A Prairie Girl’s Life: The Story of the Reverend Edna Lenora Perry

By Edna L. Perry and Keith C. Perry

From Edna’s childhood wearing a flour sack dress while living in a leaky barn to breaking ground in a small mid-west city, outdoor education and the ministry, this story chronicles a determined Canadian prairie pioneer through defining 20th century world events.

Edna’s grandfather, a baron, fled to England when Bismark started annexing land to create Germany. Her father fought in the Boer War, became one of Baden-Powell’s original scouts, sang at the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Mary, and later fled to Canada to avoid the law. Her mother narrowly missed her passage on the ill-fated Titanic voyage. The story begins with Edna’s birth to these well-bred parents without a penny to their name.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Nov 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483415642

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A Prairie Girl’s Life

The Story of The Reverend Edna Lenora Perry

EDNA L. PERRY

and

KEITH C. PERRY

Copyright © 2014 Keith C. Perry

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted by any means—whether auditory, graphic, mechanical, or electronic—without written permission of both publisher and author, except in the case of brief excerpts used in critical articles and reviews. Unauthorized reproduction of any part of this work is illegal and is punishable by law.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1565-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1566-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-1564-2 (e)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 11/03/2014

Contents

Dedication

List of Illustrations

Preface

Acknowledgements

About the Authors

Introduction

Chapter 1    Entering Life at 229 Semple Avenue

Chapter 2    Moving to the Farm in Marchand

Chapter 3    Back in Winnipeg, Living in a Barn in the 300 Block of Semple Avenue

Chapter 4    Upgrading to 377 Kildonan (now Centennial) Avenue

Chapter 5    Indoor Running Water at 287 Perth Avenue

Chapter 6    Country Teaching & 609 Corydon

Chapter 7    City Teaching & 627 St. Johns Avenue

Chapter 8    Ottawa

Chapter 9    England Here I Come

Chapter 10    Jack’s home: Stoke Gabriel, Devon

Chapter 11    Our Wedding!

Chapter 12    Our Honeymoon in Cornwall

Chapter 13    Posted to Ireland

Chapter 14    Crash Tender

Chapter 15    December, 1945: Jack posted to Gambia, Africa

Chapter 16    Back together in Portbridge, Stoke Gabriel

Chapter 17    A Fellow Canadian

Chapter 18    Jack Comes Home!

Chapter 19    Our First Baby: John Frank Perry

Chapter 20    509 Melrose Avenue, Transcona

Chapter 21    Our Second Son: Sheldon George Perry

Chapter 22    Community Clubs

Chapter 23    The House that Jack Built

Chapter 24    Sister Ethel

Chapter 25    Jack’s Uncle Simeon Lang

Chapter 26    Keith Arrives

Chapter 27    England 1958: Our Devon Holiday

Chapter 28    Easter 1958: London

Chapter 29    Paignton: Family Together Again

Chapter 30    On Our Way Home

Chapter 31    Pat Lang

Chapter 32    Lord Selkirk School

Chapter 33    The 1960’s: A lost Generation

Chapter 34    The 1960s Continued: Life

Chapter 35    Engagements!

Chapter 36    Weddings

Chapter 37    Graduations

Chapter 38    Principal!!

Chapter 39    1974 - 1983: Wayoata School

Chapter 40    Trips to England

Chapter 41    130 Elliot Ave, Birds Hill

Chapter 42    Ministry

Chapter 43    Keith and Cindy’s Wedding

Chapter 44    My sister Ethel in Vichy, France

Chapter 45    Deacon & Priest

Chapter 46    Retirements

Chapter 47    Keith and Laurene’s Wedding

Chapter 48    Full Time Religion

Chapter 49    1999 - 2000: St. Catherine’s, Birds Hill

Chapter 50    Frank Martens March 4, 1915 - April 20, 1994

Chapter 51    1998 - 2002

Chapter 52    2003 - 2013

Epilogue - Closing Thoughts

Appendices

Appendix A    Edna Lenora Perry 90th Birthday Wishes

Appendix B    Transcona’s Story: 100 Years of Progress

Appendix C    Community Accolades over the Last 30+ Years

Appendix D    Charles Henry John Perry (My husband was known as Jack)

Appendix E    Genealogy

Appendix F    Manitoba Dairy Farms

Appendix G    Excerpts from: William (Bill) Davenport’s History of Marchand

Appendix H    Snippets of Memories by your loving sister Edna

Appendix I    Ernest John Perry (Jack’s brother)

Appendix J    Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren!!

