The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Doris Jackson arrived in Flin Flon in 1941, along with daughters Ann and Barbara, from the small farming community of Mowbray in Southern Manitoba. Like many other small farming communities, Mowbray is no longer there. They came to join Harvey, Doris' husband, who had gotten a job at the HBMS Zinc Plant. The first family home was at 5 Main Street next door to the Mackonka family. Then they moved to a suite at 21 Scarth Street. All told, the couple had 12 children: Ann, Barbara, Brenda, Murray, Dennis, Mavis, Valerie, Greg, Kenny, Lawrence, and twins Sheila and Sharon, who arrived on Doris' 40th birthday. Some of the neighbours they had at their family home on Tweedsmuir St. were Serge and Sara Richer, Jim Moore, Paul and Bertha Marsolliers, and Howard and Ruby Hedman. "As a family we used to walk a lot wherever we needed to go because we didn't have a car in the early years," recalled Doris. "I pushed a baby carriage to Phantom Lake many, many times. As a couple, we played cards at the old St. Ann's Church on Church St. or we would go to the occasional dance at the Legion Hall. "We were really quite busy with our family and just did things as a family. We loved picnics." Harvey loved hockey, which his boys played. They would clear a rink on Ross Lake and spend hours playing the sport. "Our two older boys spent many hours in Mrs. Pardoski's kitchen enjoying her delicious 'spudnuts'," recalled Doris. "Ed and Vic Pardoski were good friends with Murray and Dennis as they were growing up." Doris recalls that in Mile 84 there were Kerr Motors and Buy-Rite General Store, which was located about where the apartment building at 100 Tweedsmuir St. now stands. "The first Co-op store was in what was known as the McFadden Building, and they used to sell bulk foodstuffs in there," she said. "Pop Iannone's was the kids' favourite hangout. We got some of our groceries at Huber's Meat Store in Ross Lake." See 'Memories' P.# Con't from P.# The daughters were busy in Girl Guides and Sunday school. Barbara's best friend was Darlene Stein. Joannie Ellstrom was Brenda's best friend and Maxine McCutcheon was Ann's best friend. The girls were quite involved in volleyball and basketball. "The kids walked everywhere they needed to go. We never got a car until after Lawrence was born in 1959," states Doris. "There was a taxi service in town and Doxey's bus even went out to Beaver Lake because Ann used to take the bus to visit her friend, Karin Nelson. "The kids walked to Phantom Lake for many years. They learned how to swim out there. Again as a family we often picnicked at Phantom Lake, sometimes there would as many as 30 to 40 people because the kids would bring a friend. It was great!" Doris goes on to say that "the local newspaper, the Flin Flon Daily Reminder, played an important part in our kids' lives." Murray started delivering it around 1954 before passing his route down to his siblings for about the next 20 years. Doris recalls playing ball for the Mile 84 Farmerettes. She remembers fellow players such as Bertha Marsollier, Agnes Kitch, Merle Massey, Marion Webber, Evelyn Ramstead, Merle Woodley, Lila Mansell and Myrtle McKenzie, and a mascot named Bernie. Harvey went on to work in the change house at HBMS. Some of his coworkers included Louie Labarre, Len Wiebe and Paul Marsollier. Doris remembers when the Rex Theatre burned to the ground. She also recalls when the Flin Flon Bombers won the Memorial Cup and the excitement in town. "Harvey was a great Bomber fan!" she smiles. In later years, she and Harvey became active with the Flin Flon Seniors playing cards and attending suppers. Harvey passed away in 1980. After his death, Doris became very active with the Flin Flon-Creighton Seniors, serving on the board, helping with bingos, cards, exercise classes, and singing with the choir until it dissolved in 2002. Doris stated that some of the other people who worked hard to get the group going strong were Gerry Manns, Eva Woods, Ann Henry, Isabelle Ketchen, Lila Mansell and Lorene Jarvis. Starting in 1985, Doris was the Manitoba Senior Games representative for this region, a position she held for seven consecutive years. She smiles, "I really enjoyed it and got to travel to such places as Winkler, Morden, Gimli, Selkirk, Brandon, Dauphin and Arborg. Ruth Jackson and I even won some medals!" Doris is still active in her church with the St. Andrew's Presbyterian women's group. This wonderful lady has 42 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren. When I asked her how she keeps track of everyone's birthday, she laughed, "I have it all written in my book!" When asked what she does at Christmas, she said, "We often break up into groups!" Doris said when asked if she had any plans of leaving Flin Flon, "This is home, always will be. Seven of my kids still live here and I am not planning on going anywhere." Doris turned 84 on March 22 and has no intention of slowing down. She is still very active and in good health. Thanks, Doris. You have great memories and such a positive outlook on life.
