10/21/2024
My parents are so inspirational. They met at a time when you simply asked someone to dance. It was late in the 1950’s. He spotted her in a crowd because her skin was so brown. She's always been able to tan like a bunny. Little did she know, he was looking for the perfect bride to be married to a farmer.
She was the middle child of six siblings, five girls and one boy, raised by a housewife and carpenter. She was a city girl with a longing in her heart to live the country life.
He was the youngest son to a farmer and his wife. His education was sacrificed as a young man to stay home to help his ailing mother, so he did what he knew best – working the land with horses, and hand-milking cows. My family heritage as far back as the 1400’s in Scotland has consisted of centuries of farming – it’s in our blood.
They married on October 21, 1961, and started their family right away. Six children in less than seven years, one at a time. I am the oldest. It was a busy household; we grew up poor and were reminded of that daily. We didn't ask for anything that we didn't need, and we learned the value of hard work and honouring your word.
My father ran his trucking business hauling cattle to the early-morning market at the Toronto Stockyards. He would deliver feed corn to the beef farmers, and did custom field work for local neighbours, all the while working full time as a farmer himself. If anyone thinks they'll die from hard work, he's proof that you won't. She would do field work, cook for the men during harvest, garden and start pickling and canning well into the summer. How on earth did they do it all?
Oh, the life they lived – in the first few years of marriage their dairy herd was hit with tuberculosis which shut down their dairy operation. They would start over. They started a mixed farming operation.
Several years later the century old bank barn burned to the ground taking ninety-six beef cattle with it. I remember slowly walking up the quarter-mile laneway from school that day, seeing the blazing inferno. My parents would send four of us to live with the neighbours for several days, keeping only the two babies behind until things settled down. They would need to rebuild and start over.
They designed and began to build a new barn. It would be a fresh start. In its framing stages it was hit by tornado-like winds and was ripped to the ground. They would need to start over.
Years later he was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that caused him to lose his ability to walk. They started downsizing the herd because of the diagnosis, and I thank God every day for therapists who never gave up on him, so that he could continue to work and live a full life. His healing kept him going and they started over.
Every one of the children had some sort of accident from chipped teeth to being kicked by horses - numerous incidents that would affect us all, some for life. Life on the farm isn’t always safe.
Oh, the life they have survived.
They are elderly now, but they stayed strong through many tragedies and challenges, and today spend time relaxing in their home. Yes, they are still on the farm. What’s so cool to see is watching them reminisce and that they are such good friends.
Happy 63rd wedding anniversary to Allan and Pauline Horsburgh!!
