MAE Milne

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MAE (Irvine- Milne) LeanApril 1, 1923 – Sept. 14, 2014Cared for by her Scottish born parents, Bill and Maggie Milne, Mae arrived April 1, 1923. Older brothers, Archie and Norman, her sister Minnie and brother in law Mag Little, nearby bachelor uncles, Alex and Bill Sparks, better known to us as “Ec and Willie”, their sister, Jessie, and Grandma Sparks would soon shape Mom’s early and formative years. Mae spent her growing up years on the Milne farm near Isabella and Decker helping her parents with farm chores, tending to a large summer garden, carrying endless pails of water from the well to the house, bringing cows in from the pasture, looking after chickens, and the list goes on. Her gardening interests continued into married life as Mae continued to keep a large vegetable garden on our home farm. She particularly loved her flower gardens. Many vegetables and flower bouquets including sweet peas and glads were shared with family members and neighbors. As a little girl, Mae enjoyed animal life on the farm. Cats and farm dogs were her childhood companions. Mom would “nurse back to health” numerous little birds that would hit a window. More recently at PCH, a rescued cat, Honey, brought a smile to her face. Recent visits these past months from her grandchildren’s dogs were also much enjoyed. Soon, it would be time for Mae to attend Rothesay School, a one room school, and the hub of community life. There, she made many lifelong area friends and often entertained us with stories about her days growing up in a country school. One could be sure that her school mates would make the most of Mom’s April 1st birthday! For years, Mom and Dad continued to maintain their friendships with neighboring families often visiting back and forth with the Ashcroft and Irvine families for Sunday supper. Aside from the simple pleasures of farm life, Grandma Milne saw to it that Mae would have the opportunity to have some musical education. There was the promise of a piano, but only if she learned to play a set number hymns from the “old black hymn book” on a pump organ. Not an easy task for a little girl! It wasn’t long after that her dad traveled into Winnipeg and arranged for a piano to be shipped by train to Decker. Lessons and practice continued over many years, and Mae gradually became very skilled at both reading music and playing by ear. Her family’s love of Scottish music and dancing enhanced Mom’s range of musical abilities. No doubt, her keen interest in music would take her in many directions later in life! This would include teaching area children and adults both piano and organ, coaching and accompanying vocalists and choirs, and sharing her musical talents as a public school teacher. While Mae’s interest in music carried on as both her children, Alexis and Dennis, were encouraged to take music lessons. While daughter, Alexis would take part in many musical events including area festivals, her son, Dennis, played clarinet in Alex Whyte’s Rivers School Orchestra. Having to sing a duet or two with your sister or brother at a country school concert, admittedly…. neither of us kids were too thrilled! After attending Rothesay school, Mom went on to Decker to enter high school. She lived with her sister, Minnie, brother in law, Mag Little and their twin sons, Hector and Lloyd at the Little farm close to Decker. Her high school French studies and her keen interest in history were most helpful in her teaching years. To complete Grade 12, Mae moved to Minota and boarded with the Armitage family. She soon finished Normal School in Winnipeg and summer schools at Gimli. Her teaching career began at Kelloe (near Shoal Lake), then Gretna, and later Rapid City. Her years in Gretna were most memorable. While she taught in the public school, she immensely enjoyed all the wonderful musical activity that occurred in the Mennonite community. There, she made many lifelong friends. It was evident that Mae felt she needed to be closer to her elderly parents who remained on the farm. Getting a teaching position in Rapid City meant she could travel home by train to Decker. It was somewhat of a coincidence that mom boarded at our Auntie Bell’s home. Boarders soon became some of mom’s good friends. This included teaching friend, Marg Fallis. While Alex had courted a few lady friends, Dad was introduced to Mae at a Rapid City dance by family acquaintance, Marge Spearin. Like the Milnes, the Lean family greatly enjoyed their heritage which included “old fashioned” Scottish hospitality and a mutual enjoyment of “old time” music and dancing. Their afternoon wedding was arranged for July 10, 1948 at the home of Mag and Minnie Little’s lovely farm home followed by a honeymoon to Radium Hot Springs and Glacier National Park. Farm life at Blink Bonnie farm in the Moline district quickly resumed. Daughter, Alexis, arrived on their first wedding anniversary as well as son, Dennis, a year and a half later. Mae and Alex farmed for over 30 years, raising cattle, pigs and chickens while operating a grain farm. Throughout, our