Harold Dunbar Boucher
Born February 28, 1899
at Glenarm Terrace on the Shore Road,
Belfast, Ireland
Died June 30, 1978
Welling, Alberta, Canada
Draft by Harold D. Boucher, 1974
Typed and organized by Anne B. Cox
Irish Genealogy research by Natalie H. Boucher
Photographs restored by Charles M. Cox
The Early Years in Ireland
1899 - 1914
I was born in Ireland, the good part I tell my friends. Yes, I am an Ulster man. The south of
Ireland are good people too. The gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached to them.
My Father told me that the Bouchers left Flanders, France about 1700 (1690) after Louis XIV
revoked (1685) the Edict of Nantes, (1598), which had given the Protestants the right of freedom
of worship. Many Huguenots emigrated to Protestant countries to escape persecution. Our
people emigrated to Ireland, to the town of Armagh in the county of Ulster, which is today
known as Northern Ireland, the Protestant part of Ireland. My Father was Joseph Henry Boucher
and his Father before him was Joseph Henry Boucher. They were Quakers. My Mother ,born
Eleanor Craig spent some time up in Londonderry, her people came from Scotland, where they
attended the Church of Scotland. Then in Ireland they attended the Church of Ireland. Mother
and Dad were married in St. Anne Cathedral and attended the Presbyterian Church.
My Great grandfather, Joseph Henry Boucher, born about 1700 was connected with the Irish
linen business. He would leave stamped tablecloths and napkins, also bedspreads, with the
women in the village to be embroidered by hand, collect them when they were finished and pay
the women for their work. He had a pony and trap and would take the hand embroidered pieces
to the city of Belfast where they were laundered and boxed. They were mostly exported to
America. My Father’s Father and his brother started a spinning mill and also a weaving factory,
still in the family, and still known as The Durham Street Weaving Company and Ross Brothers
Spinning and Weaving Company. My Father’s Father, Joseph Henry Boucher branched out into
the distribution end of the business - into sales and distribution.
My grandparents on my father's side had been Quakers but as their family were growing up they
changed over to the Presbyterian Church. It was more fashionable to be a Presbyterian. They had
a lovely home on the Stranmillis Road. When Grandpa died they built a home, Norbury, close to
Grandma's brother, Uncle David Ross, the founder of Ross Brothers and Durham Street Weaving
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Company. We always went to Granny Boucher's for Christmas and for dinner about once every
two months. She would sit for hours reading her Bible.
The Bouchers were an educated family. My Father's brother, Eddie, was one of the first ten
students enrolled at Campbell College in Belfast, an exclusive boy's college. My Aunt Amy
received her B.A. degree back in 1912. Florence and Margaret also earned B.A. degrees.
My mother's parents had died years previously. In fact mother married my Dad shortly after her
mother's death. I saw my grandfather Craig, but I cannot remember him. James Craig was very
well off financially. He never did a day's work in his life. He was a great Orange man and a
Mason and was active in both organizations. He was a free spender, and while he had two or
three legacies left him, he went through them all. I am sorry to say he wasted his substance and
followed his wife to an early grave, leaving a large family of young people. Mother's older sister,
Auntie Hannah, took and raised the rest of the family. They lived at Ballyhanwood House. James
Craig was brought up by the Bishops of Ringneal. My mother's (great) uncle, David Bishop, had
coal boats which brought coal into the Strangford Lough. My mother's brothers and sisters
emigrated to Canada soon after their father's death.
I was born of goodly parents. My earliest recollections are of going with my Father up the hill at
the back of our home to see the goats, as a flock of goats would graze there from time to time.
We lived at the outskirts of the city. We attended a new Presbyterian Church.
I remember the day my brother Stanley was christened. We had moved to Linden Gardens off
the Cliftonville Road. We drove to church that Sunday in a carriage and pair, Mother and Dad,
my sister Charlotte, Mary, our nurse, and myself. Mary stayed with my sister and myself in the
carriage. We did not go into the church. I remember the day before Stanley was born as a water
pipe started to leak above the ceiling in the return room.
I will tell you a little of our home. My childhood was a happy time, there was love and
happiness in our home. My mother taught us to pray. We had morning and evening prayers
when my Dad would read from the old family Bible. Even then I had the desire to go on a
mission to convert the heathen. I also wondered why our church did not ask the members to pay
tithes. Dad and Mom took us to church every Sunday, three times on Sunday with Sunday
School at 9 a.m., Church at 11, and Church at night at 6. I always did enjoy attending Church
services. It was three miles there and three miles back home. We all did enjoy our Sunday
dinners. Jell-O was something new and dessert was pineapple and jelly and whipped cream.
Mother was a lovely person who seemed to be happy most of the time. She was very pretty and
dressed nicely. I was always proud of her. She frequently sang hymns. She was fairly active at
bazaars and things like that at Church. Mother had been raised in the Church of Ireland. And
she and Dad were married in the Newtownbreda Church.
My Father had a university education. He signed the Red Hand of Ulster in 1912, protesting
home rule for Ulster, when the largest Union Jack in the world at that time was unfurled, and he
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marched in the parade with the Irish Volunteers. They sang the song, "Sir Edward Carson had a
cat..."
My Dad was a good sport. He played with me and took us for long walks which were always
interesting. He also took me to football games and cricket matches in season. When I was a boy
my Father promised me that I would have certain gifts if I were a good boy, and I received them,
a hockey stick, a cricket bat, bicycle, boat and so on. I believed my Father when he said that if I
conducted myself properly I would receive these gifts. Dad was captain of the Boy's Brigade at
the Castleton Presbyterian Church. The Boy's Brigade is like your scouts, they marched and
played football and had good times. We attended St. Enoch’s School, then Pa McGill, our
school teacher in Ballywalter was transferred to Belfast. Dad thought that he was a superior
teacher, so we transferred to his school.
We had a summer cottage by the sea at Ballywalter, County Down, a village on the Irish coast,
about 16 miles from Belfast. We had grand times there. It took our family about four hours to get
to Ballywalter as there were no automobiles. We took the horse street car to the Junction and
transferred to another street car to the County Down station where we took the train to
Donaghadee, a distance of about thirteen miles. Then we walked about a quarter of a mile to the
long car--built like bleachers with about eight rows of seats and all elevated so the rear seat had a
good unobstructed view. The long car was pulled by two horses and had a brake. It took about
two hours to travel the five or six miles from Donaghadee to Ballywalter. Later, we went to
Bangor for our vacation. I thought Bangor and Ballywalter were a very long way from Belfast.
I will never forget Ballywalter, and my we had good times there! Our house faced the open sea,
the Irish Sea. We spent a lot of time boating and swimming, spending most of the time on the sea
shore. Our family went every day for a swim in the ocean. The Gulf Stream keeps the
temperature of the water up. We had good times with a Shetland pony and trap. We called the
pony Joey. He liked us and we loved him. We had a jennet; it was something like a mule.
We also had a little old rowboat there with a lug sail. We had two oars, a hole in the center seat
where we put the mast and a lug sail. The boat was called a punt or a lugger as we had a lug sail
which you pulled up to the top of the mast and adjusted to keep the boat in the wind. We had a
lot of fun with that. It was fun exploring the rocks when the tide was out, gathering dulse, brats,
lumpets, and cockles. We fished for cockles when the tide was on the ebb, going out. We would
wade out as far as we could without getting our trousers wet. You had to go easy and slowly.
You would see two little suns shining in the sand. You would put your hand in the water and
quietly, without making a shadow, grab the suns, and you would have a nice plump cockle, a
shell fish. My mother would not cook them as she thought they might be contaminated. I sold
mine for a half penny a pint. It was fun fishing for cockles.
Our bay was guarded by two big stones set at a little opening there. The rocks are run side to
side, or end to end, and at each end there are two great big stones which would weigh tons.
Those stones are so evenly balanced that (mind you this is true!) every time that they hear the
cock crow they turn around three times, and they've been doing that for years and years and
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years. When Mom and I made the trip to Ireland after our mission it just so happened that when
we got to Ballywalter the tide was out. Mom and I went out and climbed on the rocks there.
My sister, Charlotte, has written some poems that were published and in her book of poems
there's one about the abbey. This abbey was at the back of our garden, up the hill. You know
nobody walked around the abbey at night. In the old days there were a lot of people who were
killed there.
THE ABBEY
I’m glad that I remember cobblestones and a village street climbing uphill
between white cottages; the scent of peat adrift on a grey duck, and small
windows glinted with firelight while country people, with plain ungarnished
ways, sat around an open hearth, their voices lulled to the low rustle of the sea.
Later, when the lamp was lit, its burnished circle would spread over the yellowtiled room where the primroses were a paler gold, for always, in the spring, we
brought them from the green banks, or bluebells from the wood, or the rich sweet
clusters of hawthorn from the hedges around the church. It was a very old church
with a Roman tower, they said, but it was not nearly so ancient as the church in
the vale. We did not plat there often; there were too many lichened stones with
dates centuries old, but, sometimes we climbed the embrasure to run down the
shallow steps to the big well that held no reflection but our own small faces in its
mirrored depth. It had been there long ago when the monks founded the abbey.
Perhaps in quiet lives, haloed by a spirituality that is still the great hope of
mankind. Is symbolized for them in the deep sweet well of truth. For now,
though, the years have crumbled, man, the wayfarer, may drink of it today.
Charlotte Ross Boucher Clements
At the foot of the village lived an old couple by the name of Brown. There was a high wall
around three sides of their farm building and a burn or creek on the other side. The Browns kept
us supplied with butter, eggs, and milk. The duck eggs were delicious as the ducks would play
around in the salt water and the salt weeds would flavor the eggs. I would drive the Browns to
church on Sunday about seven miles to the Plymouth Brethren Meeting House, an old church
with box pews that is now a factory. There was no clergyman or preacher. They just sat until the
spirit moved them. They were good, honest, and sincere people who kept the Sabbath day holy.
So I was brought up a Presbyterian but attended the Plymouth Brethren in the summer. These
sincere people have been with me all my life. They were much like the Quakers who had gone
out of style. We attended the old church with box pews during the summer. It is now a factory.
Later, when I started to work we went to Bangor for our summer vacation of almost six weeks
and commuted every day to Belfast. When the weather was fine we took the Bangor Boat which
took about an hour to sail to Queen's Dock at Belfast, about twelve miles. It was fun sailing late
in the afternoon as the band would play and most of the people would be in a holiday mood. It
took hours just to travel a few miles when I was a boy.
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When I was going to school at Ballywalter I learned a song as a boy about the Boy's Brigade.
We had evangelist meetings in those days. There were no talking machine: phonographs, phone,
radios, or T.V. The picture shows opened up in Belfast about 1912. Before that there were
magic lantern and slide shows. They jiggled the slide to make it appear that the monkey was
climbing a tree. We had lamplighters in the old country and they came around as it was getting
dusk and they lit the lamps. Then they came along later on early in the morning and they turned
them off.
I remember Belfast quite well. In 1912 the launching of the Titanic took place. That ship was
built in Belfast, the largest boat in the world, and we all know the story about how she sank. The
Sunday of her maiden voyage, the minister, the Reverend. James Knowles, whose daughter is
now married to my cousin Eric Boucher, preached a sermon about the ship that had been built by
man which was unsinkable. And I have thought through the years that "man proposes and God
disposes" because there's nothing that man can do that is not destructible. God is all powerful. I
also remember the building of the Olympic, sister ship to the Titanic. The Olympic was the liner
in the world at that time, a ship which had the most enviable record in transferring help to the
homeland during the first World War.
When I was fourteen, I left school and went to serve my term in the flax and yarn business. I
was an apprentice for five years for a hundred pounds. My first pay, I think was around thirteen
shillings which I took home and gave to my Mother. Mother and Dad made quite a fuss about
my first two weeks pay. By the way, this may sound strange, but they turned the keys over to
me, a great big key for the front door and also the key to the safe. I thought it was strange that
they would turn over the keys to a person as young as myself, but I guess that the big front door
key, nobody wanted to carry because it sure wore your pockets out. I also had charge of the
stamp department, I had to keep track of the stamps, and it used to worry me because some of the
head men, some of the bosses, would come and take the stamps and nobody would give me the
particulars. They told me that when the auditors came along, they’d be auditing the stamps and
they’d want to know where these discrepancies were and how they occurred. Of course they
were just more or less pulling my leg, but I took life pretty seriously. It so happened that there
was another young chap that was apprenticed at the same time I was, he was the fair-haired boy.
He had always been at the head of his class. But you know it was funny, whenever we went into
work, I got along better than he did because I could accept the responsibility and I could meet
people much better that he could.
While I was serving my time in the flax business, the firm I worked for, Miller & Martin, were
shipping flax in from Russia. Mr. Martin had a beautiful red convertible and a chauffeur. They
would drive me down to the docks by car, I really thought that I was quite an important fellow.
But you know down at the docks the workers were pretty good. They helped me with the
weights, and they didn’t rush too much. It was quite a responsibility weighing in the bails of flax
from the boats, because it was those weights that the firm I worked for paid for the flax. I
presumed that they used me because they probably thought I was qualified to do it. But I sure
didn’t have much experience. I did get a lot of help from the day laborers down there. And you
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know, I learned to appreciate those fellows and it got to be that I could see their way of life and I
came to learn some of their problems. They had a rough time getting by, some of those people.
I went directly from school to this job. My cousin finished school when I did and he went
directly to the university. Dad figured he was going to be twenty-three years old before he
would start to serve his time to learn a business. And in those days, thinking was that it was
advisable to have some trade or business by the time you were eighteen or nineteen years old.
It was with a feeling of regret when one evening after tea, as we called it, that was our 6 o’clock
meal, Dad announced that we were going to Canada. I had absolutely no desire to go to Canada
for life was good in Ireland. I enjoyed where I was working, and I played football and cricket
and I just wasn’t too happy to change any of it.
On the 7th of May, 1911, my father, at the request of his brothers Fred and Eddie sailed for
Canada with his family to look into the straw situation on the prairies, because the people in
Canada thrashed the flax for flax seed and they burned the straw which the linen industry
needed. Dad’s brothers thought that it might be possible to buy the straw cheap and ship it back
to Ireland to be processed into Irish linens. Of course you know over in Ireland they're not
interested in the flax seed at all. When the flax is ready about twenty men and women would go
into a field and it was pulled by hand. Then they make little bunches. The flax is then put into
what we call a flax hole and after so many days it is brought out and it was spread out on the
ground. They're not interested in the seed at all, but they are interested in the fiber. He was also
to establish a retail and wholesale outlet in Edmonton.
We said ;goodbye to Granny Boucher and my aunts, Florence, Margaret and Amy (we called
them The Garden Aunts) and we left her home, Norbury House, Dundela Avenue, Belfast. My
Dad, my Mother, my sister, Charlotte, and brother, Stanley, and myself proceeded to the docks.
Just before leaving our Uncle Fred, who had come with us to the dock, took me aside and said,
"Harold, you are going to be in charge of the family. We older people ," he says, “we don't adapt
as quickly as the younger people." And he says, "You'll have to help your Father and Mother as
much as you can. " And you know, this turned out to be a fact because when we got to
Edmonton I became accustomed to the money much faster then my Father and Mother .
Well, as we were leaving there were quite a number of friends down at the dock at the boat side,
and different people gave my mother little gifts, handkerchiefs, scarfs, and things like that. Then
they all sang "Should Old Acquaintance Be Forgot” It was quit e a send-off. I was really
surprised at the number of people who were there to wish us good luck. From the docks we got
on board a small boat which was called a lighter. This boat took us out into the bay where we
boarded the Lake Manitoba for Canada. The Lake Manitoba was scrapped shortly after that
about the next year, I think, in 1915 or 16.
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MEMORIES OF DAD
IRELAND
The students in the Primary School were very restless one fine, sunny day. The schoolmaster’s
idea was to ask Harold, about grade three at the time, to take the students up the hill for a break
and some exercise. Well as Dad tells the story, he marched his classmates up the hill, down the
hill - and away! The next day the schoolmaster, still angry, gave Dad a good canning right at the
front of the classroom, in front of all the students. He was still the hero of the day. Does this
sound like David? Anne
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Immigrating to Canada
The trip on the boat was most enjoyable. We traveled first class, and our state room was above
the water level. When we got up in the morning we would look out and we would see the sun
shining on the ocean. It was quite an eventful trip. We were right up on the first deck and could
look out the porthole on to the ocean. The meals were good. It was the first time we had tasted
grapefruit - it didn’t taste so good the first time, but we got to like it. It took us about a week to
cross to Montreal and about another week to reach Edmonton by train.
We docked at Montreal and as we were on our way we were dressed for the Irish climate. When
we got off the boat at Montreal the heat was quite oppressive. It was very, very hot. We had our
woolen underwear. We left the boat 'round about noon and the train to the West left about ten
o'clock at night. As we were walking along one of the main streets of Montreal taking in the
sights a. young man stopped my Dad. He asked, "Captain Boucher?" Dad says, "Yes?" He told
Dad that he was one of the boys that had been in the Boy's Brigade. So when we arrived at the
train that night there was a nice bag of fresh fruit, it was from this young man. I've forgotten his
name. He wasn't a young man then, but a chap in his thirties, but that fruit really tasted good and
it was appreciated.
We boarded the train and we traveled all the way from Montreal through Medicine Hat to
Calgary. It was interesting to see the bush fires burning in northern Ontario. Dad got us up about
six o'clock in the morning to see one of the seven wonders of the world at Medicine Hat. It was
the gas lights that were never turned off. It was cheaper to leave them burning than it was to turn
them off. It was quite interesting in the train. There was the porter there in the car that we were
in, he made up our beds at night but we did all our own cooking. It was really a most enjoyable
trip, and we made some good friends on our trip across Canada, friendships that were to last for
quite a number of years. We were surprised at the size of Canada. It was such a huge country,
the impressions of the country were good, we liked the country and we liked the people.