Dedication

To my beloved husband Jack and all my family

Builders of the Community

It has often been said that in order to move forward, you must look back and acknowledge the contribution that was made by those from the past. These great pioneers [a page is dedicated to Edna] have helped to create the Transcona of today.

Transcona’s Story - 100 Years of Progress

Used with Permission

List of Illustrations

1.   1941 United College Graduation (Grade 12) [cover page]

2.   1924 The Martens Family: May, Ethel, Mother holding me, Frank, Father holding Theo

3.   1919 Bill Davenport Back in civvies (Civilian clothes)

4.   1933 Mother at the front door of 377 Kildonan

5.   1938 Theo and I in Pirates of Penzance costumes when I was in Grade 9. Frank is on the right, but his RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) uniform is real.

6.   1939 Outside Perth Avenue

7.   1940 High school graduation (Grade 11) holding onto Theo

8.   1939-40 Grand Beach Bath House

9.   1940 May (age 18), Theo (age 20 in Army Medical Corps uniform) and me (age 17)

10.   Circa 1942 May and I with our bikes

11.   1942-43 Union Point School: 2nd position $75/month

12.   1942-1943 Union Point School pupils

13.   1942 Jack and I on the front steps of 609 Corydon Avenue

14.   1943 In my bathing suit on the backstairs of 609 Corydon Avenue

15.   1942 Carberry, Manitoba

16.   Circa 1943 Jack and I at 627 St. John’s Avenue

17.   1944 All my love, Jackson

18.   1945 There is one thing wrong with this picture, you are not on the stool giving us a tune! Love Dad

19.   1945 February Torquay, Devon, England

20.   1945 Our invitation made it all the more real!

21.   Circa 1945 The Church House Inn, Stoke Gabriel, was referred to as Top Pub by the locals. The gate to the church where we married is just visible at the end of the street.

22.   Circa 1945 The Church of St. Mary and St. Gabriel, Stoke Gabriel

23.   1945 March 31 To Pop, All our love, Edna & Jack

24.   1945 March 31 Wedding Party: Mother Perry, Ivan Collins, Jack, me, Father Perry, Eileen Collins, Uncle Len and Kato in the foreground

25.   1945 March 31 Jack and I entering the wedding car, with Kato

26.   1945 March 31 A Message from home!

27.   Circa 1945 From Mum & Dad love

28.   1945 March 31 It’s official!

29.   1946 Jack in Africa

30.   1946-47 Girls Club, Devon: Our final show! Wishing you all the very best always. We’re going to miss you! P.S. A lot!

31.   1947 John is home! I am holding John with Jack looking on in the back yard of 627 St. Johns Avenue

32.   1949 Sheldon arrives home! We are on the front steps of 509 Melrose Avenue

33.   1953 To the Boys Ginger [Sheldon’s nickname] and John, Ralph Atkins: Pekse

34.   1955 October 26 Uncle Sim Lang, the oldest Alberta Wheat Pool member in the district, delivering the first load of grain to the new Alberta Pool elevator at Bassano by team and wagon reminiscent of the early days of the organization.

35.   1956 Keith’s christening. Jack, Keith in the family gown that has been used in the family for generations and I with Sheldon and John in the foreground

36.   1958 Jack’s parents and Uncle Sim

37.   1958 Passenger manifest

38.   1958 Keith: Aren’t I cute?

39.   1958 John and Sheldon horsing around at Uncle Sim’s request. No further encouragement needed!

40.   1942 Jack and Pat Petrone in Carberry

41.   1960 Lord Selkirk School Science Fair

42.   1964 Vote for Jack!

43.   Reverse side

44.   1964 Sheldon, Jack, my dad, me with Keith on my lap, my mum and John

45.   1963 May 24 My mum and dad’s 50th Wedding Anniversary

46.   1966 John: Lifeguard at Snow Lake in the far north

47.   1966 Sheldon: Lifeguard at St. Malo in the south

48.   1970 August 29 John and Dar: Their first dance!

49.   1970 October 10 Keith, John, Jack, me, Sheldon, Glenys, Mother Perry, Father Perry, Peter Bachinsky

50.   1974 In front of my new office!

