Life on Sahtlam Farm (circa 1930s)

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 The Smith family ran the farm in Sahtlam for more than 25 years, from 1920, until Thomas (Pa) died in 1946.  During all those years it remained the place for extended family to gather for Sunday dinners and special events.

 
Circa 1925    The picture was dated by Carrie Smith based on the baby who is probably Marjorie Smith, daughter of Nels. Both main work sheds are visible.  No roofing is on the far shed however it is planked with ship lap as was the exterior of the house.  The woodshed behind the baby carriage covers the door to the kitchen.







Indoor Plumbing   It was several years before a bathroom was added onto the house.  Bath day for Edward was the ol’ galvanized wash tub set on a stump.  In winter the water was heated and poured in the kitchen.  Pa preferred the outhouse even after the bathroom was completed.





Family Picnic   The family made an annual outing to Victoria for a picnic at Beacon Hill.  The highlight was a half fried chicken provided for each person.  "Everyone getting their own half chicken was a great treat!" Carrie said.  They usually made the trip in Bart's car but if Gordy was home they took two cars.



Where's the pavement?  The children faced many challenges almost unheard of today.  Here Edward bumps along on his trike over gravel and grass.

Circa 1932      Little has changed around the house and yards since the 1925 photo.  Leslie, Edward and Murray dressed for photos.  The wood shed with stacked firewood and the rain barrel where the ladies washed their hair.  This was the main access to the house rather than the front door, since autos from the road stopped here and the gardens were nearby.

The Farm Tractor   A farm tractor was made by modifying the back wheels of a Model T.  The tires were removed and an extra wheel was welded on the outside to broaden the surface of contact.  Prongs salvaged from an old bed were welded onto the spoke ends that protruded through the wheels to make the tractor treads.  Les used this vehicle for farm chores.  (hauling wood, moving hand cut hay, harvesting)





Chickens, turkeys and cows   The farm was never without a supply of chickens and turkeys.  There were usually about three cows to milk each day.
Carrie Smith talking to son David 1999:
    “The best cow we ever had was called Dope!" Carrie said. 
   “What a crazy name for a cow.  Why was she the best cow?"
   “She gave lots of milk and she behaved." was the reply.
  “I remember Pa squirting milk into my mouth.  Maybe it was from Dope."
     “Could have been, could have been.”  




Cars of Yesteryear   Les tells this amazing car story.  He and his brother were driving over the Malahat to Victoria when they "blew the engine".  They took off the oil pan, removed a piston head and discovered the trouble was a demolished bearing where the rod connects to the crankshaft.  A piece of leather was cut from a shoe and pressed into the gap left by the missing bearings.  They made the return trip to Victoria without further incident.  "Cars were much simpler in those days," he said.

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Stories From The Sahtlan Farm

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These stories were all gleaned from conversations with Carrie Smith and her brother Les around 1999.  Many were prompted by remarks made by Murray Creightion in emails from Australia around the same time.  Often one idea would lead immediately to a fresh thought.  Unfortunately there are probably many more stories undiscovered.

Don’t Be Left-handed
Pa had a real problem with his grandson, David, being left-handed. He would frequently insist that things like scissors or utensils be placed in the boy's right hand.  Clutching a fist of the little guy's hair, he'd say,  "You little Indian, use your other hand!"

ABOVE: At the beginning, cedar blocks served as the foundation for the farmhouse.  (Murray & Buster circa 1926) This spot was a popular hiding place for hide and seekers.

The Old Shotgun
   Somewhere in this telling, the name Gary got thrown in.  Apparently this more earthy, Gary Smith still has an interest in guns whereas non of the immediate Smith boys do.  Les Smith had this old, hand-me-down shotgun that no longer fires but is something of a Smith heirloom because it was used to kill fowl to feed the passengers on the CPR.  Les had heard the story that one enterprising, Eastern Smith had a contract to supply game to the railroad. (this was Richard Smith and the story was true)  Les phoned young Gary who was very pleased to receive said shotgun.  According to Murray's recollection, said shotgun was probably on the gun rack in the family kitchen.  It may also have been the one involved in the following incident related by my mother.
    Pa was under the weather a little and there were pigeons feeding in his fields.  "Take the shotgun out a give them a blast," he told his youngest daughter.  Carrie had never fired a gun before but boldly carried the brute of a thing outdoors.  She laid the barrel across a plank in the Creighton/Smith fence and pulled the trigger on both barrels.  The kick scared the hell out of her and knocked her on her backside, but she went back in smiling when she discovered she had killed two pigeons.

Murray’s Ol’ 22 Calibre
(Murray 1999) I still have an old 22-calibre, single shot that once hung on the original, farm gun rack. It’s the first gun I fired over 70 years ago, and the same with Les, only longer ago. It was used to shoot at pigeons in tall cedar trees just across the front creek from the farmhouse, kill rats in the chicken yard at dusk, and shoot robins in cherry trees. I don't think I have fired it since we left Canada but it still seems to function ok. I cant recall how I got it in the first instance; I don't think Les wanted it so he left it with me.

