By Helen Lee
On Nov. 6, Craik School students, teachers and community members paid tribute to the war veterans at their annual Remembrance Day Ceremony.
Students saluted soldiers in various ways including poetry, song, wreath-laying and artwork. The audience was also treated to a touching online video interview presented by senior students with former Lieutenant-Colonel and Commanding Officer of the Canadian Armed Forces Ryan Eyre entitled “What It Means to Remember”.
Student Aiden Sanden presented a cheque on behalf of Craik School to Lance Brown, president of the Craik branch of the Royal Canadian.
Behind the Scenes of Remembrance…
The Davidson Leader had the opportunity to speak with one group of performers to find out what they learned while creating such a heartwarming and memorable performance.
The Grade 3/4/5 class chose to perform a beautiful rendition of “If You’re Reading This” by Tim McGraw. While the group sang, a power-point slide show played in the background that consisted of photos of local war veterans and their headstones at Craik Cemetery.
Behind the scenes of the well-received fanfare of the ceremonies, the students learned some valuable lessons in history while they put their presentation together. The students researched their own family’s history to see if any of their relatives were involved in past wars.
Some students came to learn of grandparents, aunts, uncles and other distant relatives who were indeed directly involved in battle. They learned of family members they had never met, relatives who never made it home… relatives now buried in Europe.
They also learned of the important roles of those who were not able to enlist for various reasons but “kept the home-fires burning” which allowed our soldiers to leave for war, knowing their homes and families would be taken care of while they were away.
Student Parker Ackland said that through his research he realized that his middle name Brakeland (Howarth) honours both his great-great-grandfather and his great-great-great-grandfather. Both men served in the military during the World Wars.
When asked what they enjoyed most about learning their family history, Kelsey Fahlman answered, “I thought it was cool to learn about my Grandpa Fred (Barnett) going to war, it got me more in touch with my family history.”
Aleah Wall learned about “war brides” during the project as she visited with her great-grandma Joyce Mills. She learned about Joyce’s work in factories in England and was able to see a picture of Robert and Joyce Mills’s wedding that took place during Second World War while Robert was stationed in Yorkshire.
Besides the performance being both entertaining and emotional, teacher, Jody Kearns goal “was to have students make personal connections to their ancestors.”
Now that they know the history, they too, can remember… LEST WE FORGET
Monthly Archives: November 2014
Kids go to work
By Emily Read
Wednesday November 5th was take your kid to work day. Take your kid to work day is a day where grade 9 students from places around the province get to experience working with a parent, relative, or family friend and learning about the job they do.
I went to The Davidson Leader and worked with my mom. I started the day off by taking pictures of kids in my class in their workplaces. Next, my mom showed me how the newspaper is created and how the ads are placed. I found it pretty interesting to see how the pages start and what they do to make the paper complete in a week. I spent the rest of my morning sorting old newspapers that will be bound into hardcover books, which will be stored in the archives with the rest of the books dating back to 1904.
I talked to a few of my peers to see how their days at work went.
Sarah Allan was working with her aunt Laura Williams as a dietician with the Heartland Health Region at the Davidson Health Centre. They were planning a baby feeding class and learning about swallowing disorders.
Gracie Allan was working with her dad at the farm and helping out around the yard. “It’s not my dream job… at all. My favourite part is my grandma making me food.”
Jacob Schilling was at Napa working as a mechanic with his dad and grandpa. He said his favourite part was working on different kinds of cars.
“I’m working with my dad and Albert, we are pounding posts all day in the barnyard trying to get ready for winter,” said Parker Smith.
Lynzey Sanden was helping teach Grade 2 with her sister-in-law at Silver Spring Elementary School. “My favourite part is the little kids that walk up and ask me silly questions.”
Reegan Taylor was changing tires at Kal Tire with Glen and Murray. He said his favourite part was squeegeeing the windows of vehicles.
Breanna Shaw was working at Home Hardware, moving boxes and stocking shelves. She was just helping out anybody that needed something done. “My favourite part is fluffing all of the Christmas trees.”
