Life while in Oak Lake

We kept busy that winter keeping warm & getting more kids in Sunday School. Then on a few Friday nights we had a get together with the younger folk there we some times had bible reading & prayer times at these gatherings. Other times we would have a game night to interact with each other. Rachel & I were often were invited out for a time at some of the family's of the church people for meals. We had no way of travel but some one of the family would pick us up & bring us back but we couldn't go in very cold weather as we had to keep the fires going so things wouldn't freeze.

I learned that the Gompf youth were competitive when it came to their choice of women. Max was dropping by for a visit when he was in town, his older brother was coming some evenings to bring us milk, he got to visiting longer each time. So we, Rachel & I decided one night we would sit in the dark , letting on we weren't home. As he was to leave it by the door if we were out. But Charlie who was the youngest son was quit a joker, so he came and told us that Elmer was sure we were home but wouldn't let him in. He also told me how when their brother Stan, who had been away to college & came home, had played a trick on Max once. He said Max had taken this neighbor girl out so Stan had gone the next week end & asked her out, so the brothers were teasing him about this, anyway Charlie said Max left home for a week or so and his mother was quit upset about this, but their father kept singing " where is my wandering boy to night" which really worried his wife.

Charlie was quite a teaser often with a motive, but I never caught on for a while. Max came in different times to visit me when Rachel was helping another member of the church. Charlie had been using a neighbors team of Shetland ponies. One day unannounced he called at the parsonage during the week asking me to come out to the farm for a few days, so I went. He keep up with his jokes then acted serious & asked me rather seriously " Would you marry me?" I wasn't interested in him that way for I was much fonder of his brother Max. I responded by saying,"Charlie, you joker I can never know when to believe you, of course not." I never thought too much about it as he talked of many other things, I just passed it off as a joke not guessing why he had done this. I spent a few days there and I asked his young sister Clara if she would like to come back & spend the week end with me. We were driven back to town in the sleigh driven by this team of Shetland ponies, a novelty for both Clara & I. That week end Max came in and knocked on the door, as I let him in he had different look on his face. Clara, left the room as Max said" You better practise what you preach" then walked out I had no idea what or why he said or thought that. Clara quickly left the room as I broke into tears. Needless to say it wasn't easy for me to take the service, but my prayer of repentance must have helped. I learned after that this was a set up thing by his brothers a way of teasing. I only remember that the next time I was out at the farm Max asked me to go for a walk down the lane to their pasture he asked me if I would like to go out with him again, I said yes. We seemed closer after this & I believe it was after this that Charlie told me of how Max had reacted after when his brother Stan had taken his other date. I did lots of praying over this as I wanted to be a good example before the other people. Once Max's cousin Cecil Cairns had me come out with him for a meal at his parents, on the way home asked if I was interested in the Gompf boys not sure what my responce was. I had always been a very shy girl and not used to so much attention from young men.

I was hearing from my sister Clara who was expecting her first child, Sharon, who was born April 21 in Vernon B.C. that Ernie had been ill as during the winter months in his training he had to sleep on cold ground at higher altitudes than he was used to causing him to get a very painful back so he could not continue training & was in the hospital. I believe he had to wait for several months before he was discharged from the army. That spring, Rachel took a job with the Carin's family as we were short of money to live on. I had ordered 25 chicks & was feeding them in the back kitchen as the Gompf's would take them after they were older. One day when I was cleaning the chickens Max appeared at the doorway. He said " lets talk, for I have some thing I want to ask you". He put his arm around me said "Will you marry me". I didn't know if I should trust these Gompf fellows, I said "on one condition (as it is leap year) never say I asked you?" We both had a good laugh, as he took me in his arms said "I promise you I won't" so I said "I will marry you" & we sealed it with a kiss.

We didn't set a date then but farm weddings were always in the fall after the harvest is finished. Later we set it for October 23, 1943. After Ernie was discharged from the Army either the church contacted him or the other way around. I don't remember the date they returned to take over the Oak Lake Pastorate but the harvest had to be finished but plans were being made, so this will be told later.