Verna Zwarich says she is prepared to buy a cell phone.
It’s a concession the 89-year-old Hanley resident made last Tuesday, speaking from her bed at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. She was recovering from surgery to repair a broken hip.
A cell phone would not have spared Zwarich the operation she needed Sunday to fix her hip, but if she’d had that phone, then maybe the surgery could have occurred days earlier, preventing a four-day ordeal of hypothermia and dehydration as Zwarich lay in her farmyard northeast of Kenaston waiting for help.
“I prayed and prayed and prayed so much. It was a big help to have God on my side,” Zwarich said.
She looked and sounded surprisingly well for an elderly woman who’d spent days out in the cold without warm clothes, food and water.
She gives credit to God for her survival, however, Zwarich, who prides herself for a life of hard work, must also possess a mighty will to live. A strong stubborn streak likely didn’t hurt either.
“What an experience at my age. But I’m a strong person. I do all kinds of work on my own,” she said.
She was out at her beloved farm about 9-and-one-half miles northeast of Kenaston on Wednesday, Oct. 9, doing yard work, including putting away lawn ornaments. She was nearly finished with just two more ornaments to stash in the shed when at 2 p.m., as she was walking to her pickup truck, her right hip broke and she fell. (This injury happened to the same leg that she hurt a few years earlier when the riding lawnmower she uses to cut the grass in her farmyard fell off the bed of the truck onto her knee requiring a knee replacement.)
Her right leg useless, Zwarich said she tried to pull herself into the truck, but couldn’t reach anything to grip. As she lay near the truck, Zwarich said she watched as cars and a school bus drove by on the nearby road.
“I was waving for people to stop, but they go so fast and they don’t ever look. I was out in the open where they could see me,” she said.
She crawled to the house, but couldn’t raise herself up to open the door.
So, “I crawled over to the shed Wednesday night because I knew the door was open there. I kicked the door shut and I laid there for the rest of Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.”
Zwarich said she found two “skinny little quilts” in the shed she was able to cover herself with, providing a slim bit of warmth during the frosty nights. There she laid for three nights and two days, listening to the mice scurrying about the shed all the while praying and hoping that help would come.
“I was so cold,” she said with a shudder.
Saturday it seemed her prayers were answered.
To read more please see the Oct. 21 print edition of The Davidson Leader.
Monthly Archives: October 2013
Hanley Elks farm for community
Members of the Hanley Elks last Tuesday celebrated their second successful harvest.
Five combines made the rounds on a half section of land northeast of Hanley as part of the local service club’s fundraiser.
“Our slogan is: Hanley Elks Farming for Our Community,” said Garry Dubyk, exalted ruler of the Hanley Elks Lodge No. 153.
Proceeds from the sale of the soft white wheat crop, whose yields Dubyk expected to average 55 bushels to the acre, will go towards community projects.
Some of the proceeds from last year’s harvest were donated to the Hanley skating and curling rinks, as well as helping with medical expenses in the community. Other revenues from the first harvest were invested into community farming project.
“A lot of last year’s revenue we put back into it,” said Henry Peters, Elk member and one of the project organizers.
He said the Elks borrowed the idea of farming land to raise money from other communities. He said the idea behind it is instead of having a lot of suppers and other small functions to raise money, they could pool their manpower and resources by farming land.
This year’s harvest is bittersweet for the Hanley Elks. The land belongs to the late Erwin Beaumont, who passed away in the spring.
Dubyk said Beaumont, who was 80 rented his land to the Elks in 2012 when he heard the group was looking for land to use in its fundraiser.
“He was so proud and happy because his dad had been an Elk,” Dubyk said. “Erwin even rode around with us for the harvest.”
To show their appreciation to Beaumont for allowing them to rent the land, the Elks invited him to their events that year, something the long-time bachelor seemed to enjoy.
“It’s sad he got sick,” Dubyk said.
Beaumont got cancer and died before he could watch the Elks farm the land a second time.
Dubyk said the Elks appreciate Beaumont’s family, who are honouring the three-year lease agreement they had with Erwin.
They also appreciate the support from machinery dealers and input suppliers for helping them with the initiative.
Hanley Elks has 48 members ranging in age from their early 20s to 80s.
Craik and Palliser Co-ops merge
Palliser Plains Co-op is expanding its reach after members of the Craik and Palliser Plains Co-ops showed their desire for amalgamation in votes last Tuesday and Wednesday.
Terry Vanmackelberg, general manager of the Palliser Plains and Craik Co-ops, said 100 per cent of Palliser Plains voters and 97 per cent of Craik Co-op members voted in favour of the merger, which takes effect Dec. 1.