parents worked side by side whether it be pleasure or business. The change of farming seasons dictated their need to help each other. Mom was Dad’s navigator during times that we took family trips. Mae supported Alex in making farming decisions about renting and buying land, purchasing machinery and renovating our farm home. While Mom needed Dad’s assistance in springtime to prepare the ground for a large vegetable and flower for spring planting and summer watering, Mom was often recruited to help Dad move cattle, assist in moving equipment to various fields, give rides to the field, and drive the grain truck to and from the field to be loaded and unloaded during combining. Mae raised a good number of Leghorns in the spring and summer. A day was set aside for Dad to kill and pluck while Mom would dress the chickens for freezing. Her delicious canned chicken was a picnic hit on a hot days coupled with potato salad whenever there was a summer gathering. Many an afternoon lunch and tasty hot meal were prepared and delivered to the field. Nothing was more fun than helping Mom load up the car to drive to the field to have a visit with Dad and our neighbors who often worked together. Mae’s life centered around family. Immersed in rural life, she enjoyed her participation in the Women’s Co-op Guild and the United Church’s UCW group, both in Rivers and Trinity United (Brandon). Very fond of crocheting, knitting and sewing, Mae shared many of her projects. Mentioned at Alex’s memorial, there was considerable pride in our community that Moline was the first co-op to be established in Manitoba, both our parents enjoyed their long time affiliation with Co-op. Mom participated in the Co-op Guild for several years. Our folks particularly enjoyed the annual family camp gathering at what is now known as Camp Wannakumbac. Being a “co-op kid”, Alexis attended many summer camps at Clear Lake making many lifelong friends from all over Manitoba. Alex and Mae eventually built their retirement home in Brandon. Trinity United was their church of choice, and there they made many good friends and were soon involved in much of the same types of activities as they had been doing. They enjoyed keeping their travel trailer at Curran Park. In the late 80’s they purchased a cottage on the east side of Lake Minnedosa and looked forward to visiting each weekend with their family, their special friend, Elsie Jackson as well as other acquaintances. They enjoyed a number of trips to the southern states, Scotland and Hawaii. While it was difficult to get Dad to travel, he would remark after the fact, that he was that he was glad that they had had the opportunity. Their trip to Scotland to visit many family members and friends on both the Lean and Milne side was certainly a highlight in their years together.Words, alone, cannot speak of our parents’ devotion to family. Always overly caring and concerned about her family’s health, our wellbeing and our continuing education, Mae, “the teacher”, spent countless hours at the kitchen table helping her children master their times tables, long division as well as prepare for tests. On trips to Brandon, she borrowed numerous books from the children’s library. She helped both her children learn to drive around the farm. She was so very proud of her children, their spouses and her grandchildren’s accomplishments! As Alex and Mae made their move to personal care in Minnedosa more than 9 years ago, they continued to enjoy their photos taken of the family. Despite the challenges of growing old, our parents were able to continue to be together for 64 plus years. Our family could not have done this without the friendly, supportive and experienced staff at PCH these past several years. Family members cannot find enough words to thank everyone PCH including those who volunteered their time and talents to entertain and transport residents. There are not enough words to thank our Mom and Dad for all that they have done for our extended family. We are sure that Mom would soon be tinkling the ivories while Dad would be catching up on the farm papers. While your family can’t continue to be with you to turn on the TV, don’t forget to watch the Lawrence Welk Show on Sunday evenings! Safe journey, Mom, we miss you very much.Samuel Alexander LeanSept. 3, 1919- March 22, 2014A first generation Canadian and only child of Scottish immigrants, George and Grace Lean (nee Blake), Alex arrived on September 3, 1919. While Alex’s paternal grandparents and many aunts and uncles continued to live in Scotland, his mom’s parents, Alex and Grace Blake, came to Canada from Scotland soon after the turn of the century and farmed south of the Rapid City. As a child growing up, Alex did not take delight in being named Samuel, a long tradition granted to the eldest boy on the Lean side of the family! It would be 1912 when Alex’s dad came to Canada. George was single, in his early thirties, and eager for adventure. He followed his eldest brother, Sam Lean, who settled in the Fredericton area, as well as his younger brother, John (Uncle Jock) Lean. Aunts, uncles and cousins