Buster Disappears
   "Buster was a great hunting dog.  He disappeared one time.  We were along the top of a rise looking down into a boggy area.  We sent Buster down to circle the bog and flush any deer around to meet us.  He took off.  We heard him thrashing through the bush a little, then a short squeal like he had hurt himself or something- then nothing.  We went in to check and nothing.  Never saw Buster again."

Anti, Anti Eyeover 
  Anti, Anti Eyeover was a favourite game among the kids. 
   "It was a good house because you could throw the ball right over it." Carrie said.  "Usually we played with a tennis ball."
   "What happened after you caught it?" 
   "You run around the house and tag the other guy."
   "Then what?"
  "That's it!  It's a kid's game.  No purpose.  Just fun!"
NOTE: On Carrie’s 85 birthday, Murray wrote in an email “For a birthday present, I’m going to forgive you.  You will recall (I think it was 1929) we were playing Anti Anti Eyeover at the farm and you were sneaking around the corner as usual so you knew I had caught the ball, and POUNCED.  Your spindly bracelet caught on my front tooth (permanent) as you yanked at the ball.  BINGO!  By some miracle I grew a third tooth, so this finally had a happy ending.” 

Hide and Seek
    "Where did you hide?  Did you have some favourite places?" David asked this of Carrie and Les at a family lunch.  They were both in their 80s but their replies were instantaneous.
    "In the garages. In the toilets out back.  Around the stump with the clothesline.  Down in the cellar.  Under the water tank.”
    I was immediately intrigued by the mention of the ‘stump’.  They were referring to a giant willow stump that dominates the left of the driveway as you approach the house.     I discovered it has been chopped down twice but still persists in sending up vigorous new shoots.  In 1999 it still looked like a good place to hide!

Charcoal Eater
The story goes that the young Murray was constantly getting into the charcoal.  He would wander the property looking for burnt out stumps not yet removed and pick off pieces of the black stuff for culinary sampling.  The doctor theorized that the boy's body craved some important element found in the charcoal.  "Yummy!"

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The First Smiths of Duncan circa 1930s

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Thomas William Smith & Wilhemena Tohm
Children:  Nelson William (1900-1994) Josephine Julie (1902-1963)     Henry (1904-1984) 
Gordon Thomas (1906-1946)    Laura Emiline (1908-1972)    Fred (1912-1974    
Carrie Ellen  (1914-2007)    Leslie Clifford (1919-2012)

Christmas circa 1931 Left to Right: Carrie (18) holding Milton (3); Gordie, Josie with Lloyd (4) in chair;  Henry & Pearl Leslie (13); Murray (9) & Edward (5) seated;  Fred, Adele (5) in chair; Ma and Pa ie. Caroline &  Thomas 

 Lloyd and Adele are seated in two wooden high chairs.  Les is sitting in the wagon holding Edward.  The corner of the wood shed is in the left background.  Freddie, Gordie and Leslie are wearing Cowichan Indian sweaters.  This was the spot of choice for family photos.

Sunday, circa 1929
Left to right: Freddy, Ma, Leslie, (back) Daniel Tohm, (front) Carrie, Murray, Pa, Josie

 Ma and Pa have been on the property almost 11 years.  The world is in a depression but life on the farm goes on pretty much as always.  Food is plentiful and cash is scarce.

 
Sunday Night Dinner
   Sunday dinner was always a celebration.  It was not unusual to have 20 at the table.

 
   Card games such as 500 and cribbage were a favourite for Sunday night gatherings.  (Pa loved a game of crib.)  The radio was used infrequently but one program everyone remembers is Jack Benny.  Several family members could play the piano.
 
The Menu
    Sunday dinner menus have endured for 80 years.  Large helpings of meat, salmon or fowl, gobs of mashed potatoes, homemade bread, pickles, two or more boiled vegetables with gallons of milk and homemade pie for dessert.

Sunday circa 1929 Left to right: Gus Bergman Henry Smith Pearl Smith, Josie Creighton (Murray), Freddy Smith
Wilhomena (Ma), Thomas (Pa), Laura Bergmans (Smith), Bart Creighton, Carrie Smith

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The Smith Farm at Sahtlam, British Columbia

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     You can find the old farmhouse by following Cowichan Lake Road out of Duncan to Creighton Road. Turn down Creighton to Curry Road. The house is on the right near the end. The outside dimensions of the house remain the same except the woodshed is now part of the main floor area. Pa used to sleep on the outside porch on a warm summer night.

Photo of the Smith house taken from Curry Rd in 1999

Ol' Pa Smith moved his family to the Duncan farm in 1919. Moving to the untamed wilderness was a bold step for a 52 year old who's early career had been hotels and business. Minnie was 39. Five-year old Carrie was pulling on her mother's skirts and Les had just been born at Clark's Crossing, Regina. For the older siblings (Nels 19, Josie 17, Henry 15, Gordy 13, Laura 11, Fred 7) it was a great adventure but with chores and work that never stopped.