Amalgamation “strengthens the whole association, so for Craik especially the buying power (has increased) being part of a larger organization,” said Vanmackelberg. “Most of our members will have access to facilities in four communities.”
With the merger, Craik Co-op would be added to the Palliser Plains coverage area of Tugaske, Central Butte and Shamrock. The Co-op would have around 2,400 members, 56 employees working at the four branches and projected sales of $35 million in five years time.
Vanmackelberg said an important part of the amalgamation is the Craik Co-op is not currently in the agronomy business as far as chemical and seed, while Palliser Plains is heavily into these commodities. He said this merger then helps open “Craik territory for our agronomy services and chemical and seed.”
Craik School’s Sky Stinson runs to provincials
The Craik School cross country team completed a successful season earlier this month with three of its nine members qualifying for provincials.
Senior boys runners Aiden Sanden and Drayden Selinger and midget girls athlete Sky Stinson all qualified for the Provincial Cross Country Meet held Oct. 12 at Little Loon Regional Park near Medstead. Aiden and Drayden, who declined the invitation to attend, made it to provincials after a seventh and a 10th place finish respectively at the Oct. 2 District Cross Country Meet in Moose Jaw while Sky qualified after winning a silver medal at districts.
Sky, 14, said she finished 51st out of 100 runners who competed in the provincial three-kilometre midget girls race. She said the competition was diverse at provincials and she is happy with her results.
“Some of the girls were extremely fast because they train for it,” said Sky. “Then there were other people who, they qualified for provincials, but they weren’t as fast. It seemed they didn’t train as much.”
The Craik School Grade 9 student said she began training about a month before the provincial meet running every three days after school. She said her routine depended on how tired she was, but it usually consisted of rotating back and forth between running three kilometres one session and one-kilometre the next.
Lindsay Shaw, who coaches the Craik cross country team with Charla Edwards, said they are encouraged with the team’s results this year and each runner’s dedication to the sport. She said the coaches approach the sport with a focus on instilling a life-long love for improved fitness among the team members and also a training method for other sports in the student’s life.
“Since our goal is for life-long fitness, we encourage students to run every day, but it is a personal choice to how rigorous their training is,” said Shaw. “Sky is a dedicated runner and that was revealed in (her) placement at both the district and provincial level.
“I am happy for Sky and her achievement, but it was her achievement. I am just pleased that I was able to provide the opportunity for her to represent Craik School and (the) Prairie South School Division.”
Sky said winning the silver medal at districts and then competing at provincials was a great experience and all her hard work training during the preceding month was worth it.
Manz leaves generous donation to community
Hilda Manz has generously left $7,000 to the Town of Davidson as a gift in her memory.
In her Last Will and Testament Manz identified her desire to bequeath $1,000 to the library, $1,000 to the campground, $1,500 to the swimming pool, $1,500 to the Cemetery Trust Fund and $2,000 to the Fire Department as a thank you to the community for being a part of her life.
Clayton Schneider, mayor of Davidson, said town council is “very appreciative” of the bequest and wants Manz and her family to get recognition for their generosity. He said council is now looking for a way to show their appreciation to Manz and other members of the community who have helped the town.
“We (have been) talking about coming up with a memorial, like a memorial wall of some sort,” said Schneider. “That is definitely something we are going to discuss.”
McLaren, Dorothy May
Oct. 28, 1920 – Sept. 15, 2013
It is with saddened hearts we announce the passing of our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and auntie.
Dorothy was born in Girvin on Oct. 28, 1920 to Dave and Euphemia Low. She was raised and got her schooling in the Girvin District.
She married Peter Alexander McLaren on July 25, 1944. They lived in the Girvin area where they farmed and raised their five children until 1985 when they moved to the Craik manor.
Dorothy was predeceased by her husband Peter on July 23, 1993. She continued to live in Craik for awhile then moved to Davidson.
Dorothy was also predeceased by her son Jim in June, 2009. She leaves to mourn her children, son Larry of Girvin, daughters Betty of Davidson, Donna (Gerry) of Coronach, son Doug (Cindy) of Davidson and daughter-in-law Sharon of Bladworth. She also leaves 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many friends.
Dorothy loved sports like curling, playing ball and later golf. She enjoyed music, reading, jigsaw puzzles and crosswords. Her favourite thing to do was going out for coffee with family and friends – they also came first in her life. Mom, until we meet again, we love and miss you forever. Your loving family.