LORENA RICHARDSON FLEXHAUG

written by herself

  I was born April 9, 1899 in Benjamin, Utah, USA, the fifth child of David and Eliza Betts Richardson.  My husband Peter Flexhaug was born October 9, 1893 in Britton, South Dakota, USA.  We were to become the parents of nine children.

  Pete took up his homestead as soon as he turned eighteen, after coming to the Catchem area with his parents,  he filed on N. E. 1/4 of section 33 - Township 3 - Range 6 and proved up his land in 1919.  I had come from Raymond to visit with my parents in 1916, and decided to stay.  I worked at the Columbus Larson store in Comrey.  The Mounted Police patrol used to stop there for the night.  The police had a paper with them, this paper had to be signed by the people to show that they had stayed there.  I remember signing the paper for them.  Pete and I were married on 15th November 1916 in Medicine, Alberta.  Our reception was held in my parents home, after which everyone went to the Flexhaug home for a dance.  Ed and Louie Dolvin played for our dance.

  I remember one time when Syver and Petra,  Pete's parents, went to Orion.  They had taken Pete's brother Joe with them, and left the younger children home alone.  A hail and wind storm came up and Pete and I were worried about the children so we went to see how they were.  When we got to the farm we could not get an answer when we knocked on the door, so we pounded on the door and Pete pushed the door in.  The children had pushed a poker under the door casing and against the door to keep it shut.  When he pushed the door open he tore the casing off the frame.  We could not find the children on either floor of the two story house, so the last place we looked was in the basement.  Not liking the storm the children had taken blankets and were sleeping soundly on the potatoes stored in the cellar.  They told us they had gone down stairs because if the house blew away they would be safe.  Pete and I stayed the night with them so they wouldn't be scared.

  That year we had the best crop that we had in a long time.  The hail and wind hit the flax that had been cut and piled, and carried it across the pasture.  Pete raked the entire pasture to get all he could and when it was threshed we got about seventeen bushels to the acre.

  I also remember one time in December 1917, when our oldest daughter was born.  I was staying in a private home in Manyberries and Pete started out for Manyberries to see his new daughter.  While coming to town a blizzard came up, the wind changed directions and became stronger.  He said there was no visibility whatsoever and he stayed on his horse for hours, trying to find his way.  After several hours it became too cold to stay on the horse so he got off and walked.  Everytime he got back on the horse it turned around towards home,  he couldn't trust it.  Night came and there was still no light to be seen in the distance.  Pete was sure that he would never find his way to town and he would freeze to death, but he continued to walk all night in the driving storm.  By morning the storm had subsided and he was able to reach the home of Carl and Pauline Hanson, some twenty-four hours later.  By this time his hands, feet, and face were severely frozen, and he was so thankful he had reached his grandparents place he broke down and cried.  His prayers had been answered and he was safe.

  In 1923 Pete and I went to Raymond for a visit and we decided to stay, as he had gotten a job.  Our first three children were born while we lived on the homestead,  the next four were born in Raymond and the last two were born in Lethbridge, Alberta.  Our land is now lease land belonging to Ross Nattrass. Pete passed away May 4, 1980 and Lorena passed away January 5, 1991.  Both are buried in the Temple Hill Cemetery, Raymond, Alberta.

Their children:

Lenora Elizabeth - born 26 December 1917 - died 24 April 1999.  She married Harold (Harry) Merton Hoselton and they had one child but Lenora also raised two foster children that she loved as her own.  Harry died 7 August 1964.

Leonard Adolph - born 3 March 1920 - died 15 April 2001.  He married Evelyne Eva Ericksen  5 September 1939.  They had three children, and Evelyne passed away 10 October 1995.

Gladys Evelyn - born 13 December 1922.  She married William (Bill) Hague on 31 July 1940 and Bill passed away 24 November 1985.  They had three children, and Gladys still resides in Raymond, Alberta.

Gordon Lester - born 21 May 1927 - died 28 March 1928.

Vern Allen - born 2 March 1930, married Josephine (Jo) Marchuk on 30 November 1957 and they have one son.  They reside in Okotoks, Alberta.

Carrel Jean - born 23 December 1933, married Jacob (Jack) Lehr on 13 May 1953, and they have four children.  Jean and Jack reside in Medicine Hat, Alberta.

Robert Bryan - born 15 July 1936, married Lavone Pilling on 25 July 1968 and they have five children.  Bob and Lavone reside in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Richard Arnold - born 15 July 1942 - died 28 September 1958.

Linda Darlene - born 31 January 1946 - died 6 April 1946.

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