We arrived at the Canadian Pacific Railway Station at Edmonton, Alberta on Saturday, May
23rd, 1914. Sunday being the 24th, Victoria Day, the holiday was held on the Monday. Mother
and Dad, sister, Charlotte and brother, Stanley and myself were all strangers in a strange land
and there was no one to meet us at the station. My brother was afraid because there were so
many Indians at the station, and we had never before been so close to an Indian. We took a taxi
to my Aunt's residence (Mrs. E. C. Champion, Auntie Sarah). There was no one at home so we
all sat and waited on their spacious lawn. It was the most lawn we had seen since we left the
green fields and hills of Ireland about three weeks previously. We talked about the good trip, at
the dock, the gifts, the songs and the singing, the trip across the ocean, the wonderful meals, how
hot it was in Montreal in our Irish winter flannels, the lovely gift of fruit from a former member
of the Boy's Brigade, the train trip across the continent, bush fires in Ontario, Lake Superior, the
Prairie, the gas lights at Medicine Hat that burn day and night, month after month, year after
year, antelope on the prairie, Indians at Watoskewin, and the station at Edmonton out in the
Bush. Standing and looking from the station to the high level bridge crossing the mighty
Saskatchewan River was quite a sight. It was mighty because the snow waters were running off
the Rockies into the rivers.
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Auntie Sarah and her family arrived in an Overland touring car. They had picked up the wire
Father had sent from Montreal about ten days earlier at the box in the post office. They drove to
the station only to find we were not there. They made us all welcome. We enjoyed meeting our
new uncle and all of our cousins. Our new uncle was an American, born in the U.S.A. He was
quite a champion of Teddy Roosevelt and for some reason or other did not care for our Royal
Family. Everything in the U.S.A. was superior to the old country. We were visitors in his home
so Father did not argue much. It did upset him so much that we found a house for rent in the
district, a nice six room house with roomy rooms.
The owner, a carpenter, was just putting the finishing touches to it, so we rented the house for
$18.00 a month, the owner retaining one bedroom and the use of the kitchen. Mr. McKinnon was
a fine man. He had migrated to Canada from the U.S.A. to make his fortune, but with the
depression in 1913, thousands were out of work. People were buying jobs. Sinking his money in
the new house, he was up against it financially and could not get work, so he decided to dig out
the basement. Father helped. They had some really good times as my Father would recite some
of the good old poems, "Gray's Elegy", etc. Mr. McKinnon had a fine mind. He was a good
friend, honest and reliable. We all liked him immensely and he really did like us.
Nothing was done with the flax straw in Canada. In Ireland fifteen or twenty people in the field
would be pulling up flax by the roots. They weren’t interested in the flax seed at all. They
pulled a tube when it was green, but in Canada it was an entirely different setup. There wasn’t
anything the linen industry could do with the dried out flax straw. It was brittle. It was still
pliable when they pulled it green in Ireland, but by the time the seed had matured the straw had
lost its value. Ireland is shaped like a saucer. They have just the proper climate over there for
processing the flax and later on, the yarn, spinning the yarn and weaving the cloths. And then,
they have a lot of cheap help over there. But it won’t be long before Irish linen ceases to exist.
Each tube of green flax must be pulled by hand, there is no way a machine could do the job. I
watched the women shoppers tell the difference between cotton and linen. They would put their
fingers in their mouths to moisten them, then touch the back of the cloth with this moisture. If it
came quickly through the fabric it was linen, if it was slow coming through, it was cotton. The
last order my Dad delivered was to the hospital in Ponoka, that was the end of our linen
experience.
The day after the holiday, Tuesday, my Dad and I started out to look for work. Dad had some
agencies from Ireland and England and at his age it was difficult to find work. We went down to
the James Ramsay Store. The buyer there, Mr. Malloy, had bought linens from the Durham
Street Weaving Company and Ross Brothers. Ross Brothers, both were a family concern. The
Ramsay store was a big department store, which was subsequently taken over by Eatons. Mr.
Malloy, gave me a job at $10.00 a week, hours 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and until 10 p.m. on Saturdays.
If there were many in the store, it would not close until after 11 o’clock. I had a two mile walk
home.
Dad was elated to think that I was getting $10.00 a week, or 2 pounds a week. He thought that
was wonderful. We thought it was a lot to pay a young chap 14 years old. I can remember at
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Christmas we worked from eight o'clock in the morning until the store was deserted which was
around eleven or twelve o'clock at night. I enjoyed the time that I worked in the Ramsay store.
They were good to me and I guess I was a pretty good worker, because we were always anxious
to wait on customers. We were judged those days by our tally. Each sale we made we entered it
on a form at the back of the book and at the end of the day the total amount of your sales were
tallied up. I've forgotten now what my sales would have amounted to, but I always waited on a
good many customers. I think that was one reason why I held my job at Ramsays, because there
were quite a number of comings and goings, but I stayed on. Well, I stayed about a couple of
years. I worked at Ramsays until Feb. 28, 1916. I remember the first oilcloth that I cut. The
customer brought it back, it was terrible - it was really cut on the slant I was a little more careful
after that. By the way, when I was working at Ramsays I think I became a pretty good judge of
human nature. Whenever the homesteaders came in, the fellow needed a shave and maybe his
clothes weren’t too clean, but he was the fellow that I’d try to get hold of, because he would
usually buy a bolt of flannelette. A bolt of flannelette in those days was 38 to 40 yards a bolt.
And the nice well dressed ladies, whenever they would come in I’d have to pull pretty near every
bolt of satin down for them to examine. And then they wanted a quarter yard or something like
that So believe me the farm people sure got my special attention.
The First World War started in August 1914 and we lost three large shipments of linen from
German torpedoes. After struggling to keep the linen business going in Edmonton for a couple of
years, my father applied for a position with the Massey Harris Company (farm implements)
which he obtained. As I was going to work each day I passed a red brick building and there was
a big sign there: Massey Harris, World Famous Farm Implements. And I got to thinking that if I
could go to work for an outfit like Massey Harris that I might see a lot of the world and
incidentally I might get a trip back to Ireland. And you know, it just worked out that way. Well,
I told Dad and talked Massey Harris so much that my Father went down and he got a job at the
Massey Harris as a correspondent.
In those days the homesteaders would come into the agents (we called them agents in those days
in the small towns) and he might want a mower or a rake or a binder or a sleigh or a wagon. And
all he did was sign notes. There was no cash paid at all. There was no down payment and he
would just sign notes. There were very few banks, and in the fall the company would hire
maybe fifteen or twenty men to go around calling on the farmers and collecting these notes. And
my Dad had a large district north of Edmonton. He probably had about ten or twelve men
working for him in the fall and he would direct their efforts.
After arriving, in Edmonton my family attended the Bonnie Doon Presbyterian Church. War was
declared and the minister enlisted. The next closest church was the Church of England. My
mother had been raised in the Church of Ireland which is the Church of England here (Episcopal)
so we attended the Church of England. The rector was a Mr. Johnson. We like the minister who
asked us to become members, so we joined. the Church of England. He was a wonderful speaker.
I played tennis with him and got to know him well enough that I was to discover he had no
testimony of his church. When I transferred to Saskatoon he gave me a letter of introduction to
the minister there. I called on the Bishop at Saskatoon, taking my letter to the minister. I went to
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church for a few Sundays. There was no warmth or friendship or interest so I just drifted away. I
went to church occasionally.
The Massey Harris Years
The Edmonton Years
1914 - 1920
Through the efforts of my father I went to work at the Massey's for about $32.50 a month. He
subsequently told me about an opening in the Massey Harris and I went in and saw the credit
manager and collection manager, Mr. Typson, and he offered me a job for $32.50, $8.10 a week,
which was a whole lot less than $10.00 a week. Though financially not a good move, the
position had prospects. At $10.00 a week I was getting $40.00 or a little more a month. At any
rate I took the job and stayed with the Massey Harris Company for 48 years. Later on Mr.
Typson wrote me from Africa. He had been transferred to Durban, South Africa and he wrote me
congratulating me on my promotion as manager of the Regina Branch for southern
Saskatchewan. I started with Massey Harris on March 1st, 1916, (17 years old) working from 8
to 6 and 8 to 5 on Saturdays.
I was the office boy for about three weeks when I was transferred to the Credit Department. All
the letters from the farmers came to my desk, I recorded promises or data of importance on their
record.. The face of the record indicated particulars of their notes and the back promises, etc.
By this time I had an advancement in the office. I applied all the cash to the accounts, adjusted
the amount owing figure, received and filed land and chattel mortgages and bill of sale. I felt I
had a most responsible position and I was getting $45.00 a month. Also I had earned the
reputation of being able to handle people and of being a good collector.
During the first World War, in the spring of 1918, I enlisted in the Air Force. I had attended
classes in 1917 to establish my educational standing They were in a quandary to know what
level of education I had. Mr. Bailey, principal of one of the schools in Edmonton evaluated me
after three or four evenings at night school. He advised me that I didn’t need to come back as
my education was sufficient for the Air Force. I enquired what level of education I would have
here in Canada. He responded that my education would equal the first year of university in
Canada. Mother and Dad felt pretty happy when I told them of Mr. Bailey’s evaluation.
I was sworn into the Air Force in at Calgary. Instead of sending me on to the border to the Air
Force Base, I was placed on the reserve. After some weeks in the reserve and not hearing
anything from them, I enlisted in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Some days later Major
Thompson of the R.F.C. phoned me to report to his office. He read the riot act about enlisting in
the Mounted Police. He really scared me about being a deserter. So much so that I appealed to
Bishop Gray, the Anglican Bishop, who straightened the matter out. He praised me, my
patriotism, my desire to help. Really I was just anxious to get overseas to see the world. I
thought I would look good back in Ireland in the R.F.C. uniform and the folks would be proud of
me. I was never called to the Air Force for training because they did not have enough air planes,
11
so I continued my work at Massey Harris.
One day my boss at Massey Harris asked me if I would like to take tomorrow off and haul into
Edmonton warehouse a mower and a rake and a1so bring in a grey gelding at the same time.
The company had bid in the contents of a chattel mortgage at a sheriff's sale. I was up bright and
early the next day and got a team and wagon at the livery barn and started out to the farm at
Villeneuve, about twenty-two miles from Edmonton. Once off the main road the side roads were
quite rough. I got to the farm just before noon. The farmer, a Frenchman from Quebec, was
quite hostile. He told me not to touch the machines. I told him I had to take them and the horse as
company property and that he could not stop me from taking them that if necessary I would go
back to St. Albert for a Mountie for police protection but that I was taking the goods and horse.
He was pretty sore, but I prevailed., and while he did not help me he did not hinder me. He did
not invite me into eat. His son rounded up the gelding which was an Indian cayuse called Indian
Queen. She was as pretty as a picture. I figured she would sell for just as much as the old gelding
so I tied the cayuse behind the mower which I was trailing behind the wagon. The noise
frightened her. She pulled back and broke the halter and took off. I gave the son a dollar to round
her up and keep her as I would be back the following Saturday. I f she got away from me on the
road I figured we would never find her and if she got into a bunch of Indian ponies we could
never round her up. My return trip to Edmonton was uneventful.
The following Saturday I rented a saddle and bridle from the livery barn and boarded the train
for Villeneuve. The conductor sure was sure that they had the saddle in the day coach. He said to
get the dirty stinking thing out of there, but as Villeneuve was the next stop I got off the train. I
walked for about two miles, carrying the saddle and bridle. I was sure glad to reach the farm and
unload. T he people were fine. They rounded up the horse and helped le saddle and adjust the
stirrups, so off I went. It had started to snow, the snow piling up on the fence posts. Indian
Queen was nervous. She wheeled around and bucked a little, so I thought if I should. get thrown
I would be out a saddle and bridle and the horse, so I used discretion and got out of the saddle
and walked, leading her into Edmonton. The people smiled to see me walking instead of riding.
What a time I had as the street cars .passed. The pavement was icy, she had no shoes, was not
shod, after a couple or spills and as the cars ignored her she quieted down. It was with relief that
I got her to the barn. I left the farm about noon, walked most of the way back to Edmonton. I
had had no lunch or no supper, the waffle shop was open. I had four waffles and I can't say I
have enjoyed waffles much since that time. I was told later that our collector had gone to the
farm to take in the goods and that the farmer ordered him off the farm. The company did not
want too much publicity as it was not good for business so the boss took the chance that I might
be able to get the machines. I had an inward feeling of satisfaction when this information was
passed on to me. About ten days later the boss told me that Indian Queen was eating her head
off, costing about a dollar a day to feed her. He asked me if I thought I could find a sale for her.
I asked, "How much do you want?" He said, "She should be worth $90." I said, “Yes, she is a
fine animal, but not broke and scared of streetcars, autos, and fence-posts with snow on
them.”So” he said “what could I get?” I told him $60, so he said to let her go for $60. 1 told
him I would sign a note payable at 8%. He gave me a funny. look. I had bought a pretty piece
of horse flesh, yes, as pretty as a picture.
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I joined the Edmonton Riding Club. Indian Queen was one of the fastest horses, easy to ride; she
loved to lope instead of trot. We won some prizes at the Edmonton Horse Show. When I
showed. the prizes to my wife in later years, she was surprised to know that I could ride. We had
three horses and a colt by this time. Indian Queen's colt was purchased by a chap as a Shetland
Pony. I don't know who the father was.
I had a nice collection business built up, a nice monthly income from collection commission,
about $65.00 to $85.00 a month plus my salary of $45.0 a month. Mr. Baker, the Branch
Manager, told my boss that he was spoiling a good young chap by giving him too much money.
Me! I was working for Massey Harris from 8:00 in the morning until sometimes 11:30 at night. I
got tired of riding the street car and walking the two to three miles from the car to our home, so I
invested in a horse and buggy. Dick was somewhat aged. He was afraid of nothing, nice and
gentle for the family to drive. The buggy and the harness were fairly new. It was a nice outfit.
Hay was $60 a ton.
Business was still good. I was promoted to the maturity ledger and had charge of all the notes,
the combination to the inner vault, the key to the safe within the inner vault. I was an important
chap in the office. I played a little tennis at the Anglican church in the summer, but my chief
enjoyment was attending the auction sales opposite the city hall. The veterans were returning
from the first World War. One day I made myself acquainted to a chap who was bidding on
horses. He told me he wanted some farm machinery and that he was buying through the Soldier's
Settlement Board. Up to this time farmers approached the dealers or the company. We did not go
out looking for business. The trick was to get a good man for dealer, one who the farmers liked
and had confidence in and who would give good parts service. A man who could make a binder
tie. After I had signed up about a half dozen returned soldiers for implements, my boss, Mr.
Typson, said to me one day to take Wednesday afternoons off and take in the auction sale. The
sale was held on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I had good luck the first Wednesday as I lined up
seven returned men for a full line of implements all through the Soldier's Settlement Board
which was cash to the company. Subsequently, much to my surprise and disgust, the company
asked one of the blockmen to work the returned men. The man selected was not a good mixer.
He was not a pusher. He was not getting enough business to pay his expenses, let alone his
salary, so the boss asked me if I would like to take the afternoon off.
It was a lovely Wednesday afternoon. The sun was shining, the air was balmy. One was grateful
to be alive and well. There was a good crowd at the auction sale. I saw our blockman sitting on a
fence. He had a poor afternoon. I had a good one. I did not know too much about farm machinery
but neither did the purchasers other than Massey Harris was a good company to deal with and
that their machines would stand up and do a good job. By this time I was getting $50.00 a month.
The collection commission was getting a little less as some of the accounts were paid out and not
much was coming in from the other branches where the dealers had located in Edmonton.
I was a good clerk, always had my books in balance, so much so that I was considered a good
office man. I enjoyed getting out, meeting and visiting with people. I have always liked people. I
was a good collector and had demonstrated I could get the customer's name on the order form.
13
I had advanced in the office to the position of senior clerk, being responsible for financial
statements, notes, chattel mortgages land mortgages, agreements for sale titles to land,
assignments, etc., and of course my accounts. I was now earning $65.00 a month plus collection
commission and picking up the odd $5.00 bill on horse deals, putting the sellers in touch with
buyers.
I had had my eye on a Ford automobile and to make a long story short I persuaded my parents to
let me trade our horse and buggy and the Indian Pony, Queenie, in on a Model T Ford Touring
car. My father had to sign the note as I was a minor.
I was getting pretty cocky. I wore my hat on an angle. I smoked the pipe and cigars. I felt I was a
good collector, also a good salesman. About this time in the summer of 1919 the company put
me out on the road as a collector. I was the youngest man on the road, the youngest collector. (20
years old). Looking back some of the older men must have felt it would do me a lot of good to
have a good licking or a set back.
The Ford Touring car was nice and black and shiny. It ran well once it was started, but it sure
was hard to start. I should mention that I had never driven a car, the Case dealer drove with me
around the block and away I went through Edmonton and home, up and down hills, through city
traffic, across the bridge. No, there was no such thing as a driver's license in 1918. There were
few cars on the road, in fact, no roads outside the cities.
Sunday morning I got up to find the car gone. My brother Stan got it started and away he went. I
thought he and the car would end up in the ravine at the foot of the hill. It was good to see him
return safely. By the way, gasoline was about 50 cents a gallon and oil 35 cents a quart. As the
weather got colder, the car was more difficult to start. The usual procedure was to pour boiling
water into the radiator, warm up the carburetor, jack up the rear wheel at the end of the axle and
crank and crank and crank and Lizzie would eventually start. I fixed my flats, greased the car,
cleaned the plugs and the Ford never was in a garage for repairs or service. We jacked it up and
left it in our garage from about Nov. 15 to April 15th. People did not run their cars in the winter
months, too much snow.
