A Book of Treasures

As I turned the page of the old book slowly the feeling that gripped me was amazing. “That was so long ago…” came to my lips.
The words read…
“Remember and bear in mind
that a faithful friend is
hard to find and when one you
find that is good and true
exchange not one of the old
for one of the new”

~ written by Susana Shilling

The date at the top was Jan the 3, 1916

It was 93 years and 53 days ago that my Great, Great Grandmother penned these words in my Grandma Emma Kirkpatrick’s old Autograph Book. Emma’s brother gave it to her at Christmas 1915. The book is just over 94 years old!

On the second page was another hand written note by Benjamin Franklin Kirkpatrick…“Remember me you may you must
As long as you can bite a crust
But when a crust you cannot bite
Forget me if you think it right
B. F. Kirkpatrick
Truax, Saskatchewan April th 21=1916”

My mom has shared this book with me over these past few days.

It all started in our senior’s group of Thursday afternoon, at “New Friends”. I asked if any of the seniors remembered the old autograph books that were used – and if they had ever had one. The entire group knew immediately what I was talking about. Everyone used to have an autograph book in which they collected the treasured words of their friends.

The autograph book that I am holding was given to my mom by her mom, Emma Kirkpatrick. As mom let me look at it I noticed something special, on each page my mom has attached sticky notes to let us know who these folk were. My mom is the only link we have left to these distant relatives and the slipping treasures of our family. At 88 her memories of these special people is as vibrant as if it was yesterday.

On the page where my Great Grandfather B.F. Kirkpatrick’s hand written note appears my mom attached a note… “Written by my Grandfather – died before I was born – September 8, 1918 a few years after my parents were married. My parents were married April 29, 1916" The Autograph was written just 8 days before their marriage.

That is something I didn’t know! I remember the stories about Charlie and Emma’s wedding(my grandparents). There was a short trip to a friend’s house and their honeymoon in that house.

I fear that there are tons to stories that are untold and will remain that way forever. And except for an old autograph book that is a family treasure now… it will slip away.

Fast forward to now…
My grandsons and granddaughter come over to be with grandpa. We talk about what they are doing now. I see them growing so fast. I hear what they are doing and hear of their latest computer games. We are in a buzz most of the time when we are together. But I never tell them the stories. The stories are going slowly into the “unimportant and too busy” zone.

But someday they may want to know…

How will I tell them of all the joy and the happiness of my life time? How will I convey the depth of the words that I have used? Will they catch the failures and see that I was so human and so weak at times? Will they be able to related with all that I have lived?

Oh – I hope so.

Benjamin Franklin Kirkpatrick was a young father when he dreamed of leaving his home area of the rich farm land in Iowa, USA. He walked into his banker one day and explained the possibilities that were before him in Canada. He could purchase rich farm land in a place called Saskatchewan, which was located just north of North Dakota… three states north of where he lived. The banker encouraged him by giving him a loan and a promise that if he needed more money he was simply to let that banker know.

B.F. Kirkpatrick loaded his family, his machinery and equipment that he needed to homestead in southern Saskatchewan and then traveled north by train.

What a colossal effort that must have taken. What a huge change that was for the family. From the rich and rolling country side of Iowa, completely surrounded by huge trees… to the super flat Saskatchewan prairie – with next to no trees… Can you imagine the transformation?

That is only one of the stories that captured my attention in recent years as I drove that one last time to Truax, Saskatchewan with my mom.

Back to the Autograph Book…
Christmas 1915
“There is a wish within my heart,
Though we today are far apart
It is the Prayer “From every care
God shelter Thee where Thou art.”
~ Your Father
Mom’s note with this page was special…
“My grandfather ~ August Christian Henry Schleede (age 64) ~ learned English speaking and writing after moving from Germany to America”

August Schleede was a head waiter in a very fancy restaurant in Hamburg Germany in the 1890s. It was a very good job and one that would keep his family well. For some reason they decided as a young family to move to the USA – southern Texas to be exact – prior to that first horrible war with Germany. The children couldn’t speak English either so get on their feet they all worked in the cotton fields – my Grandma Emma as well.

From there a few more moves took place including a few years in California where August owned a huge Peach Orchard. The harvest produced tons of Peaches that simply were thrown out. Everyone else’s orchards also produced tons of Peaches and there was no market for anything. A great idea/opportunity – but a very bad time – they lost everything. From California they went to Oregon and then to Saskatchewan.

What a heritage to have! What treasure to keep!
This small autograph book may be the right moment to capture the rest of the stories. It may well be a new book. Someone has to tell the story… Oh boy – where do I start?

Thinking of your family today… what is your story? Who will write it? Oh boy – where do you start?

~ Murray Lincoln ~