More history, photos & recipes!!

Great news everyone Calgary finally got some good weather. With any luck we might have a fair weather weekend for the reunion. Now that we are on the countdown I'm getting excited so I hope you are too!! It took me a long while and my husband's sister (a researcher) to get Henry's obituary, but we got it. Along with this, I have more current photos and recipes. Remember that each family will receive a CD loaded up with copies of photos and documents from the blog to take home with you.

Here are the highlights of the obit:

• Henry Richard Friesen - born in Plum Coolee, MB Feb 28, 1908
• Married Agatha Neufeld, Aug 4, 1933 at Broken Head, MB
• Moved to Renata in 1937
• Enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1941 to 1946
• Family moved to Proctor in  1953
• Died at age 67 November 1975

Photos:

Vi's children, grandchildren and one great grandchild:

Vi's oldest me (Cleo) and husband Joe

Me and my two daughters Sarah (middle) and Claire. Sarah's baby is due on July 10th - we are waiting impatiently for the little guy!

Sarah & Jas

Barry's oldest, Aaron and youngest April

April's husband Cole, baby Taka and April

Vi's youngest Derrick & Lisa

Left to right, Lisa's boys Jordan & Jonathon, Derrick's son Colby (editorial comment from  Aunt: I have to add that these kids are awesome!!!) Lisa and Derrick

 Lee's Children and Grandchildren:

Lee & Klaus' daughters Krista & Tana - Good lookin' ladies!!!

John, Molly, Tana, Louie, Krista, Kelsey, Jeff & Kiana

Molly, John, Louie and Tana

Recipe from Lee:

SPAETZLE

Home made noodles

2 C flour

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

press through large hole sieve, into boiling water

Drain out water then add 1/2 cup browned butter

salt and pepper to taste

Here is my Auntie Norene's no fail pastry crust recipe. I have been using this one since I was a teenager. Thank you Auntie!!

Pastry

1 lb of lard

4 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Use pastry cutter to cut in cold lard until mix has lard lumps about the size of the end of your thumb. Don't over mix.

Mix together in measuring cup

1 egg (slightly beaten)

1 tbsp vinegar

fill with very cold water to one cup

mix with fork

Add wet ingredients and mix only until it will stay together - don't over mix.

Put in fridge for while and then roll out or roll out right a way. 

Next blog  - more details on the event, more recipes (sour cream gravy coming up - apparently Vi doesn't do it right!!) and photos

Recipes

I promised a few recipes and I'm still waiting for you to send them to me. That would be you!! Reading right now!! Anyway here are a couple of the most important ones:

BEEF ROULADEN  (beef rolls) From Lee  – Tana’s favourite 

1 1/2 lbs flank steak

mustard

bacon

onions

dill pickles

butter for frying

water

cube beef bouillion

Spread mustard, beacon, onion and sliced pickle on each piece of meat. Roll up and

secure with a toothpick.

Heat butter in pan and brown each roll

Add water to boullon cube and pour over rolls...simmer for 1 hr

Remove rolls and make gravy..... yuuuummmmmm.....

Make noodles or rice or mash potatoes

BUNS from Vi – family favorite

6 pm – mix together first three ingredients and let stand for 10 minutes to proof yeast.

½ cup lukewarm water

1 tsp. sugar

1 pkg yeast

Next – add:

2 cups lukewarm water

½ cup of oil

½ cup of sugar

1 tbsp salt

3 eggs beaten

mix in enough flour to thicken but not sticky – that means the dough will not stick to your fingers

Punch down at: 7 pm, 8 pm and 9 pm

Shape buns at 10 pm and let sit over night – covered with t-towel

Back in the morning at 350 F. for 20 to 25 minutes

PEROGIE (Varenika dough)  – by Vi - all time favourite!!

6 cups flour

2/3 cu oil

3 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 ½ cup warm water

Mix in large bowl and let stand covered with wet cloth for at least 1 hour. Roll out and fill with mashed potato and cheese or cottage cheese filling.

If you have any questions about a recipe I suggest you call the person who submitted it - day or night!! They won't mind. :)

More Family Photos!

Hello All,

Here's more photos of cousins, kids of cousins etc. My goal is to post photos of everyone in our family.  So if I have not posted your photo please send me some now!! If you have sent a group photo but want to send some showing faces a bit better - Please Do!!  cleomahrey@hotmail.com 

Anyway, I'm trying to go in order of family but have gotten a little mixed up due to having photos available. I am still trying to get the Kirkendall's finished and have more of Vickie's family below. Thank you Brandi for the photos! Also more of Floyd's family - thank you Lisa for the photos! KEN WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF YOUR FAMILY!!!

Vickie and son Kyle

Vickie's daughter Brandi and son Zac

Brandi's son Tyler 

Zac again 

Brandi and Kyle

Floyd and Darlene's kids, spouses and grandchildren - WOW!

 Floyd & Darlene's kids l to r: Tammy, Dawn, Brad, Ryan, Lisa & Sherry

Back to the Present!!

Hello All!

Now we get to time travel to the present!! Thank you everyone for photos. Some of the Kirkendalls just can't escape my photo sources. You can stay silent but you can't hide!! Unfortunately I don't know all the names in some of these photos and I'm guessing on some of the kids, so sorry for any mix ups!!