(Murray) "The farmhouse had a sizeable kitchen with a very large cookstove, a large table opposite the stove where meals were prepared, butter churned, doughkneeded, etc. By the back door in the corner was an enamel sink, and in early days a hand pump connected to a well outside. Later on, a tank tower was built, water pumped from the front creek, with great difficulty in winter. On the other side of the door was a very full gun rack, then a sizeable woodbox that could be filled through the outside from the lean-to shed. The front room was very large, with a buffet on the side wall and a tin heater and Pa's big easy chair against the kitchen wall. The outside wall had a front door and full verandah, both hardly ever used, and a crank telephone. The end wall had a large window, chairs and a big battery operated radio. There were 4 bedrooms upstairs... big pantry filled right up with bottled fruit, vegetables and yummy venison."

(Murray) "Thinking back it was amazing how quickly they got a big orchard and vegetable garden up and running: hayfields, chicken yards, barns, garages, separator house, etc as you say, for subsistance living. The only outside job I ever recall Pa having was on a road gang during the Great Depression."

(Murray) "The farm was a 40-acre block cut in half longways, 20 to T.W.S. (Pa) and 20 for Creightons, and a 1 acre excised off the latter for my paternal g'parent's house. He was a master builder in Wales and played a large part in the construction of the three houses; his own, the family farm house, and later, on the 19 acre block, a 2-storey one for my parents, J.B. and Josie." Dave's note: All three houses exist today in the same location at the corner of Creighton and Curry roads. In 1919, much of the farm had already been cleared, but stumps dotted the pasture.

The Property circa 1930
This photo was taken from the low hill above the farm.  To the left is pasture and the Creighton house.  The biggest building is the newest barn. The end of a garage pokes out on it’s left and a hen house is visible on the right.  Following the fence line down takes you to the woodshed attached beside the main house.  The small, peaked roof with white trim at the left end of the house is the bathroom with plumbing added in the late 20s.

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Fishing For Everyone (circa 1940s)

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It was a rare day when fresh salmon wasn’t caught on a Smith line.  Cowichan Bay was at their doorstep and some of the biggest fish on the continent dallied there.   Everyone had a story to tell. 

Dave's Story
     We always owned a boat when I was growing up.  One of my earliest memories is my father bringing home an old, peeling 'clinker built' row boat for fixing up.  We put hours and hours into scraping and sealing until eventually it was "good enough" and the new paint was lovingly applied.  In my father's estimation the "clinker built" was the best one could achieve in wooden boats.  The planks were curved, straight-grained cedar overlapping from the keel to gunnel on a frame of oak.  The finished product was wonderfully strong and light. 
   I spent many hours rowing around Brentwood Bay while my father puttered aboard our larger vessel, the 26 foot, double ender, Skipper.  She'd been a life boat in a former life but before she came to us she had been used for many years as a trolling vessel.  Tackle and tools were still in her when we took over. The entire side wall of the engine cabin was covered with spoons and plugs of every shape and size.  Old rusty, tobacco cans and cookie tins held hundreds of nuts, bolts, hooks, weights, fasteners and many other bits that 'might be useful sometime'. 
     The dark green engine, weighing in at 500 pounds, was an enormous, single cylinder Easthope that sat almost exactly midship.  A huge fly wheel had to be grasped with two hands and forced downwards to make the engine catch. A soothing, even 'chunk a ... chunk a ... chunk a ...' pulsed across the water when she was running.   My father had installed an old, carburetor from a Model T that smoothed out the put-puts but constantly dripped gas at higher speeds. A tin can hung beneath it to catch the drips.  Of course, slower rather than faster was always the challenge for trolling.  Our speed had to be just right.  When wind or currents were factors, we would often create drag by tethering an ancient steel bucket over the stern.
     The cabin was always thick with fumes of gas and oil. The bilge never seemed to be dry and had to be hand pumped, a job I was often given.  Etched upon my mind is the rhythm of my early morning pumping. Bilge water sloshed out a pipe in the side, shattering the silence of calm bay. In spite of her age and quirks, Skipper served us well and helped fill the home freezer with many pounds of salmon. 

The Tackle Box
Dave Remembers
   Spoons and plugs were always a standby lure for salmon. The brass and chrome needed constant cleaning and shining. Tom Mack was a popular name.  For grilse, a string of spoons interspersed with beads called a 'gang troll' was popular.  Higher on the line, a shiny, flat device called a dodger, worked the lure back and forth so it appeared to be a small, darting fish.   
    Freshly dug worms were threaded on to the 'gang troll' hook. Tiny minnow were fastened into a special plastic shell and then skewered with the hook in such a way that the curved body rolled back and forth as the boat trolled. Herring were used in a similar fashion but had to be cut into the perfect shape to fit the holder.
    Weighting the line was done in several different ways.  If the line was to stay near the surface, a simple slip weight of lead was clamped a few metres above the lure.  When a fish struck, the jolt released the weight which slid down the line near the fish and allowed the fish to be reeled close to the boat for netting. For deeper fishing a 'planer' was common.  It was a flat disc of plastic that angled against the water and dragged the line downwards as the boat moved forward. 
     My father favoured a device called a 'trip weight', which might be two pounds or more.  He used 200 or more feet of heavy steel line which took substantial time and labour to reel in. If a fish got hooked it was essential to have the weight drop off, which meant the weights had to be expendable and cheap.  Soup cans were zealously saved and filled with gravel and cement. Each can was rigged with a wire loop that fitted into a notched brass plate fastened in the line.  A jerk caused the loop to slip out of the notch and the weight to fall away into the depths.