I had the first automobile in the Edmonton branch of the Massey Harris Company. As a result of
having the car the company made use of me and my car. There's quite a story to it. As a result of
having that car I had the pleasure, if you want to call it, of driving the expert, the company's one
and only service man, quite frequently. The company paid me 10 cents a mile but you know
most of the roads were just dirt roads. There were very few roads that had any gravel on them. I
drove hundreds of miles over rough muskeggy roads. The farmers or homesteaders would cut
down the trees and roll them across the musket in that way. The muskegs weren't extensive but
maybe twenty-five or forty yards. Two men had to travel together, because when the car had
crossed the logs, the men then had to take the logs traversed and move them to the front of the
car so that it could continue on the way. It was a slow and arduous type of journey. We didn't
travel very fast in those days because the roads were too rough. I got stuck hundreds of times
driving the expert out to farms to erect implements and machines and of course I helped him. In
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this way I got to know a little about the machines and how they were put together and how they
operated and became quite proficient in setting up machines. I got to know how to erect a binder,
the most complicated machine, the square, the line, the rib, and to make minor adjustments.
I enjoyed working for the Massey Harris Company. I was out for a little while when I was with
the Royal Flying Corps during the war. I had enlisted in the R.F.C. in the spring of 1910. I
attended classes in 1917 to establish my educational standing. I was sworn in at Calgary and instead of on to the border to the Air Force base. I was placed on the reserve. Meanwhile I worked
hard for Massey Harris and tried to learn all I could about the business with the result that I was
transferred to the Saskatoon Branch in 1919 when the war was over. I had received my
discharge from the Royal Flying Corps.
In the spring of 1920 I was promoted to collector. I spent most of my time on the territory calling
on farmers and ranchers to collect for their machines, as most notes came due the first of
October. The company would write the customers to meet me at a certain town on a certain day.
The farmers would start dropping in about 10 a.m. until 4to 4:30 p.m as they had to get back to
the farm to do the chores. Some days I would interview up to 30 customers. The more interviews
during the day, the more work at night completing mortgages, writing reports, etc. I sure did
work hard and long hours for $65.00 a month. I was proud of my job and the progress I was
making.
Saskatoon Years
1919 - 1925
I was transferred to Saskatoon in the summer of 1919 when I was 20 years old. I used to think in
those days, it would be nice if I had a few grey hairs because then the collectors whom I was
directing might treat me with a little more dignity. At Saskatoon I had charge of northern
Saskatchewan from Lloyd to Watson, all north of the main line or the main line of the Great
Northern Railway, now the CNR. I have always felt with regret that the C.P.R got into northern
Saskatchewan as the Canadian Northern developed northern Saskatchewan. In northern
Saskatchewan the homesteaders were still broadcasting by hand. They had a big apron and grain
seeds in the apron and they were still using oxen and horses. And would you believe that the
Dukobor women, about thirty women, would be pulling the plow! Farmers in the south of
Alberta and Saskatchewan were starting to use tractor's. Steam engines were used for threshing,
but they were not practical for hand operations.
Now you may not believe it, but a fellow would come from the homestead, and he’d go to the
Massey Harris dealer and say, “I need a plough”. He and the dealer would talk things over, and
the dealer would help him load a plow onto his wagon and he’d take it home. He didn’t pay any
cash at all. All he did was give the dealer the number of his land and what livestock he had and
his post office address, and sign maybe two notes for the plough. In the fall, the company would
have collectors go out and call on these people to collect the note. In the fall I’d probably have
eighteen to twenty people I was directing. The farmers paid interest, before June it was eight
15
percent, and after June it was ten per cent because they could go to a bank and borrow money at
nine per cent. The President of Massey Harris made the statement that the company would just
as soon have farmers’ notes as have cash in the bank. Well they received more interest on
farmers’ notes that they did the cash in the bank So, you see, they could save a little money by
going to the bank, but not too many of them did.
It was a very small percentage of the accounts that were uncollectible right up until the thirties.
But when we were in the thirties, it was an entirely different matter, different circumstances. But
99% of the people we did business were honest people. They came out here, it was a new way
of life and they wanted to pay their way as they went. They appreciated getting the machines
and they wanted to pay for them. Well, as the President of the Company said, they’d sooner
have farmers’ notes than money in the bank.
During the winter of 1919 and 1920 it began snowing about October 8th and snow stayed on the
ground until May. Many large sheep men and cattle ranchers went broke. Cattle dropped from
about $150 to $15 a head. Farmers and ranchers bought feed at $60 to $75 a ton. They dug
bundles out of the snow at 35 cents a bundle. I spent most of the winter on the road — a long,
cold, hard winter. The country was scattered with carcasses of cattle and sheep. Customers
could not buy. My job was to get security.
In the summer 1920 the Edmonton Board of Trade rented a special train to take business men to
Nobleford to see the largest acreage of wheat on a single farm in the world, the farm of Mr. C. S.
Noble who threshed a splendid crop. He hauled the wheat to the elevators, and took an advance
to cover harvesting expenses. This was all he ever got for his crop as prices dropped and he was
in financial difficulties.
I was in Saskatoon until about 1925.
The Years in Calgary
1925 - 1941
I was transferred to Calgary as the Credit Manager from 1926 until 1941, all through the Great
Depression and beginning of World War II. At this time my Dad was working for Massey Harris
as Credit Manager in Edmonton, my sister, Charlotte, was working for the British American Oil
Company, and my brother, Stan, was working at a service station in Calgary. My Mother had
started a Dancing School in Edmonton, it was very successful and grew into quite a business.
My job as Credit Manager involved the passing on the credits, it was my responsibility to see
that for whatever credit we put out, we received the payments. Mr. Sockett, the General Credit
Manager from Toronto, told me, “Harold, we want to get our money, but I don’t ever want to
hear of you taking that last wagon-load of wheat or anything like that. The farmers are our only
customer. And we’ll work along with the farmer if he’ll work along with us.” And that’s the
way we worked.
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You know it was funny, when the Second World War was on, and there was rationing, the
people that we knew the best were the people that owed us accounts. We really got to know
those fellows, they were pretty good fellows; we struggled along with them. Many a one we
gave a machine to because we knew their needs. We knew more about them than we did about
the men that paid cash, which was only natural, you see. And whereas quite a few of those
fellows got machines simply because we knew their circumstances.
Often when I would go and call on a farmer, if he couldn’t pay, first of all we would take a
statement. And in those days the land wasn’t proved up, or if it was, they owed the mortgage
company. The mortgage company had first claim under their lease, you might say, the first
claim on their crop. And they owed for horses, and they owed for cattle, they owed for a
harness, and they owed the store maybe a thousand dollars. There were sometimes tremendous
store bills in those days. And I would go along there and talk to the fellow, and he would
say,”Well, I’ve got to have this binder.” And we would say, “Yes, we know you do. Now why
don’t you put your account in shape so that we can finance on it?” “Well” he says, “what does
that mean?” “We would like you to give us a mortgage on your horses.” I think it was five
horses that were exempt. We’d have to take a mortgage on all the horses, because we couldn’t
ever realize on this exemption. Or we’d take a mortgage on some sows, or we’d take a mortgage
on the grain. And with having this security the company was able to finance on their past due
paper. We’d take a new note through the next year, you see, so the company was able to finance
on their past due paper. It was very, very seldom that the company ever foreclosed on a
mortgage, for the simple reason they didn’t have to. The people paid. Another thing too, the
farmer was our only customer. By taking security, we stopped the other creditors. We stopped
the merchants in town, and people like that from stepping in, because we held the security, and
we went along with the farmer, and really when he gave us security what he didn’t realize was
that he was really helping himself. I guess in those days the other creditors weren’t too much
interested in getting security. Of course, when the bad years came along, everybody wanted
security, but there wasn’t too much security left to be obtained.
In Saskatoon I just did the collecting. In fact I did the collecting until I was transferred to
Calgary. There I was involved in passing the credits. It was also my responsibility to see
whatever credit we put out, we received money for the credit. By the way, I might add that my
Dad was Credit Manager at the Edmonton Branch for many years.
The Manager of the Calgary Districts, Mr. Brownlee told me that he would like me to be his
assistant. “Well,” says I, “that means transferring over to the sales department.” He said, “Yes,
you’ll do all right in sales.” And you know, it was interesting in sales because I was there when
they introduced the combines. My, I thought that was a complicated machine. And the next
thing was rubber tires on the tractors. And after that, during the depression there was what we
called the light weight combine that sold for about $1200. Mind you we had one of the large
combines then too, a sixteen foot self-propelled that sold for $3400. I would get in wrong with
the company and with the auditors for some of the deals I would make, But, you know, the
general sales manager, Mr. Bloom, would come to visit the district, he’d give me a pat on the
back and said that I used good judgement. But, I know I did, on a few cases, cause a little
17
embarrassment for our manager, who was a real good fellow.
I can remember during the depression, we used to go to the dairy and pick up skim milk - it was
free. Janet and I would then deliver it to some of the Church members homes - they were
grateful for it. We also picked quite a few of the young people for Primary, to get them to
Primary, because their parents just couldn’t afford the five cent street car fare. And in those
days, if you wanted a drink of buttermilk, you’d plunk down a nickel and they’d give you a
bottle of buttermilk - you could drink a whole quart if you wanted.. Talking about the dairy, this
was a farm that came into town and started a dairy business. But, you know, about every three
months he used to be fined because there was too much butterfat in his milk. He was giving too
good a quality. He didn’t have to advertise at all, that was the best advertising he could get.
The Massey Harris had a difficult time during the depression also. The Farmers’ Creditors
Arrangement Act came into force. That was legislation. My instructions from the Company
from Toronto were that we attend all these meetings. I attended most of the meetings myself.
The way the system worked was if a farmer were in difficulties and couldn’t pay, and couldn’t
see any way of getting out, he’d go to the official receiver who was Arthur Bowman, then at
Lethbridge for the south. Mr. Bowman would call the creditors together, and he would ask the
creditors to cut down and put this fellow on a basis that he could pay his debts. Mr. Bowman
and I became pretty good friends, because I guess he figured I was pretty reasonable. We
dropped an awful lot of interest, but hardly lost any of our principle. The company in those days
was rebating interest anyway. That was a gesture the company was making to all farmers, that
the interest was not accumulating. Then cases that were not settled by the official receiver went
to the Board of Review in Edmonton. Judge Mitchell heard most of the cases, he was our next
door neighbor when we lived in Edmonton and we were good friends. Judge Mitchell told me
one day that when he wanted to make a point he referred to me because he knew that there would
never be any hard feelings. Well, I think he was fair with me and I tried to be fair with him.
I remember one time a farmer from Blackie, in the courthouse in Edmonton, was telling the
Judge what a terrible company Massey Harris was. The farmer owed us for a combine. The
Judge said,”Well, I know Mr. Boucher, I’ve always thought the Massey Harris was a pretty fair
company to deal with. What have you got to back up your claim? Have you a letter or anything
like that?” And the farmer pulled out a letter. I thought what Harold McNeill, the former
general credit manager, told me in Saskatoon years ago, “Never write a letter that you wouldn’t
want produced in court.” And I wondered what on earth was in that letter. It was a pretty good
letter stating that he had not lived up to his promise and that we were expecting that he keep his
promise, and finished up by wishing him a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Judge
Mitchell said, “Well, I don’t see anything wrong with that company. The Massey Harris are not
too bad a company to deal with.”
When the administrators from the head office in Toronto would make visits to our branch in
Calgary we always invited them for dinner at our home. Janet was an excellent cook and the
children were expected to be on their best behavior at the dinner table. Often we talked for quite
some time at the dinner table, the children were expected to participate in these conversations.
18
We became good, life-long friends with many of these men. Also, Banff was just a few hours
drive, a lovely drive through the mountains. There was an excellent golf course there. I would
take these Toronto visitors to Banff for two days of golfing, 36 holes each day. It was always a
great week-end. Janet knew it was a job responsibility and never complained about the extended
work week.
It was through my association with Massey Harris that I came in contact with the gospel of
Jesus Christ. I was in Saskatoon until about 1925 and then I was transferred to Calgary as the
project manager or credit manager. (26 years old) I was sorry my assignment was not to
Yorktown as Calgary was the graveyard for credit men, but by 1928 our accounts receivable
were in good shape with only $60,000 past due, out of a $5,500,000.00 debt posted when I first
arrived. I had considerable experience with the Mennonites and Dukabors but had no
experience with the Hutterites or the Mormons. I wondered what the Mormons were like. We got
a good volume of business at Sterling, Raymond, Magrath, Cardston, Glenwood and Hill Spring
from the Mormon country. I can remember my first visit to Mormon country.
I don't remember just what I expected but found such friendly communities. I had read the odd
Zane Gray book describing Mormons. My first visit to Raymond was in 1926. Bishop Evans
was our dealer at Raymond. He and I made many trips together and talked about the Church and
the Gospel. There was no hotel so I stayed in a Mormon home There was a good spirit there. It
was clean and tidy and there was love and harmony. I was agreeably surprised as I found people
most friendly and anxious to be helpful. They were a happy people and I noticed some
particularly charming young ladies. Everywhere a feeling of friendliness prevailed. They knew
one another and were most friendly and said “hello” and smiled. We called on several farmers
who were quite friendly and seemed to enjoy life. I met Eldon Tanner who was a young man
like myself on that trip and stayed with Merrills at Hill Spring. I always had a lot of respect for
the people of the Mormon Church. .
Yes, I married a Mormon girl, a Magrath girl, Janet Hamilton. Janet came to work for Massey
Harris. She had high standards and did not run with the usual crowd, if she had I would have lost
interest. It was in Calgary that Mom and I got married after working together for nearly three
years. Her Mother came up from Magrath to join us for our marriage. Later Janet and I went to
Edmonton so I could introduce her to my family and friends there. People didn’t travel much
during the depression. When we got married we talked about family and agreed that if there
were any children they would go to church with their mother until they were twelve. After that
they could decide and come with their Dad to the Anglican Church, if they so desired. Our
children Anne, David, and Lois were all born in Calgary. We've had a good life. The years have
been good and times have been good.
When we were first married we lived in a bungalow on the north hills. At this time, 1932, Anne
was born. With the depression, Dad lost his job at Massey Harris in Edmonton so he and my
Mother came to Calgary to live with us. We rented a large three story house, soon my brother
and sister joined us, then came my aunt, Aunt Beatrice, (Beattie),Uncle Herman Smith and their
daughter, Perrie. We had ten people around the dining room table for meals. Janet did quite a
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job keeping house for all those people as well as preparing meals. When David was born in
1935, our little family moved to a bungalow in Killarney, on the west hill. By this time my
brother, Stanley had married Violet Brown. My Dad had pernicious anemia and required
medicines as well as a special diet. Dad died shortly after we moved to Regina. Mother and my
sister, Charlotte, came to Regina to live with us there.
Janet assisted Sister Lucille Ursenbach in starting the first Primary in Calgary back in 1927
before the first chapel on the hill was built. My wife was active in the Church, Primary, and
Relief Society. There were few cars in the ward so I would take my wife to Primary and pick up
the youngsters on the way. I also was involved with the Relief Society. Primary was interesting,
also the M.I.A. Our youngsters were very active. I would go to Sunday School to listen to the 2
and ½ minute talks and to the Primary concerts. The missionaries were always welcome at our
home. Never once did I hear a criticism about the Church. It was all good.
I counted Bishop Fawns and Bishop Evans, Asael Palmer and Charles Ursenbach, President
Wood and President William Smith among my friends, also Pres. Burn and Eldon Tanner. I
occasionally went to Church with my family. Sunday was a good day to check reports and put
together odds and ends at the office. This became a habit. In 1941 I had been transferred to
Regina as manager for southern Saskatchewan.
MEMORIES OF DAD
CALGARY
We went to Waterton Lakes when I was three, and I remember standing beside the Lake with
Dad, watching the waves and feeling so happy. I turned to Dad and told him that I loved him
more than all the drops of water in the lake and all the grains of sands beside the lake. This
became a mantra in our family. I didn’t realize until years later how much Dad treasured my
three year old sentiment, which lasted all my life. Anne
When I was about 4 Dad and I were shopping at the Hudson’s Bay store. There was a big
display of very colorful Mickey Mouse banks. I wanted one so badly. Dad carefully explained
that 35 cents was a lot of money for a bank. He could make me a bank from an old glass jar, I
could see my money increase, and we could start with the 35 cents not spent for the bank. He
did NOT convince me, but wanting to please my Dad I reluctantly agreed. I still love Mickey
Mouse anything - bought a Mickey Mouse T shirt when we were at Disney Land recently. Anne
Dad was surprised when vendors came into the office to sell soft drinks and some limited snacks
He figured out how much 35 cents, the cost of the drink, would add up to over the years. Then
he decided that was not the way he wanted to spend his money. He told me in later years, if you
take care of the nickels and dimes, the dollars will take care of themselves. Anne
Grandpa and Grandma Boucher lived with us for several years (also Uncle Stan, Aunt Charlotte,
20
Auntie Beattie, Uncle Herman and their daughter, Perrie) I loved Grandpa Boucher because he
loved me and spent lots of time with me. When I was two we would go for long walks down to
the Mountie Stables, go in and look at and talk to the horses, and visit with the Mounties. Then
we would take the streetcar back to the bottom of our hill and stop at “Jimmies”, a drug store that
had a soda fountain and candy counter. It was always a big decision of what to buy for my treat.
