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.
Inez Schelle came to Flin Flon in 1942 from Nipawin, Saskatchewan to help out her aunt Alfreda Mahoney who was living at Phantom Lake with three young children. Alfreda's husband Albert worked on the freight hauls up to Island Falls and was gone for long periods of time, so Inez came up "to be the gopher," she laughs. Albert had built the first log cabin at Phantom Lake. As fate would have it Inez met Jack Angelski about six months after coming to Flin Flon. Jack was working with his father Joe and brother Albert as commercial fishermen at Beaver Lake. Jack and his family had moved from Pine Bluff near Cumberland House where Jack's father had run a trading post, and that is where Jack learned to speak Cree. Jack and Inez were married in August of 1943 in St. James Anglican Church by Rev. Horsefield. Their son Mervin was born in 1944 and Christian in 1945. The couple lived at Beaver Lake where Jack fished until 1945 when the fish filleting plant was built near where Churchill Fisheries is now. Jack worked at the plant for the Saskatchewan Fisheries for about three years, spending two summers up at Pelican Narrows, where he was asked to run the plant up there, partly because he could speak Cree. See 'Enjoyed' P.# Con't from P.# During their years at Beaver Lake, Inez worked at Moody's General Store (owned by Harry Moody), and even after the family moved to Creighton Inez still worked part time on weekends for Harry, at his store. In April of 1949 Jack hired on at HBMS and in the fall of that same year they moved into Creighton. Mervin started at Creighton School the first year it was built in 1950 and Ivan Church was principal. Some of the teachers then were Dorothy Woods, Mr. Gowan and there were two sisters teaching but their names have been forgotten. As a couple, Jack and Inez played cards with friends and neighbours as well as went to socials at the Creighton Community Hall. Inez began curling in 1956 and curled with Ann Hynes, Edna Garinger and Fern Kozak until 1960 and she also curled with Marg Aune. Inez went to the Uptown Curling Club and curled in the afternoons with Verna Ford, Audrey McNabb and Bea Hume (who still lives in Dauphin). In the early years of Creighton, water was delivered by Melaney's Wet and Dry Garbage. Their home was heated by oil delivered by Esso. The family moved to 660 Creighton Street just after the water and sewer came in. Inez took a job at the Fruit and Produce which was owned and operated by Steve Kowalawich. Inez was also a matron for the Creighton RCMP and then later she worked for the Flin Flon Detachment as well. Inez was also project manager for the government looking after a warehouse that contained paint, electrical and plumbing supplies for government housing in the North such as Sturgeon Lake, Deschambault Lake and Cumberland House, etc. Jack retired from HBMS in 1988. Mervin graduated from Hapnot, working at the Flin Flon Miner for awhile and then he went to North Battleford, later to Kitamat and then on to Prince George where he met the love of his life, Wencke Myrbo. They have two grown children. Merv and Wencke have now moved to Kelowna where Merv is still selling cars. Chris left Creighton about the time the waterworks came in and went to Saskatoon. He started driving trucks and his base is now in Edmonton and he travels to Grand Prairie and Slave Lake. He has two grown daughters and a son. Jack passed away in December of 2003. Inez loves living at Heritage Manor where she and Jack moved about five years ago. "Let someone else shovel the snow and mow the lawn," she smiles. She spends her time still very active with her church group Circle C, she plays cards with her friends and every Sunday about seven widows regularly get together and go out for supper. Inez is the proud great grandmother of four. She has no plans of ever leaving here, although her son Merv hasn't given up trying to get her to move to Kelowna. She smiles, "I'm just not ready, I have too many friends here!" Thanks for sharing your story Inez! Please note: For those who have been asking: Yes, there will be a second book, perhaps by Christmas but I need some help. I want only stories from 1945 and earlier for the book, so could you please phone me with names of people you think might be interested and leave a message! 687-3344.