Henry Smith Special (Murray)
    I haven't any early Cowichan Bay fish stories that Les couldn't improve, probably. All the Smith siblings were pretty active in the fall salmon run. In the days of quiet rowing/trolling with plugs and favourite spoons, Henry designed and marketed fairly successfully a plug which I think he named the "Henry Smith Special". There was no love lost between other brothers and Henry, so for a bit of mischief, ask Les what he thought of Henry's lures.

Right: Murray Creighton rowing while his mother (Josie) and Aunt Ethyl Brown (Smith) troll. Josie is wearing a Cowichan Indian sweater

Soup Spoon Story
    Carrie and Josie often fished together.  One time they rowed clear across the bay and saw an Indian who seemed to be catching a lot of fish.   Josie hollered, "What are you using?"  The reply  "A soup spoon!" brought gales of laughter. "Of course they'd never tell you what they were really using," Carrie explained.

Left: Josie Smith (Creighton) was an avid fisherman.  The house and garden at Sahtlam are in the background.

Trout (Carrie's memory)
Two creeks crossed the Smith farm.  A flexible Willow pole and worms from the garden were all that was required to catch the plentiful brook trout.  Oh!  One other thing!  You had to move very quietly along the creek bank or the fish would disappear.

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A Hunting We Will Go (circa 1940)

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 The Smith boys were all hunters.  Vancouver Island was thick with deer, so there was never a year when the larder wasn’t stocked with canned venison.  They could bag a deer in the woods behind the farm.  No wonder the Depression seemed to pass them by.  The most famous duo were Nels and Leslie who made an annual trip every year for 20 years.  Nels was near 80 before they stopped.  Visitors often came to the farm to go hunting.  Carrie’s husband, Richard, was one.  Another was Jack Davidson, husband of Josie Smith who was Pa’s cousin. (see Richard Smith)

Leslie Smith, Edward Bergman and Murray Creighton after a birding adventure.  Ducks could be found along the banks of the Cowichan River and Pa (Thomas Smith) was a skilled dog trainer.

A would-be hunter inspecting the kill.  When game was brought home, many hands helped with the butchering.  The meat was shared among all the family members and usually consumed fresh.  A carcass would keep about 10 days. 

Leslie Smith at the ol’ hunter’s cabin he and Nels used for several years.  This photo was labelled “Hiawatha”.

Nels Smith and Leslie Smith made a trip together annually

Nels Smith and Richard Foster (husband of Carrie Smith)

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Murray Thomas Creighton (1923-2010)

 

Murray Thomas Creighton, b. 6 January 1923 at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; d. 7 August 2010 at Boonah, Australia

          Father: Barton John Creighton, b. 16 October 1893 at Cardiff, Glam Wales, d. 1977, d. 21 June 1978 at Boonah, Australia
          Mother: Josephine Julie Smith, b. 26 August 1902 at Emmerson, Manitoba, d. 28 January 1963 at Victoria, British Columbia

Spouse: Frances Elizabeth Morrison, b. 1 August 1923 at Vera, Saskatchewan

Married: 6 September 1947 at Vancouver, British Columbia.


     As the only son of the eldest Smith daughter, Murray became a contemporary of his youngest cousins, Carrie and Les.  He was born on time to enter the Canadian Air Force with Les during WWII.  He studied at UBC for a time but soon left to follow in his father’s footsteps in the newspaper business.  At 24 he married Frances and began to raise a family of three boys.  The boys had their early schooling on Cortez Island, which lies between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.  The oldest two, Steven and Michael, attended high school in Powell River which is a short boat ride from Cortez.  The family operated a general store and marina on the island until about 1970 when they emigrated to Australia.  Murray rejoined his original career by purchasing a  newspaper in Boonah, Queensland.  This business would eventually pass to Michael.  Steven had his own business career in real estate, finance and development and Chris, the youngest, became an executive for a large multi-national paper company.


"Two Grandfathers": Thomas William Smith & Pa Creighton, master carpenter, chatting over a pipe on the
farm at Cowichan River near Duncan.

