they fear the consequences will be extremely detrimental, not only to the groundwater, but also to the environment and to the economy of the affected area. Premature opening of the Floodway before the river ice has melted has proven to be a problem causing flooding as well.

“It’s an equity issue,” says Sheila Jonasson. “We can’t let Winnipeg flood, but everyone must benefit.”

The other main issue the group hopes to get addressed is the dredging of the Red River. Dredging stopped four years ago due to lack of funds and the silt carried by the river water has settled mostly at the mouth going into Lake Winnipeg. The water level here is a mere three feet. When dredging did occur, it was done normally to a depth of 16 feet. Currently, boats with a draft of four feet cannot navigate through this. Many boats get stuck for hours at times during a south wind which lowers the level even further. Only when the wind subsides can the boats move again. Boats from Selkirk can no longer travel to the lake. Selkirk used to be a large port and is now annihilated. This, the group recognizes, adversely affects the area’s tourism potential. Fish stock could be affected as well.

Through lobbying the government, the group has garnered some attention but with no real results. But they are not quick to throw in the towel. In fact, they are being more aggressive in their efforts and plan to continue as activists to realize positive results for their community.

For information, call Jack at 757-4879 (Lockport, MB)

V2-N20 June 7, 2004

Lauren Marcq

"Keep busy and keep in touch with friends and family."

Senior Scope found another gem sparkling with wit and energy to add to the treasure chest of Spotlights.

Lauren Lebeau was born in 1924 in the Argyle Municipality between Pilot Mound and Baldur, southeast of Brandon, Manitoba. She attended school in Zephyr during the “Dirty Thirties” up to grade nine and then on to high school in St. Anne’s and then Bruxelles where she graduated. She was the first student from that school to achieve this.

When Lauren was teaching on a “permit” during WWII, she met and married Emmanuel Marcq. Together they farmed for eight years in Hartney, Manitoba. After farming Lauren earned her Teacher’s Certificate and the first schools she taught at were near Deloraine and another near St. Alphonse.

Her husband, meantime, worked for the Department of Highways. They lived in Charleswood until Lauren’s husband got transferred, and they moved to St. Pierre, Manitoba, where they lived for 13 years.

Lauren’s environment friendly trike, complete with basket for shopping. She travels throughout Winnipeg on many of the paths and trails out of harm’s way of city traffic.

Lauren had taught at many Winnipeg schools including St. Maurice School in Ft. Garry. One student she proudly recalls is Gerald Flood, now a columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press. Another of her students she proudly remembers at this school is Jeff Nowatzki, a pharmacist whom she read about recently in another newspaper.

Lauren substituted at The Convent Of The Sacred Heart on Westgate near the Misericordia Hospital and later taught kindergarten full time at Aberdeen School on Flora Avenue, both in Winnipeg. She substituted in St. Pierre while living there before and after teaching full time at the St. Jean Baptiste School near Morris.

For a number of years, Lauren wrote for the Carillon News in Steinbach using the pen name “Emily Thiemens,” her father’s grandmother’s name. She wrote often about camping and everyday things such as extraordinary shopping experiences.

When Lauren and Emmanuel moved back to Winnipeg in Tuxedo, they lived there for seven years before moving to Elmwood where they stayed for over 18 more years.

Lauren, now 79, retired as a nurse shortly before turning 65. After ten years of working as an educator, at 50, she felt it was time for a career change. She returned to school to be trained as a Licensed Practical Nurse. After working several years full time, she took on part time shifts for a number of years. She moved on to Private Duty Nursing until she retired.

Immediately after retiring, Lauren began volunteering for Age & Opportunity in the Friendly Visitor program. She admired many of her clients for their ability to endure, survive and overcome horrendous accidental experiences that changed their lives forever.

In November of 2003, Lauren and her husband moved to the Polo Park area. Emmanuel became terminally ill and sadly passed away on February 14, 2004. Lauren stopped volunteering at Age & Opportunity when her husband became ill to care for him, but she plans on resuming her visits.

Knowing that life is sometimes too short, Lauren remains active and doesn’t miss an opportunity to indulge in a healthy bike ride, sometimes all the way to Tuxedo to visit friends.

Lauren has two sons and one daughter all living in Manitoba and has been graced with five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who keep her occupied as well.