Gust
Donald Vere Gust passed away on October 27, 2014 peacefully at the age of 87 with his wife by his side after a several-year struggle with Parkinsons. Don was born June 22, 1927 to Gottlieb (Leo) and Charlotte Gust. He was survived by his sister Phylis Amerongen, his wife Suzanne, his daughters Connie (Art), Joanne (Les) and Judy (Mike). He has five grandchildren, Don (Shirley), Jolene (Suren), Keeya (Khalil), Jackie (Tyler) and Kyle. He also had four great-grandchildren, Jalil, Kayden, David and Anthea. Don was predeceased by son David.
Don Gust was a resident of Davidson Health Centre where he received excellent care from March 2013 until his passing.
His life was celebrated on November 1, 2014 at his funeral at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church where he was surrounded by friends and family.
The Don Gust family wants to express their gratitude to all those who have been so supportive in the last few years and the days up to and including the funeral. Life was made much easier by their support, care and compassion.
Hanson’s Funeral Home in care of arrangements.
LePoudre
It is with great relief but sadness that we announce the passing of Fern LePoudre on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at the age of 86. Fern was born to Al and Anne Reeves on Sept. 7, 1928 in Imperial district. On October 28, 1948 she married Octave LePoudre. To this union there are seven children, 17 grandchildren and 23 great-grandchildren: Daughter Brenda, son Corey (Crystal), daughter Morgan; daughter Crystal (Vance) children Dameon, Brayton, Madison, Bryant and Chyanna; Son Allen Joseph (Rose Marie), daughters Karen Kaye (Trevor); Kristi (Gerry) children Kiera, Declan and Kinley; Tonia (Elmer), son Raymond; Son Glen (Marnie) daughters Bobbie-Jo (Roland), children Jasmine, Derian, Randy and Robin; Natasha (Kevin), children Kyle, Kassey and Kloe; Son Keith (Faith), daughters Jadean (Blair), children Lincoln and Colton; son Andrew (Natasha), children Nathan and Nixon; and daughter Ashton; Son Monte (Holly), daughter Dana (Tony), children Wyatt and Emma; and son Darnel; Daughter Marie (Larry), son Kailin and daughter Jurrai; and Daughter Donna (Brett), daughters Brooke and Jordan, and son Jesse.
Fern was proud of her family and encouraged them in whatever they chose to do. She remembered all birthdays and special days which she always had marked on a calendar. She was a very hard worker on the farm while the family was growing with gardening, cooking and looking after the family making sure they were clean and fed. She made sure we all attended church and Sunday school. She was involved with our activities. The door was always open to anyone.
Fern’s legacy will be her large family, her ability to coordinate and communicate within the family plus her devotion to her husband Octave.
Fern was predeceased by husband Octave; son-in-law Jim Gottschalk; great-grandson Pacee McLaren; mother and father Al and Anne Reeves; sisters Edna, Pearl and Barbara; and brother David.
Mass was held on Monday, October 27, 2014 at 11 a.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Davidson. Interment was in family plot in Davidson cemetery. Donations to Davidson Health Centre Trust Fund or charity of your choice.
Arrangements entrusted to Hanson’s Funeral Home.
Fusarium and ergot emerg as most significant feed-related livestock problem in Sask.
DAVIDSON—A new F-word is on the tongues and in the minds of many local grain and cattle producers: fusarium.
Species of the fungus have contaminated cereal crops this year. While causing significant losses in grain yields and quality, the variety of mycotoxins fusarium produces can be toxic to cattle and other livestock that feed on contaminated hay, silage and straw.
Monogastrics such as pigs and horses are more sensitive to the effects of mycotoxins and ergot. Earlier this fall Jan Manz cradled the head of her family’s most trusted horse, Old Bill, in her lap, while he lay in a pen on their farm near Davidson. She stroked Bill’s head, helpless to do more for the ailing horse as he died.
Bill was 23 years old and was a calm and gentle fellow who had the important job of teaching Jan and Tim’s young grandkids how to ride.
Bill’s death was tough, even more so because it came after a similar scene had played out earlier that day.
Jan had gone out to feed the horses and saw her daughter-in-law Beth’s palomino Goldie lying down.
“I sat down with her, put her head in my lap, stroked her and she died,” Jan says.
