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July 21, 2006

Comments

Sarah Kurtz

Thank you for the article on Golden Prairie. My family settled in that area in the early 1900s and stayed until half-way through the century. I'm not too sure what happened to their land, but I assume they sold it. I am making it a trip out to Golden Prairie to visit what remains of it this weekend and to try to find the land that was once owned by my family. It's a shame that the town is dwindling in size.

Arielle herter

Thank-you for remembering Golden Prairie! I went to school there, and my sister was in school on the last year..i was there until grade 6, then the school got to small, so all the grade six's had to leave.It was very hard to leave, but i now go to school in Richmound, also a small village.That school is on its final year and is being shut down next year. Then we will go to Fox Valley.(yet another small town!) My grandfathers name was Melvin Herter. He was born and raised in Golden Prairie also. I still live in Golden Prairie, on a farm. There aren't many people liveing in town anymore, most people live on farms. Golden Prairie still holds its many annual suppers and other events, that usually have upwards of 90 people attend. We also host and annual atv and dirt bike rally, this year we had 189 riders attend. Overall Goldn Prairie is still a thriveing community, we are just shrinking in population. I am only 14, but i love this quaint little village, and will never truely leave it.

Frrom, Arielle herter

pjmartin

Thank you, Arielle, for your kind comments. I knew your grandfather Melvin Herter and probably many of your other relatives.
I am pleased to hear that Golden Prairie is still a thriving community. Best wishes to you and your family, and to our 'quaint little village.'
Thanks for contributing to my blog.

Terry

MY father built the Golden Prairie elementary school in 1962. I was born in 1948 and I was only 13 when my father and family lived in Golden Prairie. Our hometown was Shellbrook, Sask. My father passed away in 1992 in New Westminster,BC. at the age of 76. I will always have fond memories of being in Golden Prairie and I would love to visit it again. I now live in Edmonton,Alberta. I would be happy to hear from someone who still remembers my father(Erling Senum).

Brenda Hall(neeTaylor)

Brenda Hall nee Taylor December 7/08
I attended grade one in 1961 and have continued ties with Golden Prairie as my grandfather, Elmer taylor worked the PFRA ( upper and lower V)for many years and My father was born and raised on the homestead in Big Stick. I have great memories of my summers with grandpa and visiting with school friends. I live at Lucky Lake, Sask.

Gordon Kohls    born 1954

I, along with my brother and two sisters were born in Maple Creek but lived in Golden Prairie until 1967.
My dad and most of my uncles were grain farmers near town.
Went to the old school house for grade one taught by Mrs. Upsall. Then went to the new elementary school from grade 2 through 6 then did one year in the high school (grade 7) across the road from the elementary.
As kids we played in the four grain elevators. I watched the lumber yard and then the hotel beside Geiser's
grocery store burn down at night from our kitchen window. I remember the Rex Theatre and Knodel's grocery store and gas pump, the two cafes, the pot belly stove in the skating rink shack. Frank Bosch used to flood the ice rink.
It was strange watching piece by piece the town contract to it's present state. It was a great place for a kid, although we had a lot of farm chores which were a good thing as I got in no trouble that way.

Jerry Schwab

Hi Jerome,
I've just come across your blog when searching for some photos of the region. My grandfather, Conrad Schwab, was granted a homestead including the Northern section of Bitter Lake sometime around 1912, I think. So far I've only found images through Google maps and the land doesn't look too inviting! Germans from Russia (0dessa) they moved on and ended up in Melville by the early 1920s where my dad, my brother and I were all born.

I'm currently reading a Canadian novel titled 'Under this unbroken sky' by Shandi Mitchell which is about Ukrainian immigrants to prairies in the 1930s and your photos match what I imagine the country to look like today.

Though it's now 4 years since you posted it...I enjoyed reading your recollection of the school and the region.

Best wishes,

Jerry Schwab

Jerome Martin

Hi Jerry,
Thanks for the note.
There is a short history of your grandparents Konrad and Maria Schwab in 'Golden Prairie Reflections' published in 1999 for a Golden Prairie reunion. It includes a photograph of five daughters, Bertha, Jackie, Winnie, Edith and Joan. If you do not have a copy of this or cannot access it I'd be pleased to make a photocopy of the page and send it to you.
Jerome

Arvid Ziegler

To get people to start moving back to the small towns you have to offer them free house's for as long as they stay there. When they move out the house goes back to the town[owner ship], probably with a damage deposit of $2000 to keep them honest. Also no land taxes. I've heard of people driving from Medicine Hat to Empress past Burstall to work at the Gas Plant each day. That's over 90 miles one way.

Dennis Love

My Mother was a teacher in a one room school in or near Golden Prairie. She boarded at the home of Eddie Pohl. She rode a horse to school. Does anyone know of any history books written for this area.

Jerome Martin

Hi Dennis,
The Golden Prairie Community has published a couple of community history books. The largest and, I think, the most recent is called Golden Prairie Reflections, printed by Friesens (Altona, Manitoba). You could contact the printer or check your library system to see if they can find it for you.
If you can find the name of the school I could look it up for you. There is a large section on the one-room schools and the larger schools in town. Eddie Pohl and his wife lived in Golden Prairie when I lived there (I took Grade One in a one-roomed school east of Golden Prairie before we moved into GP).
Thanks for the note. Let me know if I can be of help.

ANDREW JAMIESON

My Grandfather was David Porter Preston of Golden Prairie Saskatchewan. He and his brother Lee were both killed in WW2 . David ran a section of wasp flamethrowers for the Regina Rifles and Lee was killed shortly after D-DAY , If anyone has any info on where their farm was I would love to take trip down and see it. Anyways . Thanks for all the stories above.

Jerome Martin

Hi Andrew,
The Golden Prairie Community History Book, 1968, includes several paragraphs about Roy and Maude Preston, their sons, Lee and David, and their daughter Helen.
'Roy Preston lived on land a few miles from his brother Sol, in 1910, but did not come to make his home there until 1912, when he brought his wife up from Belt, Montana, coming in a buggy. They built a home and farmed for many years.'
Sol Preston, with his wife, son and two daughters homesteaded on a half section of land two miles east of what is now the village of Golden Prairie. That farmstead is, I think, still there, but I don't know the location of Roy Preston's farm. You will likely be able to get that information (legal location, homesteading or purchase) from the Government of Saskatchewan.
The only other information in the book told how Roy and Maude were accomplished musicians (Maude played the piano and he played the violin). They helped put on variety shows.
'Roy was also a good singer and liked nothing better than dressing up like Charlie and singing comical songs.'
The only information on Lee and David was that the joined the army and were killed in active service.
I hope this is of some help.

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