When asked of some things she enjoyed in the past, Lauren reminisces about some of the coast-to-coast and U.S. trips with her husband in their travel trailer and later in their Volkswagen van equipped with a fridge, 3-burner stove, a sink and back seats that converted to a bed. Lauren still has a travel trailer that she plans to use as a summer retreat on her daughter’s property. Here she plans on doing some gardening while maintaining the one she already planted in Winnipeg.

Today, Lauren enjoys being a member of the Donwood West Senior Citizens Club and the Elmwood-East Kildonan Retired Citizens Association where she participates in a friendly game of carpet bowling now and then.

If you recall Lauren’s writings in her ‘Carillon’ days, you will see she is a gifted storyteller. She wrote a piece for a history book, “Echoes of Our Heritage” which included “Memories of Zephyr School”. Below are a couple of paragraphs from her submission that will take you back a little:

“Since I was the fourth child in the family I heard alot about school while I was still a pre-schooler. One of Bertrand’s favorite topics of conversation was “Howard’s football”. I had never seen a football and one Saturday a few months later, Bert and Grace took me to school as a rare treat. I saw a multicolored ball on the teacher’s desk. Fascinated, I bounced it to the floor saying, “Is this Howard’s football?” Fortunately the world globe of days of yore was fabricated of sturdy stuff!”

“In winter we went to school in a one horse cutter or in a sleigh driven by a team of horses. In the spring and fall we were transported to school by a buggy pulled by ‘Prince’, the faithful horse that had been given as a colt to my mother by my grandfather when she got married. No one loitered when four o’clock arrived as it was a mad scramble to see which family buggy would be out of the school yard first. Then it was a race to try to overtake anyone on the buggy trail until each family had to take the road leading to the individual homes.”

My how things are so different today!

Lauren knows the importance and power of education. She was never afraid to learn new skills. She even took an H&R Block Income Tax Preparation Course to be able to confidently file her family’s returns and those of others.

While taking some night classes, a phrase on the chalkboard made her think of her school years at Zephyr. It said: “If you can read this, thank a teacher.”

Thank you, Lauren!
I hope you start converting your diary from 1955 into a great memoir.

V2-N21 June 21, 2004

Harry Boss

"It didn't take long to figure out, if you're nice to people, they'll be nice to you."

Thanks to an anonymous tipster calling in, we were able to discover a man worthy of some recognition. When it comes to compassion, morals and a sense of humour, Harry is the boss. Harry Boss, that is.

Harry retired from the Winnipeg Transit System 12 years ago. Since retiring, he discovered he had a knack for writing. He has a skill of expressing his anger in harmonious, lyrical poetry. His writing is emotion driven. “When something is on my mind, I write about it,” he says. It’s a great release for stress in a world where the average citizen is helpless in many facets of our environment, politics and economy.

For Harry, writing isn’t something than can be commissioned at will. Often when something is troubling him, he will wake in the wee hours and diligently formulate his anger into organized poetic expression that many can relate to.

Harry’s writing doesn’t always express discontent. His humour is revealed in many of his poems. We will publish some in this issue and future issues of Senior Scope. They are sure to put a smile on your face.

Harry’s opinionated poetry attracted many readers and his biggest supporters are his two sons, Gerald and Michael, and their families. They compiled several pieces into a book of poems called “Harry’s Book” as a tribute to him. Inheriting their father’s sense of humour, they used the fictional company, “Angry Eyebrows Publishing”, referring to Harry’s stern expression of the photo displayed on the inside back cover. Below is what Gerald and Michael wrote “About the Author”—their father.

“Harry Boss is the youngest of 8 children born to Andrew and Katherine Boss at Rossdale, a small farming community north of Winnipeg. His parents were Ukrainian immigrants who emigrated to Canada in the early 1900s. Harry was born in 1928, a child of the Dirty Thirties, and came of age in the shadow of World War II.

Like many of his generation, he had to quit school at an early age to help on the farm. At 14 years old he and a friend “rode the rails” in search of work. They found it in bush camps in Northern Ontario, on farms and with the CPR.