influenced our Dad’s early family life. Alex reminisced about spending time with his boy cousins, Jackie Blake and Mac and Bill Lean. He was quite sure that Granny Blake, liked the “boys” better than she liked the “girl” cousins. After all, he confessed, the boys could pretty much do whatever they wanted!Dad spent his early years growing up on what he referred to as the “Doc Young farm” south of Moline. Doc Young, veterinarian from Brandon, kept a farm in the country. Alex’s Dad, after arriving in Canada, joined his brother, Jock, who also worked there. Our grandmother, meanwhile, worked for the vet’s family in Brandon, and she would come out to the farm as housekeeper with the family in the summer time. Married in 1918, our grandparents made the home there. When Alex turned five, his parents purchased a half section west of Moline. Dad vividly recalled the family’s move to their new farm. This included a long, wagon ride with an unhappy cow tied to the wagon. Soon, it was time for Alex to attend Poplar Grove School, a typical one room school, west of the family farm. Not at all keen about having to start school, Alex recalled his first teacher, Mr. Peters, an older gentleman. Mr. Peters liked to have a snooze in the afternoon after the children came in after lunch. The success of children’s afternoon pranks depended on how alert their teacher was! Somewhat frustrated about working on correspondence courses, Dad left school at the end of Grade IX. Lifelong friendships were carved during his days at Poplar Grove to include family members from the Greer, Clack, and Milton families. Nearby, Zion Church was also a centre of family activity. Being a farm kid, Alex spent much of his time learning about rural life from his dad. As a little tyke, Dad can be seen in pictures tagging along to help with farm chores. Not only was our grandfather a farmer, he was a bee keeper. One afternoon upon returning from school, Alex could see that the barn had burnt down. Grandpa had been “smoking” the bee hive. Fluff from the trees ignited and so did the barn! Alex’s mom told us in later years that she ran out of the house to move a wagon away from the burning barn. Dad mentioned that the next day she could not budge the wagon! By 1934, a freight load of fresh lumber arrived by rail car from BC, and a new barn was soon raised in the farm yard bearing the Scottish name Blink Bonnie painted on the roof. Blink Bonnie is a Gaelic expression meaning “clear view”. Alex was soon introduced to the notion of “co-op”. A butcher by trade and involved in the co-operative movement in Scotland, his dad offered his butchering services to 12 families in the Moline area. On a weekly basis, one of twelve local area families would provide an animal for slaughter. The beef ring ensured that area families had fresh meat every week. Dad often mentioned how his dad loved his farm and farm life. Like so many others, Alex followed in his father’s footsteps. A young man, Alex attended the annual Seed Grower’s Conference in Winnipeg. He enjoyed curling with area neighbors at Moline and Cardale including the Murd Wiltsey rink. In his retirement years he made many new friends and acquaintances at the Brandon Curling Club. Upon his move to Minnedosa, Alex curled for a winter or so with his son in law, Mel, in the morning league. Staff at the Personal Care Home remarked that they could never remember any of their residents leaving PCH to go curling. This was a testament to the fact that at 87, Alex continued to be in good physical health. A hard working farmer until he retired, Dad’s workday never ended before early evening. By the time Alex turned twenty, numerous families were impacted by the advent of World War II. Considerably older than our grandmother, our grandfather’s personal health declined during the 1940’s until his passing in March of 1947. As there were no siblings, Alex was granted permission to remain home from military training in order to run the farm; however, he was expected to raise a large number of hogs, annually, as a wartime contribution. At that time, the barn was refitted for hog production. Alex was introduced to our Mom at a Rapid City dance by a family friend. Miss Mae Milne was a teacher at Rapid City school. City. Dad soon became acquainted with Mom’s family. Like the Leans, the Milne family greatly enjoyed their Scottish heritage which included good “old fashioned” hospitality and a mutual enjoyment of Scottish music as well as “old time” music and dancing. As were the times, Alex and his good friend, Deny Northcott, never missed an opportunity to enjoy an area dance. Dad would be busy hanging up Mom’s coat at the dance hall while Deny would have whirled Mom around the dance hall 3 times! Their afternoon wedding was followed by a honeymoon visit to meet the Alex Blake side of the family in BC including family at Buckhorn Ranch. With the arrival of their daughter, Alexis, the following summer and their son a year and a half after, Alex broke family tradition regarding the name Samuel. Together, our folks welcomed their 9 pound newborn son who was named Dennis