The all day suckers lasted two days but the ice cream was such a treat. Grandpa also sang me to
sleep almost every night. “Rock of Ages”, “Onward Christian Soldiers”, and many of Isaac
Watts hymns were our favorites. Dad joined us when he was home. Anne
It was a general spic and span day on Fridays, the day before Dad came home from his week on
the road. Mom always had the house looking wonderful. After I dusted the legs of the tables
and chairs, my assignment was to straighten the fringes of the carpets. On hands and knees, I
combed through the fringes with my little fingers. I loved being responsible for this final touch
and made them as perfect as possible. The challenge was to help my little brother step over the
fringes for the rest of the day - I even became bossy. On Saturdays after Dad was home and had
seen the house so spic and span, David would love to walk on the fringes and give me a smug
look in the process. Anne
Our home in Calgary in Killarney area of Calgary had a separate garage connected to the house
only by a wooden walkway. In the winter, when I was in bed at night before Dad came home, I
would try to stay awake to see him. I strained to listen to the creaking snow as he came down
the wooden walkway. Mom would always let me get up to talk to Dad for a few minutes. He
smelled so good from the cold and snow, and we had a special one- on- one visit - it was a
special time. From then on, the creaking snow has always held special memories. Snow only
creaks when it is very cold and there are inches of snow. Anne
Grandpa Boucher and Mom loved each other and had long, private discussions about the Gospel.
Grandpa listened and learned, but did not join the Church. One night about a year after he died
Grandpa came to visit Mom, he just stood at the bottom of her bed. Mom said, .”I know what
you want Grandpa, you know what I told you is true and you want to be baptized.” Grandpa
just nodded and left. Mom had his Temple work done that summer. Anne
Mom told me that in one of her talks with Grandpa, he was telling her what a fine man Dad was,
honest and honorable and kind in every way. He said that even his doting Mother could not
spoil him. Anne
Dad was not a willing gardener, he just didn’t have the time. He and Mom had planted gladiola
bulbs at our big family home in Calgary. Dad, Mom and I watched eagerly as they slowly grew.
One day the first bud poked its colorful head through. I waited anxiously until the heads of all
buds showed, then I picked all the gladiolas up by the roots, and proudly presented them to Dad
when he came. home. I was ‘lifted ‘ up the stairs, broken hearted. It was the first tome and the
last time Daddy spanked me! But all his glads, with soil still on their roots, must have been a
frustrating sight for him. Anne
21
During the Depression, Dad always went on collection trips with a trunk full of clothes friends
and neighbors brought to Dad to give to the farmers for their families. Dad would say that their
son was surely growing out of his winter jacket and that he has one that should just fit. Then
Dad would say that the money saved by not having to buy the jacket etc. could be applied to the
bill, keeping the payments current. The farmer then gave Dad vegetables, sacks of potatoes,
carrots, onions and ducks and chickens, pheasants, even deer and elk meat from animals he had
shot. Dad then distributed the food to the folks in the city who had donated the clothing. He was
a traveling peddler without exchanging money for the trades. Dad even brought back a variety of
pups and kittens. Mom loved dogs, but didn’t like cats. I remember that we had kittens only one
time and just overnight. But we usually had a dog for a pet. Anne
Dad always provided willing and generously for his parents and for his brother and his sister. He
never begrudged the money and Mother supported him fully in this. (It is to be noted that
neither brother or sister ever contributed to the welfare of their parents.) Hospital bills,
pharmacy bills, were food for special diets were bought without a resentful feeling. Anne
When I was about three and Dad traveled weekly in the summer and fall, he always brought
David and I ‘The Presents’. The morning, after he arrived late at night, when we were asleep, I
had a package of dolls’ clothes pins near my pillow and David had a small toy car. Years later in
talking with Mom, I marveled that Dad had time and memory to buy these small remembrances.
Smiling, Mom replied that she bought them in quantity, so there was always one on hand for Dad
to give us. For years Dad got all the hugs and kisses and credit. Anne
Uncle Jay took me aside to tell me a story about him traveling with Dad on one of Dad’s
collection trips in southern Alberta. Jay said,”all day I watched your Dad smoke his pipe, he had
tea with his lunch, and I, (Jay) was feeling pretty self righteous about my life. Then we checked
into the hotel and readied for bed. Your Dad very habitually knelt to say his prayers. I had
already hopped into bed, neglecting mine. I sheepishly arose to say my prayers. I learned a
great lesson that day.” Anne
One of those rare and fun times when Mom and Dad were both gardening, planting seeds,
(David, about 2 ½ years old , and I was 5) David and I were watering. David had the hose when
Dad asked him to turn the water off. Just at that moment, Dad bent over , David saw Dad’s seat
high in the air - he just couldn’t resist - David sprayed Dad’s seat full on with a full spray of cold
water from the hose. Dad was surprised speechless - he took the hose and retaliated. Now Dad
and David were both soaked. Mom and I looked on with horror! Mom got David into the
bathtub to get him warmed up and to stop his crying. But his lower lip stuck out - he wasn’t
finished yet. Dad went into the bathroom to apologize and make up with his son - only to get a
bathtub toy full of water thrown on him. Dad sputtered, then laughed. Then joined his
determined son and heir in the bathtub! Anne
When we lived on the west hill in the Killarney area, the neighbors gathered Christmas trees,
made a big stack of the old trees and had a huge bonfire. The neighborhood toasted
marshmallows and had hot chocolate in the cold, snowy, night. Dad and our next-door neighbor
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took charge so we stayed until the fire was completely out and it started to get freezing cold
without the fire. We looked forward to our after Christmas bonfire each year. Anne
The spring and summer before Lois was born,1939, David and I started out with earaches, then
progresses to a series of communicable diseases, chicken pox, scarlet fever, mumps, and
measles. We were quarantined all summer long. At that time the Health Department posted
bright colored signs at your door, we had red, blue, purple, orange, yellow and green signs all at
once. They forbid anyone but the Doctor from coming in or going out. Dad stayed with his
parents but visited us every day he was in town. He brought us ice cream cones and passed them
through a window to Mom who passed them on to David and me. There were no refrigerators as
we know them, just ice blocks in the top of a cabinet, so ice cream didn’t keep at all at home. Ice
cream cones were a real treat. Anne
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The Regina Years
1941 - 1945
I was sorry that I had been transferred to the Regina Branch, because there were other bases
where I thought I could serve the Company’s interests better. But the Regina years were good
years. In fact, I was very sorry to leave Regina. In Regina, my Mother came to live with us.
She had been living with us in Calgary but when my Dad passes away, Mother came down to
Regina, and my sister arranged a transfer with her company and came also. My parents were a
wonderful influence on our children. I think our children learned a lot from their Grandparents.
My Mother was with us from about 1933 until she passed away in 1946. She was a wonderful
Grandmother and a good Mother.
When I was transferred from Calgary to Regina I went down there as manager for southern
Saskatchewan. It was practically impossible to do business there, as they had dry years added to
that, depression years and it was pretty grim. The only instructions I received was to get paid for
what I sold. And they would like to see the Branch get out of the red because they had been
losing money there for several years. When I went down, my first trip was to Milestone, that
was 1941. Somehow or other, I felt impressed to wait until the dealer returned. He was out on
the territory somewhere. Driving down there, I could see those fine farms. Its true that the soil
had drifted right up to the tops of the fence posts, and the houses needed paint. It was quite
depressing. But the buildings they had had been good productive farms. So, Homer McManis I’ll never forget his name- returned back about nine o’clock and we sat there and chatted until
about two in the morning. He told me that all the country needed was rain. Rainy years are
going to come back. This country is going to be all right.
So when anyone wanted a machine I would say,”Well now, can you get a paper from the
municipality stating that they’ll give the Massey Harris preference out of the first grain for the
machine?” I made a lot of deals like that. The government of Saskatchewan owed the Company
about $60,000. That’s when I became acquainted with Gordon Taggart. Gordon and I became
good friends, and he told me, “Harold, keep them off my back, but drop around every three
months and we’ll give you a few dollars.” Well, a few dollars meant a few thousand dollars.
Later, when Gordon became Minister of Agriculture in Ottawa, in different ways he helped
things along. We were good friends.
Later when the President of the Company, Mr. Duncan came to visit and inspect he said, “Mr.
Boucher, that’s a terrible report we received fro the auditors,” and I sais, “Yes, Mr. Duncan, I
know it is, but they don’t sign the paycheck do they?” And, you know he gave me a kind of a
funny look and there was nothing more said about it. Then later, when the General Sales
Manager came along he said, “Harold, you sure handled the President well.” I said, “What do
you mean?” “Well, “ he said, ”they were really going to get after you.” “Now,” he said, ”there’s
just one thing I want to know, are you going to have it straightened out by the end of the year?”
“Yes,” says I, “it will be straightened out by the end of the year.” And by the end of the year
when branch managers went to Toronto for a conference, I had the largest volume of sales of any
of the branches, even the American ones. It was difficult to do business, but I was a new broom
who went to the conference. The other managers, they’d been through it all, and they had, more
24
or less thrown in the sponge. Then rationing of machines came along and rationing was based on
the previous year’s sales. As a result of that one good year our branch sure had a good
allotment. Oh, everything worked out really good - I sure got a bang out of that.
MEMORIES OF DAD
REGINA
I was eight when we moved to Regina, old enough to sit quietly in Church. Each Good Friday
Dad would take me to the Anglican Church for the special Good Friday services. It was a huge
cathedral, quite different from the little chapel in which we met. The organ and choir were
magnificent, but the Spirit was not the same as at our meetings. After the service, we go for
lunch, then a movie. I felt so grownup to be with my Dad on this special day. Anne
I remember him coming in through the front door from work. He carried a black leather “grip”, I
remember running to him and the faint smell of his pipe tobacco. In winter, I loved his
outdoorsy smell. I KNEW he was glad to be home, to be with all of us, to have me sit on his
knee. I loved it when we had Massey Harris company. Mom always made a special dinner and
it was such fun being at the table. One man did magic tricks with sugar cubes. The men liked
our family - even then, I knew we were a special family. Lois
Christmas morning we literally huddled around the radio to hear the King’s message. The
reception was often poor and we had to be very quiet and strain to hear. This was during the war
years. I knew we were proud to be Canadians and that Dad and Mom had great respect for the
King and Queen. Actually the first time I remember seeing Mom cry was at the Regina train
station as she said goodbye to one of her brothers going off to war. Five Hamilton brothers
fought overseas - they all returned! Lois
During the spring and summer David, Lois and I fed the ducks at the back of our yard, on the
Waskanna River. We were delighted when the ducklings hatched and spent hours watching
them. We loved our ducks. Dad had returned late one night, and left the dead ducks, from a
farmer, in the basement. The next morning early, Lois, about three, went downstairs to see what
Dad had brought home - she saw the dead ducks and was immediately saddened and angry.
Upstairs she stomped and in tears she demanded, indignantly, “Who deaded my ducks?” Anne
One late afternoon, Lois, about three, was all dresses up in her Sunday best, but climbing on the
fence in front of our home. A pilot from the Air Force Base was passing, he stopped to talk with
Lois and urged her to get down from the fence as she might tear her pretty dress. Mom heard the
voices and came out to investigate. She invited the pilot, who was from England, to join us for
dinner. He accepted, and that began a long friendship, not only with him but also with other
pilots from the base. We enjoyed having them for dinner, one was our next door neighbor from
Calgary. The base trained pilots from England and Canada in long range flights, making the
targets with the bombs, and take- offs and landings. There were greater expanses of land than
England afforded. Anne
25
The Regina winters were long, cold and fierce. Storm windows were put on in the fall and
removed late spring. We often awoke in the mornings with frost on the inside of two window
panes. One winter Mom shoveled two tons of coal into our furnace. Anne
During the war, gas rationing was on, but because Dad had a War Effort job, he had extra
coupons for gas. He used them very judiciously. If he drove us to town on Saturdays, we
always had to stop by Massey Harris and wait, and wait, until he cleared away some paper work.
We had the run of the building and played hide and seek in the parts department rows of
inventory. David, about 6 or 7, would like to get up on the tractors in the showroom on the
demonstration floor and play as if he were driving. One time some unwary salesman had
inadvertently left the keys in the tractor. Of course, David turned the keys on, the tractor started,
an alert man jumped on the tractor, turned it, off, just inches from the huge plate glass window
which was about 20 feet from the ground level. Mom just sat down and cried. I’m sure Dad
stressed again, “All keys must be on the board before you leave” Anne
When I was about 12, Teddy Oliver asked me to a Saturday matinee. I said , “Yes” then told
Mom what I had done. She wasn’t pleased I could tell, but nothing was said at the time.
Saturday afternoon came and the family was getting hats and coats on when Teddy came to the
door. “What show do you plan to go to?” asked Dad. “Why that’s the one we’re going to also.
Would you like a ride?” The street car was three blocks away and then a long ride into town. Of
course Teddy said that we’d love a ride. We all piled into the family car, parked the car, walked
to the movie and got inline, Teddy and I, followed by my Father, my Mother, my brother and
sister. We found our seats and just a row behind us sat my Mother, my Father, my brother and
my sister. After the movie Dad invited Teddy and I to join them for an ice cream sundae. We
did. Then we all piled into the car and drove home. We had a first date and Teddy told just part
of the story to the kids at school on Monday. Dad solved the problem without even stating that
there was a problem! Anne
Dad smoked a pipe and occasionally a cigar, we loved the woodsy odor of his tobacco. Mom
and Dad had an agreement that he would only smoke outside our home, in the backyard. I often
went out to visit with Dad while he smoked. Anne
When the family was driving to Magrath and it was late at night, one child was assigned to stay
awake to help Dad stay awake. It was a special honor to help keep Dad awake and a special
“alone” time with Dad. Confidences were exchanged and songs were sung. That’s when we
learned the Irish songs and heard his unique stories. Anne.
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The Toronto Years
1945 -1965
I was transferred to the Head Office in Toronto as General Parts Manager for the company world
wide. When we went there, the Company informed me that we would be there for two years.
However, instead of two years, we were there for twenty years. But in the first two years, we
figured if we were coming, we had to get around and see as much of the East as we could. We
were in the Sacred Grove in Palmyra when Elder Matthew Cowley spoke, and told us about his
experiences with the Maori people in New Zealand, about people being brought back from the
dead. You know I found that pretty hard to believe, but I believed every word that that man said,
although it came as quite a shock at that time. Then the meetings with Pres. McKay in the
Sacred Grove and shaking hands, it seemed to me he held my hand for about five minutes. That
was quite an experience.
I was not a member of the Church when we lived in Calgary, although our closest friends were
all members. I used to think and ask myself why we were moved to Regina and decided it was
because my wife was really needed in the small Branch in Regina. She was really needed there.
And then, we went to Toronto, and I asked myself why were moved to Toronto. Again, I think it
was because that she was really needed in Toronto.
Well, as you know, it was in Toronto that I was baptized, that was in 1950. You can keep on
taking for just so long. I could have helped the Branch President at Regina, Gordon Whyte, who
was a fine man. We curled together and became good friends. One Sunday in Toronto I went to
Sunday School and started thinking what the Church had done for me, and I had done nothing
for them. That Sunday I made a decision to give up my way of life and to be baptized..
We went to the Cardston Temple in 1950, and the family was sealed together.
There was a brother who came from India to Toronto, the speaker that night was talking about
the Masons. This man had joined the Church, but he had been quite a strong Mason. He and I
talked after the service and came to a better understanding, and things were smoothed over. The
Bishopric kept me in the Aaronic Priesthood in Toronto because I was quite a help there. When
anyone would say that smoking was a dirty habit, why I’d been through the mill, just as they
were experiencing. I was a Deacon and then through circumstances, I was ordained an Elder and
was sustained a member of the Branch Presidency. The Branch was really growing in those
days, in fact it has never looked back. Pres. Octave Ursenbach and his wife, Jessie, were the
Mission President, 1945 - 1948, we knew them in the west and were very good friends.
Lois, our youngest, was going to the hospital for a mastoid operation. I felt so sorry for that little
girl, because a mastoid operation is very, very painful. President and Sister Ursenbach brought
Elder Ezra Taft Benson and his wife to our home after a conference and the brethren
administered to Lois. She never did go to the hospital. The doctor found it difficult to
understand.
I had been attending sacrament meeting with my wife and children. ( My Mother, who lived with
27
us was bedridden and needed care throughout the day.) And I felt that I knew the gospel and
teachings of the Church. Things were going along fine with us. We had a happy home, there
was love and happiness there. My wife was awfully good to my parents, and our children were
developing nicely, and things were going well at the office. Of course, I always said my prayers
and asked Heavenly Father to bless me with wisdom and discernment and health and strength.
One happy thought I had throughout the years was that if anything happened to me the Church
would look after my family, that my children would get an education, even though I wasn’t a
member of the Church.
Well, this Sunday I drove up Ossington Avenue in front of the chapel, and I was waiting for my
family to come out of Sunday School, and the thought struck me that Heavenly Father had been
good to me, That I had so much to be grateful for, so much to be thankful for and what had I ever
done for Him? And, you know that started it. That thing stayed in my mind so much so that
when we were having our annual Christmas party, we had an open house the day after
Christmas, and invited all members of the ward along so that no one could say they’d never been
to our home, or that we were a clique or anything like that. Coming up from the games room,
after playing ping-pong with the Branch President Eldon Olson, I mentioned to Eldon that it was
about time that I should be baptized. I guess it gave him an awful shock! He told me that I’d
have to see the Mission President, Floyd Eyre. Well things developed, President Eyre came to
our home with five or six new missionaries. One was Elder Philip Redd, from Raymond. Pres.
Eyre had a lesson all prepared, demonstrating to the new Elders, and I answered all the
questions. Then he asked if I believed that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I replied that I
found that hard to believe. Then he asked if I thought Joseph Smith was a good teacher, and I
replied that he was a splendid teacher.
So with those experiences, Pres. Eyre was a little taken back. Then he asked when I was going
to quit smoking. He said, “You smoke, you take the odd drink. We have the Word of Wisdom.
When are you going to start keeping the Word of Wisdom?” I replied, “I’ll start and keep the
Word of Wisdom when I am baptized.” If that had been other mission presidents, I don’t think
they would have accepted that. I told him, “You know, when I am baptized, I have made a deal
with Heavenly Father, and I try to live up to my deals, and I know that I’ll receive the blessings.
And Eldon Olsen, the Branch President would say, “When are you going to quit smoking?