As an adult, Harry farmed, drove taxi, worked for cleaning companies, among other things, and eventually ended up as a bus driver with Winnipeg Transit. This gave him the opportunity to combine two of his favorite pastimes; driving and kibitzing with people. It also provided him with many entertaining stories.

He and Marge Wiens married in 1956. They have 2 sons, Gerald (Brenda) and Michael (Diana), and 3 grand daughters (Marissa, Shawna and Christine). Marge passed away in 1996.

Harry has volunteered for several organizations over the years including Meals on Wheels, CNIB and Park Manor. He also regularly blows snow and shovels sidewalks for friends and neighbours. He has been a member of the congregation of St. Saviour’s Anglican Church for over 30 years.

As his many friends and family will agree; They broke the mold when Harry was born. To know him is to love him (unless your name is Peter Warren).”

We couldn’t have said it better than that.

Harry loved his job of driving bus for Winnipeg Transit. Sometimes when Harry’s route changed, his regular riders would write to the company to express their gratitude of Harry’s good-humour and graciousness he freely offered his riders.

Harry is 76 years of age and has much to yet accomplish.

In November of 2003, Harry started treatments for lung cancer. He temporarily gave up his volunteering but plans to continue in the near future once he’s stronger and healthier. So far so good.

We asked Harry what the secret to his long, happy marriage with Marge was and he simply said, “We just got along.” His open expression of his love for her was an obvious contribution. He was simply lost without her even when she was out of sight for just a short time. He wrote a letter to her one time when she went on a trip. He addressed it, “Marge Boss. Somewhere Out There. Postman, please find her. Do Your Best.” He took it to the post office and influenced the staff to stamp it for authenticity. He brought it home and left it waiting for his wife when she arrived so he could say the postman did a very good job. It wasn’t long before she caught on to the loving gesture of his antics.

We wish you a speedy recovery, Harry. Thank you for sharing your innermost thoughts with us.

Harry's Poems:

Peter Warren

When Peter Warren finds someone
With whom he can’t agree
He promptly tells him to take a bus
To downtown Plum Coulee

If you don’t agree with those ideas
That Peter holds so dear
He will tell you to take a walk
On his proverbial short pier

I refuse to bow to Peter’s whims
On them I sternly frown
I’d rather go to Plum Coulee
Or walk that pier and drown

~ Harry Boss

Harry once sent in a similar “Peter Warren” poem to the radio station where Peter worked in Winnipeg, that was read out loud on air with no hard feelings.

Preacher and Bus Driver

A bus driver and a preacher died,
And tried to get to Heaven, if they could,
The bus driver was shown where he would stay,
And “wow” it sure looked good.

The preacher smiled as he looked on,
and thought,
How much better mine must be,
But he was disappointed,
When his place he did see.

He said to St. Peter, you know how,
I always preached down there,
Why should this driver have a better place,
Now that we’re up here?

St. Peter said, when you preached,
People slept and did not hear,
But when this driver drove his bus,
Everyone prayed in fear.

~ Harry Boss

V3-N1 July 5, 2004

Phyllis Leader

"Make the most of each day because you never know when it will be the last."

In recent past issues, we advertised “Inspiring Stories Wanted”, and several have sent in various accounts of their lives. Some recounted their lives as children, and some reflected on more recent times.

Phyllis Leader, a lifetime resident of the Portage la Prairie area who now resides in town, wrote in with a ‘story to tell’.

A little background snooping revealed that Phyllis had been married twice and had nine children. Sadly, she lost one son to cancer when he was only in his thirties. She lost both husbands to illnesses as well. Her first husband was Michael (Mac) Bowden and her second, whom she married when she was 65, was Everett Leader. “Both were great men,” says Phyllis.

Both of Phyllis’s parents moved to Canada from England and
married after they had met here. Her grandfather on her father’s side, William Sercombe, had lived in a 28 room castle in Devonshire, England. Her grandfather had a number of enterprises. Cottages that housed employees of William Sercombe scattered the hillsides around the castle. It wasn’t until her second marriage that Phyllis could go and visit the massive estate.

Today, Phyllis lives in Dalton Grove Estates in Portage la Prairie. She loves the friendly atmosphere there. Each month, the tenants gather for a dinner and often bring in entertainment. The Morrisseau Fiddling Group—family and students of Mark Morrisseau—entertained there recently and Phyllis commented that they were exceptional. She immensely enjoyed them.

