Canada: a mere interlude

Everilde (right), with friends. In Canada? Possibly.

Saskatchewan was to become their home for six years until they were allowed in the United States and Oregon – the Drenched Country, as they called it.

While in Prince Albert Mildred, the eldest, left to teach school in Calgary, where she met and married her husband Harold Cross-Rose, of the distinguished Cross family (Rose stemmed from the famous war between the Whites and Roses). {ed: in the family Bible Mildred's husband is listed as Harold Wallace Rose}

While in Prince Albert a sixth daughter, Esther, was added to the family and Grandfather purchased large farm holdings in wheat on the outskirts of the city. Sans servants and fancy gowns, the girls settled into days of horseback riding (side-saddle of course), picking wild berries on the plains, learning basic domestic skills and in the evening by the fireside hearing wolf packs howling out on the snowy hillsides in winter.

Grandmama found this life a little harsh and opted to move to the confines of the city with the three youngest. The rest of the family then joined her for Saturday shopping sprees and church on Sunday. In an attempt to grow into their new mold, the girls on the farm tried light chores and learned to cook.

All generally went well until Elva (they had no refrigerator and it was too early in the fall to cut ice for that purpose) prepared a half dozen mutton roasts for the threshers in residence before leaving for the city. After arriving home from the weekend they found all the threshers down with food poisoning and they were deathly ill long enough for the rain to come and ruin the wheat crop.

When at last the day came to leave for the United States (after Grandfather had come to Oregon and purchased 60 acres of land, a large farmhouse and numerous outbuildings) they began to pack their most treasured belongings from Guernsey: fine linens, silver, china, bisque and porcelain brick-a-brac. The lovely Carpathian elm burl bedroom set was crated for shipment but Grandmama insisted on hand carrying her favorite hammered brass tea kettle used for 'high tea' and the bisque fisherman's heads.

The property was many miles from the city and several from the small town of Orenco {ed: a company town named for the Oregon Nursery Company and now surrounded by Hillsboro}. The old red electric railroad company tracks passed at the foot of the three-block driveway to the farmhouse.

.... had erected a sturdy railroad stop building and asked Grandfather to name it. He chose Quatama in honor of the Indians, who at one time occupied the area. From then on the area was known as Quatama Station.

Upon arrival of the Head family roots were laid down for four more generations.