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Descendants of Barton John Creighton, born 1893 in England

Children and grandchildren of Barton John Creighton and Josephine Julie Smith

1 Murray Thomas Creighton, b. 6 January 1923

        Spouse: Frances Elizabeth Morrison, b. 1 August 1923
        Married: 6 September 1947 in Vancouver, BC; d. 7 August 2010 at Boonah, Australia
        Mother: Phyllis Jean Groves, b. 2 April 1921

1 Charles Russell McIntosh b. 2 October 1943 in Duncan, British Columbia, m. Arlene Joan Ouimet
       1 Cynthia Joan McIntosh, b. 17 May 1969, m. David Vitkauskas, 2 May 1998 in Richmond B.C.
              1 Amy Jennifer Vitkauskas b. 16 November 2004
                 2 Brian Charles David Vitkauskas b. 11 May 2006
       2 Chad Russell McIntosh, b. 11 July 1976, m. Valynn Aubrey Lyon, 2 October 2004;  m. Kelly Rae Johnston 10 November  2012
2 Stephen Jeffery Creighton born 4 July 1948 in New Westminster, British Columbia
Spouse: Lynette Joy Wilson, 24 July 1971
       1 Richard William Creighton born 16 January 1972 in Timaru, S.I., New Zealand
       2 Michael Allen Creighton born 1 December 1973 in Timaru, S.I., New Zealand
               1 Morgan Jade Creighton born 18 March 1999 in Nambour, Queensland, Australia
Spouse: Sheryll Bucknell, 10 September 1983
       3 Amy Elizabeth Creighton born 23 December 1984 in Rotorua, N.I. New Zealand
3 Michael Andrew Creighton b. 1 September 1950 in Chemainus, British Columbia m. Wendy Dorthea Opperman, 5 August 1978 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
       1 Tobias Carl Creighton born 17 November 1980 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
       2 Casey Jonathon Creighton born 21 April 1983 in Boonah, Queensland, Australia
       3 Fraser Courtney Creighton born 22 March 1990 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
       4 Shaun Michael Creighton born 22 March 1990 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
       5 Drew Marshall Creighton born 15 January 1993 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
       6 Guy Morrison Creighton born 15 January 1993 in Ipswich, Queensland, Australia
4 Christopher Barton Creighton born 15 January 1961 in Comox, British Columbia
Spouse: Tracy Lyn Kaddatz, 14 July 1984 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
       1 Lance Thomas Creighton born 4 October 1990 in Sydney, NSW, Australia
       2 Elliot John Creighton born 24 February 1994 in Melbourne, NSW, Australia
Spouse: Cheri Kay Shinner, 20 July 2002 in Bahamas
       3 Ava Grace Creighton b. 24 March 2004 in Seattle, Washington
       4 Kaden Rhys Creighton b. 26 July 2005 in Seattle, Washington

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Edward James Eric Bergman (1927-1998)

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Edward James Eric Bergman (1927 - 1998)

          Father: Gustav (Gus) Bergman (1890 - 1965)
          Mother: Laura Emily Smith (1906 - 1972)

The picture to the left shows Edward and Irene with their first five children approximately 1953.

Spouse: Irene Shirley Pipe (1928 - )

Married: 3 October 1947 at Duncan, British Columbia.



Children and grandchildren:

1 James Eric Bergman (1948 - ); 4 grandchildren
2 Louise Anne Bergman (1949 - ); 2 grandchildren
3 Judith Irene Bergman (1950 - ); 2 grandchildren
4 Brian William Bergman (1951 - ); 3 grandchildren
5 Wayne Edward Bergman (1952 - ); 4 grandchildren
6 Eugene Dale Bergman (1954 - ); 2 grandchildren
7 Kathleen Marie Bergman (1955 - ); 4 grandchildren
8 Robert John Bergman (1957 - )
9 Brenda Laura Bergman (1959 - ); 2 grandchildren
10 Karen Ellen Bergman (1961 - ); 2 grandchildren
11 Carl Thomas Bergman (1963 - ); 3 grandchildren

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Laura Emily Smith (1906-1972)

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Laura Emily Smith (1906 - 1972)

        Father: Thomas William Smith (1867 - 1946)
        Mother: (Minnie) Wilhemena Ellen Tohm (1880 - 1957)
Married: 3 March 1927 at Duncan, United Church.

Spouse: Gustav (Gus) Bergman (1890 - 1965)

Children and grandchildren:

Edward James Eric Bergman (1927 - 1998); 11 grandchildren


 Laura was 12 when the Smiths arrived in Duncan. Older sister, Josie, soon married so Laura became the primary child-minder and domestic helper. She was thin, almost frail, when she was young, but grew strong and quite portly in her later years. During her teens and early twenties, she clerked for 'Uncle Henry' at his general store in Duncan and again when he moved the business to Cowichan Bay.

Left to right: Minnie Tohm, Jean Smith, Frances Creighton, Steven Creighton,

Laura Bergman, Nels Smith, Gladys Smith, Bart Creighton, Josie Creighton.

Late in the summer of 1926, Laura married Gus Bergman. They lived in a small cottage on the Smith farm the first few years of their marriage. Their only child, Edward, was born there in 1927. Later about the time Edward began school, they moved to Kapoor, a logging village about 30 miles outside Duncan where Gus was a well-paid, (lokie) train engeneer. In the 50's, Laura and Gus moved to property on Gibbins Road. Minnie (Ma) Smith lived in a small duplex across the driveway. For many years, the one huge room at Laura's, was the family meeting place for the noon time Christmas dinner and celebration.