In her spare time, Phyllis crochets and sews clothes for African children. She assembles packages containing a sweater, nightie, diaper and receiving blanket, and her church, the Gospel Hall in Portage arranges the shipping.

Always ready with a humorous tale, Phyllis says she once argued with her second husband that crocheting was not the same as knitting as he implied. To prove her point, she looked it up in the dictionary only to find that the definition stated that crocheting was, in fact, knitting but with only one needle which was hooked. Almost, but not quite the same. They were equally correct, or not.

Phyllis enjoys playing the piano. Starting around the age of ten, she was self-taught, and plays mostly by ear. A gift she normally keeps to herself, when she gets up the nerve, and with a little encouragement, she may play for others.

Phyllis has an extremely large family. So large that at Christmas, dinners at her home have to be celebrated over two days to accommodate everybody. She proudly counts her 23 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Most of her family live in Manitoba so she is seldom short of visitors.

Here is Phyllis’s “Story to Tell”:

Saved by believing. Can it be that simple?

I was born into a Christian home. My parents were in fellowship in Portage la Prairie as long as I can remember. The Bible was read every day and we would all kneel down to pray after the evening meal. I cannot remember a time when I was not concerned about the necessity of being right with God. I remember hearing Mr. Harris when I was seven or eight years old and being deeply troubled. I went to series after series of Gospel meetings listening to Hector Alves, Tom Smith, Herbert Dobson, Alex Wilson and Andrew Douglas, to name just a few.

We went summer or winter. In summer, we went in an Eaton wagon, driven by horses, of course. For the winter, Dad built a closed-in rig made of plywood with an opening in front for the reins for the horses to go through. There were no proper roads in those days. It would take us over an hour to get home in the summer, an hour and a half in the winter. On several occasions when we were driving home after the Gospel meeting, the horses would be plunging through the snow drifts and the whole thing would upset. Us girls would be snoozing. Dad would yell, “Whoa!” It sounded awful on a cold winter night. We would have to unscramble ourselves and put the box back on the sleigh.

A good many times us girls would walk to the meetings, especially in the summer if the horses were too tired from doing field work. Dorcas and I liked to go together and we would come home on the passenger train. It left the city at 9:20 p.m. If the preacher was long-winded, we would have to get up and leave early, which happened a good many times. The fare was 15 cents. Return fare was a quarter. The train let us off a half mile from home.

All my sisters were saved at an early age. I know Dad worried about me. He thought I was the one who was going to kick over the traces.

At the age of 14 I quit school after completing grade nine, as we couldn’t afford a high school education. I helped my parents until the time of my first marriage at the age of twenty-one. Until then, we farmed a half section of land. It was all done with horses, usually two outfits at a time. I worked day after day, plowing fields, cultivating, discing. This was done with four horses, sometimes with six horses tandem, which wasn’t easy. When we were haying, my job was to rake and bunch the hay while Dad and my sisters stacked it. It was also my task to look after my father’s sheep, driving them to the pasture in the morning and bringing them home at night. Once in a while there would be a hole in the fence. When one got out they were all out. Try to get them in again, that was another story.

The preachers would always give me Gospel tracts. I would go upstairs to my room so I could be alone and read them, concentrating on the last page to try to find out how to be saved and know it. It was the same old thing (All those Gospel verses that I knew off by heart). When I was working in the field, I would take the tracts and the New Testament with me and read them while the horses rested after every hour. I pleaded in anguish of soul that the Spirit of God would not leave me. If that happened, I would be lost forever. I used to puzzle over that verse of a hymn, “Payment God will not twice demand. First at my bleeding surety’s hand and then again at mine.” I used to say to myself, “It would not be fair for me to be punished when Christ paid the debt for all my sin,” but I was not saved. I couldn’t figure it out. It was like putting my foot in the door of heaven and pulling it out again. Little did I know that I was guilty of the most damning sin of all. He will reprove the world of sin because they believe not in me. John 16:8. I was one of the fearful and unbelieving we read about in Rev. 21:8.

