Our dad was born May 14,1905, the first child of Albert and Johanna (Josie) Wilson. Being the oldest in the family he took on many hard duties when he was very young. When he was three or four the family moved from Selkirk, Manitoba, taking on a homestead in Vidir.
In his teenage years and later he worked on Lake Winnipeg, fishing and logging in and around Seven Sister Falls. One summer he went to Leslie, Saskatchewan to hay with his uncle John Goodman, Josie’s brother. They formed a family bond that lasted for years through letters, pictures and finally a visit in Winnipeg at a sisters home.
Dad was quiet, thoughtful and a big worrier. He was a perfectionist at everything he did and all was done to the best of his ability!
In 1936 he married Laura Sigvaldason, from Arborg, Manitoba who came from a family of 16 children. Frank and Laura began farming in Vidir on what I called the “West Farm”. Dad had bought the farm from his uncle Emil Wilson who purchased it through the Soldier Settlement Board right after World War 1 and was willing to sell it. They lived there for five years and then bought the “East Farm" from his brother Don. It had a good home on it and workable fields. There Mom and Dad worked side by side to make it an attractive mixed farm until Dad became very ill at age 46 and passed away April 29, 1952. He left a family of 4 children, Hugh aged 10 months, Wes 3, Richard 13 and Elma 14. As he lay in hospital he must have worried about his wife and family beyond words.
One of Dad’s great gifts was his love of music. He had purchased a second hand fiddle early in his working days. I have a precious memory of playing with him in the evening, Dad on the fiddle and me on the accordian. It didn’t happen often as he was tired. I also remember him at Christmas playing along with his sister Margaret Finnson who played piano.
Though Dad passed away far too young his fiddle has lived on. Mom gave it to Wes as he was so involved with music. Later our grandson Drew was playing the fiddle and on his 13th birthday Wes gave him my Dad’s fiddle! That was a very emotional and special occasion. Today Drew uses no other fiddle as he and his band play for gigs and various events. Wouldn’t our Dad be happy to know this!
Another love of Dad’s was trees. The West Farm has a beautiful stand of spruce along one side of the property and carragana and maple trees around the former house site. Soon the East Farm was sporting elm, maple and a carragana hedge making it most attractive!
I am fortunate to be able to remember our Dad and the memories of him crop up in my mind so often; helping him fix fences, family sleigh rides to Aunty Margaret’s on Christmas Day and the Lowland School concerts, his love for his sisters and brothers and his quiet wit. The Wilson’s always noticed what children had to say and remembered the cute things they came up with; an admirable trait.
Our Dad is laid to rest in the Vidir Cemetary where his son Hugh and his sister Norma Hughes are also buried.
Charisse once asked me “how did Frank and Laura meet?”
So, I said, the Wilson boys owned a Model A Ford car so they were able to get to Arborg to see the girls.
The mothers in Vidir complained, “aren’t there enough girls in Vidir? Why are they going to Arborg?”
Well, it turned out they loved these Arborg gals!
Elma Kozub
