Descendants of William and Flora Smith gathered to celebrate a Century Farm Award in Hazel Dell on October 8with family, friends, and neighbours.
Merial Smith, who still resides on the family farm, along with her son Robert and his wife Margaret and her other children and spouces, Les and Lynn, Lloyd and LaVerne, Heather and Greg Gawrelitza hosted the event.
The descendants of William and Flora met at the farm south of Hazel Dell in the afternoon to take pictures at the Century Farm gate sign. There were 54 descendants represented by four generations.
Walter Hughes came out with his team of horses to add a little historical heritage to the photos. The horses represented the past and how the land was broken many years ago.
"Even though it was a very cold day some still went for a wagon ride through the farm yard with Grandma Merial front and centre at 81 years old," said Heather Gawrelitza.
After having pictures taken, family members stopped by the Hazel Dell Community Cemetery to pay their respects at the graves of William and Flora Smith and Jack and Bill Smith and remembered Violet and Les MacDonald and Dorothy Spaxman, who comprised the original family members who were raised on the homestead.
The family then headed to the Hazel Dell Hall for supper with around 200 guests.
The hall had lots of photos displayed in memory of the original family raised on the farm and included a war memorial to the family’s soldiers, photos of Merial and Bill’s family that have all grown up and have kids of their own, and because Merial was a MacDonald, a photo display in honour of that side of the family was exhibited.
There were chldren's games during the dance and prizes to be won with a Canada 150 shooting gallery and a mystery box quest so that all the children were able to get in on the action.
Heather Gawrelitza, the youngest grandchild of William and Flora Smith, was the mistress of cermonies for the event and gave some history on the family farm.
William Smith was the original homesteader in 1912 when he first came to the area and lived in a little shack as he broke the land on the SE quarter of 12- 34-8 W of the second, she said.
William then went off to fight overseas in the First World War with the 249th Battalion.
“We were lucky he returned because none of us would be here today,” Gawrelitza said.
In November 1919, the farm title officially transferred to William’s name. This is the date Gawrelitza thought would be their 100 years but when she applied, statistics told her it is the 1912 date when “grandpa first came to homestead.
"So we are actually celebrating 105 years on the family farm," she said.
Now, that the title was transferred he could marry his girlfriend Flora from Melville.
“She had waited for him to return from the war and we have the letters he had written while overseas.”
William and Flora McCallum were married on December 13, 1919 at Equity. They raised four children on the family farm: Violet (married Les MacDonald), Dorothy Spaxman, John better known as Jack (married Jean Oulette), and William Henry better known as Bill (married Merial MacDonald).
William was then called back during the Second World War to guard prisoners in Canada with the Veterans Guard of Canada.
In 1952 William transferred the title to his youngest son William Henry. William Henry married Merial MacDonald from Invermay on March 20, 1954. The family farm then became home to the couple and their four children: Robert (married Margaret Sikora); Les (married Lynn Weinbender); Lloyd (married LaVerne Hort), and Heather (married Greg Gawrelitza).
William Henry passed away in June 2005. The land was willed to his wife and youngest son Lloyd Smith in 2007. The future title will be Lloyd and his only son William Steven, so again the William Smith name will be back on the title once again, she said.
Gawrelitza thanked everyone who helped out.
“We are thankful for the many branches of our family tree and are blessed with good neighbours and friends to help keep us rooted,” she said. “Our family would have never stayed 105 years in this area if it wasn’t for good neighbors, friends, and the great community of Hazel Dell.
“Thank you all for coming out to help us celebrate and this party wouldn’t have been such a big celebration if our mother Merial Smith wasn’t still living on the family farm. This party is in honour of our mother Merial because she truly is the heart of our family.”
After the history was given on the farm and introductions of the family members who had come out to celebrate were done, there was a special presentation made to Robert and Margaret Smith on behalf of the Smith family. They received their own Century Farm wall plaque and Gawrelitza said they were the most deserving of this award because even though they live across the road on another quarter, the farm wouldn’t be there if it wasn’t for them.
"They are the ones who have lived there for 40 years and in Robert’s case 40 plus years and farmed with dad,” she said. “They are the ones who filled in when Dad could no longer be there for Mom.”
With Robert and Margaret on the dance floor, the rest of the Smith family was called to the floor to get the dance started “in true Bill Smith fashion.”
“I don’t think my dad ever missed a dance in this hall, so let’s get the party started,” Gawrelitza said.
Murile Smith was escorted and had the first dance with her grandson Lyndon. The Smith family started the dance to Thank a Farmer by James Wesley.