When are you going to quit smoking?” And I told Eldon, I said, “I’m going to quit the day I‘m
baptized.” He says, “You won’t be able to do it, you better start now.” I said, “I don’t feel I can
start now.” But the day I was baptized, I had a smoke, and I had a couple of cups of tea, but that
finished it. And my wife was very good, there was always chewing gum or candies in the house.
And my pipe stayed up in the top drawer in the bedroom and also my tobacco. Then one day, I
noticed the tobacco was gone, but it didn’t worry me in the least. But a couple of nights later, I
awoke and the bed was wet with perspiration and I had a high fever for a couple of days. I think
the nicotine was all burned out of my system. After that I didn’t have any desire to smoke again.
I dreamt that I was down at the Branch in Church and I was sitting puffing my pipe. No wonder
I was perspiring!
28
Later when I attended sales meetings and conferences, I passed up the liquor and men would
want to know why. I told them that we had a Word of Wisdom in our Church, and that I’d be
glad to have a glass of ginger ale. One time when I went to the bar and they didn’t have ginger
ale, the bartender said it was down at the other bar, so I went down. Three or four fellows
followed me down to the other bar and they took ginger ale instead of taking a drink. They had
no more desire to drink liquor than I did.
Well, when I had decisions to make, I would ask Heavenly Father to bless me with wisdom so
I’d use good judgement and make wise decisions. And you know, I found it was a job being in
charge of the parts division. Our orders would amount to millions of dollars. It wasn’t chicken
feed that we were dealing with. I remember the Company - I won’t mention names, but one of
the vice presidents, decided to knock off about three millions of dollars off our estimates. And
then the Korean War started. I’d been over in England and France on Company business. When
I arrived in London I received quite a letter stating that they were short of parts and all the rest of
it. So when I returned to Toronto, I took a letter to this man and I told him, “Now listen, I don’t
think it was fair for you to write me as you did. You are the one that reduced our estimates by
three million dollars. You’re the man that is going to have to accept the responsibility.” Well, it
worked out all right. The only thing was that there was another man in the department, and I
think he saw the chance of taking a poke at me, and that’s the way everything worked out all
right. Although they made arrangements for the factory to get busy and turn out a lot of parts we
needed.
There was another time too that I had a decision to make that was a real tough one, We had put
in the IBM system. We had the largest installation in Eastern Canada. And it wasn’t working
out. IBM’s top man came up from Endicott. I told him, “Now listen, if you people can’t do
what you stated you could do, you’re through, you’re out.” He replied, “You wouldn’t have the
nerve. Your President is the Director of our Company.” .And I told him, I said, “It’s pretty
simple. The Company is going to throw me out. But, before I go, you fellows are going to go.”
Well, after that we got down to where we got more out of the system than we were getting. But
still, at the very best, these computers were a very, very slow system. It takes time to get the
information out. Oh, my experiences with Massey were good. I had a good life.
On our vacations we visited some of the places of interest: the prophet's birthplace, Palmyra, the
Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, Brigham Young's home, the Martin Harris and Whitmer farms, an
early home of the prophet where a daughter died and was buried down in the valley of the
Susquehanna River (I believe close to where they received the priesthood), Winter Quarters,
"Come, come, Ye Saints", and the statue of a father and mother and baby put to rest, and on to
Salt Lake City.
One year we were going West for a holiday and to visit relatives in Magrath, Alberta, President
Davies asked me how we were going and I told him that we were going down to Kirtland and
from Kirtland to Salt Lake, then up to Alberta. He said , “Don’t go to Kirtland first. The people
there don’t treat the Mormon people too kindly. Well we bypassed Kirtland, but when I retired,
Mom and I went to Kirtland. It was raining when we arrived and we went to the Sidney Rigdon
home and asked the lady there if it would be possible for us to see through the Temple. She said
there was no one around and that she didn’t have a key. I asked if I could use her phone,
however my feet were a bit muddy and she said that she would phone someone. She returned
29
and said that there would be someone along in about twenty minutes. In about twenty minutes a
Brother Smith came along. He subsequently told us that he was a relative of the Prophet. And
that was one of the finest experiences we have ever had. When we were walking into the
Temple, we were taking off our shoes and he said, “No, you don’t have to.” Mom took off her
shoes anyway. And we stood there and saw where Christ appeared to the Prophet. And saw the
pews, box pews, and the seats, the bench seats. They would face one way for the Aaronic
Priesthood and they would face the opposite way for the Melchizedek Priesthood . That was a
wonderful experience. And you know they can talk about the Reformed Church, but there’s a lot
of good people in that church.
It was interesting to see the cut beams in the basement of the Kirtland Temple and also to see
how the heating was installed. I guess there was no heating in those days. But for some reason
or other there was enough space left between the ceiling of the cellar and the floor of the rooms
above for the heating to be installed. You would have thought it had been planned from the very
beginning. On another trip we had visited the birthplace of the Prophet
We had the pleasure of having Brother Charles Ursenbach with us on one of our visits to
Palmyra. We stopped overnight at the Prophet’s home and Charles slept in the Prophet’s
bedroom, I thought it was a wonderful experience for him, and I think it would have been a
wonderful experience for us too. We also visited the home of Brigham Young. It’s a wonderful
feeling to visit these homes. Mind you, there are plaques marking the birth place of these great
men. In Vermont, you can quite understand why the Smith family wanted to leave that hilly
farmland and move to Palmyra, which is still hilly, but not nearly as hilly as Vermont.
Our family has had wonderful experiences following the Mormon Trail. (in the 40's) I often
think of out there at Council Bluffs, at the Winter Quarters, the English Saints came over and
stood at the side of the hill, there with the wind blowing and the temperature below zero, left
comfortable homes and here they were at Winter Quarters. And I’ve often thought, “Well, I
wonder what they were thinking about.” But it’s wonderful to go to that graveyard and see the
names of those people who died there. And when you think about their posterity and what
they’ve done and what they accomplished, it’s simply wonderful. We enjoyed visiting at the
Winter Quarters, and then we went along to Nauvoo. That was most interesting.
On the way to Nauvoo we stopped at the jail where the Prophet was murdered. I believe we saw
it as it was at that time. I understand since that there’s a Visitors Center there now and that the
jail has been redone, clean and painted. But after we left there we went along the banks of the
Mississippi, at the cabins there we had Winken, Blinken and Nod. Our children will always
remember that. And then we arrived in Nauvoo, but going over to Nauvoo, Mom stated that she
would like to go to Chicago and meet Creed Haymond. Mom told us the story of Pres. Haymond
and the Olympics. And I said, “Well, we’re stuck for time and I don’t see how we can take
Chicago in on this trip.” So, we went along to Nauvoo, and as we arrived in Nauvoo, David
said, “Those are Mormon missionaries. There was quite a number of young men with their black
ties. I stopped the car and David got out and asked them if they were Mormon missionaries, they
said yes and they were holding a conference in the ball park, the baseball park, which was on the
30
site of the Temple. And much to Mom’s amazement and surprise, who was taking charge of the
conference but Creed Haymond.. We made ourselves known to President Haymond and he
invited us to the conference; it was a wonderful conference. The stands were filled and the press
was there. The conference was opened by singing “Come, Come Ye Saints” and I’ve never
heard anything sung the way they sang that day. The prayer was offered, then after an inspiring
talk, asked the missionaries how many of their forefathers had crossed the plains. And much to
our surprise, up went a lot of hands. The next question was - and I think these questions were for
the benefit of the press - how many were descendants of polygamist families, and even more
hands went up. Well, Mom had a nice visit with President Haymond, he’s kind of a special
person to her because at the World Olympics, he upheld the Word of Wisdom and was amply
rewarded.
We had a visit too with some of the members of the Reformed Church, it was rather a pleasant,
friendly visit. They explained their views and we explained ours, and I told them, “well, it
probably won’t be long until we’re all back in the fold again”. They agreed with us and I think it
will be our fold that they’ll be back in. When we travel west, we always like to pay a visit to the
graveyard at Winter Quarters. And as we were passing through one Sunday about 8:30 a.m., it
was raining. However we got out of the car and entered the gates. As we were going in there
was a couple coming out, a man and a woman. We asked if they were LDS, and the man replied,
“No , but if we don’t get back home, we soon will be.” We were interested and asked them why.
They told us that they were working for the State of California, Department of Education and
they were covering the Mormon Trail. They said that if they didn’t get off this trail pretty soon
that they were going to convert themselves. We had a nice little visit and they invited us to their
home in Los Angeles I might say that I’m happy that I’m a member of the Church. Looking
back, I could have helped out considerably, I think, if I had become a member of the Church
long before I did. But maybe it was just the way things were suppose to be, because when I was
on the outside looking in, I always had a good word for the Latter Day Saints and the Church.
And we had a great experience on our mission. I know that if we try to do the things that are
pleasing in the sight of our Heavenly Father that He will bless us and He will help us. And I
hope that my children and my children’s children will always call on Heavenly Father for help
and guidance knowing that if they try to do the things that are pleasing in His sight that He will
bless them and help them and sustain them.
One of the senior official came to my office one day and asked me what I was doing on a certain
evening. I told him as far as I knew it was free, and he says, “Will you keep it free?” And to our
surprise my wife and I were invited to the hotel (the Royal York Hotel) and it happened to be my
fortieth anniversary with the Massey Harris Company. And they made me a gift of a nice
billfold and they gave Mother a beautiful alligator purse. It was a good evening, and we talked
about old times. But you know, looking back, there’s practically none of those people around
today. Most of them were heavy smokers, an smoking certainly has taken its toll.
There was also a change in the Company, a big change. The President and several of the senior
men, most of the senior men were retired. And I happened to be one of the very few that were
kept on. And I sometimes think that maybe that was because I was keeping the Word of
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Wisdom, that I didn’t mix too freely with some of these other people. But, I’ve often wondered
why they left me and took the others, because, at the time I think it would have been all right to
have had the ‘golden handshake’ as they called it. But, no, I stayed on. Well, it was eight years
after that that I retired from the Company in 1964. There was a banquet, of course, and good
wishes from all concerned. They impressed me to take a guaranteed ten year pension, in other
words, if anything happened to me during the next ten years, my wife would receive the pension
for the ten year period. There was also a supplement in connection with the senior citizens
pension. They pay you part of that before it was due, because it was due in’70, and then they
reduced the age to 65. But, I told them no, that I would just take the regular pension, the full
pension, because I was thinking that, “Was, whenever I’m seventy-five, it’ll be too bad if I don’t
get my full pension. And all the years I’ve enjoyed good health, and I ‘m happy now that we
made the decision that we made and took our full pension.
When the 300th Stake of the Church was organized in Ontario, our Branch became a Ward, and I
was sustained as a member of the High Council. The next year, we went to London, Ontario to
meet with Elder Mark Peterson. Subsequently there was a conference, and we knew that the
wards were going to be rearranged. So coming down to London, I told Mom that I been a
member of the High Council, and maybe with the changes, I might be back in the Bishopric, that
I knew the people that were coming back into our ward and there weren’t too many that did. So
we went down to London and we were sitting in the conference when Brother Rosevere waved
his finger to me and said that Elder Harold B. Lee wanted to see me. So, I waited and then went
in to see Elder Lee. That was in 1961. And he said, “Well, Elder Boucher, we’re looking for a
Patriarch.” And you know, I could think of a whole lot of reasons why there were so many other
men that could be called. However, we knelt down and had a prayer, and subsequently, I was
ordained the first Patriarch of the Toronto Stake.
After the conference Elder Lee traveled to Toronto to confer with President Monson and take
care of some other Church business, we had the privilege of having Elder Lee, President Bill
Davies and his wife Olive, President Monson and his wife, Frances to our home for dinner. At
the beginning of the meal we all knelt and Elder Lee offered the blessing and the evening prayer.
That was a very special occasion for all of us. It was a distinct privilege to give Patriarchal
Blessings to those saints I had known and loved throughout the years and who had been unable
to travel west for their endowments.
MEMORIES OF DAD
TORONTO
He always expressed deep gratitude for his family and deep love and respect for his wife.
The first time that we went to the Sacred Grove with Dad and Mom (before he was a baptized
member of the Church), I remember that he hushed us up and told us that we were walking on
sacred ground. He also wanted to have a prayer to thank Heavenly Father for the life of the
Prophet and the restoration of the Gospel. It was in 1946, when we went down the east coast on a
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family trip. I was about 16, just finishing grade 9. Anne
I started to work at Woolworth’S on Friday nights and Saturdays and holidays the summer I
turned fifteen. I enjoyed it and also the spending money it gave me. I earned 35 cents an hour,
(and it wasn’t even the dark ages). The family was planning a trip down the eastern coast the
next summer. Dad made a deal with me, all the money that I saved for clothes shopping on the
trip in New York, he would match. He was astounded when I reported that I had saved $250.00
which he matched, I went into Macey’s with $500.00 to spend! I still remember the red jacket,
red plaid dress, the green corduroy dress, plaid skirts and blue sweater I chose. I also remember
the family waiting patiently at first, then patience growing thin - it takes a while to spend that
much money!
Anne
Grandma Boucher died in our home on Appleton Street in Toronto. She knew she was dying
and wanted Mom beside her all morning long. She never asked to phone her son, Stan, or her
daughter, Charlotte. Dad came home from work to be with her too. Anne
After Dad joined the Church, his sister never spoke to him again. We found out about her death
from s newspaper clipping a friend sent to Mom, about three months after the funeral. The
friend thought we knew and had been at the funeral and that we would like the announcement
from the Regina Paper. Anne
Each Labor Day Dad and I would drive to Dad’s office at Massey Harris, park the car, then walk
to the Toronto Baseball Field. We would watch the Toronto triple A team play, usually a double
header. In between games we would always have a Shopsys (Hebrew, Kosher) hot dog and a
Honey Dew orange drink. It was our time together and we always had a great time no matter
who won. David
In June of 1950 I was 15 years old. I had my Ontario Chauffeurs Drivers License, as one could
get their license at age 15. One evening the phone rang and Dad was talking to Uncle Jay, in
Magrath. I remember Dad saying, “I know David could do it, let me check with his Mother.”
He outcome was, I would take the train to Windsor, Ontario, pick up two brand new cars, a
Plymouth Savoy and the other car, a big Plymouth. I drove one and towed the other. I left
Windsor on July 4th and arrived in Magrath on July 7th. Uncle Jay was surprised that I made such
good time, and when I called him from Warner, an hour from Magrath, he told me to drive into
town the ‘ back way’ so people would not see me driving the cars into town. Today, I shake my
head thinking of a 15 year old kid driving one car and towing another for 1,600 miles crossing
Lake Superior on a ferry boat and driving highway number 2 across the Northern United States
as Canada’s main road was not tarred all the way. David
The summers of 1961 and 1962, Natalie, Shauna and I drove to Toronto in our Volkswagen. We
spent about three weeks with Mom and Dad and had a relaxing fun time. We slept in the back
sun porch and the deep freeze was located there. Mom had filled it with brownies, lemon
squares and many other wonderful things to eat. Dad would slip out to say good night to us and
33
he (this is totally true) and Natalie would visit and eat goodies. Dad loved to eat and loved
Mom’s cooking. David
Dad and I used to play ping pong in our game room in the basement. We would sometimes play
for a few nickels. One night I could not loose and after each game Dd would say, “One more
game for double or nothing”. Well, after a good hour I won $5.00 and Mother said when she
saw me flashing the $5.00, “Harold were you gambling?” Dad looked a little funny and Mom
said that has cost you the price of a new hat. “You do not teach David how to gamble.” Dad lost
twice on that one. David
I will always remember how much Dad loved Mother. Dad was a true gentleman and it showed
all the time. His little sermons, one liners, I have never forgotten. But the one I try to practice is
“It does not cost one penny to be kind to people.” Dad loved people and in turn people loved
him. David
I remember being so happy to see Dad when we moved to Toronto. He had been in Toronto for
some time (three months), when we were still in Regina. He proudly showed us around the
Royal York Hotel, which was our home for the first month in this big city, which even had
traffic lights! Lois
Dad wanted me to kiss Grandma Boucher when she was in her coffin. I was kind of afraid, but I
knew it meant a lot to Dad and so I did. I had scary dreams for a while after that. Lois
Dad loved our Rivercrest home and being home. He absolutely adored Mom. He supported her
in all her endeavours, whether it was doing Church work, taking a Shakespeare class or selling
freezers. He praised her homemaking skills and certainly enjoyed her cooking. Lois
Dad was slow to anger, but we knew “By the Lord Harry”, which was seldom spoken, meant
trouble. My most memorable “trouble” was when I came home from the Y one summer. Bob
was on his mission, and I was out later than Dad expected, with another Bob. When I came
home, Dad was distraught. He and Mom were in bed. I was in their room and Dad was very
upset. I was seriously concerned that he would have a stroke or something and said, “I think we
should have a prayer.” Dad was stunned momentarily, but we had a prayer - I think he offered it,
of course the mood changed, we talked, my apology for causing concern was accepted. We all
had a good night’s sleep. Dad often recalled this story with a twinkle in his eye. Lois
Dad was the Irish gentleman. He had a great sense of propriety. He always looked nice. His
casual dress meant no tie - still slacks, a proper shirt, and leather shoes. Did he even ever own a
pair of runners?
There was a standard of behavior expected at the table. For devilment, sometimes David and I
would try the situation, but we knew not to push too far. However, on occasion the gentleman
and propriety struggled. This was true of our Church friend and cleaning lady Rose Mount.
Rose cleaned on Fridays. She made one of Dad’s favorite desserts, rice pudding. Rose ate with
us. She would take her troublesome false teeth out and put them by her plate. Poor Dad!! The
34
first time he nearly died - one can imagine his personal flusterings at such a gross misdemeanor.
However, the gentleman always won out - or was it the rice pudding???
