The birth of our first child.

Max's brother Charlie went to Ont where he married his cousin Evelyn Taylor, there they got work. Max needed extra money that fall so when harvest was over he hauled coal to those who
gave him & Elmer fall jobs. I remember on Halloween night, as Edith was wanting a porch over
their front door. Max & I believe it was Elmer moved their out house to the front door, while Edith & I were shopping. Edith took it in good humor. In Dec of 1944 Edith & Elmer were expecting their first child, their daughter Beverley was born in Virden hospital, Dec 29th, 1944. Charlie & Evelyn first child, Ferne was born in Ont on Jan 3 ,1945. We were to have our first child in May. There was a health nurse in Oak Lake & my Dr Purdie, was from Griswold, who had a country practise. He also was the Dr for the Indian reservation. We had moved into a larger bedroom in this stone house.

First I must tell you about an instance when Max had bought a horse. He had been hitching it to a cutter so he decided we would go into town to shop. There was a bit of snow but when we got with in a 1 mile from town, this horse decided he didn't like this sleigh so he started to kick, a board on the front of the cutter broke but Max got the horse stopped. He noticed bleeding from a cut just below his knee. I believed some one stopped to take us to my sisters. I don't remember who took the horse to Elmer's. Ernie drove us to the Dr in the next town. I was 6 month pregnant but never got injured. Dr cleaned the wound then proceeded to sew it up,"saying I will get this together so you won't have infection in it." I noticed Max was getting white, then passed out in a faint. I don't remember how or when we got home but Max was so glad I didn't get hurt. I recall another time when I was walking to the chicken house to gather the eggs. I was told to be careful of a ram his dad had bought so he could raise sheep. I didn't notice this ram until it came around the side of the building heading for me, but as clumsy as I was, with 2 months to go I did manage to make it into the hen house but had to wait a hour or so it seemed before that ram left for the barn.

Our first baby was arriving May 24, Max birthday was May 23 & his sister Louise birthday was
24 so she was looking forward to have a nephew as her gift. Max's two sister were still living
at home. The nurse arrived & Dr was on his way, Max came into see me, then left & had to lean over the up stair balcony so the nurse attended to him first. We both survived. Dr arrived in awhile, before our son arrived. I was 30 years old & Gary was 8lbs so I was torn, but Dr just sewed me up while I held the nurses arm, no pain killer but I made it, even if the nurse had a bruise on her arm. We had to spent two weeks in bed, but that was in the old days. I tried to breast feed him but Gary also had colic. We spent many nights up with a crying baby as he ate & threw up then cried for more, yet he grew. The nurse put Gary on cows milk, as my milk didn't agree with him. I got an infection in my bowels. The nurse came & gave me a milk enema which was quit painful but I survived. The cows milk had to be brought to near the boiling point, then slowly cooled. Gary did well on this diet, but Bottles had to be boiled. We didn't have a fridge but bought a ice box which I had in the upstairs hall. Each winter the men cut ice on the river ,which was put in the ice house, which was a hole in the ground, where the ice was stored in the summer months, covered with saw dust which they got from when they sawed the wood for the furnace & stoves as this was the way it was done in the 40's.

Ernie & Clara ministered in Oak Lake for a while. Clara & I had good times together with our
Children, I helped when needed. Gilbert & Louise moved to his farm north of Brandon. We had good times together as a family. Charlie & Evelyn moved near Winnipeg. My parents came & lived with us upstairs for about a year. Charlie was wanting to farm so we were informer that Grandpa Gompf wanted to give him a chance to farm. My brother Cliff was living in Lang Sask, he heard we were moving so he wanted Max to move to Lang to start into the garage business with him. Both of them were good at repairing machinery. Charlie & Evelyn moved in up stairs when we left for Lang Sask. We bought our first home in Lang. It was a older house which the former owner wanted to sell but hadn't finished some repairing he had started. I don't remember what we were paying for it but this was our first home. My brother had built his first home in this town. We would be finishing our house. There was a German speaking church, Evangelical church in town. The morning & evening services were in English but the prayer meetings in mid week were in German. We enjoyed our fellowship with this group of Christians. We still have been in touch with friends who used to live in Lang Sask.