 Winnifred Mabel Chevallier; Born: July 22, 1914 at Birsay, Saskatchewan My Grandma Winnie and her identical twin sister were born on July 22, 1914. They were the oldest of 5 children. My mom’s mom was born in Gladys Ridge (south of Calgary, north of Blackie and east of Aldersyde, near Okotoks). Her house is still standing. They lived in Birsay, Saskatchewan but moved to Regina soon after as my great-grandfather joined the army. He stayed in the army until 1917 and then moved the family to Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. My grandma lived through the depression and I remember her telling me that she would pick dandelions after school and sell them for money to people who made dandelion wine. She was always thrifty, and this started at a young age due to the depression and the need to help the family. She lived on a farm north of Rocky and I am sure she had many chores to do. Eventually, they moved into Rocky where she attended school until grade 10. At that time, she moved to Calgary to complete her last two years of high school. She boarded with a family during this time. After she graduated, she stayed with the family and worked for them. She made her way back to Rocky where she met my grandfather Frank. They were married in 1937 when she was 23. They moved to a small farm, east of Rocky near Alhambra. They had 3 children. My Grandma worked very hard on the farm. Finally, they moved into Rocky where she lived for many years. She worked at the seniors home for many years and did other odd jobs. This grandmother only lived a block away from me. I remember going to her place for Saturday morning baking. I often stopped in at her house on my way home from school for a quick visit. She always had a baked treat waiting for her grandchildren. She was a determined lady who worked hard. I remember celebrating her 90th birthday as we had a big party for her. She died on May 18, 2011 at 96 years of age. She is fondly remembered. ~ Colleen Mckenzie
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