51.   Circa 2012 Wayoata Elementary School, 605 Wayoata Street

52.   1972 Mother and Father Perry’s 50th Anniversary

53.   Circa 2000s 130 Elliot Ave.

54.   1979 Ethel in hospital at Vichy, France

55.   1980 The Happy Gang Me, May, Theo, Ethel and Frank

56.   1979 The three daughters-in-law working on the stoles. Darlene (seated), Glenys and Cindy

57.   1980 Deacon

58.   1981 Our invitation to my ordination Jack and Edna

59.   1981 March 24 The new priest with her flock of boys! Tolv, Peter, Keith, me, John, Bob, Jack and Sheldon

60.   1981 March 25 Church’s flock flees after floor sags

61.   Circa 1988 St. Cyprian’s Church

62.   1995 Jack and my 50th Anniversary celebration. My wedding dress is displayed on a mannequin between us.

63.   1999 February 3 Governor General of Canada Romeo LeBlanc presenting Ethel’s Order of Canada posthumously to May and me

64.   2007 August 19 Keith & Catherine’s Wedding: Sheldon, Glenys, me, Keith, Catherine, Darlene, John, Lauren and Scott

65.   2008 Standing at Edna Perry Way

66.   The Greatest Canadian: Paul Martin

67.   2013 June 22 My 90th birthday celebration with family!

68.   2013 June 22 I was so delighted with my 90th birthday celebration that John organized!

69.   1919 William John (Jack) Perry. Jack’s dad

70.   Circa1988 One of the last known pictures of Mum Perry

71.   1944 Ern Perry

Preface

In 2003, Edna began capturing the stories from her life in a book to share with future generations. Her husband had just passed away, she had moved from the family home into a retirement community and she started typing snippets on her computer as they came to mind. With her eldest son John’s help, she then emailed them to her youngest son, Keith, in California for compilation.

In 2007, the 31st chapter was completed while she was in the hospital recovering from a hip operation. After checking her vital signs one day, the nurses urged her to walk to the end of the bed, which she valiantly did; immediately throwing up and causing a flurry. The nurses scurried to ascertain how this could have happened, given that her vitals had been normal. They glared at Keith as he began questioning her about the book, but Edna recognized that he was distracting her from the ordeal and willingly participated (much to the nurses’ chagrin).

Her recovery, Keith’s wedding and other life events sidelined the project until 2010. Edna and Keith then blocked out time during his visits to focus on this labor of love. They, along with Edna’s sister, May, set a deadline for completing the manuscript: Edna’s 90th birthday. Both Edna and May had watched their other sister Ethel’s book delayed by third parties to the point that it was published posthumously years later and recognized how important it was to seize the moment.

Edna was presented with the manuscript at her 90th birthday celebration in June, 2013 and after editorial revisions and the addition of a closing line recognizing her 91st birthday achievement, it was published in 2014.

Acknowledgements

Until you write a book yourself, you don’t realize just how much effort is required and how many people are involved in the process.

Over the eleven years it took to compile the manuscript, John kept his mom’s computer running. This included supporting a program designed specifically for the blind as well as retrieving and resending lost Microsoft Word files when things went awry as they often did. Without a doubt, John has stepped in as his mom’s primary caregiver since Edna’s husband, Jack, passed away in 2002.

John’s contribution to this book also included locating pictures and supplying details from the last 15 years. These details were drawn from his mom’s Christmas letters, which he tirelessly typed, retyped, mailed and tracked throughout the years. Without him, this period would have been lost.

Muriel, the daughter of Bill Davenport (Bill came to Canada with Edna’s mother in 1912), passed on key information about life in Marchand. As the book approached publication, her daughter, Doreen, provided a review of the project, laced with gracious and kind words of support as well as timely input and verification based on her extensive genealogy research.

Finally, Edna’s daughter in law, Catherine (Keith’s wife), provided extensive editing and revisions over the final six-year period.

About the Authors

Edna L. Perry

While Edna’s book was created to pass her story on to her family, others will find inspiration in this prairie girl’s drive and grit through thick and thin. Her accolades over the last 30-plus years, listed in Appendix C, provide a glimpse of Edna’s leadership, which has been widely recognized. She has been a role model for career women who have sought her guidance, but she has never been part of the women’s lib movement.

After completing high school, she received a scholarship to study for a year at what is now known as the University of Winnipeg. Decades later, she obtained her Bachelor of Pedagogy, Bachelor of Arts, Certificate of Education, Master of Education and Master of Divinity degrees from the University of Manitoba. At 65, she proposed obtaining a Ph.D., but her husband, Jack, put his foot down saying he wanted more time with her. After he died, she went to the university to discuss next steps but the realities of life with her blindness and advancing age dashed this dream. This is her first book.

