My other job at my Uncles & 2 stores

I worked near my relatives for several years. I worked for Oscar & Alta Lincoln's north of Parry Sask. I did house work made meals & anything else that I was needed to help them. They gave me Sundays off, so I went to their daughter, my cousin Cecile Johnson. They would go to church each Sunday at Kedive where there was a small church which was moved through the years to different towns where ever it was central for the Grace Gospel congregations. Most of these folks had came to Trossash's camp each year. The preachers were several who had learned the scriptures at camp. Mrs Art Pritchard was main minister at the time they met in Kedive & then it was later moved to Pangman.

While at my uncles they also had a hired man. My uncle at this time was farming with horses, this was the time before tractors or power machinery. We had to get up at 4am, each work day, as the horses had to be fed & cared for. I was call to get up to make the breakfast for the men who would be in to eat in a hour. The stove was stoked & hot, I had to get a large breakfast ready. I would serve oatmeal, fried eggs, toast with home made Jam & coffee. I often had home cured bacon. The menu changed from day to day. My aunt taught me one day how to catch a young roaster, put a twine string around both its legs, then hang it upside down on the clothes line. She also showed me how to cut its head off, by finding the right joint then quickly remove its head, I then moved quickly away as the bird would flop around. (this may sound cruel to some,) but it as done quickly so it does not hurt the bird). We must have meat cooked for tired working men by 12 noon. I had to have a kettle of boiling water to bring outside to put the chicken in & when the feathers loosened I had to pluck them off & clean the bird. In the house I would have cold water from the out side cistern to clean & draw the bird & cut it in the right pieces for eating. I would have to keep water cool so it would be ready to fry in home made butter so this meal would be ready in time. I would peal the potatoes, have a vegetable from the garden or a jar of home canned veggie that had been done the year before. One summer I worked for a neighbour girl who needed to cook for the threshing crew, for her mother had died. A large crew of men arrived early, I was to help her with everything, They kept a coffee pot on the back of this coal fired cook stove all day long, it was very strong coffee as it brewed all day. It was a very large pot, they even had two pots on for these were men from Denmark who had coffee in the morning, 2 lunch times & also for the evening meal. Anna Hanson was a hard worker for her age & a cheerful person to work with. Next time I will tell more of working in the country store.