LEST WE FORGET 183 McGERRIGLE, Kenneth Alexander “Ken” WWII Ken was born on May 25, 1926, in Edam, Saskatchewan and moved to Harlan, Saskatchewan with his family at the age of three. He came to Harlan with his mother, Ethel, and his siblings, Mae and Gordon, via train from Glaslyn to St.Walburg where they were met by the Pepper family who brought them to Frenchman Butte by team and wagon. Archie Wagner met them there and completed their journey with them to Harlan to reunite them with Mr. John McGerrigle who had been hired to teach at the Harlan School. Ken’s brother Don, who was born later in Harlan, completed their family. The McGerrigle family lived in an old house on the school property that also served as the local Post Office ran by Mrs. McGerrigle. Later the house was replaced with a newer version that was eventually moved to the farm where Mrs. McGerrigle continued to run the Post Office. Ken attended the Harlan school for eight years; he had his first job there doing all their janitorial work during the last three years he was in attendance. At the age of sixteen, he travelled to Trail, BC and stayed in his cousin’s basement on a cot and worked with him cleaning basements after a flood then went to work in a lead burning smelter cleaning tanks, after about a year his company transferred him to a Tungsten mine in Hazleton, BC where he worked with an electrician and shared accommodations with two other men in a bunk house. He spent his time at the mine wiring shacks and only once had to go down the mine to string lights. While home on vacation the mine closed so Ken did some thrashing for local farms then went South to Cabri and Hazelet area to Combine. In January 1945, he enrolled in the army where he was mustered in Dundurn for the Royal Edmonton Regiment. He took his basic training in Peterborough and advanced training at Petawawa, Ontario. His regiment had been sent home on embarkation leave when the war ended in Europe. Ken along with several other members of his regiment, signed up for the Japanese war and they were sent to Vernon, BC for further training. Ken’s regiment was there until the atomic bomb was dropped in Japan and ended World War II after which they were transported back to Shilo, Manitoba and later discharged. Ken came back to Harlan and bought the Stevenson place. Ken and Gordon worked in partnership on their farms for many years with stints at side jobs in a sawmill in the bush and working at the Lloydminster Post Office during the Christmas rush. He also delivered mail from Lloydminster for the Harlan and surrounding area Post Offices. He hired out to combine for other local farmers and even did a couple years of fill in relief running the ferry across the North Saskatchewan River. Ken and Gordon played ball on the local Harlan ball team most Sundays, eventually the team petered out, so they joined the Alcurve team where Ken met Nancy Jacobson. They were married in 1961 and proceeded to start their own family having three girls: Heather, Sharon and Colleen. Soon the little house they were living in became too small so with the help of his brother Gordon and his brother-in-law, Calvert Johnson, they milled lumber and built the current house which the family moved into in 1968. Over the ensuing years there were many trips to Frenchman Butte for Legion meetings and events, Christmas concerts and parades; many fishing trips to Worthington and Amyot Lake and a couple trips to BC for visits with Nancy’s brother Ron and his family. Sunday dinners at the farm always included as many family members as possible followed by many a Canasta or crib game. Once Ken and Nancy retired from farming, they took a much-loved trip to Sweden and several bus tours throughout Western Canada and into the States. Sunday dinners continued on with their children and grandchildren always making up extra seats at the table. Most summer days Ken could be found in their garden tending enough produce to sustain several families. His participation in the Frenchman Butte Legion increased and he became a member of the Museum association doing rope making displays for the school kids visits. Many a grandchild made an extended stay at the farm with Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Ken always knowing no matter what there was always a bed available if it was needed. Ken passed away at his residence in Harlan District, Harlan, Saskatchewan on May 12, 2021, at the age of 94.
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