TARDIF, RITA (A) (86 ENGLISH -- 85 fran)
Rita Boulet Tardif - daughter of Andre Boulet + Sarah
Beauchemin
- b. 1924-03-09 Haywood, MB
- m. 1946-01-04 McLennan, AB +
Lucien Tardif (Pantaléon)
- d. 2014-02-23 Nampa, AB
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In the fall of 1930, my father, 42 at the time and my mother, 38, came to Donnelly, Alberta with their seven children ranging in age from 6 months to 15 years.
For the first four years we resided on a farm two miles sousth of Donnelly. Then our family moved closer to town, about 3/4 miles out. On this new site in the following years, a large barn was erected as well as a hog barn, many granaries and sheds, as the needs arose. In the fall of 1939 the family which now enjoyed two new members, Paul born in 1936 and Rollande in 1938 moved into a newly-built two-storey house
The summer of 1942 was a "hay-making summer" and I was so happpy that I could help. I was now 17, and was so proud when I was handed a pitchfort to help toss the hay from the load below into the hayloft. Loads and loads of alfalfa hay were stored: this was to be feed for the animals for the coming winter.
On the twentieth of July, that summer of '42 as we were coming in to eat dinner, we were startled by a yell coming from Mother "FIRE! The barn is on fire" Mother was at the ice-house" getting cold refreshing water for her afternoon of berry-picking - the neighbor, Mrs. Houde, would stop in at anytime now to pick up Mother. Mother had heard the "Boom"of an explosion and when she turned around, she saw the flames shooting out from the southern opening to the hayloft. What had happened? The result of "slow-combustion!"" In no time the whole barn was engulfed in flames. Uncle Laurent (Mother's' brother) ran to lead the horses out of the barn, but these refused to walk out though the flames. Finally, when their heads and eyes had been shielded with "gunny sacs". they walked out. By then Uncle Laurent had suffered a few borns on his bald head.
Sadly a calf perished in that fire - it had just been returned to its pen in the barn a few minutes before the fire broke out. Gabe and Elphège had the calf out getting it to run around the yard, before leading it back to the barn.
The buildings and wooden fences were tinder-dry, so the fire was spreading quickly creating its own "wind". As the fire was racing east towards the hog barn having already consumed granaries and fences, Mother asked me to run and get a St-Ann Review. I raced at top speed almost dizzy, quickly rushed to Mother's desk where the magazines were kept, swung open the two doors pulling out the whole pile of magazines and hurriedly flipping throught then, could not see a single copy of the St Ann Review. I rushed back reporting to Mother empty-handed. "Go back quickly she said, there are no other magazines - they are all Reviews of St Ann". Back to the house I raced again and picked up a St Ann Review, ran back to where Mother and Dad were battling the fire. Mother pinned the St. Ann Review, on one granary next to the hog barn - and - THE WIND SHIFTED TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST! What faith my parents had! That night as well as the next days and nights we took turns keeping watch for any glowing coals threatening to flare up. A temporary shelter was built that fall for the horses and cattle, but the barn as such was not rebuilt.
ref: Rita Boulet Tardif
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