Laura was the 'keeper of family memories' and second mother to everyone. "I'll always remember what Laura did when I got married." sister Carrie tells. "Laura brought all the breakfast fixings 30 miles to serve us a treat the morning after our wedding. She was like that when we had our babies too. She'd always be there to help."


The poem on the right exemplifies Laura's deep feelings for other family members. Her brother Les was leaving with the air force during WWII.

Sewing and related crafts were second nature to Laura. She was always busy making clothing for one relative or another. During her retiring years her fingers were constantly busy sewing for her eleven grandchildren.

Gus was a long-standing member of the Mason Lodge and Laura served many hours as a volunteer for the female counterpart, Eastern Star.

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Josephine Julie Smith (1902-1963)

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Josephine Julie Smith, b. 26 August 1902 at Emerson, Manitoba, d. 28 January 1963 at Victoria, British Columbia

          Father: Thomas William Smith, b. 15 December 1867 at Barry, Ontario, d. 6 September 1946 at Duncan, British Columbia
          Mother: (Minnie) Wilhemena Ellen Tohm, b. 5 October 1880 at Poland, d. 28 September 1957 at Duncan, British Columbia

        Married: John Bart Creighton, newspaperman at 18. He was ten years older. Redhead.

       Spouse: Barton John Creighton, b. 16 October 1893 at Cardiff, Glam Wales, d. 1977, d. 21 June 1978 at Boonah, Australia Married 1921.

circa 1942

Josie in her wedding dress 1921

Josie was the second child and eldest daughter of Thomas and Minnie. She was born in Emerson, Manitoba near the Smith farm. Her childhood years were spent in and around the Ridgeville property where Thomas worked the farm with his brothers and father, James. Sometime in 1919, the family moved to Clark's Crossing, Saskatchewan where they operated a district farm. It was here that Josie met Bart Creighton, a reporter for the Prince Albert Herald.


The courtship endured by mail for about a year following the family's move to Sahtlam. In June of 1921, Bart arrived in Duncan, and married the 18 year old redhead who was ten years his junior. The newlyweds returned to Prince Albert for a few monthes, but Josie was constantlly tearful and homesick. Bart eventually gave up his job and the young couple rejoined the family in Duncan.

Bart was a whistle punk for a few months before he landed a job with the Cowichan Leader, a newspaper he stayed with for 25 years as reporter and editor. Murray was born in 1923 while the family lived on the Creighton property next to the Smiths. Bart's father, who had been a major contributor to the construction of the houses, lived in his own carefully crafted cottage at the bottom of the property. By 1931, the family had moved into town, leaving Creighton Road as the lasting testimony of their pioneer days.


As the oldest sister, Josie claimed she was always "nursemaid to a lot of drippy-nosed sprouts". Although her formal education ended about grade eight, she filled in as a teacher at the little one room, Sahtlam school. Eary on she belonged to a theatrical group that staged plays at the old Vimy Hall. After the move into Duncan, she played badminton and golf. Among family members, she will always be remembered as a fanatical fisherwoman.

Children and grandchildren:

Murray Thomas Creighton, b. 6 January 1923 at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, m. Frances Elizabeth Morrison, 6 September 1947 at Vancouver,  BC; d. 7 August 2010; 3 grandchildren

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Nelson William Smith (1900-1994)

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 Nelson William Smith, b. 12 September 1900 at Ridgeville, Manitoba, d. 28 August 1994 at Duncan, British Columbia
                 Father: Thomas William Smith, b. 15 December 1867 at Barry, Ontario, d. 6 September 1946 at Duncan, British Columbia
                  Mother: (Minnie) Wilhemena Ellen Tohm, b. 5 October 1880 at Poland, d. 28 September 1957 at Duncan, British Columbia

Spouse: Marie Helen Rhena Peters, b. 12 October 1912, d. 10 July 1998

Spouse: Gladys May Baxter, b. 27 July 1903 d. 27 June 1954 at Duncan, British Columbia
              Father: Henry Arthur Baxter
                 Mother: Mahalia Emily Markham


Left: Gladys and Nels circa 1928  
Right: Nels in 1989, receiving the Order of Odd Fellows 

Children and grandchildren:

1 Marjorie May Smith, b. 1 October 1925 at Duncan, British Columbia, m. Clayton Eugene Brandt, m. Dennis Ellis Humphreys, 9 March 1946 at Vancouver, British Columbia; 1 grandchild
2 Harold Nelson Smith, b. 19 March 1932 at Cardston, Alberta, m. Madeline Gonzales, m. Theresa Canute, m. Betty Forest, d. 25 December 1986 at Duncan, BC; 5 grandchildren
3 Jean Gertrude Smith, b. 28 August 1936 at Victoria, British Columbia, m. Raymond John Dysart, 23 October 1954 at Duncan, British Columbia, m. Michael Lukoni, 12 November 1965, div. 1982, m. Joseph Dennis Beaudry, 1987; d.13 June 2002 at Duncan; 3 grandchildren

(circa 1903)

Nels was the first born of Thomas and Minnie Smith at the farm in Ridgeville, Manitoba. About 1907, the family moved to Winnipeg where Nels attended a few years of school. They moved to Duncan, British Columbia in 1920.