On January 20, 1943, the coldest day on record for Manitoba (and still is), our thermometer registered -49 degrees F., -50 degrees F. at the city hall in Portage. I was sitting in the rocking chair by the stove that morning. I don’t know how it happened, but a pot of boiling water spilled on me. I had large blisters on my legs, and could hardly get my stockings on. I asked my sisters not to tell Dad as I was afraid he would not let me go to the meeting that night. Although it seemed so hopeless, I was afraid if I stayed home, I might miss something that would shed some light on this all important subject of knowing how to be saved. I couldn’t figure it out. Christ died for me, but I was not saved.

Andrew Douglas commenced a series of Gospel meetings that winter 1943. He was one Gospel preacher that seldom buttonholed anyone at the door, but this particular night, he spoke to me. He said in his Scottish brogue, “Are ye no saved yet, Phyl?” He seemed to understand the problem. He said, “If God called down from heaven and said, ‘Phyllis, you are saved,’ would you believe it? I replied, “Yes, of course.” “Well,” he said, “God is not going to do that for you. You will have to take it the same as the rest of us.” He explained how Abraham believed God and it was accounted unto him for righteousness and all I had to do was believe what God says. “Do you believe Christ died on the cross for you?” he asked. Yes, I believed that. “Do you believe He was buried and rose again for your justification?” Again, I replied, “I do.” “Are you willing to confess with these lips of yours, Jesus as lord of your life?” Yes, I was willing to do that. Then he read Romans 10:9, That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. The last four words stood out, Thou shalt be saved. Oh, the wonder of it. God says I am saved. There was not big rush of joy, just peace and rest. The only way I can describe it is like passing through a violent storm, then after, a calm quiet rest.

When we got home, I knelt down by my bed and thanked God for revealing His salvation to me. Then I went to bed. Then everything seemed to leave me. I thought, “What have I done? I said I was saved and now it’s all gone. The Lord’s people will stop praying for me.” (How I valued their prayers.) Like a flash, Is. 53:6 came to me. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. All my sins were gone and I was filled with joy. Day after day, I used to rejoice in the thought that maybe the Lord would come that day.

Salvation is so simple. Take the guilty sinner’s place and accept the guilty sinner’s Saviour. Get in under the Blood. Ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. Jer. 29:13.

V3-N2 July 19, 2004

Ed Brown

"My life is my hobby."

Ed Brown. Sound familiar? If you have a little bit of “cowboy” in you, chances are you’ve crossed his trail or maybe he’s crossed yours. Or… if you are a wildlife enthusiast, or connoisseur of fine wildlife art, you may know exactly who we’re referring to.

Ed Brown has been receiving quite a bit of publicity, lately, for his singing, songwriting and ‘cowboy’ poetry, not to mention his wildlife woodcarvings. Many of his pieces, mostly birds of prey, songbirds and waterfowl, both life-sized and miniature, have garnered him national and international recognition. One of his pieces titled, “American Kestrel with Garter Snake” awarded Ed 3rd Best of Show in the Ward World Competition in Ocean City, Maryland, held in the United States. Numerous other carvings have reaped best of show status at competitions across Canada and the U.S., and many carvings are included in major collections in these countries, as well.

Painting has been a part of Ed’s life since childhood. He started with sketching and painting birds. Working decoys for hunting were among his first carvings. It was just over 15 years ago that he became serious about his art and began entering competitions. He was self-taught in the art of woodcarving and studied at every opportunity only to take what he learned to new heights. It paid off because, now, Ed is ranked among the best in the world. Ed will dedicate months at a time to a carving. You have to be a metal worker and a painter on top of being a carver. It takes triple the time to complete a carving compared to a painting because a carving is three dimensional. And you have to know every detail of the subject you intend to carve. Ed painstakingly spent hours studying the minute details of birds before even starting. He would often capture the birds live to photograph them from every angle and then release them unharmed.

“American Kestrel with Garter Snake” carving - 2 views Right: It took about 13 months to complete this carving. It included 2 months of photographing, 1 month making the clay model, 7-8 months of carving and 2 months of painting. The top portion is ALL carved from one block of wood which includes the Kestrel (bird), snake and the branch. Even the rocks are carved from wood. In competitions, only the eyes can be other than wood, but Ed creates his own with precision to get the exact desired results.

