I’m not sure how Grace Sleaper met the McKay family.  I met the McKay’s through Grace.  I went with her to their farm one Sunday afternoon–lots of fun.  I think I’ve mentioned before I attended Minnie Mary’s wedding with Grace.  I think I was about a 7yh/8th grader at this time. When Jay started high school in Bottineau, he and I were classmates.  We’ve been friends since that time.

Neola 

HERS:    Grandma Rose had 3 children Mary,George and Chuck with their father

 I was told by my Dad and Uncle Bill a wonderful lady, a Metcalfe family friend, “the Hun” Mrs. Lajimodiere also assisted in Dad’s birth.

 In September of 1923, William II Metcalfe the first born son of William I  Metcalfe and his first wife, Bertha (deceased about 1910) married Mary Marjory (DeMontigny) the eldest daughter of Rose nee LeDuc (DeMontigny) Metcalfe, in Manitoba, Canada.  They were accompanied by John Awalt and Gertrude Anderson who witnessed the event.

 Bill and Mary’s daughter Eleanor Rose was born the following year, the 5^th day of August 1924.  Billy Metcalfe the younger and his father’s second family with Rose, were neighbors across a creek on the shores of Rabbit City Lake.  Hence,Bill (William )the Elder’s younger children and his son Young Bill’s (William II ) children were close all of their lives. 

My father’s sister was Mary. His brother was Billy.  My dad never was one to differentiate halves. And I too believe,my cousins are my cousins who sometimes make the half’s whole.

 Dad loved both Billy and Mary dearly as siblings and considered their children his nieces and nephews.

 Cliff only 11 months older than his niece, was a sickly wee child. His tow headed brother Lloyd died  of spinal meningitist when Cliff was 4 and Lloyd 2. He remembered fondly playing together. Then, the next child, Henry was still born.  Their mother, suffered from gestational Diabetes. Dad recalled becoming weaker, lethargic, quiet, his curly black hair began falling out.  After consulting a doctor, William II went into Dunseith, returned, bringing a few oranges which Cliff got to eat 1 a day. He said he rather enjoyed getting what he thought was a special treat.

 The doctor later advised Rose to Bottineau Hospital where Jean Arlene Metcalfe was born in 1929. When Jean was a small child she suffered greatly when a teacher at a social event spilled scalding coffee on her leg. Her father, worked with his baby Jean every day moving her leg back and forth as the burn tried to web behind her knee. She would scream in pain, but her father said it had to be done or it would be a  permanent disability. Still later, Jean as a toddler she suffered from typhoid fever.

A recovering Cliff was tutored by his eldest brother of 23 years, Billy. At the time, Billy also tutored his daughter, Eleanor Rose. Billy used a small piece of chalkboard and chalk of which he instructed them every day in the fundamentals of numbers and ABC’s. 

 When Cliff was 7, Uncle and niece began first grade together at Bergan School (Hillside).  Cliff said much to his distain during that first  elementary school year, “Eleanor always was always following calling me ‘Uncle Cliff ‘ which brought along many experiences of taunting by peers.  UNCLE, uncle uncle.__

 Eleanor, however, rather enjoyed attending school with her Aunt Leona, Uncle’s Emil and Cliff. And, later, her siblings, Bobby and Alice joined them.  She was favored by her Uncle Emil and felt he was the ‘great protector’. The late‘20s and early 30’s life went along on Rabbit City Lake, and Bergan School. The family grew. There was great mutual trust, friendship and respect with the neighbors of Rabbit City Lake.  This fondness continued through the golden years. Among the neighbors, were the Evans, Bergans, Andersons, Anthonys, Poitras, Cota’s, Belgardes, Morins, and Lajimodieres,  to the north the Seims, Carlsons, Peterson’s. 

The great economic depression was extremely difficult for many families. There were many years of drought and cold winters.  To the N.W. Lydie Lake dried up completely. The elder Metcalfe boys hired out with farmers such as the Wicks brothers of Little Prairie and down in the prairie foothills Cage McKay.

 During the winter, elder boys of the second family Jimmie and Archie cut wood and using horse teams hauled into Dunseith to sell.  Emil, Cliff and Leona became responsible for gathering wood. With the hand drawn sled to keep the home fires burning they also pulled the sled through the woods, carried and kept the home fires burning for their Uncle Hugh. Uncle Hugh during those tough economic times moved from Cando to be close to his brother William I.  My father said his brother Roy although a young man did not help them.  Emil, Leona and Cliff did so without harboring resentment because they loved their father and his brother.

Through FDR’s program, Archie went to work at the CCC camp at the Peace Garden. Most of the money he earned there went to his parents.  Cliff, Leona and Emil often rode horse to gather cattle on the open range of the hills. Dad told me Annie Anthony always had a cool cup of milk and warm depression cake or cookie for him whenever he rode by.

