GENT (SHERMAN ) FARM 1 MILE SOUTH OF BIENFAIT
DATE PICTURE TAKEN ?
GENT (SHERMAN FARM) 1 MILE SOUTH OF BIENFAIT
PICTURE TAKEN NOV 1927
THE GENT FAMILY RENTED THIS FARM
FROM A DR. SHERMAN, WHO LIVED IN MINNEAPOLIS MINNESOTA,
THIS FARM IS MENTIONED IN FARLEY MOWAT'S BOOK
"BORN NAKED" PRINTED IN 1993, PAGE 98-101
BUILDINGS L/R- BARN, WINDMILL (WELL), PIG PEN, PIG STY, CHOP
HOUSE,
CHICKEN COOP (WITH 3 VENTS ON ROOF) (ONLY
BUILDING THAT REMAINS TODAY),
GARAGE (LEFT SIDE WAS,C OAL BINS, CENTER FOR CAR AND TRACTORS,
RIGHT SIDE WAS GRANARY, THEN A SMALL GRANARY,
THE OUTHOUSE WAS BEHIND THIS BUILDING,
(AS WE HAD NO RUNNING WATER, SEWER, OR ELECTRIC POWER.
)
AND THE FARM HOUSE ON THE RIGHT.
LATER ON GRANARIES STOOD ON LAND IN FOREGROUND
WE DID HAVE BATTERY POWER, WHICH WAS HOUSED IN
THE BASEMENT OF THE HOUSE, C/W GAS GENERATOR.
WATER CAME FROM THE WELL UNDER THE WINDMILL,
WE ALSO HAD A CISTERN IN THE BASEMENT OF THE HOUSE,
(THIS WAS USED FOR WASHING CLOTHES, BATHS, ETC.)
WE HAULED CREAM CANS FROM THE BIENFAIT TOWN WELL
FOR DRINKING WATER.
WATER FROM THE WELL WAS USED FOR THE ANIMALS ETC.
COAL FROM THE GARAGE WAS USED FOR COOKING
AND COAL IN THE BASEMENT WAS USED FOR HEATING.
THE WATER AND THE COAL WERE HAULED TO THE
FARM BY MY UNCLE FRANK OLSON, WHO LIVED IN BIENFAIT.
TELEPHONE CAME LATER ON AND IT WAS AN OLD MAGNETO
WALL PHONE, (2 SHORTS AND A LONG , CRANK TYPE)
I LIVED ON THIS FARM FROM NOV 1949 TILL JULY 1958.
MY MOTHER DOES NOT HAVE TOO MANY HAPPY MEMORIES
ON THIS FARM, AS IT WAS TOUGH BEING A HOUSEWIFE
WITH SUCH MEAGRE BELONGINGS.
MYSELF ON THE OTHER HAND, WISH I WAS STILL THERE.
NOT A CARE IN THE WORLD IN THOSE YEARS.
Many kids from Bienfait, would come out to play on the
farm.
THESE ARE THE ONLY 2 PICTURES KNOWN OF THE COMPLETE FARM
YARD
COURTESY OF MY COUSIN DONNA LYSENG (NEE GENT)
THEY WERE FOUND IN THE BELONGINGS OF MY AUNT WINNIE GENT
WHO JUST PASSED AWAY IN EDMONTON
MY BROTHER WAYNE PAINTED A PICTURE OF THE FARM
FROM MEMORY MANY YEARS AGO.
NO ACTUAL PHOTOS OF THE WHOLE FARM
WERE KNOWN TO EXIST UNTIL NOW.