Farmer resident of Baljennie, James Bailey passed away April 28 in Saskatoon Veterans' Senior Home. James had celebrated his 90th birthday with all his family on hand, Feb. 14.
The Bailey family came from Iowa to this area of Canada about the time when most other settlers were arriving to buy up a homestead and do a mixed farm for many years and raise their families. As the years passed, son James came back from serving time in the air force in the Second World War. He got married, took over his dad's farm and raised a family.
They sold the farm, but kept one quarter where they ran a hobby farm to help raise registered quarter horses. Then they retired to a seniors' home in North Battleford. Due to ill health, his wife Jane, passed away in September, 2006. Then James moved to the veterans' seniors' home in Saskatoon where he passed away.
They had been active members of the Quarter Horse Club in North Battleford, also the local community club, curling and snow plow clubs and other activities. James and his brothers and sisters all attended Baljennie School. James's and Jane's boys still have part of the land where they keep their registered quarter horses.
Sympathy goes out to all the Bailey families in Saskatoon and Sonningdale. The funeral was held May 3 in the Sonningdale Community Centre. Buried at the Spinney Hill Cemetery, James was also an active member of the Royal Canadian Legion in Sonningdale.
Visiting with Stanley and Dorothy Mills was Kim and Melody Dumont of Kindersley. They were out to look over the new land they had purchased last year. Due to so much snow on the roads, they had to walk a ways to even get to their land. Their creeks and springs are all running now. The snow is melting fast.
The end of April has come and gone. The snow has at last stopped falling and most of the winter snow melted fast in a few days. It has been very queer weather as one late evening we were awakened by a quick little thunder and lightning storm, with very bright flashes of lightning and loud thunder. It soon passed.
Most of the large drifts of snow have all melted. There has been a lot of water running with only a few flooded roads in the local area. The creeks are all running full force.
The ice on the North Saskatchewan and Battle Rivers has now lifted and moved swiftly high, but no ice jammed up to flood the low areas. Spring is really here once the ice moves out. Ditches, full sloughs and dugouts are all brim-full. Some places it is soaking into the soil fast.
Farmers are still not able to get out in the fields as the fields are still wet and snow got in a few lower areas, but it is nearly all gone. The farmers are busy getting their machinery ready to go and cleaning grains to seed - ready to go as soon as it is fit to do so.
It has been a winter to remember as there has been snow on the ground for six months.
Visiting with Phil and Lorna Bater was Orval and Linda Peterson of Cando.
Phil and Lorna Bater were recent visitors at the home of Bob and Mary Bailey of Sonningdale.