Lois
Dad as a very good dancer. I loved the Gold and Green Balls even as a very young child. I
loved to see Dad and Mom dance. It was delightfully embarrassing to dance with Dad when I
was eight or nineish. It was fun to dance with him as I grew older. It was heart-warming to see
Mom and Dad in our living room dancing to Lawrence Welk. Who would even consider parents
being romantic? Lois
There was a tear in his eye on another occasion. In August 1960, Toronto became the 300th stake
in the Church. It was a great day. Wonderful speakers. Wonderful spirit. At home that night,
while Dad was scooping out ice cream, Bob asked him for my hand in marriage. The next ice
cream scoop ended up on the kitchen floor! Dad said , “Yes” , I said , “Yes” the rest is history.
Lois
Dad, Mom and I went to Atlantic City as Anne was a delegate from the Y to the American Home
Economics National Convention. One day Mom was able to attend a session with Anne. They
were both delighted to share such an experience. Dad and I shopped for bathing suits and
towels, flip flops had not been invented yet. We were off to the Ocean. Dad cherished his
boyhood memories of the time at sea and was excited to show me the ocean! It was indeed an
awesome sight with miles of soft sand and then a gorgeous blue. I remember thinking: Dad
loves me (Mom, Anne and David) more than all the drops of water and all the grains of sand. I
was thrilled and amazed. As we neared the sand a young boy was hopping up and down because
his feet hurt. His Mom was struggling with a baby carriage. Our ever-gallant Father stopped to
help the distressed Mother. In seconds he told me to run to the edge of the water. The sand was
hot; it was in fact scorching! Poor Dad had huge burn blisters on the bottom of his feet - salt
water never felt so good. Lois
Dad was always a very cautious driver. It took great patience for him to teach us how to drive.
All the children were drivers before Mom took the wheel, by then there were driving schools and
Dad was delighted to be able to send her to one. However as we were growing up and going on
long trips we wished that Dad would drive a little faster. We would start counting out loud. Dad
could only take so much before he had to ask what we were counting, knowing it would be a
speed problem.. Depending on how slowly he was going, the answer might be the telephone
poles, or the fence posts, or if we thought it was entirely too slow, the blades of grass. It did not,
however, seem to make much difference in his speed. Anne
35
Our Mission
1965 - 1967
Massey Harris wanted me to stay on for a couple of years because my health was good, I had a
responsible position and I had lots of know-how. But we had a call from the Church to go on a
mission. In May 1965 Mom and I went over to England .for a couple of years. We lived at
Luton, 30 miles north of London. We enjoyed living in England and became familiar with most
of the places of historical interest. We had a wonderful times. We really enjoyed our mission.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. The more we become familiar with his
teachings and his way of life the greater our love becomes for Him.
We received the call to go on a mission shortly after our retirement and we were looking forward
to it, we were happy to receive the call. Although, when we received the call we were in
California visiting our families there, so we never did have a farewell in Toronto. We never did
receive our release, as we were visiting families upon our return. We had a wonderful
experience on our mission. Maybe I shouldn’t say this , but President Monson, now an Apostle,
was our mission President in Toronto and we were good friends. We thought an awful lot of him
and I think he felt much the same about us. At Bill Davies, the Stake President’s home, before
we were called on our mission, Pres. Monson asked Mom where she thought I’d like to go. And
she said, “Well, he’d like to go back to the old country, but you know, I shouldn’t tell you,
because the Church never sends you where you want to go anyway.” “No,” he says, “I want to
know where you would like to go.” And then he also stated that the climate over in the old
country was pretty hard on older people. Mom reminded him of Toronto winters and said could
it be much worse?
When we received our mission call, I was delighted because we were assigned to the Western
European Mission. I’d covered quite a bit of Western Europe, and I thought to myself, .”Well
I’m going to see more of Western Europe.” We went through the Mission Home and thoroughly
enjoyed it. Then we got on the plane and flew from Salt Lake City to New York. Then that
night, we flew to London. That was one of the shortest nights I ever lived through, because you
know, the time changes seven hours. When we arrived in London and disembarked from the
plane, Pres. Mark Peterson’s Assistant told us to go to a certain hotel and President Darling will
call and see you tomorrow. You have been assigned to the London Stake. And what a letdown,
from the Western European Mission to the London Stake.
I was happy about it, we registered at the hotel, then had a sleep, and that evening I took Mom to
St. Paul’s Cathedral I’d been there before and when I went I was amazed. It was dirty and the
curators were in torn smocks, the whole picture didn’t look good.. However, it was interesting
for Mom because she hadn’t been there before. But, you know, I was glad we went to St. Paul’s
because whenever we arrived at Luton, it didn’t look good either.
They were building a new chapel in Luton and it was in a good district. Right across the road
was one of those old English parks. It was really a lovely location. But, I’m sorry to tell you
that the old chapel was down in the poor district. And it was a poor building. It must have been
36
two or three hundred years old, we were certainly glad we were having a new chapel. We
eventually moved into the new chapel. The building superintendent, Brother Despain, who
finished the chapel was transferred. He left for home before we did. He came back to Luton and
stood at the rear of the chapel, there were great big tears that just came into his eyes. I think he
felt that he really made a contribution; he had made a wonderful contribution.
It’s funny how things work out. A couple of missionaries wanted to baptize a young man prior
to the official opening of the chapel. I wasn’t in favor of it at all. I was Bishop then, by the way.
But I didn’t feel that this man was ready to be baptized. The missionaries took it up with the
Mission President, President Peterson, who then took it up with the Stake President, President
Darling. President Darling told me to use my own judgement. I used my own judgement, and
against my better judgement, I agreed to the baptism. Now, I was right, because that brother
never did attend a priesthood meeting and as far as I know has never had the priesthood
conferred upon him. But you know, through him another family came into the Church, his next
door neighbor. That man later became the Bishop of the Ward. So God moves in mysterious
ways His wonders to perform.
Talking later to the Church representative in England, Elder Amsted, he told us that the Stake
Conference about a year ago that Luton was one of the strongest wards in the Church. When we
first went there, the Stake President informed us that Luton was the Sodom and Gomorrah of
England. Luton was a real manufacturing town, General Motors was there and ladies hats
were made there by many companies.
When we arrived in Luton, we found that they were in the process of erecting a new chapel. The
building superintendent had gone back home with a nervous breakdown. The brick work was
being pulled down because there had been such a poor job done. And the mission had taken part
of the Ward - about half of the members. There was one and six pence in the treasury, that’s
about eighteen cents. Things looked pretty dark. In fact, the Stake President told us not to
worry, that if worse came to worse, they would just board up the building and wait for better
days.
Well, we wondered what we could do to raise some money and it was decided that we should
hold a dinner at a pound a plate. Well, we sold twenty tickets to the London Stake, that was
twenty pounds. And the twenty pounds would pay for the turkeys and for the dessert and the
ham. So we went ahead with the dinner. The building supervisor was to get in touch with the
firms that were supplying the materials for the building. About two weeks before the dinner he
informed us that he had no success at all, that when the drivers came around, he couldn’t get
them to donate. Well, we told him that there was no intention to ask the drivers to donate, it was
to go to the head office of the firms. “Well” he says, “I can’t talk to those people.” So we went
to the head office of the firms. The first place we went to was the people that supplied the fuel to
heat the building. They asked us what kind of contribution we would like. And we told them,
“Well anything you can give will be appreciated” They said “How about twenty-five pounds?”
Well, that was quite a surprise to us. Everywhere we went, they made a contribution, and
everywhere we went there was a good feeling towards the Church and towards Mormon people.
37
We had a couple of lady missionaries there who were artists, they decorated the building, the
tables were set and the chapel looked just lovely. My good wife was in charge of the dinner and
things looked just lovely. When President Darling came and looked around, he found some
laurel leaves in the decorations, he made a laurel wreath headdress. Later on in the evening he
crowned my head, just like the Romans in the old days. The dinner was an outstanding success.
And you know, talk about the widow’s mite, but it was surprising how that money held out. We
finished the chapel We had the opening service.
Mom and I kept as many as three building missionaries at our home. And this is how it would
happen. There was a young chap from Germany and the Mission President phoned and asked if
we could use another man to work on the chapel. We said yes. We paid them ten shillings a
week for car fare and ten for spending money. The young man from Germany came along, and I
said,.”I’m acquainted with a Stake President and a Bishop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You
wouldn’t know them possibly, as they have the same name as yourself.” He replied that they
were his brothers. And his father was Patriarch over in Hamburg, I believe it was. He was
eventually hoping to get over to the States. It is remarkable that I thought that I should know the
two brothers and then have this fellow come along and stop in our home.
It was surprising how the money hung out. We finished the building and had the opening. Mom
and I left for our trip to Greece and the Holy Land, then we came back to visit Luton before
leaving England. I thought, at one time, it would really be nice if we could have a hundred
people at Sacrament Meeting. That night, no one knew we were coming, there were over a
hundred people at Sacrament Meeting. That really made us feel happy. We had extended our
mission and had stayed a full two years in Luton, England.
Besides our responsibilities in the Luton Ward, Mom was sustained as the London Stake Relief
Society President and I was sustained as the London Stake Patriarch and Mom was my scribe.
Those members desiring Patriarchal blessings usually came to our home. However for periods
of a week at a time we would go to the London Temple and live in one of the homes on the
grounds in order to give Patriarchal Blessings to Saints from Scandinavia countries who had
come to the Temple for their Endowments. I would give the blessings and Mom would
transcribe and type them ready for the recipients to take them home with them.
We felt very good about our mission, the Ward is growing and I want to tell you, my wife and
the Relief Society are entitled to an awful lot of credit. Napoleon said that an army traveled on
its stomach. But I want to tell you, the chocolates that the Relief Society taught the sisters to
make, the cookies, sweets and casseroles made a difference. The men would come home and
their wife would have something for them that was out of the ordinary, and they would ask,
“Where did you get this?” and his wife would say, “ Well, that’s Relief Society, that’s what we
learned at Relief Society.” There was one sister, her husband was a bus driver, and he wanted to
go to Australia. She wouldn’t go because she said, “We have no friends in Australia.” That was
before we arrived in Luton. Later she told him, “If you’re still thinking of going to Australia, I’ll
be happy to go if there’s a chapel there. I’ve got brothers and sisters all over the world. I don’t
mind going anywhere there’s a chapel.” And I thought that was a wonderful testimony.
38
We really enjoyed our mission and we enjoyed living in England and becoming familiar with
most of the places of historical interest. When we first arrived, President Peterson advised us to
take our P days and visit England. He told us the people there were very proud of their country
and would be very pleased if we were to get acquainted with it. We took his advice and found
the English Saints appreciated our interest in their country. Well our life has been good..
We had to ask President Peterson’s permission to book the trip to the Holy Land about four
months before our mission was completed. President Peterson told us by all means to book up
for the trip. In June 1966 we made a trip to the Islands of Greece. We traveled on a bus for 46
hours from London to southern England, Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, on the boat
for about fifteen days. We covered quite a few of the Greek Islands which was interesting.
And then of course we visited the Holy Land. Mom bathed her feet in the River Jordan, we
sailed on the Sea of Galilee and saw the Biblical historical sites in Jerusalem. We have stood on
Mars Hill where the Apostle Paul spoke to the Greek people, where he told them that he saw that
they had a statue to the "Unknown God", and that the "Unknown God" whom they ignorantly
worshiped was the God that he wanted to tell them about, his God. We visited the sleepy little
town of Corinth at the north end of the Corinth canal. We stood on the banks of the Jordan River;
and sailed the Sea of Galilee. We have been at Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle,
changing the water into wine. We visited a Jewish kibbutz. I found a new love and respect for
the Jews, for what they have accomplished and the high standards they endeavor to maintain.
I have a lot of respect for the Roman Catholics. We met many fine priests. They did keep their
form of Christianity alive during the dark ages. I believe that if they had received the priesthood
that they would have stayed close to the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We left the tour at Venice and then visited Florence, Rome, Geneva, Berne, and Paris. We got
back to Switzerland and we attended a meeting of the churches of the world at the United
Rations and heard Dr. Margaret Mead speak. At that meeting we were in the minority, that is the
whites were in the minority.
We visited the temple in Switzerland and we spend a week in Rome. We saw all the sights in
Rome and we spent a week in Paris. We had a real good time. Then after we made a trip up
through northern England and Scotland, the homeland of Mom's people. Then we made a trip
over to Ireland, touring all around Ireland. The Irish countryside was beautiful, the hawthorn and
fuschia hedges were magnificent, however I am glad my family emigrated to Canada. ly parents
undoubtedly missed the Irish way of life which was very different from life in Canada, but
Canada was good to them as it has been to me.
39
MEMORIES OF DAD
MISSION
I went to the Open House of the Toronto Temple. There I met the Temple Recorder, who as a
young man was a Church Building Missionary from Germany serving in Luton, England helping
to build the Luton Chapel. I was introduced to him as David Boucher from Sacramento, but who
grew up in Toronto. The Recorder said he stayed with a Bishop Boucher and his wife in Luton
when working on the Chapel. Would I be related to him? Yes, I said, he was my Father. David
While serving in Africa, Natalie and I met three senior married couples who had traveled to the
London Temple to get their Endowments, as it was then the closest temple to attend. They told
us that Dad had given their Patriarchal Blessings and how gracious and wonderful he and Mother
were. David .
In 2001, Natalie and I were serving our second mission in Africa. We met the new Mission
President to where we had served previously, the Kenya Nairobi Mission. While visiting, the
President asked did I know a Patriarch Harold Boucher who had served as a Bishop and a
Patriarch in England? I told him that he was my Father. President Botterel was so happy, he
said that Dad had given him his Patriarchal Blessing when he was a young man and that he had
never forgotten how kind Mom and Dad were to him. David
Dad told me, when they received their call to go to England, “ Well, I’ll tell you this, my days of
‘lugging’ pounds of chocolate for your Mom are over. I will not ‘lug’ pounds of chocolate
through the British subway system. It just isn’t dignified.” I have never reminded him of his
resolve, but he did ‘lug’ chocolates through the British subway system for Mom and for the
Church building funds, dignified or not. Anne
40
Vancouver Years
1967 - 1969
We came back home and when we arrived in New York we found that there was a railway strike.
We couldn’t get back to Canada. So we phoned the Mission Home and told them we could get
to New Westminster, British Columbia, which we did. We lived in Vancouver for a couple of
years.
It was great to live so close to Lois and Bob and their children. The children had grown in our
two years in England and we had fun getting to know them again, Going to sports events and
school functions and not been possible much previously. It was good to be with them. We
attended the same ward which was an added blessing. We have never had the opportunity of
living so close to our other children, so we really reassured the years in Vancouver. Shannon
was born while we were there - a wonderful blessing.
Many of our friends from Calgary and Regina had moved to Vancouver, so we did not feel like
strangers in a new city or ward. I was sustained as the Stake Patriarch and Mom was in the
Stake Relief Society Presidency so we were again busy and contributing in the Church.
Our first Christmas in Vancouver, the entire family came to Lois and Bob’s for Christmas,
David, Natalie and their four children, Anne and Chuck with their four descended on the
Rennies. I believe it was the first time all the cousins were together. We had a wonderful
Christmas. One evening Mom had an ‘adults only’ dinner at our apartment. Mom enjoyed
preparing the meal for all of us, we felt especially blessed to have us all together. Another day
all the cousins came to our apartment - it was very crowded, but a good time was had by all.
MEMORIES OF DAD
VANCOUVER
We had a wonderful time together when Mom and Dad lived in Vancouver. Dad wasn’t “handy”
but was always willing to do what he could to be helpful. Bob often recalled the time that Dad
asked him to fix a light switch in the hall closet on Rivercrest. Bob was doing the wiring and
asked Dad why it was a two person job? Dad’s response was “one person has to hold the
flashlight!” Looking back, it seems Dad held the flashlight for all of us over the years as he
showed his love and concern for us and led by example. Lois
For birthdays, Dad and Mom took the children to McDonald’s, which was a big deal as
McDonald’s was new to the North Shore. The children were told that they could eat as much as
they wanted. David ate and ate and when he was full, Dad suggested he order a chocolate
milkshake. David did. David threw up. Dad didn’t suggest overeating again! Lois
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Magrath Years
1969 - 1976
We were with Anne and Chuck and their family in Provo while we were attending General
Conference. Jay, my wife’s brother, phoned to tell us that Grandma Hamilton, Mom’s Mother,
was in the hospital and not expected to recover. We left Provo and drove to Magrath
immediately. When we arrived Grandma was sitting up in bed and doing well. After a couple of
weeks Mom asked me what I would do if anything happened to her. “Well, I think I’d just like
to live in Magrath.” “Oh”, she said, “you don’t mean it!.” “Yes, I really do” I said. So she
went to see her Mother in the hospital in Magrath and asked her Mother if she would like us to
come and live with her. Grandma broke down and cried and said, “That’s what I have been
praying for”. So here we are back in Magrath.
I might say that I give the training in the Church the credit for the way our family has
developed. David always felt that he would like to go on a mission. He always kept the Word of
Wisdom. And he had a successful mission in South Africa. He married Natalie Hunt, they have
five children. He is Bishop of his ward, the El Camino Ward in Sacramento and is also the vice
principal of his school and has his administrators credential. Anne is married to Chuck Cox he is
a professor at BYU and is in a Bishopric there. Anne teaches at Utah Valley Community
College and is Department Head.. They are active in the Church and have four children. Lois
married Bob Rennie, they both teach at Capilano College in Vancouver and Bob has just been
released from the Bishopric. They are both active in Church and have four children. Both of our
sons in law filled honorable missions. All of our grandchildren have strong healthy minds and
bodies; we feel that we have much for which to be thankful.
It was good to be back to the small town where we know lots of the people. Jay, Janet’s brother,
is like a brother to me. He and Vanessa welcomed us with open arms and hearts. We love and
respect each other. And Bob ant Pat live in Lethbridge with their five children. We really enjoy
our time with them. We have known Pat and her family since they were investigating the
Church about twenty years ago. We all visit back and forth almost weekly.