Keith C. Perry

The youngest of Edna’s three sons, Keith is the only one who moved away while his parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law all bought adjoining half-acre parcels of land and built their lifelong family homes. His effort behind this book is but a small contribution to the family in comparison to the outstanding support his brothers have tirelessly provided to their parents over the decades.

Keith has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (Honours) from the University of Manitoba along with Master of Science in Software Engineering and Master of Business Administration degrees from San Jose State University. He has work experience in 29 countries, is actively involved in the Silicon Valley startup environment and the general business community, founder and officer of a storage technology company on the east coast of the USA, founder and co-owner of a Silicon Valley based telecom and managed services company, and is currently purchasing a 35 year old construction company. This is his third year as chair for the IEEE Cloud Computing Summit and over the last year, Keith has developed and presented sessions on Silicon Valley entrepreneurship and software management for industry organizations and universities from Korea (4), Japan, Mongolia, India and France (2). He is also an adjunct professor for the Computer Engineering Department and the School of Global Innovation and Leadership at San Jose State University. Keith’s publications in peer-reviewed publications include research on removing plastic from the Pacific Ocean gyre, strategic management, leadership, & international entrepreneurship. This is his first book.

Introduction

From her childhood days living in a leaky barn - wearing a dress cut from a flour sack - to breaking ground in outdoor education and the ministry, this story covers 90 years of a Canadian prairie pioneer’s life through defining world events in the 20th century.

Edna’s grandfather was born Baron de Martens during the 1880s in Schleswig-Holstein, which, today, is in northern Germany near Denmark. He immigrated to England when Bismarck began annexing the small dukedoms and earldoms into one country called Germany. Her father fought in the Boer War at age 16, becoming one of Baden-Powell’s original scouts. On his return from Africa, he sang in the choir for the coronation of King Edward VII and Queen Mary. He later fled to Canada when a young lady was killed in his carriage that he was recklessly racing and her father threatened to bring him to justice. His time as a remittance man was short-lived as he was soon cut off from family financial support, possibly due to their suspicions about his gopher farm, a story he concocted to ask for money.

Edna’s mum, who was from another well-to-do family, just missed sailing on the Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage. Instead, she boarded the next ship and arrived in Canada in 1913. This story begins 10 years later with Edna’s birth to two well-bred parents who didn’t have a penny to their name.

Edna didn’t have to wait until the Dirty Thirties [the Great Depression era] for life to get hard; she was born into it. Playdates with her sister, May, consisted of placing a large horse blanket on their plough horse, Jim, and playing house between his huge hooves. Only one cousin had a car and he helped out during life’s emergencies such as when Edna broke her arm at age six. During the aftermath of the 1929 stock market crash, the Martens family got a bill from the railroad - which had just returned their milk cans - instead of payment because consumers had no money to pay for their milk. The milk had simply been poured down the drain upon arrival in Winnipeg.

Life also had its entertaining moments. During the Depression, the descendants of Governor Semple, Factor for the Hudson’s Bay Company, held a gala evening in their big house. Having moved back to Winnipeg, Edna’s father was always asked to sing because of his beautiful baritone voice. His encore was always I Like You in Velvet. The last line was but you’re simply delightful in anything at all. Behind closed doors one night, he threatened mother that he would sing with nothing at all and she warned him that if he did, she would not speak to him ever again. The crucial moment came, Edna’s dad let out a bellow, and mother slammed down the piano lid. Surprisingly, her dad began to dance around while holding his ear as a large moth had flown in there. Then the Scottish quadrilles started and so ended a gala night growing up on the prairies!

Edna’s first teaching job was in a one-room schoolhouse. She would chop wood and start a fire to warm up the room well before the students arrived during winters with -30°F temperatures.

World War II changed her life forever when she met her soul mate, Jack, a Royal Air Force soldier temporarily stationed nearby. She was shunned by her parents, who placed her picture face down on the piano for spending time with someone below her station. Determined to follow him, she travelled from Winnipeg to Ottawa convincing Stanley Knowles, the member of Canadian Parliament largely responsible for the introduction of the Canadian Pension Plan, to personally sign his approval for her passage to England.

Her ship’s route went below the Equator to avoid wartime hostilities. On the second day of the voyage while they were stopped to repair an engine, reports came in that a German U-boat had been spotted and they were told to do the repairs on the run. The ship arrived in England without any further mishaps. After marrying Jack in Devon, she accompanied him to his next posting in Ireland and then lived with her Devonshire in-laws while Jack was posted to Africa after the war. The two returned to Canada on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth in 1947.

