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Rock collection featured at first Adventures at the Museum

Borden and District News: Former resident celebrates 90th birthday.

BORDEN — The Borden Museum held their first Adventures at the Museum event July 9 with George Walker displaying and explaining his extensive rock collection. More than 30 adults and children attended the afternoon event.

George showed the blades he uses to cut sand and polish the stones he collects. Some are from rock piles but most originate from the gravel pit they have on their land by the river. He had one that he found in the Battle River near Lashburn. Many of the rocks are at the surface of the gravel pit but many are 30 to 40 feet down. He had many samples of odd stones, some featuring fossils or broken shells, one that is magnetized, some with petrified wood imbedded and different grains running through some. Some are mudstone and one had a snail imbedded in it.

After he has cut the rocks in the shape he wants, he polishes them and coats them with automotive clear coat varnish. His sister Doreen Matschke has painted scenes on some of the rocks. He has bolted one round stone to a draft horseshoe. He found several large horseshoes under the ground in his yard.

As George talked about the different rocks, he passed them around for everyone to take a closer look at them.

The next Adventures at the Museum will be July 23 at 2 p.m. when the topic will be the Borden railroad station.

Several from Borden, Radisson and Saskatoon travelled to North Battleford on the afternoon of July 10 to help Jean Sawchyn celebrate her 90th birthday. There were also many members of her family present to pass out cake and ice cream along with coffee or cold drinks.

Jean and her late husband Mike lived at Borden, buying the hotel in 1969. They retired to an acreage and later in the village. After Mike passed away, Jean remained in her home in Borden and was active in many organizations, bowling, dancing and church, until she moved to Caeb Village in North Battleford two years ago. We all wish her many more years enjoying life in North Battleford with her family close by.