Right now I am actively engaged in working for the citizens of Magrath and the district. I as
appointed to the Library Board and subsequently was asked if I would be the chairman for the
Chamber of Commerce. This was back two years ago. Shortly after being voted in as chairman
of the Chamber of Commerce, we received a phone call from the Liberal organization in Taber,
they wanted to know if we would set up a meeting for the then Minister of Agriculture, Mr.
Olson, which we did. And they sent along some advertising, and not having a Liberal on the
executive board, I took the advertising out to Welling and Spring Coulee. I met two farmers who
told me that the Magrath Chamber of Commerce didn’t do much for them. And I naturally asked
them what they meant. And they replied that they had no trains here since the 18th of August.
The elevators are full and we can’t haul grain. So instead of getting in my car and driving back
to Magrath, I went down to Whiskey Gap where the railway is and the grain elevators also. I
was informed that the information I had received was correct. So I came back to Magrath and
discussed it with our executive board.
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When the Federal Minister of Agriculture spoke here, we presented him with a brief. We also
invited the Lethbridge Herald to our meeting. And after reading the contents of the brief to the
meeting, it was handed to Mr. Olson, and he stated that the Canadian Pacific Railway had no
right to deprive the people of their services, that if any farmer or produced suffered any damage
the railway was responsible. After the meeting two or three of the farmers said , “Well that’s
good election talk. That’s the last we’ll hear about it.” But do you know about seven or eight
days later, there comes a train. And there’s a bunch of empty grain cars. One of the elevator
men phoned me so I got in touch with the railway company and they informed me the cars were
going to Whiskey Gap, Jefferson and Wilford, and the trains have been running ever since.
Now, they don’t run every day and there’s no schedule. But they go up there and they pick up
the grain when it’s available. Now, the Canada Grains Council came up with the proposal to
abandon 5,528 miles of branch railway lines. And of course, the elevators in these railway lines
will go too. We’ve been holding meetings in southern Alberta, we’ve been in touch with the
Alberta Government, the Saskatchewan Government and the Manitoba Government and we’re
making real progress. We attended a meeting here last week, there was a representative from
Montreal, from Ottawa, from Winnipeg and of course from the various universities here. The
Uniform Canadian Transport Association representative attended, in all there were 120 people
there, so it was quite a large meeting. We posed the question, was the charter granted to the CPR
in1881 still a valid document? And the answer was “Yes”. So we feel that the railway has no
right to deprive us of these services, that these branch lines could stay. We also all opposed any
increase in the Crow’s Nest rate. And I think that public opinion, I’m not saying our Chamber of
Commerce, but we’re building public opinion, and I think that public opinion will endeavour us
to keep the railway lines and the elevators.
The CPR is a very wealthy company. They put up one million dollars back in 1881, and their
assets today are in excess of two thousand, one hundred million dollars. They’re a rich
corporation They received twenty-five million acres and all right and title and interest to that, I
mean mines and minerals. Since then they have received in subsided a hundred million dollars.
And they agreed to run an efficient railway in “perpetuity”. That’s one phrase, another phrase is
“for all time.” All we’re asking is that the CPR live up to their contract, and that the government
insist that they do. Public opinion is helping. We shook hands with a fellow from Montreal at
the meeting last week, and he said,”Oh, you’re the Magrath fellows.” I felt pretty good over
that, Montreal apparently knows what’s going on out here and they are taking heed of it. Well,
the problem is not completely solved at this time, but I feel public opinion and the “right” is on
our side and I’m sure a decision favoring the farmers will result.
While attending a meeting of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Saskatoon, the President of
the Massey Harris came over and spoke to me, and he said, “Well, Harold, what are you doing
here? You’re retired.” “Yes,” I said, “but I happen to be President of the Magrath Chamber of
Commerce, that’s why I’m here today.” We had a nice visit. Then later at lunch there were a
couple of vacant chairs beside me and this man came over and he said, “My name is Dalford,
Massey Ferguson.” And I said, “My name is Boucher, Massey Harris.” He was really surprised
that I was there.
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I enjoyed my years with Massey Harris. I started with Massey Harris in 1916 and I retired in
1964. I had 48 happy and enjoyable years with them and I've seen the whole transition from
sowing by hand and farming, with oxen and mules to farming with the combine, the mechanized
system of farming. I started in the horse and buggy days when many roads were just trails. We
were always welcome at the farm homes by the homesteaders as we were a source of news and
information. It was the Massey Harris who introduced the smaller powerful tractors and the light
weight combine. Every few years we had something new to offer the farmer, starting in my time
with a still box for the seed drill. It was Massey Harris that introduced fertilizer into western
Canada. During the years that I was with the company we had the binder, then improved binder,
and then we had the combine. Before the combine we had the headers, and then we had the
combine, and then the part-take-off combine. And now as you know we have the great big
self-propelled combines. With tillage machines we have the different advancements and in the
milking machines. We sold stoves and heaters and later on the deep freeze units, the freezers. We
had a good line, practically everything the farmer wanted in the way of producing or taking care
of his land.
Well, we’re enjoying life in Magrath. Mom and I feel that our efforts here can make a
difference. Mom is going to University to get her degree, something she has always wanted to
do and I’m happy that she has the opportunity and the determination to do it. I’m busy in
Church work as the Taylor Stake Patriarch and mom is teaching again in Relief Society and she
is on the Magrath Hospital Board. We’re enjoying being with family and having a place for our
children and grandchildren to visit. They all come at least once a year and we travel to visit in
their homes at least once a year. Life is good and we have been greatly blessed.
**I am thankful that on returning to Alberta the people sustained their Stake Presidency in
reactivating me as patriarch. I was thankful and appreciated the confidence they placed in me
while I may have been a stranger to many of them though, I had been around southern Alberta
for many of the past years. Also my uncle was in the general store business at Pincher Station
back in 1906 or previously.
It was good to associate with relatives and friends in the Magrath area, they welcomed us back
home as it were. Jay and Vanessa had always had a wonderful and close relationship with us, we
were glad to be in their company. Bob and Pat Hamilton lived just twenty-five miles away in
Lethbridge. They adopted us as second grandparents and kept us busy attending their children’s
activities which we enjoyed. They have a fine and growing family. Mom’s girlhood friend,
Lisador Harker, and her husband lived just down the block and they welcomed us back. We
enjoy living in Magrath. We also enjoy living with Grandma Hamilton, especially now that the
house is all fixed up. Mom has a wonderful touch in making a comfortable and beautiful home.
Grandma is very appreciative of everything that’s done for her.
We visit each of our children and their families each year and they visit us each year. At first we
drove the circuit but lately we’ve been taking the bus. It’s a long trip, but not too bad when it’s
broken into three parts, With a bus ride, you can still see the countryside, which we enjoy.
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We are both active in the Church and enjoy our membership in our Ward. Mom teaches in the
Relief Society and I occasionally teach the High Priest Group. I’m the Stake Patriarch and Mom
is my scribe.
I can tell you this, that life is good. We're certainly glad that we're members of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We're glad that we belong to the church. And we're glad that
we have a testimony that God lives, and that Jesus is the Christ.
You know God spoke to Joshua and he told Joshua that he wanted him to take over from Moses.
And you know Moses was a pretty big man and Moses was a smart man. God had talked to
Moses, and here was Joshua just a young man. And mind you there were over two million
Israelites to govern and God told Joshua not to be dismayed, not be afraid, and he would bless
him and he would help, him, and he would sustain him. And you know God will bless us and
help us and sustain us if we try to do the things which are pleasing in his sight. I know this to be
true. I know that God the Father and God the Son appeared and spoke to the prophet Joseph
Smith in the Sacred Grove.
We've been to the Sacred Grove and we've been to the Hill Cumorah where the church was first
organized. We've been to the prophet's birthplace and we've been to Winter Quarters and we've
covered the Mormon trail. You know the more time we spend on it the stronger our testimonies
become. I had a testimony long before I came into the church. I knew the gospel was true, that
God lived, that Jesus was the Christ and that the gospel had been restored in these the latter-days
through his prophet Joseph Smith. I knew this to be true.
MEMORIES OF DAD
MAGRATH
On a visit to Magrath, I was driving home from town with Dad. He waver to the first car
passing, then the second and the third. I questioned, “Dad do you know all those people?”
He replied, “No, but they know who I am, and I want them to know that I’m the friendly sort.”
Anne
After Dad and Mom moved back to Southern Alberta they drove to Edmonton to visit Dad’s
brother, Stanley and his wife Violet ( Aunt Vie), whom Dad and Mom had neither seen nor heard
from since Grandma’s funeral, in 1947. Their son, Wark, was living in Ottawa with his wife and
son, and was a medical doctor there. Good relationships, if distant, followed. Anne.
Dad and Mom always bought a family pass for the Magrath swimming pool each summer. The
families were encourages to visit at different times so the Grandparents could have some special
time with each family. The Grandchildren spent many happy hours at the pool, the water wasn’t
heated, but what fun we had! One summer when all families came at once, we had Christmas in
July and Santa Clause even came to visit. It took a while for some of the younger ones to decide
it was really Grandpa dressed up, but they were convinced the real Santa didn’t make special
summertime trips. It was sure fun for all - especially Grandpa! David
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Dad used to tease the Grandchildren about being nice to him, and if he could he would work
some situation into trying to make him sad - he would pretend to cry and the kids would come
and hug him, he would let his false teeth drop out, the kids would scream and run away. David
One summer, while visiting Magrath, Dad, Natalie and I drove to Cardston on some business
with Dad. While we were there, we visited Fern Smith a good friend, who made wonderful
chocolates. She took us downstairs to show Natalie her operation. She had a tray filled with
“fresh ones” and told us to have one. Then her phone rang and she excused herself. Dad took
another and now had two in his mouth. But Sister Smith did not go upstairs to talk on the phone,
it was just around the corner. When she returned, Dad could not speak as his mouth was full of
chocolates. . David
Dad and Mom were very aware of their older friends. Perhaps, because I was the oldest and
knew the older people better, every time I visited we would make what I called the Grand Tour.
Mom and Dad felt the responsibility of being kind to those friends. I was always taken to visit
Octave and Jesse Ursenbach, Fern Smith, Maydell and Asael Palmer, Byron and Irene Palmer as
well as all the relatives and the Hutterites. Anne
There was an incident in Cardston that we all laugh about. We feel sorry for the policeman, as
he didn’t realize that he was dealing with a man of principle. Well, the story: Dad and Mom
were going to the Temple and made a right hand turn as soon as they entered Cardston. They
attended the Temple, then went into town and made a U turn in the middle of town. Lights
flashing, a policeman stopped them to give them a ticket. Dad said there was no sign indicating
that a U turn was illegal. The policeman replied there was a sign, just down the block. Dad
replied that they hadn’t traveled that block, so they didn’t see the sign and there was no sign
posted on the block they did travel. Dad received the ticket. Because he was not a resident of
Cardston, he was required to go directly to the courthouse and pay the ticket. Dad went directly
to the courthouse, but refused to pay an unjust ticket. The clerk sent him to jail. After a short
while, Dad told the jailer that it was approaching dinner-time and he would appreciate steak and
potatoes for dinner. The jailer, thoroughly disgusted with the whole situation, told Dad to “Just
leave, right now.” That’s the story, TRUE, of my Father’s life as a criminal. Anne
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FAVORITE SAYINGS
Health to wear it
Strength to wear it out
Money to buy another when its worn out.
If you are ever in trouble or grief, be sure and come to your Dad
May the roads rise with you,
And the wind always be at your back;
And may the Lord hold,
You in the hollow of His hand,
And may you be along time in Heaven
Before the Devil knows you’re gone
Dad always prayed:
May we be kind to our fellow man,
and may he be kind to us.
May we have wisdom and discernment
in the decisions we will make this day.
It doesn’t cost a cent to be kind to others.
Never say “Whoa” in the middle of a mud hole.
Empty tins make the most noise.
There is no reward for fault finding.
If you take care of the dimes and quarters,
the dollars will take care of themselves.
Dad rarely was really angry but if we ever heard “By the Lord Harry” we knew hat we were in
trouble.
Dad often gave one minute sermons or advice. We always took these things to heart.
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48
SONGS DAD SANG WHEN DRIVING ON FAMILY TRIPS
It’s a Long Way to Tipperary
Written 1912
Up to mighty London came
An Irish lad one day,
All the streets were paved with gold,
So everyone was gay!
Singing songs of Piccadilly,
Strand and Leicester Square,
‘Til Paddy got excited and
He shouted to them there:
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly,
Farewell Leicester Square!
It’s a long long way to Tipperary,
But my heart’s right there.
Paddy wrote a letter
To his Irish Molly O’,
Saying, “Should you not receiving it,
Write and let me know!
If I make mistakes in “spelling”,
Molly dear”, said he,
“Remember it’s the pen, that’s bad,
Don’t lay the blame on me”.
Molly wrote a neat reply
To Irish Paddy O’,
Saying, “Mike Maloney wants
To marry me, and so
Leave the Strand and Piccadilly,
Or you’ll be to blame,
For love has fairly drove me silly,
Hoping you’re the same!”
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly,
Farewell Leicester Square!
It’s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart’s right there.
It’s a long way to Tipperary,
It’s a long way to go.
It’s a long way to Tipperary
To the sweetest girl I know!
Goodbye Piccadilly,
Farewell Leicester Square,
It’s a long, long way to Tipperary,
But my heart’s right there.
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The Rose of Tralee
Written 1845
The pale moon was rising above the green mountain;
the sun was declining beneath the blue sea
When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain
that stands in the beautiful vale of Tralee.
She was lovely and fair as the last rose of summer
yet ‘twas not her beauty alone that won me
Oh, no! Twas the truth in her eye ever dawning
that made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee.
The cool shades of evening their mantle spreading,
and Mary, all smiling, was listening to me,
The moon through the valley, her pale rays was shedding
when I won the heart of the Rose of Tralee.
Though lovely and fair as the rose of the summer,
yet “twas not her beauty alone that won me
Oh, no! ‘Twas the truth in her eye ever dawning
that made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee
Galway Bay
If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
Then maybe at the closing of the day,
You will sit and watch the moon rise over Cladagh
And see the sun go down on Galway Bay.
Just to hear again the ripple of the trout stream,
The women in the meadows making hay;
And to sit beside the turf fire in the cabin
And watch the barefoot gossoons at their play.
For the breezes blowing o’er the sea to Ireland,
Are perfumed by the heather as they blow;
And the women in the uplands diggin’ praties,
Speak a language that the strangers do not know.
For the strangers tried to come and teach us their ways,
They scorned us just for being what we are;
But they might as well go chasing after moonbeams
Or light a penny candle from a star.
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And if there is going to be a life hereafter,
And somehow I am sure there’s going to be:
I will ask my God to let me make my heaven
In that dear land across the Irish Sea.
If you ever go across the sea to Ireland,
Then maybe at the closing of your day,
You will sit and watch the moon rise over Cladagh
And see the sun go down on Galway Bay.
Ann Boleyn
In the Tower of London, large as life,
The ghost of Ann Boleyn walks, they declare.
Poor Ann Boleyn was once King Henry’s wife Until he made the Headsman bob her hair!
Ah yes! He did her wrong long years ago,
And she comes up at night to tell him so.
Chorus
With her head tucked underneath her arm
She walks the Bloody Tower!
With her head tucked underneath her arm
At the Midnight hour.
She comes to haunt King Henry, she means to give him “what for’,
Gad Zooks, she’s going to tell him off for having split her gore.
And just in case the Headsman wants to give her an encore
She has her head tucked underneath her arm!
Chorus
Along the draughty corridors for miles and miles she goes,
She often catches cold, poor thing, it’s cold there when it blows,
And its awfully awkward for the Queen to have to blow her nose
With her head tucked underneath her arm.
Chorus
Sometimes King Henry gives a spread
For all his pals and gals - a ghostly crew.
The headsman carves the joint and cuts the bread,
Then comes Ann Boleyn to ‘queer the do’;
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She holds her head up with a wild war whoop,
And King Henry cries ‘Don’t drop it in the soup!’
Chorus
The sentries think that it’s a football that she carries in,
And when they’ve had a few they shout ‘Is Ars’nal going to win?’
They think it’s Alec James, instead of poor old Ann Boleyn
With her head tucked underneath her arm!
Chorus
One night she caught King Henry, he was in the Canteen Bar.
Said he, ‘Are you Jane Seymour, Ann Boleyn or Cath’rine Parr?’
For how the sweet san fairy ann do I know who you are
With your head tucked underneath your arm.
Chorus
Arsenal is a top London Football club, and Alec James a famous, diminutive Arsenal player of
the 1930's
Dad sang this song, or parts of it, to me when I was very young, late at night when driving on
trips. Maybe I had nightmares, because I’m sure Mom asked him to stop singing it as it was
never sung as often as ‘Tipperary’. However, I’ve always remembered the chorus and the relish
with which Dad sang it!
When We Get Married
When we get married
We’ll have sausages for tea,
Sausages for tea, sausages for tea,
When we get marries
We’ll have sausages for tea,
Yes sir, yes sir, ee, ee, ee!
Give Yourself a Pat on the Back
Give yourself a pat on the back,
Pat on the back, pat on the back,
Say to yourself, in jolly good health,
I’ve had a good day today.
Yesterday was full of trouble and sorrow,
Nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow,
So give yourself a pat on the back
Pat on the back, pat on the back
Say to yourself, in jolly good health,
I’ve had a good day today.
