Sympathy goes out to the Parkinson families of the Battlefords and Saskatoon on the recent passing of Ruby Parkinson of Saskatoon. Ruby (Jamison) came to the Baljennie area in 1945-46 to teach for one year at the all-country Baljennie School. She boarded with the Maxwell family, only a mile from the school. Now the farmyard is owned by Stanley and Dorothy Mills. Ruby married a Baljennie young fellow in 1948, Douglas Parkinson. They lived in Clear Water B.C. for two years, then work took them to Toronto, Ont., and then back to Saskatoon where they retired. They had a family of one boy and one girl. A memorial service was held in Saskatoon and she was laid to rest in a Saskatoon cemetery.
School is almost out and done for another term. Graduations and proms and other get-togethers are being held in the Battlefords area and the school buses are going to get at least a two month rest and all checked over before it will be back to a new term starting up. Happy holidays to all.
Stanley and Dorothy Mills’ last grandson, Brayden Mills of Penticton B.C., just graduated from Grade 12. He also won a scholarship for having one of the highest marks in his class of Grade 12 students. He will be going to college in Kelowna, B.C., in September to start on a four-year coarse in the medical field.
Birthday greetings go out to Vernon Custer of Caleb Village on his 96 birthday on July 1. Also, birthday wishes go out to Neadean Mitchell of River Heights Lodge in North Battleford on her 94th birthday June 21 and Eva Rayner of Battleford on her 91st birthday on July 2.
The crops are all progressing well and are pretty well all up and growing, heading out and flowering. There have been a few spotty rain showers, but the crops do all need a little more moisture like a full day of steady rainfall. We’ve been near frost with a few much cooler nights and even the day temperatures have been below normal for this time of June.
Battleford is expanding rapidly with a few more new homes going up and population rising. A new strip mall is being built near the Co-op service station and Tim Hortons close to the highway. A new liquor board store is to open up later in the fall. Also every one is so pleased to see the old 1911 Battleford post office building is on the mend to be back in operation as a post office again in the near future. Good luck to the new owners and it's good to see the post office stay in the town of Battleford. The temporary post office has not been like the old building. It has served the people of rural and urban Battleford for a good number of years. It will be good to see the tower clock back operating. We all hope a lot more years to be added on.
July 1 is Canada's 150th birthday. A day for us all to enjoy in all the different activities is going to take place across Canada to celebrate wherever you care to go. There will be fire works at Fort Battleford at dusk. Let's hope the weather will turn out to be a good day for all the excitement.