They made their home in Transcona, a town outside Winnipeg, and became pillars in the community. They were instrumental in its development as a city. As the dedication pamphlet on her street, Edna Perry Way, stated: "If you grew up in Transcona between the 1950s and 80s, you likely will know the name Edna Perry."

She grew from a teacher to a school principal, obtaining numerous degrees while bringing up her three boys as well as a number of other adopted sons. Edna became one of the first female Anglican ministers in Canada and showed her grit yet again as she continued to give services from memory long after losing her sight in 1989.

The story is written in Edna’s words, featuring the colloquialism of the era. The book concludes with her closing thoughts and philosophy, along with a list of community accolades from the last 30+ years and other supporting material.

Chapter 1

Entering Life at 229 Semple Avenue

When I entered this life, there were already four in the family: Frank, 8 years old; Ethel, 7; Theo, 2 years and 8 months; and May, 1 year and 2 months. They had been born in The Pas, Manitoba while I was born at 229 Semple Avenue, West Kildonan, which is now part of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The back of the small house faced Centennial Street, which has been renamed Kingsberry.

On this street was Centennial School. Mother sent Frank over to a community gathering at the school to ask Father to come home as her time had come with me. He sent back word that he would come as soon as the rehearsal of the operetta he was singing in had finished! Mother then sent Frank out to the municipal building, about 10 blocks away, to fetch the district nurse. She came, so did I, and then came Father. Welcome to this family!

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2. 1924 The Martens Family: May, Ethel, Mother holding me, Frank, Father holding Theo

Chapter 2

Moving to the Farm in Marchand

The world was brimming with possibilities, but we lived on Relief for three more years. And then the Manitoba Government decided to subsidize World War I veterans with farmland in southeastern Manitoba; a quarter section of rough, unbroken land. At least that is what my parents thought at the time. It turned out that monthly payments were required and the government did little if anything as the opportunity was provided by the landowner.

Father was anything but a farmer. However, he accepted an offer to obtain the quarter section on the south-east corner of section 26 from Manitoba Dairy Farms and away we went to Marchand. I was only two years old at the time, but my cousin, Bill Davenport, chronicled our move in his book about Marchand’s history [see Appendix F & G for further details].

Our first trip to Marchand was in October 1925, when we brought our Aunt Ethel Martens and her five small children. Uncle George Martens was to bring their furniture to the farm they had bought, sight unseen, through the Davidson Plan. It was a long, all day, journey. The children thought of it as a big adventure and expected to see the farm around each corner. The roads were unmarked and seemed to wander all over Manitoba. We finally got to LaBroquerie, then took the wrong trail and got stuck in a peat field. I had to walk what seemed like miles to find someone to pull us out. We finally arrived at Marchand just as it was getting dark. Mr. F. E. Davidson (brother of Mr. W. P. Davidson Sr.) and the manager, Mr. Crane greeted us warmly and insisted we stay for the night. We could hear the clatter of dinner plates and the chatter of men in many different languages.

- Reproduced with permission from the family of

William & Lil Davenport

Father’s father was a builder so Father had grown up in that environment. The barn was built first as the animals had to be looked after, and then Father finished the house, which is still standing today and occupied. So he was very good at that. The barn included a loft and a small room with a concrete water tank to keep cans of milk cool. The three- bedroom house was one and one half stories with a wood furnace in the basement. There was also a well.

My memories of our stay there are about the horses: Mary and Jim. Mary was a riding horse and Jim was a plough horse. There were others, but I don’t remember them. We learned to ride Mary and played house under Jim by placing a large horse blanket that draped over both sides. Jim had huge hooves, almost like a Clydesdale, but he never even shuffled them. We used to step on his feet and crawl up his tail to get onto his back.

I remember walking 1½ miles to school, through the bush, in good weather, and two miles by road in the winter when the snow was too deep. The only one who rode Mary to school was Frank, as he had to get home quickly to help Father milk the cows and clean the barn. The rest of us just had to hurry and pitch in when we got home. My sister, Ethel, was tasked with getting us home quickly and safely.

May and I had to milk one cow each and tend to the rabbits, which Mother kept so she could earn a dollar a month by sending in their skins to the T. Eaton Company to pay for our piano. Eaton’s, the second largest retail chain in Canada after the Hudson’s Bay Company, shipped