Leona and my dad thoroughly enjoyed watching the building of Highway #3 machinery drawn by horses. Leona would gallop her horse Peanut north to the Cota’s and meet one of the Carlson girls?Ursula, and the Cota’s adopted daughter Louella Brown on their horses. They’d watch the horse drawn machinery as the dust blew.  Long before the days of caterpillar, highway #3 wound around meadows and lakes over steep hilly terrain provided entertainment.

In 1934 Jim married Ella Evan’s daughter of Martin and Randina.

The summer of ’35 Billy Metcalfe got a ride home from one of his stays at Rolette Hospital with Carl Wicks.  Carl had an automobile and drove to Rolette to pick up his niece Charlotte Lamb.  My mother, also known as Lottie was recovering from a second bout of many months in the hospital.  My mother recalled driving from Rolette on gravel roads. They drove through Dunseith and north. She anticipated just finally getting home to her Pop and her mother. She said,”Uncle Carl finally stopped his car to let Mr Metcalfe off.” William Metcalfe I with a heart condition then walked about 3 miles east of the highway #3 to Rabbit City Lake.  (Years later, September 1947……my mom Charlotte a.k.a Lottie married Mr. Metcalfe’s son Cliff.)

Billy II and Mary Metcalfe along with their children, Eleanor, Bobby, Alice, Lloyd, Bertha, and Billy III moved into Willow Creek Township to the Wright place south of the O.A. and Christine Medlang farm. 

 Eleanor said, her father who was worried how to feed his growing family frequently read the Bible in the evenings.  With the dry, drought  conditions there was so little to eat.  A little garden patch where there was formerly a slough was tilled and planted.  One day, her father, Billy located a patch which he recognized as edible greens.  He harvested and brought home the greens, which he instructed his wife Mary to cook.  That night after giving thanks, Eleanor’s dad, Billy II and his family had food for supper. Boiled wild artichokes!

He was able to feed his family wild artichokes a few more meals until the garden took hold.

 Eleanor related to me, one day when her father was gone, her  mother, Mary who was with child instructed eleven year old Eleanor in assisting in the birth of  a little baby boy with red hair.  She was frightened but obeyed her mother’s instructions. The new little brother was named by Billy II, John (Jack) in honor of  his father’s next younger brother in Ontario. 

William I Metcalfe went once again to Rolette hospital. The loyal Metcalfe dog waited at the gate for his master to come home.  It was never to be.  The dog died heartbroken waiting at the gate no matter how much Rose tried to feed him.

William I with failing heart had died.  It was close to my dad’s birthday late July of 1935 at Rolette Hospital.  Dad recalled that hot July day he dad just turned 12.  The laughing children were on their way home from school when someone met them told them Mr. Metcalfe had died. The older siblings crying, ran ahead leaving Cliff behind.  Cliff ran faster and faster, disoriented, thrashing through the brush. SOBBING, Sobbing, sobbing, blind with grief, Cliff ran on until he was clothes lined by a treebranch. 

Arnie Evans,Ella’s brother followed him. Arnie leaned over, helped gasping Cliff to his feet. Arnie said, “C’mon Cliff I’ll walk you home, then wrapped his arm around his shoulder for the rest of the walk home.”

The graves of young Billy’s sister, Lillian and mother Bertha who had died were buried many years before in the cemetery south of San Haven. Sometime later graves from that cemetery were moved to the present cemetery west of the Willow Creek south of Dunseith. William and Rose’s littlest boys, Lloyd and Henry were buried there in the later 1920’s.

On a hot dry late July day, with pickax and spade, young Billy Metcalfe hand dug his father’s grave. He told me that was the last thing he did for his father. The day of his father’s funeral at the  Dunseith Stone Church, had been built by the Masons (Uncle Bill told me his father William I contributed to that building) Young Billy and Charlie, along with their younger brother’s, Lucky, Jimmie, Archie and Emil carried their father to his final resting place.  Uncle Bill told me his youngest brother, Cliff was distraught with grief and sorrow accompanied Rose, followed by Leona and Jean.

Many years later, Young Billy became Bill II as he had a son, Bill III who married Bernice Johnson.  Bill III named their third son Bill IV, so there are more and many Billy Metcalfe’s.

Bill II ‘s work was not done. I believe after his wife Mary’s death he decided he had to do more. Bill II chose one more tribute for his father and mother in the 1970’s.  

Uncle Bill requested his first born daughter’s, husband, Clifford Nerpel to build a marker.  He paid for materials. Clifford Nerpel, built a frame, poured and fashioned cement marking the graves of William I, his first wife Bertha, the little brother’s the tow headed Lloyd and small stillborn Henry and  dear sister  Our darling Lilly.

 Bill II and his Mary rest just a bit east of that marker.

Yesterday,  Good Friday, Eleanor told me more  of her life story which is to be continued………..

The above mentioned story is dedicated to my Dad, Clifford David Metcalfe who shared feelings without shame, and his eldest brother, Uncle Bill who lived to tell me more to rest of the story, with a thank you to my eldest cousin Eleanor (Metcalfe) Nerpel who resides at the Rugby Haaland home is always willing to fill in the blanks.

Thanks Gary and friends,

Until later,

Vickie L. Metcalfe

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