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Report on Dad’s Funeral
Funeral for Harold Dunbar Boucher
Held at the Old Magrath Chapel
Conducting
Bishop Tyler Alston
Family Prayer
Chip Cox
Opening Hymn
O My Father
Cal Alston, Bing Beazer, Eldon Coleman and L.B. Tanner
Invocation
George Hamilton
Eulogy
David Boucher
Speaker
Pres. Bill Davies
Quartet
How Great Thou Art
Cal Alston, Bing Beazer, Eldon Coleman ans L.B. Tanner
Speaker
Charles Ursenbach
Benediction
Paul Rennie
Dedication of Grave
Robert Hamilton
There were two or three unusual but memorable occurrences at Dad’s funeral. We all missed
Uncle Jay and Aunt Vanessa very much. However, they were on their mission in the East and
their Mission President did not think it advisable for them to leave their mission.
Bill and Olive Davies came all the way from Toronto to be with us. Mom loved Olive as a
sister, they worked together in Relief Society for years. And Bill loved Dad into the Church. It
was a very enduring and loving relationship. When Bill was speaking he inadvertently called the
Hutterites in the congregation, Dukabors. Mom, David and I as well as many others corrected
him immediately.
There were many Hutterites attending the funeral. Dad admired and had respect for them and
they were aware of this. Many close friendships developed. The young men came down to the
house to see if they could help Dad with anything when they were in town, I think the cookies
helped too. The young women were always willing to help Mom around the yard and house.
They always washed the windows. When the families visited, we were always taken out to the
Hutterites to visit with them. Reverend Wurtz asked me, after the funeral, if it would be all right
for them to accompany us to the graveyard. Of course, I invited them to come with us. He then
replied that he just wanted to check to see if everything was done right. I wondered what that
meant, but I saw him inspecting the grave site, checking if the corners were all square and if the
head was facing east. It was thoughtful of him to show such concern, although it did cause me
some consternation for a few minutes.
Charles Ursenbach was a life long friend of Dad and Mom’s. He blessed Lois, David and I in
Calgary, and baptized me also. Lucille, his wife, and Mom started the first Primary in Calgary
and later worked together in Relief Society. Mom knew Sister Harvey, Lucille’s Mom, in
Lethbridge. I believe she was Stake Relief Society President and she set high standards for the
Relief Society activities which both Lucille and Mom carried on in their Relief Society Years.
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54
And now to our three children and their families of thirteen wonderful grandchildren! I
looked up “wonderful” in the dictionary just to see if the word really fit. It means “marvelous,
surprising, fine, excellent, astonishing.” All are applicable, but the really “wonderful” part of all
of us is that we may say “I am a child of God.” Because we are, we have wonderful potentials.
THE ROBERT R. RENNIE FAMILY
Bob and Lois were married in the Toronto Chapel
in the Salt Lake Temple
Birth Dates
May 2, 1938
September 9, 1939
December 13, 1961
November 9, 1964
July 11, 1967
June 28, 1969
Robert
Lois
Paul Robert
David Richard
Shannon
Maria
HOMES:
September 17, 1960
September 23, 1960
Provo, Vancouver, North Vancouver.
And now to Lois and Bob and their family! I regret I did not stress how important it was
for me to have a “Resume” of their activities. However, they too, have a record of
accomplishments that have thrilled us over the many years. Bob has almost been a member of
our family since he was eleven, because he was the only child in his family he liked coming to
our home on Sundays because there was never a dull moment. Besides our three, we usually had
missionaries or someone visiting Toronto with no commitments on Sundays. We liked Bob and
he liked us. We spent many happy times at the Rennie cottage on a lake about sixty miles north
of Toronto. Jerry had a boat and was patient with the young ones learning to water ski. Florence
worked with us on the Relief Society Stake Board all enjoyed the time spent at the cottage. We
went to Orillia for Church services.
Bob’s father was not a member of the Church. But Jerry was one of the best contributors
to the Ward budget and when Bob was called on his mission Jerry was ready and willing to
support him. I*m sorry we did not find the proper approach to help Jerry understand the Gospel.
He died two years ago last Christmas. Recently Florence sold her home in Surrey and bought an
apartment not far from the Rennie Jr. home.
Lois had many fine experiences at the Y too. When she left home she or maybe we had
decided she should follow in Anne*s footsteps end be a Home Economist, she registered in that
field but in her 2nd year the phone rang one night about midnight and Lois announced she was
going to change her major. Father had been asleep and wasn’t thinking straight yet when he
heard that announcement. For a minute he tried to convince her it was not good business to
change horses in a mudhole, or something to that effect. Lois was not in a mudhole,,but in a
muddle with sewing. She was sure and certain she would not continue a sewing course, let alone
every teach one.
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Dr. Blaine Porter was one of her professors, Lois admired him and had decided to get her
degree in (HDFR). We had no idea what that meant, but when she explained it was Human
Development and Family Relations father decided that sounded reasonable. She enjoyed the
new field and it has proved to just “fit” Lois. It seems she has always been in the right place at
the right time when the right job was just looking for her. She taught night school at Westminster
and North Shore Adult Education Programs where women were taking refresher courses to get
back into Nursery or Kindergarten work. She had her own kindergarten for a couple of years .
One day she told Bob she had been offered the job of setting up the Department in the new
Capilano College. Bob said, You mean you have been asked to go for an interview”. But no,
because of the recommendation she had been given by the V.C.C, Capilano wanted her. Lois had
three young children and wanted a baby that year, so she declined. She did have Maria a year
later and she wouldn*t trade Maria for all of the jobs in the city! However she has been teaching
part time at Capilano now for the pest three years. She is very happy with her job, and the
College is happy—so all is well. Bob and Lois enjoy working together at the same College,
which is not far from their home. Bob has more time for his painting which he enjoys. He is a
gifted artist.
If I may, I would like to include a letter which will be self explanatory from a school Lois and
one other girl from the “Y” were invited to attend. The letter is from The Merrill-Palmer School,
Detroit, Michigan, dated March 22, l960 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
Miss Lois Boucher was a student at the Merrill-Palmer School from January 4
through March 11, 1960. During this period I was her supervisor as she worked
with a group of* eight early-teenage girls for eight meetings, in one of Detroit*s
community centers. This leadership was part of her learning more about human
development and family life through the Merrill-Palmer laboratory program.
Miss Boucher was a mature, intelligent, imaginative student who easily related to
the club members and was soon looked upon by them as an ideal adult leader.
From the beginning she displayed excellent sensitivity to individual needs and
differences, and a desire to find means through which the members and group
could develop. These teenagers came from an economic, social, and cultural
background quite different from her own and, although she had convictions
concerning her own attitudes and beliefs, she was aware of her role to help them
develop without enforcing hers upon them. Her security was evidenced by the
democratic way in which she worked with the group end permitted honest
expression, and willingness to evaluate her ideas arid performance.
In group discussions with fellow-students, Miss Boucher*s contributions were
thoughtful and indicated growth during the quarter through her laboratory
experience, readings, classroom participation, and extra-curricular opportunities.
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It was a pleasure to have Miss Boucher as a student. I would not hesitate to
recommend her for any vocation she may choose. Her performance and progress
warranted an A.
Yours truly,
(Mrs.) Eleanor J. Henna
Group Work Supervisor.
57
58
THE HAROLD DAVID BOUCHER FAMILY
David and Natalie were married in the Los Angeles Temple June 6, 1959.
Birth Dates
September 14, 1935
March 27, 1936
December 23, 1960
August 10, 1963
December 5, 1964
August 12, 1968
December 6, 1972
Harold David .
Natalie Hunt.
Shauna
Denise
David Austin
Harold Andrew
Eric Hunt
HOMES:
Provo, South Africa, Rhodesia, Sacramento.
I do not have a “Resume1 for David but last year he was requested to fill papers
out nomination papers for “Outstanding Social Studies Teachers” and I have some testimonials
and his own letter from which I will take excerpts.
Robert R. Day, principal,
One of the best testimonials is the fact that each year we have quite a few students from former
years come back to visit him.
School secretary:
I see Mr. Boucher in his role as head teacher end as disciplinarian in our principal*s absence. His
approach to the children and the parents is always exceptional. In the past, my own sons were in
his history class, and from the standpoint of a parent I have experienced much from this excellent
teacher and this great person.
A fellow teacher:
Mr. Boucher is exceptionally wel1-liked by the intermediate students—a fact which attests that he
practices what he professes as to firmness, fairness, and honesty. The example he sets is
outstanding, and because of his attitude towards and treatment of his students they respect him and
the values which he teaches.
From David*s own letter:
I am an eighth grade instructor of United States History and Civics, in my sixteenth year of
teaching. I graduated from Brigham Young University in 1960 with a B.S. degree in Secondary
Education. In addition, I have done post graduate work at Sacramento State University, and the
University of California at Davis. In 1971 I received a Freedom Foundation Scholarship and spent
three weeks at Valley Forge attending the special classes there. This was a great experience. I have
also attended various workshops in history, environment, and government over the years.
Currently, I serve as a Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) and I
have served in this capacity for the past three years. As an organization, we have worked with the
children’s Receiving Home and many other community projects.
I went my students to be challenged. I want them to leave my room in June with a love for their
59
country and a knowledge of the events that has made America, America. I want to instruct by
example whenever possible. I want my students to know that I will respect them, but I expect them
to learn to respect themselves, and to work in my classes. I also believe a teacher needs to keep in
touch with the home, so I send out progress reports often enough to keep home, the students, and
myself in touch with what is happening. . . . I am a professional teacher, love my job, and really
enjoy working with the youth. I feel that if we treat our students with dignity and respect and show
them that we want them to achieve and that we are willing to work with them, we get the added
effort or the “second mile” from them.
It is surprising the number of things precious to me I found in my Riley*s tin toffee box.
Originally it held four pounds of toffee, but for nearly a half century it has been my treasure
box. I found in it a letter from David to his father dated February 28, 1962. He had phoned for
his father*s birthday but wrote a letter that day which I think tells many stories. It is a special
tribute to a worthy father from a worthy son. Here it is:
Dear Dad: Happy Birthday! I did not forget your birthday, and instead of sending a present Nan,
Shauna and I decided we would call you on the telephone. Besides the phone call, I knew you
would like a letter.
I am very very thankful to my Heavenly Father for giving me such a wonderful earthly
father to guide and direct my steps. I love you Dad and you know that. I pray that I might be as
good a Dad as you were to me. I ask Heavenly Father to bless me with the same virtues, and gifts
you have; and if I develop them, how happy I will be. In fact this raising a family bit is quite
difficult! I only hope when Shauna is 26 she can say “Daddy I love you dearly and am thankful
you were such a good father to me. When we are in groups, the family background is often
discussed. How thrilled I em to be able to say my parents have always been more than
parents—real close and wonderful friends. Many of the people I associate with are amazed that I
was allowed to go to Alberta in the summers by myself, that Dad would let a kid have his car and
credit card to use, and so many of the other things you did for me. I can honestly look back over a
wonderful childhood, and later years as well, to a wonderful father. I can*t remember the
spankings in Calgary, were they plural or singular? I can remember the one on Appleton Avenue,
why do I remember? Well, to be truthful, I remember it because I saw tears in your eyes and you
were so sorry for what you had done. The slap didn’t hurt, but seeing how sorry you were did.
I just wish I could give you a squeeze now and say ”Dad, forget it” and tell you how
wonderful you are to me. Remember those trips out West? I can remember when at night you’d
stop for coffee and you and I would slip quietly in a restaurant and get something to eat and drink
and then continue on the way. I remember the time I made you proud of me, when I cleaned
Grandpa*s wrenches that were for sale, and marked where they should go, and didn’t get the prices
all wrong. I can remember so many good times we have had, but am glad you have good health
and so I can look forward to the good times we will have together in the future. Remember the day
I hit that gal with a golf ball? Well I control the ball better now and we will have a game this year
when you come out.
Dad on your birthday, I hope you have a happy one, one filled with happy thoughts of a
good sixty-three years, and looking forward to at least twenty more. I*d love to have you here this
evening and take you to a Fish Place and watch you enjoy your fill. We have some nice plans for
you when you come here end know you will enjoy yourself. Nan and I also feel that you will want
to relax too, fight the traffic with the Cox’, and rest with the Bouchers.
Dad I*m very proud of your Church work, I*m planning on Salt Lake and General
Conference as I went to be there with you, even if I can*t sit with you. To think my Dad” a
60
Patriarch. I pray Dad that the channel between you and God will always be open and that words
will come easy to you. It*s wonderful to feel close to the Lord, isn*t it?
This is your note Dad, and I hope from it you can see that your only son loves you very
much and respects you above all other men. I hope I have a son. I will say I feel that with your
good influence I was a pretty good boy, and didn’t cause you and Mom too much worry outside of
school.
Happy Birthday Dad, and thanks again for being you and the best male friend I have ever
had. Thanks for the ping-pong games, playing snooker, baseball games, Labour Day at the
Exhibition, etc. Thanks for such wonderful memories.
Nan and Shauna send their best, but I wanted this just between us.
Lots and lots of love,
Harold David
61
62
THE CHARLES M. COX FAMILY
Chuck and Anne were married in the Sale Lake Temple November 25, 1959.
Birth Dates
May.8, 1931
September11, 1932
September21, 1960
January13, 1962
October13, 1965
April 28, 1968.
Chuck
Anne
Charles (Chip) Boucher
Richard (Rick) Harold
Janet Anne
Craig Robert
HOMES:
Provo, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, Boston, Sacramento, San Jose, Provo,
Seattle, Provo.
BS Degree, BYU, 1954
Graduate studies University of Utah, UCLA, Boston College,
Univ. Of Washington, BYU.
Provo - Orem, Utah. Professor, Utah Valley State College. Developed and taught in the
Education, Child and Family Studies Department for 24 years. Department Chair - 17
years. Department grew to be one of the largest in the College, awarding both
Elementary and Secondary degrees.
Seattle, Washington. Homemaking Teacher and Department Head, Morgan Jr. High
School, Shoreline District. Developed innovative 9th grade programs in Home Arts,
Child Care and Nursery School Training which were featured in full page write-ups in
Seattle*s two major daily newspapers. Cooperated with Western Washington State
College and University of Washington in Student Teacher Training Program.
Brookline, Massachusetts. Homemaking Teacher, Heath School. Taught grades 7 and
8, was involved in a pilot program teaching Health classes Kindergarten through grade 8.
Supervised the School Lunch Program serving 420 hot meals daily with 2 cooks and
three cooks helpers. Administered the Adult Evening School Program of 17 classes.
Cooperated with Boston University in Student Teacher Training Program
Ventura, California Junior College, Clothing Instructor.
Van Nuys, California, Homemaking teacher at Fulton Jr. High School, grades 7, 8 and 9.
Sponsored Girls Club and was on the Faculty Council.
West Los Angeles, Calif. Assistant Director, Brin’s Nursery School, summer 1955.
Provo, Utah Homemaking Teacher, Provo High School, FHA Sponsor.
Interior Decorator, Utah Valley Furniture Co.
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Toronto, Canada, Home Economist, RCA Estate Company, toured Ontario fairs giving
demonstrations and cooking at schools. Presented several cooking schools in Toronto, .
Sandy, Utah. Homemaking Teacher, Jordan High School, FHA advisor, Junior Class
advisor, 1954-55.
.
I taught for five years before I was married, then taught in Brookline to help with school
expenses when Chuck attended Harvard Business School in Boston. When he earned his
MBA and we moved to Sacramento, I stayed at home, had our three additional children,
and became a stay-at-home Mom for nine years. When Chuck began teaching at the Y,
we knew that he needed a PhD degree. He attended the University of Washington
Business School with a major in Finance in Seattle, and I went back to teaching. When
we returned to Provo and BYU, I was asked to develop and teach in the Family Life
Department at Utah Valley State College, I stayed teaching there until I retired in 1998.
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PHOTOGRAPHS
1.
Mom - Janet Leah Hamilton.
Dad - Harold Dunbar Boucher.
2.
Dad’s Parents - Eleanor Craig, Joseph Henry Boucher.
3.
Dad’s Grandparents - Charlotte Ross, Henry Boucher.
4.
Henry Boucher’s Family at his death - Florence, Margaret, Charlotte Ross, (Mother) Amy
Edwin, Charles, Frederick, Joseph Henry.
5.
Dad’s Family - Joseph Henry, (Dad) Charlotte, Harold, Eleanor Craig (Mother), Stanley.
6.
Dad’s Brother - Stanley, in dancing costume.
7.
Dad’s Sister - Charlotte, about 10.
8.
Dad - Harold Dunbar Boucher, about 12.
9.
Dad - Harold Dunbar Boucher, about 14.
10. Dad’s Grandmother - Charlotte Ross Boucher. Dad’s Parents in Calgary.
11. Ulster’s Solemn Oath and Covenant. Signed by Joseph Henry Boucher, 1912.
12. Dad, Harold Boucher, in Edmonton, about 1919.
13. Lois about 10.
Anne, 6 and David, 3.
14. Family in Regina - At Home 2836 Regina Avenue.
Standing Anne 9, David, 6, Lois 2
Seated, Anne, 12, David, 9, Lois, 6.
15. Family in Toronto - At Niagara Falls, At the Mission Home, 122 Lyndhurst Avenue
Anne, 13, David, 10, Lois, 6.
16. Dad, 1949, before he joined the Church.
17. Aunt Charlotte, Uncle Stan, Aunt Vie and Wark.
18. The Family - on a trip West when David was on his mission.
In Magrath - Dad and Mom with Grandpa Hamilton.
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PHOTOGRAPHS
19. Dad and Mom - At Home 97 Rivercrest Road, Toronto
The Family - At the Los Angeles Temple Grounds
20. Dad in Magrath. Dad and Mom just leaving the Ossington Chapel in Toronto.
21. Chapel - Luton, England Dad and Mom with the Evans at Trafalgar Square, London.
.
22. General Conference - Dad as Patriarch sitting with Priesthood Leaders.
23. The Robert Rennie Family - Paul, Lois. Bob, Shannon David and Maria..
24. The David Boucher Family - David Austin, David, Natalie, Eric, Shauna, Andrew, Denise.
25. The Charles Cox Family - Rick, Chuck, Chip, Janet, Anne, Craig and Blaze.
66