Nels models baby boy clothing 
style  of the new century. 









 





Gladys Baxter pictured with her parents 
(Mahalia Emily Markham & Henry Arthur Baxter)
 in England, before their emigration to Canada in 1920.


 Nels married Gladys May Baxter in Vancouver during the early 20's. At the time, he was building grain elevators with Jack Davidson, a cousin from the 'Richard Smith' family. By 1925, when their first child Marjorie was born, they had moved back to the island where Nels worked as a steam engineer, garage mechanic and school bus driver for a few years. The family lived a short time in Alberta where Harold was born. In 1936, when Jean was born, the family had returned to the coast . A series of family business ventures followed: View Royal Store and Auto Court, Crossroads Store and Garage in Pitt Meadows, a cleaning business in North Vancouver. They returned to Duncan in 1949.

Gladys died in 1954. A few years later Nels married Maria Helen Rhena Peters.

Harold Nelson Smith with sister Marjorie May Smith (circa 1942)

Left to right (circa 1942) Marjorie Smith, Nels Smith, Josie Smith, Harold Smith, Gladys Baxter

Nels tried many jobs in his life time.  The back of this photo from 1948 contains the following:

Nels on the 'new' combine which picks up the wheat which has been swathed and is laying in rows on top of the stubble, and threshes it as it goes along.  The truck draws up alongside and the wheat spills out into the truck box, and is then taken to grainery in background.

 

     Nels was a great outdoorsman. (Jean)" As far back as I can remember my Dad only missed a year of two of not going hunting." Between 1949 until 1970, Nels and brother Les made an annual hunting trip.

Nels left a set of journals of his daily affairs written between 1973 and 1985. The last, shaky entry in November is testimony to the long life of a warm and friendly man: "...met Rob Menzie also Gus Philpott. Lunch at Totem."

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

Descendants of Richard Foster and Caroline Smith

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

Richard (Dick) Foster, b. 9 July 1913 in Victoria, British Columbia, d. 14 October 1959 in Victoria, British Columbia, cause of death medical operation

    Father: Richard Foster (1878 - 1947)
     Mother: Esther Eliza Chapman (1881 - 1953)

Spouse: Caroline Ellen Smith, b. 1 March 1914 in Birdshill, Manitoba, (m. Cyril Shearing, 27 April 1963 in Victoria, BC)

    Father: Thomas William Smith (1867 - 1946)
     Mother: Wilhemena Ellen Tohm (1880 - 1957)

Married: 15 December 1937 in Victoria, British Columbia

Children and grandchildren of Richard Foster and Caroline Smith 
1 Carol Anne Foster b. 22 December 1939 in Victoria, British Columbia, m. Denis Cullimore 8 August, 1959
         1 Teresa Lynne Cullimore, b. 8 August 1962 in Victoria, British Columbia, m. Bruce Lowdon 5 April 1986 in Victoria, BC
               1 Alycia Lowdon, b. 10 March 1989 in Victoria, British Columbia
                  2 Katie Nicole Lowdon, b. 13 February 1991 in Victoria, British Columbia
         2 Tracy Diane Cullimore, b. 10 September 1964 in Victoria, BC, m. Terry Westhaver 11 February 1989 in Hamilton, Bermuda
              1 Caitlin Christine Westhaver, b. 5 March 1993 in Bermuda
                 2 Ashley Anne Westhaver, b. 29 July 1996 in Bermuda
         3 Tammy Michele Cullimore, b. 7 July 1967 in Victoria, BC, m. Roy Douglas Squire, 12 September 1992 in Victoria, BC
              1. Carley Ellen Ruth Squire, b. 28 February 1997 in Victoria, British Columbia
                 2. Randy Jonathon Richard Squire, b. 11 March 2002 in Victoria, British Columbia


2 David Richard Foster b. 29 August 1942 in Victoria, British Columbia, m. Janet Marion Storey, 29 December 1966 in Victoria, B.C., m. Phyllis Joan Mitchner, 7 April 1973 in Penticton, British Columbia
Spouse: Janet Marion Storey
        1. Paul Jeremy Foster, b. 25 April 1970 in Kelowna, British Columbia, m. Veronica Howell, 19 March 1995 in Orangeville, Ontario
              1. Mallory Janet Foster , b. 13 March 1996 in Orangeville, Ontario
                 2. Jared Foster, b. 19 July 1997 in Victoria, British Columbia
Spouse: Phyllis Joan Mitchner
        2  Kim Jacqueline Foster, b. 12 January 1974 in Kelowna, British Columbia

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

More Life and Times of Carrie Smith born 1914

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

 Married Life Begins in 1937
     Richard Foster had been working at the King's Printers about two years when Carrie arrived on the scene.  He very quickly made the acquaintance of the new girl and asked her out to a local dance.  Following a second date, the kidding in the bindery was rampant.  "Dick has a girl friend!" One day an older women working in the building approached Carrie with a word of advice: "You know Dick there?  He's a great guy.  He'd be a good catch as a husband."  They married at Saint Paul's church in Esquimalt because Reverend Bischlager from Duncan had recently transferred there. There chosen day was December 15th, the birthday of Carrie's father.  Elsie Foster was the bridesmaid and Alec Caddell was the best man. The honeymoon was a "cruise" on the Friday, midnight, CPR boat to Vancouver. Dick was back at work on Monday.  Carrie became the quintessential homemaker.