Scott Lean. Alex lived on the family farm for close to 60 years raising cattle and pigs while operating a grain farm. His work days were long days. Coming in at noon for one of Mom’s many hundreds of roast beef dinners accompanied by fresh garden vegetables was always a treat. In good Scottish tradition, Dad’s sweet tooth was satisfied as Mom always had baking on hand. A couple of cups of steeped tea in hand, Dad would catch up on the farm news and weather report and get an update on the current livestock and grain prices on the CBC noon radio show from. He liked to keep informed and enjoyed reading a number of weekly farm papers that arrived in the mail. Many a lunch and tasty hot meal were prepared and delivered to the field from the kitchen. Nothing was more fun than helping Mom load up the car to drive to the field on warm days to have lunch or supper and a visit with Dad and his long time, friends and neighbors including Roy Greer. Dad served on the Manitoba Pool Elevator Board of Directors at Moline as well as local school board. While there was considerable pride in our community that Moline was the first co-op to be established in Manitoba, Alex was true supporter of the Co-op movement. As with our Mom, words, alone, cannot speak of Dad’s devotion to his family and his farm. As Alex and Mae made their move to personal care in Minnedosa, Dad continued to enjoy the aerial photo taken of the family farm in the 70’s. Dad was 94 years of age when he passed away March 22nd. Family are grateful for the care, compassion and sense of humour that both Alex and Mae received. Shared at Alex’s memorial, July 24th are kind words expressed by Dad’s long time, dear friend and farm neighbor, Roy Greer. Roy’s parents, Ollie and Jessie, farmed adjacent to our grandparents. While there was a ten year difference in age between them, age did not set Alex and Roy apart. “As a young boy the first person I can remember, other than family, was Alex, and we were neighbors for sixty years. I remember threshing, haying, seeding, picking stones and baling. We worked together all the time. Alex was a great neighbor. When you needed help, he was there. I often had trouble getting back to him as much as he helped me. In fact, after Alex and Mae moved to Brandon, I was in the hospital in harvest time. He made several trips out to the farm to swath. I knew he would not take any money, even for gas, so I got him a gift certificate from Co-op. He said nothing but came out one day when I happened to be away and left me some baler twine and tractor oil which he had purchased with the gift certificate. Alex had a good sense of humour and enjoyed a joke especially on himself! One day he had been out in the field with his truck and tractor picking stones and roots. That night he hopped into his truck and came home. The next morning he woke to the sound of a Ford Major running. While thinking that Bert, being his neighbor, had got an early start that morning, it suddenly struck him that it was his own Ford Major that was running! He had forgotten to turn the tractor off the night before! It would be remiss of me if I didn’t mention the respect that neighbors and the whole community had for Alex, He was looked up to for his honesty, integrity and work ethic. He was missed when he left Moline, and he is sadly missed at this time. It is an honour for me to say that Alex was the best friend I ever had.” This passage offered by Roy describes Alex, well. A quiet, peaceful man who enjoyed prairie life and “our farm home”. A gentleman who gave a great deal and expected little in return. Safe journey, Dad. Your family continues to miss you very much.Honorary pall bearers for Mae’s celebration Sept 22, 2014 included nieces Gail (David) Lane, Loretta (Stewart) Slymon and family friends, Elsie Jackson and Florence MacKay. Honorary pall bearers for Alex’s celebration of life July 24, 2014 included Alex’s cousin Jean Spiller, and family friends Elsie Jackson, Joyce and Gordon Espey, and Roy and Lorna Greer.Alex and Mae are survived by their son, Dennis and Jeanette Lean (Edmonton), as well as granddaughters Michelle and Byron Willcott (Fredericton), Terry and Marcin Zurowski (Edmonton), and Robyn Lean and Lance (Fabiosa) Edmonton. Daughter, Alexis and Mel Harvey (Minnedosa), granddaughter Alysa Harvey and Terry Ferguson (Thompson) and grandson, Brad and Mandy Harvey (Brandon). Presently, there are 7 great grandchildren. Genuine thanks to Rev. Natasha Pearen, Minnedosa United Church for her compassion and support to our parents and family. The family wish to thank the many folks at Minnedosa United Church for the lovely music and delicious lunch served. Many thanks to Beth English and Isobel Basso and accompanist, Eleanor Taylor for your beautiful musical selections shared. To Brockie Donovan staff members, your attention to detail and family support were greatly appreciated. Thank you to all, near and far, for your expressions of sympathy. This includes memorial donations made to the Patio fund at Minnedosa PCH in remembrance of our parents.

As published in Brandon Sun on Oct 25, 2014