Goldie was Beth’s five-year-old mare that had won open ranch horse reserve champion at the Prairie Quarter Horse Breeders Sale and Futurity in Saskatoon in April.
The Manz’s three other horses Gem, Swinger and Clay were also sick and saving their lives became the priority.
Jan says their “roller coaster ride” began in September when the horses became sick. She said it started as wheezing, that turned into coughing.
“I’ve had vets out here since Sept. 24 and they were thinking it could be anything from colic, summer pneumonia…” Jan said.
The symptoms got worse. The horses had heavy breathing, rapid heart rate and rapid weight loss. Their hair was falling out.
With two horses now dead from this strange illness, Clay, a 13-year-old paint, took a turn for the worse.
“The vet told me he was a day or two away from death,” Jan said.
Having watched two horses die, she couldn’t stand to see a third go, she asked the vet what they should do.
The one common denominator seemed to be the feed. “The vet said change the feed,” Jan said.
The horses, which had been kept close to the house in a corral were being fed hay from this season’s crop. On the vet’s advice, the Manzs switched to hay and cleaned oats left over from last year. After switching the feed, Jan said Clay started getting better. As of last week, the health of all three horses is much improved.
“The horses look so much better. They may be scruffy looking to the average eye, but to us, who watched them almost die, they look amazing,” Jan said.
Jan says there shouldn’t be any lasting effects to the health of the horses, but they have a long recovery period ahead of them.
“We can’t even attempt to use them till after Christmas because of their lungs.”
The horses are part of the Manz family and are well cared for. They are used all the time, to check the cattle as well as ridden for pleasure.
“They’re like my kids,” Jan said.
Determined to learn the cause of the illness and death of their horses, the Manzs had autopsies performed on Bill and Goldie.
The autopsy results, which came in last week, concluded that the horses died of heaves (COPD) causing the lungs to fill with inflammatory cells that were complicated by heart issues.
The Manzs sent samples of their feed to Prairie Diagnostic Services at the University of Saskatchewan to be tested for mycotoxins and ergot contamination.
Results of the tests of the hay bales did not detect mycotoxins or ergot. Results of those samples came in at less than 12.5 parts per billion, which means there wasn’t anything there, said Dr. Barry Blakley, veterinary toxicologist with the U of S.
However, he said mycotoxins are not distributed uniformly in the feed. One batch may have it and another may not.
“It’s hard to predict from batch to batch,” he said.
He said feed contamination is one possibility, but he wasn’t sure if that is the extent of the cause of death without having a sample of the specific ration the horses consumed.
Blakley said horses are much more sensitive to mycotoxins than other livestock and require better quality feed. Cattle, he said, can handle at least five times the mycotoxins that horses can.
Still, if there is any doubt, he advises livestock producers to have their feed tested.
He said the Manzs are not alone in producers experiencing losses.
Blakley said he usually receives one or two calls a year on mycotoxins. Now he’s getting four to five calls a day.
“It is the most significant emerging feed-related livestock problem in Saskatchewan,”
he said.
For the full story, please see the Nov. 3, 2014 edition of The Davidson Leader.
Wightman named Umpire of the Year
DAVIDSON—Dakota Wightman hopes to make it to the Olympics some day.
Her dream, should the International Olympics Committee co-operate by reinstating softball in the summer games, is to officiate an Olympic softball game.
The Davidson native is well on her way.
Wightman has swiftly risen up the umpiring ranks.
On Oct. 25 Softball Saskatchewan selected Wightman as its Umpire of the Year. The award recognizes all that Wightman has done for umpiring in the province.
This year she umpired games on all levels as well as taking on a leadership role with the Softball Saskatchewan, serving as deputy Umpire in Chief on the Umpire Development Committee.
“She also went above and beyond by continually recruiting new younger umpires to be part of the minor program in Saskatoon,” Duane Bakken, provincial umpire in chief, said when he presented Wightman with the award. “You could often find Dakota at the diamonds offering feedback to them and encouraging them to improve their game.”
To read more, please see the Nov. 3 print edition of The Davidson Leader. To subscribe, phone 306-567-2047.