Lögberg-Heimskringla - 14.01.2005, Blaðsíða 10

10 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 14 January 2005
One big family
Dorothy Breckman
WlNNIPEG, MB
One of my first memories
of growing up in Lundar is be-
ing without electricity.
A local entrepreneur, Alex
Johnson, had a power plant that
was connected to homes in the
town. I recall my mother hav-
ing to do laundry on Monday
evenings and ironing on Tues-
day afternoons. I do not recall
the time for the lights to be
turned off at night, however, I
do remember having to go to
bed before the lights went out!
My Uncle Dan (Danielson) re-
calls the lights being very dim
while everyone was doing their
laundry and ironing.
Movie pictures (shows)
were held only on Saturday and
Monday nights in the Commu-
nity Hall. There was no tele-
vision until 1956 or ’57. The
charge for the movies was 25
cents.
My first recollection of the
radio was lying on the floor with
my Dad (Leo Danielson) and
listening to his battery-operated
floor radio tuned to the Chicago
Bam Dance on Saturday nights.
I can also remember Dad telling
me about the very first crystal
radio he put together, and invit-
ing neighbour friends to come
to listen to this phenomenon. I
recall, one Sunday, while my
parents were in church, cous-
in Tom (Breckman) and I sat
on either side of our amma at
home while we listened to Rev.
Eyland’s service on the radio
— in Icelandic. We stood up to
sing the Icelandic hymns and to
say the Icelandic prayers. Eng-
lish church services were held
every Sunday; however, when
there was an Icelandic minister,
services were held in Icelandic
in the aftemoons on Sundays.
Many of us spoke only Ice-
landic until we were five years
old. Many people would gather
in the evenings to play cards
— Whist and Icelandic Whist.
Town people were kept
busy. Lundar had its own Dra-
ma Club under the direction of
my mother-in-law (Gertrude
Breckman). She directed many
plays that were performed in
Lundar and nearby towns.
Milk was delivered to the
homes daily by local farmers.
Some used a horse and caboose
for their deliveries. I remember
women seaming nets in their
kitchens for the fishermen on
Lake Manitoba — an occupa-
tion that many women had in
order to make extra money.
Town people shopped at the
local stores, but the merchants
were often paid by the custom-
ers at the end of the month or
when they could afford to. Farm
kids were brought to school on
a horse-driven caboose, heated
by a little wood heater. That
seemed more fun than walking
to school and playing the game
of kicking frozen horse turds all
the way like the town kids.
Sadly, the old four-room,
two-storey schoolhouse bumed
one summer night. Arrange-
ments had to be made for class-
es to be held in various venues
until a new school was built.
The Ladies Aid Bjork build-
ing became one schoolhouse;
other classes were housed in
two old train coaches; still oth-
ers were placed in the Unitarian
Church and an old building on
Main Street. The excitement of
the new five-room, one-storey
school was ready for use before
long. My mother started the 4-
H Clothing Club in the spare
room of this new school. We
girls were taught the basics of
sewing and knitting. Many lo-
cal mothers volunteered their
time to teach in their homes as
well. Our sewing and food en-
tries were displayed at the an-
nual spring fair.
We had no school dances,
or parties — no graduation
— nor was there a gymnasium
in the school. There was, how-
ever, a festival that was held in
one of the towns along high-
way six each year. Decked out
in our tunics, this was always
an exciting event. School in
Lundar was just for leaming. In
all the twelve years I attended
school in Lundar, I had only
five teachers!
Christmas Eve was the spe-
cial event of the year for many
in the town. The Sunday School
concert began at 7:30 p.m. and
we were all decked out in our
very best. That was usually
the only time we had a new
home-made dress, and Mom
would be frantically hemming
&
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LOISWARD
• Patons Wool • Polar Fleece Clothing

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\
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it an hour or two before the
concert. My mother, being the
Sunday School Superintendent
for many years, was in charge
of the concert and inevitably
wrapped old hockey sticks and
rounded up old housecoats for
the shepherds just minutes be-
fore leaving for church. After
the concert, our extended fam-
ily came to our home and we
opened gifts while we devoured
the goodies that Mom had pre-
pared.
Although I was one of the
fortunate kids able to go to the
city often, many never did get
that chance. Many families
never had a car.
One has to remember that
everyone knew everyone else...
and as a child growing up in
Lundar, we had many “parents”
looking out for us. We actuaily
belonged to “one big family.” It
was great.
PHOTO COURTESY OF EVELYN THORVALDSON
Friends from childhood: Evelyn Thorvaldson and Dorothy
Breckman.
Sigfusson
Northern
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