After leaving the Ranch, I purchased a home in Stettler where I continue to live. I brought some of the old furniture that my parents had with the idea of refinishing & using them which I have done. I purchased a serpentine front dresser from Nick Sacuta that he had inherited from George Borden. This I plan to go to Lorraine. I refinished a curved glass china cabinet from the 1800s for Sheryl which had been passed down to Auntie Ruth to Bing and then to Sheryl. I refinished some articles for Marg Harper. I brought some old well pumps from the ranch that I repaired & painted. I have sold some & the one in my yard will go to Lorraine. I also acquired considerable woodworking tools & equipment which I still have. I made over 60 table lamps & 4 floor lamps for others plus numerous lazy susans, candle holders, nic-nacs and what have you’s.
The table was made by Bill Knowles
I spent some time working or volunteering for the Big Valley & Stettler museums; Gerald Price and I traveled many miles in central Alberta going to antique & retirement sales. I volunteered for a time at the Stettler Ag Society. Now I spend most of my time bike riding, reading or walking about town.
TALES FROM THE ELEVATOR
To start with, Stan Eichhorn bought the P&H elevator for a small sum. He called a meeting in one of the railcars, and it was decided that they would form a society called the P&H Elevator Preservation Society (http://www.stettlergrainelevator.com). At the initial meeting at the elevator office, a slate of officers were elected; Stan Eichhorn was elected president, an office he still holds. Bonnie Long nominated me for vice-president, a position I held for a short while. Some of the women emitted loud lusty guffaws frequently, and it got on my nerves, so I told Stan that I couldn’t stand the noise but I would still help. We started repairing and cleaning the coal shed. That was completed after shingling and wall repairs. Next, some of the east side of the elevator roof was stripped and re-shingled. Then it was some cleaning and repair of the main elevator. Then mostly dismantling and rebuilding the feed shed. About this time, Craig, the vice-president, got miserable, so I told Stan I would help but I would no longer take shit from Craig so I haven’t been involved since. Amen.