Carrie with her two children, Carol Anne and David about 1945. Elsie Foster recorded this in her journal in 1939: "Got a nice new niece. Weight 6 1/2 pounds, 19 1/2 inches long.  What a surprise!"  They are on the steps of their first house in Richardson St.  Dick was off in the army while they lived here.  It was the family home until 1950 when they moved to a larger house on Hampshire Road.

     Carrie married Richard (Dick) in 1937.  All was not smooth sailing for the married couple.  Richard's mother (Esther Chapman) did not approve.  Elsie's journal January 24th 1939: "The prodigal son returns.  Dick came up.  I think he still loves his Mama & Papa even if Carrie doesn't." There were very few visits with the Foster family. 

A Passion for Games
Carrie's life was always full of games.  Soon after there marriage the couple began a regular Saturday night poker date with Archie and Hilda McKeever and at least one other couple that lasted 60 years.  Badminton was on her weekly agenda until about 1953 when golf became a consuming passion that would last 40 years.  She and her two, long time, badminton buddies Beryl Keyes and Bessie Wilson joined the Victoria Golf Club for $50 during a membership drive. In the mid 90s, at her retirement from the game, Carrie was  one of the clubs most senior members.
  There were many trophies and other prizes.  There was even a hole-in-one at a charity benefit.  "There were so many balls on the green someone had to get it in!"

 Here Carrie cuddles, Kim, the youngest of her five grandchildren, born in 1974.  She considered herself very fortunate to be able to enjoy her eight great grandchildren.

In their middle eighties, Cyril and Carrie began lawn bowling.  The picture above is Cyril showing some skill.

Playing Bridge Forever
Shortly after she began to golf in 1953, the ladies coaxed Carrie into her first Bridge game.  She was like a duck to water and soon became a regular winner.  Her excitement for the game never diminished.  In 2004 she bid and made a grand slam in spite of being visually challenged.




Carrie and Cyril shown in the library at the Victorian senior's residence in Victoria about 1997.  The moved from their townhouse at Falcon Ridge in Broadmead to the Victorian in 1996 when Cyril was 88 and Carrie was 82. 

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

Life and Times of Carrie Smith born in 1914

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy

Early Childhood

Sister Laura, made this dress (left) for Carrie to wear to a school Christmas party.  The material was "pink organdy."   It was fringed with blue ostrich feathers.
      Carrie lived her childhood on the Sahtlan farm near Duncan.  The photo, right, about 1922 shows Les about 3 years and Carrie about 8 years under the watchful eye of elder sister Laura about 18 years.  The younger children appear to have been wandering the farm collecting leaves or branches.  The buildings in the background are part of the barn and pen complex.  This may have been the rented house down at "river bottom" which the family used for a "couple of years" while they built at Sahtlam.





 
Living Through the Depression
The picture left was taken about 1937, shortly after the birth of Eleanor Smith to Carrie's brother Gordon and wife Patricia Swanson. Carrie would marrie Richard Foster at the end of the same year.  A popular outing for the family was Beacon Hill Park in Victoria.  Transportation was usually Bart Creighton the husband of Carrie's eldest sister, Josie.  Other cars were owned by Nels Smith and Richard Foster.


 Life on the farm was just the same.
   The Depression did not have a major affect  on the Smith family while they lived on the farm.  Vegetables came from their garden and meat was often wild venison or salmon. "Every week my mother would order about a 12 pound roast to be delivered for Sunday dinner," Carrie remembered.  "My father often went down to the brook before breakfast and caught a trout or two."  Money was in short supply but Pa seemed to find enough working on a road gang.  Carrie relates, "I was about 18 when one of the workers on the road asked my father if he could have a date with me.  The boy was the son of our doctor.  My father told him NO and never to ask again. He did the same to a boy who walked me home one day."

Being a teenager in the 1930s
   The photo above was taken May 21, 1933 on the slopes of Mt Tsuhalem.  The mountain was a popular excursion for young people in the Duncan area.  Notice at least three ladies are wearing Cowichan knitted sweaters, including Carrie who is in the lower right. Josie Creighton nee Smith is on the far right.
   About 1936, when  Carrie was 21, Bart Creighton used his influence with the King's Printer in Victoria to help Carrie get a job.  "They were printing the BC Statutes and needed extra help so he just said come on in.  After the job was finished he kept Olive and me on."  Carrie took a "room" in a building near Fort and Government which had "a very good cooking space downstairs." She stayed there about six months.  "Laura used to bring me my food for a whole week."

The Tohm Genealogy

The Foster Genealogy