These woodcarvings are so life-like that staff at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre near Stonewall, Manitoba, say they are often overlooked as stuffed birds when on display there. In this piece, the bird and branch are carved out of wood and even the flowers and leaves are hand-made, although not out of wood.

The fact that Ed is self-taught in carving has proved to be to his advantage because he is not limited to any boundaries or rules. To him, it’s whatever works and he has handled the challenge of combining extreme accuracy with artistic expression and originality. His style is easily recognizable by many of his peers and art lovers. His work has been featured in the Wild Fowl Carving Magazine published in the USA and many pieces are on display and for sale at several locations in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba.

Musically speaking, Ed’s career started in the late 70’s. While performing as a solo act and with various bands touring across Canada, he didn’t have the opportunity to perform original material until 20 years later. He was invited to perform at a ‘cowboy poetry gathering’ and he hasn’t looked back, except to reflect on his early life as a cowboy to create the most sentiment-evoking tales in song, and more recently, in poetry. Many of Ed’s concerns, such as environment issues, are expressed in some of his lyrics as in the track titled, “We Can’t Do That Anymore.” on his current CD, “Most of My Best Friends Are Still Cowboys”.

Ed could be considered an authority on cowboy life which is why his original “cowboy” songs are such a hit. Leaving his home in Winnipeg at an early age, Ed sought the life of a cowboy, a childhood dream. His early adulthood was consumed by the rodeo for ten years as a bronc rider. He was so involved that he became a founding member of the Manitoba Rodeo Cowboy’s Association, formerly known as the Interlake Rodeo Association. In 1997, Ed was inducted into the M.R.C.A. Hall of Fame.

Today, Ed is well-received by audiences as the headline act at several cowboy poetry gatherings across Western Canada including Stoney Plain, Alberta; Pincher Creek, Alberta; and Maple Creek, Saskatchewan.

On his CD, “Most of My Best Friends Are Still Cowboys,” Ed compiled a mix of song and poetry all self-written and performed. Songs are of a more serious nature where he often recounts past cowboy experiences in memoir fashion. But his poetry, which he introduced only four years ago, is mainly humour-oriented. He even incorporates modern technology with some of his cowboy poems for added comic effect and so the younger generation can relate.

Ed’s self-taught guitar playing on his CD reveals obvious influences of classical, jazz, rock ’n’ roll, and folk. A wide range of music styles by artists such as Willy Nelson, Jimi Hendrix, Gordon Lightfoot, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin served as inspiration also. The sound is as original as the artist and his lyrics.

At 57, Ed is living his life, earning a living the way most can only dream about — doing what we consider hobbies or favourite pastimes. He likely won’t be retiring from these dual careers that he truly loves. But, Ed’s real desire is to have some up-and-coming performers launch some of his tunes to stardom status.

You can experience Ed Brown performing live at Neepawa’s Lily Festival Sunday, July 18, and at the Morris Stampede on Sunday, July 25, on the free stage where he’ll be in the lineup with artists, Doug Keith (poet) and Ray Martin (singer and former member of the Foster Martin Band).

On August 9th, Ed will make an appearance on A-Channel’s Big Breakfast Show. He was invited to CBC’s Radio Roundup Show in August as well.

If you ever get the opportunity to meet Ed Brown, shake his hand, because he has the makings to “carve” a name for himself in both the art and entertainment world.

Ed Brown's carvings are on display at the Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre, near Stonewall, Manitoba, Canada (ph: 204-467-3300) and often at the Wayne Arthur Sculpture & Craft Gallery at 186 Provencher Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (ph: 204-477-5249).

These carvings make excellent personal or corporate gifts!
Smaller carvings sell from $60-$100.

To purchase Ed Brown's carvings, call Ed at 204-467-9485.

			To order the "Most of My Best Friends Are Still Cowboys" CD or "180 Years of Sage Comments and Buckbrush Logic", mail cheque or money order for $17.00/each to: Ed Brown Box 51 Balmoral, Manitoba Canada R0C 0H0 (postage & shipping included) Or call: 1-204-467-9485 (Stonewall, MB Canada) For bookings: 1-204-467-9485
	CDs are available also at the Wayne Arthur Sculpture & Craft Gallery at 186 Provencher Blvd. and at the Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store at 211 Bannatyne Avenue, both in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

V3-N3 August 2, 2004

Hill Bylholt

"It's an honour to still be able to help"

Our Spotlight this issue is Superman! Okay, not quite, but close. Hill Bylholt is our ‘super’ senior, although, ‘senior’ may not be such an appropriate description considering how active and involved he is at the age of 75 in his community of Gimli, Manitoba. He has boundless,
contagious energy.