Some good looking Kirkendalls!!

Vickie and Mark

Floyd, Darlene & lots of family

Miles & Chris (middle) kids, Chase (far left), Andrew (far right) and Cara (middle) - (I heard I mixed the boys up so I just changed it. Hope it's right now.)

Val, Keith (middle) & sons Shawn (far left) & Brad (far right)

Darlene & Garth

Blaine & girls Danielle, Robyn & Shawna

Picture 4373 - back row - Chelsea Gray(Deans oldest), Shawna Gray(Blaines youngest), Wynter Beaudin(Darlene youngest), Nikita Beaudin(Darlene oldest), Robyn Gray(Blaines middle), Dylan Beaudin(Darlenes middle)
on the floor - Shayna Gray(Deans middle), Alisa Pritchard(Deans youngest) and Danielle Gray(Blaines oldest)

Dean, Lisa & Kids (left to right) Chelsea, Alisia, Shayna

Joe Gray, Dylan & Jan Gray 

Reunion Count

Hello All!

The reunion is quickly approaching!! I have heard that some of the Aunties are getting to work on the cooking. We are all so lucky!!  News is we have somewhat of a count on attendees. I am listing what I know and sorry for not knowing some of the names:

FAMILY
Lynn & Jan Christiansen (Ferguson) - childhood friend
Bill & Rose Delorme - cousin
Ed & Judy Delorme - cousin
Len Friesen - cousin

KIRKENDALL FAMILY
Ken & Gail & family - Ken only for one day (?) not sure about Kendace and Darren - would love to see them!
Miles & family - still considering
Floyd & Darlene - yes
Darlene's kids & family - yes
Margie Jean - yes
Dawn's family - yes
Lisa's family - yes
Vickie & Mark - yes
Kyle - yes
Brandi - yes
Val & Keith - yes
Shawn & Shama - maybe
Brad & Vanessa - yes if baby doesn't arrive early!

GRAY FAMILY
Norene - yes
Blaine & girls - yes
Darlene & Garth  & family - yes
Dean & family - yes


FITCHETT FAMILY
Vi & Ed
Cleo & Joe & Claire - yes
Sarah & Jas & new baby - yes
Barry & Linda - yes
Aaron - yes
April & Cole & Taka - regretfully no
Derrick & Lisa & boys - Jonathon, Colby & Jordan - yes

JARCHOW FAMILY
Lee & Klaus - yes
Tana, John, Louis and Molly - yes
Krista & family - yes
wow - I hope I didn't miss anyone and if I got any names wrong let me know.

IF YOU HAVEN'T SENT YOUR MONEY PLEASE SO SO NOW - YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE :)

Here's some more photos from the past - thank you Lynn and Norene!

Lee and Lynn - looking cute as buttons! Although it looks like Lee stole some of her older sister's lipstick...

Big town shopping - was that in Calgary?

Friesen family and Delorme Family - Bill and Ed are coming to the reunion!

Friesens and Delormes

Great family photo - more big hair!

This is a classic - 25th Anniversary.

 Note: Next blog is BACK TO THE FUTURE FAMILY!! I need pics of you and kids etc. It's our first introduction before we see each other at the end of July. SEND ME YOUR PICS - cleomahrey@hotmail.com 

Classy Couples

 Now these are some classy couples. These are our parents, grandparents, great grandparents and we can all be proud. After all you are related to them!

REMINDER: Please e-mail me to confirm your attendance and send cheques to me so that we can buy the food! 

More blogging to come - recipes, up to date photos of your cousins, second cousins and whatever they are!

Henry's Parents

We think that Henry and Agatha moved to Renata with Henry’s Dad Cornelius and his Mom, Helena because other Mennonites were already there. We don't really know when they arrived. It was a very beautiful fruit growing area of British Columbia. Others had settled there to grow fruit. I really think they went because the winters were so much warmer and the mosquitos so much smaller than in Manitoba. That would be my reason for leaving anyway!

The new settlers in Renata established New Church of Jerusalem in 1914 and there was no full time pastor so visiting pastors came regularly to give sermons for the congregation. My mom, Vi, remembers Reverend Zacharias. She also remembers her Mom, Agatha, teaching Sunday school.  The link below mentions the reverend and other details about Renata.

http://www.mennonitehistorian.ca/7.4.MHDec81.pdf

The link below is to a very interesting website with information about some of the people who once lived in Renata. The Friesen sisters might want to be a part of it since they would definitely have the biggest hair.

http://www.cbt.org/The_Basin/?Basin_Stories

Thank you Aaron Fitchett for finding these links and all your research!! (I think I have misplaced some of it... but will post more if I can.) If anyone has more information to provide please e-mail me at cleomahrey@hotmail.com

Now, for the good part -  a blast to the past!!

Agatha, Henry, Helena & Cornelius

Helena and Cornelius with one of the girls...?

This picture is taken in front of their house in Renata.

The Moyie and not sure who is in the photo.

Here we at least have a location and date.

So nice to see them smiling and we have a date - Feb 1942.

Now we know where they got the idea for dressing alike during Stampede! 

I suspect this is the other side of their house.

Reminder: E-mail me to let me know if you are attending or not!! cleomahrey@hotmail.com or friesenreunion@gmail.com