August the 15th, 1933, was a remarkable day
in the life of the family of the David Isaak's. On that day we
arrived, after a long journey of two weeks, from Gilroy to Glenbush.
The drought in the south combined with the dust storms and the
plague of grasshoppers persuaded us to leave the farm. We packed
our belongings on a hayrack which we covered with carpet out of
our living room. There was Mrs. Isaak, a driver, five children
and I on board a box wagon loaded with farm utensils, and a team
hitched to a democrat tied behind. We left the first of August.
That trek would be another story by itself. This is supposed to
be our experiences in Glenbush.
From August 15 to November we lived on that hayrack. I found a
job threshing for Mr. Hoepner who had a half section, without
buildings, south of Glenbush, . He was a farmer from Waldheim.
So after threshing we set up our housing. Here began our severest
winter ever. In retrospect it is unbelievable how the family survived.
There was a small bunkhouse for Mr. Hoepner which was about 10
x 12, his living quarters when he came to work the land. We set
up a tent close to a straw stack for Jake, Mary, and Peter and
myself for sleeping. Mrs. Isaak, with Annie and John , slept in
that little shack or whatever you call it. Snow was falling early
in November. So we built our lodging to take us through the winter.
Two by four rough poplars gave us the studs for a 12 x 14 frame
and also for rafters. Between the studs we nailed short pieces
of poplar. The roof was covered with poplar, the second cut slab.
By this time the ground was frozen. We then set up a feed cooker
inside to heat water. We picked the frozen earth, wet it with
hot water and mudded up the walls. A double bunk was the sleeping
place for the children, two boys on the upper bunk, and the two
girls on the lower bunk. My wife and I had a single bed, 39 x
6, and the baby was in a cradle. An oil drum converted to a heater
gave us the means to heat up the room. In the morning everything
was frozen solid, but wood was plentiful, which I had to saw by
hand each day.
we kept a team of horses and one cow in a granary. Dave Pauls
took one milking cow and Abrams took two for the winter. The rest
of the horses had to fend for themselves. As all this was close
to Henry Pauls', we were permitted to use their well which was
about 80" deep.
We did not want to go on relief. That was the main reason we came
north. In the fall I worked for Mr. Hoepner but how could you
care for a family of five when I only made one dollar a day by
picking rocks. He paid me ten cents a load (that is not a joke)
and he wanted good loads. By cutting wood for Mr. Abrams and hauling
it to town, I made another dollar a day. I bought the N.E.1/4-50-14-W3rd,
with a down payment of $25 and $9 per acre. I then hauled logs
to build a house. Mr. Abe Friesen and boys hewed them, as payment
I gave them a steel wheeled wagon. Early in the morning I bucked
enough wood to last a day and then drove north to get some logs
which I dumped off at Friesens place. The children rode to school
with the Pauls' boys. Thus we were settled for the winter. May
I mention just one experience to show how tough it was. In the
fall there was flour on sale for $3 per hundred. I bought six
sacks but the problem was to store it. We set them up beside the
tent and covered them with straw. At that time there was free
range. One morning as we came out, our flour was scattered and
one bag torn open. It was a miracle indeed that all though the
winter no one was sick, not even a cold or cough, only sore feet
from not having warm shoes. Thus we felt the protecting hand of
the Almighty God and it strengthened our faith. My wife was expecting
a child in the beginning of March. Spring came early that year
of 1934. All of a sudden the sun broke through and the mud on
the south wall started crumbling off, and more trouble , it started
to rain. So in a hurry I gathered the canvases from the binder,
nailed the short ones on the wall and the platform canvas on the
roof. Under such circumstances our daughter was born on the 10th
of March, 1934. We named her Helen.
In the middle of April we moved to our new homestead northeast
of Glenbush. Somebody had erected a small shack and a shelter
for the animals. We broke 12 acres that summer. A roof was put
on the house. In 1935 we had a fence for our cattle and horses,
but the hard times were far from over. We didn't have enough hay
for the coming winter. We had two heifers, two yearlings, and
three calves, which I sold to Jack Harrison for $42, and, I had
to drive them to Medstead. In 1935, we, together with my Uncle
John Harder Sr., bought a breaking plow for $90, and as our land
joined we hitched our horses (each three) together and started
to work. Our goal -- thirty acres each. As my cousin, John Jr.,
was also strict on time, We reached our goal early in the season
and now began the backbreaking part -- picking stones and roots.
Today I marvel at our perserverance. We had to clear the bush
first. The most heartbreaking part was that my wife had to pile
and burn brush, while the children sat on the ground and the mosquitos
pestered them. At that time we had no "Off" or other
chemicals to protect against mosquitoes. Besides this work, we
rented Mrs. Smith's land. We had a shallow well that went dry
the next year. For fifteen years I hauled water from Long Lake,
two miles away, until finally a dugout was made at our own expense.
There was no help or grant. The cost was over $300. We tried to
dig a well, cane to 80', no water, gave up. After a couple of
years we had a well driller come. We set up close to the barn
but at 65' he hit a big rock and gave up. The war prevented us
from getting dynamite. So he set the rig up over the well we had
and went down about 116', he had no more pipe so he quit. In the
meantime we had bought the Jack Holman half section and that well,
75', gave some water and then went dry. We tried down by the slough
and at 14' he got water. That lasted for a couple of years. It
is hard to fathom such things as there is now, a well about 160'
that supplies all the water for the cattle and the house. Our
oldest son, Jake, is on the farm now. He may write about some
of his experiences when he took over. In 1939 we bought one-half
section from Jack Holman who moved to England. In 1951 I bought
N.W1/4-7-50-13 from Irvin Wiens. Gradually the times improved
and when we quit farming in 1956 we had a debt free farm of four
quarters sections and a nice house. On account of my wife's arthritis
we moved to Saskatoon.
We had seven children. They all received their elementary schooling
in Carrollton School, then some went to Artichoke, and some to
Glenbush for their high schooling. Our youngest son is the only
one not married, he is teaching at Fort McMurral, Alberta, at
the present time. The others are enjoying life at different places.
Jake is living on the home place, a good farmer. Mary and Annie
are living on farms in the Glenbush district. Peter, a teacher,
his first school being Artichoke, is living in Saskatoon and teaching
at Walter Murray School. John, also in Saskatoon, is employed
at the lumberyard. Helen, a nurse, is working for V.O.N. in Saskatoon.
I have 21 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Praise the
Lord for our wonderful family, spiritually and educationally.
Around the Carrollton School quite a group settled that came from
the south; George Penners, Peter Dicks, Henry Krahn, Isaac Friesens,
Isaac Bergens, John Harders Sr., John Harders Jr., Dave Letkeman,
and Aron Froeses. The distance to the church in Glenbush prevented
us from attending the services, so we asked the school board to
allow us the use of the school. As families were mostly young
couples, we had lots of school children. At the time there were
about thirty-six children and the school was closed in January
and February in view of the cold winter and the meager clothing,
but that changed after two years. The help of the children was
needed at home to care for the younger ones so their mother and
oldest ones could help in the field.
On Sunday we gathered in the school, had a children's class and
a short service. I was leading it. After several years about half
of the newcomers left for British Columbia and as the farms improved
we joined the Glenbush church. This church was really too small
so an addition was built on.
We had very good neighbors, and one of our closest neighbors for
twenty-three years was E. A. C. Davis. He was school secretary
for many years. Let us not forget all the benefits we have in
this land of ours. Freedom of speech and freedom of faith.