We owe sincere thanks to Stephanie Wood of Gimli for pointing Hill out to us.

Where do we start? When Hill retired from his employment with the University of Manitoba in 1989, he and his wife, Elizabeth, moved from Winnipeg to Lake Forest, Manitoba, north of Gimli where he had built a house.

Hill was extremely active already in the community of Gimli and the commute to his meetings became too much. He and Elizabeth decided to move to town in 1997 and Gimli has been their home since.

This move allowed Hill to be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week… literally. He seems to have made a career out of volunteering. “It’s an honour to still be able to help,” says Hill earnestly.

If Hill was busy volunteering before retiring, which he was, today he could easily fill a 24 hour day serving his community and he probably does from time to time.

While living in Winnipeg, Hill’s volunteering was intertwined with his work at the U of M and his personal life. He helped fundraise through the U of M for the United Way, he was active with Folklorama, and still is, plus he coached soccer for many years. More impressively, Hill coached the U of M Bisons soccer team to the National Championships.

Caring for others is second nature to Hill. A regular 24 hour day for him might include visiting with seniors wanting company in their home or hospital room, and then maybe off to a meeting at the New Horizon 55+ Centre in Gimli of which he is very active with fundraising. He served as President here for nearly ten years—1989-1997. He might then transport someone to a medical appointment in Winnipeg, and then drive the 2-1/2 hour route around Gimli and the surrounding area monitoring suspicious activities for Gimli’s ‘Citizen’s Patrol’.

Hill currently serves as President for this 35-member citizens’ organization.

A call—or sometimes several—in the middle of the night from the local “Lifeline” a non-life-threatening emergency service for seniors, might summons Hill to assist somebody in need. Hill has been on-call basically 24-hours a day for the last ten years for Lifeline. The Kiwanis Club in Gimli is lucky, also, for having Hill as a member to help fundraise for them.

If there’s any spare time throughout the day, Hill might squeeze in a little choir practice with the Gimli Man’s Choir that performs year-round mostly for seniors in various towns. (If anyone is interested in booking this choir, you can contact Charlie Boudreau at 642-4423 in Gimli.) Hill may attend a meeting for Gimli’s Meals on Wheels of which he now serves as President and has been a board member of for a total of 13 years. He may dash off to a meeting for Folklorama, of which he’s the Programming Coordinator Chair for the Dutch Pavilion, and he is one of five that sits on Folklorama’s Steering Committee.

And let’s not forget his role as a husband to his very dear and patient wife, Elizabeth, who keeps him organized. “I’m lucky to have her,” Hill says. He realizes it’s hard for her at times.

Hill is involved in so many different activities, some of the things slip his mind only to be reminded by a friend, of some other activities he was involved with. Lori Helper, a board member and volunteer of Evergreen Basic Needs—a food bank and used clothing store in Gimli—tells us, “Hill is the hardest working volunteer that Gimli’s ever had. His efforts are diverse. He has done a lot of good for both youth and seniors here.” Hill is credited for his involvement with the development of a skateboard park for the youth as he sits on the board for the Youth Centre. He is the President of Evergreen Basic Needs, and he was responsible for bringing the MSOS 55+ Games to Gimli in 1997 when he served a two-year term as President of the local MSOS branch. Hill even participated in the MSOS Games himself competing in carpet bowling and darts. He earned a silver medal in the National Dart Competition that he travelled to Medicine Hat, Alberta, to compete in.

In the past, Hill was involved for many years with organizing the entertainment for the Canada Day and Family Day celebrations in Gimli, not to mention his involvement with Camp Morton’s Heritage Day celebration. He also is a board member of the retirement community where he lives.

For the next couple of weeks, Hill will be participating in the Dutch Pavilion for Folklorama in Winnipeg. Be sure to stop by and say ‘hi’. Hill’s wife, Elizabeth, used to participate in Folklorama, as well