Embedded Files
Memories & Musings
The Fraser Family
The Fraser Family
By Leona Keraiff
By Leona Keraiff
One of our most familiar Pioneer Families are the Frasers. William (Bill) & June had 4 children, the eldest of whom, June, was 10 years old when our Hall opened in 1938. Here are some of her memories as told recently to her daughter, Marion...
“She went to many dances there - heel and toe polka and Schottische. Mum actually played the piano at a few dances in the hall! There were also records played at the dances.
There were whist drives. They went and played whist - it wasn’t a competition or a tournament - just an activity and something to do. Fall fairs, dances, badminton - there were schedules for the activities.
Mum drove to the dances. Mum was only home in the summers. She was in boarding school from grade 3-6 at Taunton House in Vancouver. Then in grade 7 she was boarding in Nelson until she graduated.
Mum remembers helping her mum pick the perfect blooms and helping her dad pick the perfect potatoes for the fall fair. I (Marion) remember running around the tables and everything was at eye level and my cousins and I watched for the ribbons to come out. I have fond memories of the fall fairs at the Hall. It was one of the highlights of the summers when we were growing up. I remember my sisters and I picking tiny flowers from Granny’s beautiful garden to create miniature arrangements that we entered in the Fair. Granny always had lots of things entered and she seemed to always bring home a few ribbons and accolades.
Mum remembers biscuits - baking powder biscuit competition. There was all kinds of baking at the fall fair.
Mum’s grandmother hired men to work on the hall building to give them employment as the depression was ending. Mrs. Birkenshaw made the place cards for the opening of the hall. They had dried flowers in them. They were beautiful. The whole community was there. Captain Hincks spoke at the opening. They owned what is now Wedgewood Manor. He was the MC for the dinner. Mum does not know who made the food but figures it must have been the women in the community. The tables were in a U shape with Captain Hincks at the top of the U.
Best memories of the hall are the dances and falling in love. There were fights outside - mostly about girls. Mum says they were jealousy fights. People came from Boswell for the dances and mum and her friends went to Boswell too sometimes.”
Bill and June’s youngest child, Don, also sent us some memories...
“I attended grades 1 to 10 and used the hall which was attached to our school. 1946 to 1957. I remember well playing volleyball and badminton in the hall. Some of us made it to the B.C. finals in the latter. One of my mixed partners was Marylin Pratt. The McGregor's were also good players, a bit older than me. I remember well the fall fairs. Dad and mom competed with great enthusiasm. I remember square dancing. We put together a dance group which included Marge and Ron Wastrodowski. We competed in Creston. I wasn’t allowed to attend the Saturday night dances but collected beer bottles on Sunday morning. Some of my boyhood heroes were tough men, Beanie Johnson, Doug McLaughlin and so on.
The Hall was an important part of my life growing up in C.B. In winters we daily used the hall for Phys Ed classes and to play volleyball. In evenings I played badminton there as part of the C.B. badminton club. The hall was too small for basketball. Also as teenagers we formed a square dance club and used the hall to practice for competitions in Creston. My parents disallowed me to attend Saturday night public dances. Too rowdy. I remember Doug McLaughlin was sometimes the bouncer. I did go to collect discarded beer bottles from the hall grounds on Sunday mornings. Sometimes there was also blood on the ground.
I was never a scout. Dad was a keen scout in Scotland and later became scout master in C.B. By the time I was of scout age the C.B. scouts had folded. The building of the hall was prior to my memory so I heard little about it. Christmas Concerts, the fall fair, and special community events are what I remember. There were even visiting performers from out of town. I still have an autographed poster from the “ Sons of the Pioneers”.
My best friends from grade one to ten were: Mike Randall, Billy and Anne Gladwin. Paul Danielson, Marge and Ron Wastrowdowski, Benny Draper, Gordon Walker.”
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