HASKELL FAMILY HISTORY-Bio-Walter Vincett b 1922

Walter Vincett, a son of Horace and Beatrice (Haskell) Vincett was born February 23, 1922 at Galahad. After he received his education at Galahad School he worked on his parents’ farm. In 1940 he enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He served overseas in England as a mechanic for a ground crew. Upon returning to Canada he started to farm in 1946. He purchased N.E. ¼ 27-41-14-4 formerly owned by Samuel Johnston who retired. During the winter he worked in lumber camps and in 1950 he started to work on the railway from Forestburg and Halkirk to the mines. Later on he worked on the dragline. On April 17, 1954 Walter was united in marriage to Ida Van Griethuizen. They raised their family of five on their farm, Howard, Cathy, Kenneth, Marvin (deceased at age 3 ½ years) and Joyce. Ernie Vincett Family Story From Golden Echoes, a history of Galahad and Districts Early settlers in the Galahad district were five Vincett brothers. Albert immigrated from his home in Sussex, England in 1906 with Ernie, the youngest of the family coming West in 1910.Ernie came as far as Vermilion by rail, from there by wagon. In the early 1900s, Bert and Ernie lived in a log house, Before the two room long house was built, they lived in a ‘soddy’, which was put up for shelter and warmth the first year or so. They farmed in the Bedford district, six miles East of Galahad. There they laboured to clear and break the land and sow their first crop. Bert had a team to do this. When they needed supplies, they travelled to Wetaskiwin by horse and wagon, which took many days. In 1925, Ernie returned to England to see his family, which was to be the only trip in all of the following years. On his return to Galahad, he married Beulah Yandeau and raised a large family. Alice Klatt, the oldest, now married, lives on an acreage West of St Albert, and has two grown daughters. Bud, the oldest son, is still farming the land his father and Uncle farmed. Harvey lost his life in an accident in 1953, while serving in the RCN at Esquimalt. Then comes Melvin, who is married to Gwen Findlay, formerly from Alliance, and now living on acreage East of Edmonton. They have a daughter, Crystal, married and a son, James, who is at home. Lillian McFadden, who now resides in Fort McMurray, has three sons and two daughters. Donald, the youngest son, lives near Consort. They also got three sons and two daughters. Ellen, the youngest, lives in Edmonton and has one daughter. During the depression, times were very had with very little money and no conveniences. Mom spent many long evenings during the winter months mending, knitting sock and mitts by the light of a small kerosene lamp. We always had a good supply of the old reliable printed puff wheat bags, which Mom made many things from”ie. Tablecloths, patchwork quilts, blouses, large aprons, summer shirts for the boys and nice starched summer dresses. A large garden was planted with many vegetables and berries, which were preserved for the long winter months. With our own milk, cream, butter, meat and chicken, there was always plenty to eat. When the crop was harvested, there was always a few dollars left over to send for winter clothes from Eaton mail order catalogue. For the hot summer months, the only refrigerator we had was jour old dependable icehouse. This was started in the early fall. A hole was dug, presumably by hand. Then as the days got colder, water was pumped everyday to start the ice build up until it was a depth of 6 to 8 feet. This was covered with a shed made of poles and stray and a layer of sawdust to keep the ice from melting. There we kept the cream, butter, and meat cold the long hot summers. I recall Dad digging a well by hand, using a spade, pulley and rope to bring up the dirt. The well was thirty feet deep and lined with a poplar pole lining. Each pole had to be tapered with an axe, making it possible to nail the poles together to form a curbing. Both our parents worked many hours from dawn to dark, but always found time to enjoy the late summer evenings working in the garden.
Source:” Golden Echoes” submitted by Derelys Vincett