Sherman

and Jean Forsyth

This is a story on Jean and Sherman
1990.

Jean and Sherman

o W ) where
a school.

met in Duperow

Sheman worked

1956 and 1957.

~.

( D U PER

farm and Jean taught at

They were both born in the latter part

Jean taught one year at Duperow
So anyway

at Two Mile in August

Saskatchewan,

on the Forsyth

of 1930's but now in 195-, anyway
farm.

Forsyth

they were married

Saskatchewan

they then moved to Pero,

shortly

after.

and Sherman was on the

( PER

0 ) in 1958 where

Forsyth was living with the kids and then onto Hazelton,

to in May 1958 to work with Stuart

and Alvin Forsyth

and cedar poles.

Then in 1959, Sherman

survey, he worked,

they moved

got a job with the highway

in Vanderhoof,

Fort St. John, MCBride,

Prince George,

they moved many many places.

worked

at it 'til April

child,

it was Debbie,

at the sawmill

from one place to another.

Cannon and the road to Cedarvale
1968.

1958,

Quesnel,

Terrace,

He worked

They worked
Rupert,

on the Bulkley

and his job he got in 1959 and he

By this time they'd had their first

it was about

1959 and Bruce, born in 1960 and

Brent was born in 1961, Diana was born in 1963, Doug was born in
1965, Pat in 1967 and Lauretta

in 1965.

was traveling

from Prince

-------

and lost control

¥here Debbie
anyway,

with the children

On one of those trips,

on the car and sustained

and Diane were both killed

in April,

Rupert

'cause they were
a very bad accident

and it was very sad.

on the seat and they were killed

and fatally

after that they, "they quit, he finished
got their present

girls were asleep

hurt and so shortly

the survey

home and they started

with poles for two years.

Then of course

and in April

working

Jean did alot of subbing

all their children

Walker was principal

there and knew all their children.

decided

to go trucking

went to that school.

with Bruce Parker

So anyway he continued,

1981 he drove a truck for Stege.
and did his own trucking

Olga

In 1973

for about a year

and a half and then in 1976 he had a back operation
off for awhile.

1965

with John and

in Two Mile school,
Sherman

So

1965 it was, the car it had gone out of control

and hit a school bus and the kids, the two little

~ey

Jean

and had to lay

he got better,

In 1982, he obtained

in 1977 to
his own truck

for eight years and it was a five day week,

Sherman

page 2

and Jean Forsyth

one day for maintenance

and sometimes

was the part that was the hardest,
very good bosses,

he worked

two, very long hours,

very long hours.

for various

people

of the Kispiox

and Bear River.

about, about hazards,

more hazards

on the highway

that motorists

aren't

are a real hazard.

He had some

from the Kispiox

aear, they're mostly

aren't,

he nearly

than the backroads
on the highway

sustained

was at Maitlan

corner, another

one was where he was coming

a very very slippery

road and coming

around

ah anyway

MCPhorus

was driving

the corner

the school,

towards,
anyhow

and!

Many stories

aware of how, motorists

One accident

that

it was, and

there was a car in the ditch

and he had to just, gear his bus, his truck his best he could and
there was a bus, a school
lady was standing

trucking

he nearly

how dangerous

was best.

Bruce

Mary Anne, be is married

year computer
R.C.M.P.

Patricia

secretarial

work,

to Mary Anne now, spent a year in Germany
working

in sawmill

in River View Hospital,

and now he's waiting

and Lauretta
secretarial

in Quequittlem

and their both, oh no, Patricia

in Quequitlem,
another

in Terrace

at college

College

now and Lauretta

and Lauetta

is business,

she went to college

boy, Brent,

he's had four

are both at college,

schooling

in Two Mile.

for a call up to be a

it at NorthWest
the hospital

of all the jobs,

is, went to U of A and took engineering,

in security

science

,

lucky h~

ran her down and he told her that

it was but anyway

and now they have their own sawmill
Doug is working

of the road and the

there and he was just lucky he didn't,

was able to stop because
and she realized

bus sort of in middle

and Patricia

in NorthWest

They also lost
in the Bulkley

River and fell into the river and it was a very big tragedy,
it was a very sad thing.

little girls that they lost, Debbie
so that was, so of a family
children

left, they believed

Lauretta.

Jean of course

he was

The other two

was 5 and Diana was 2 years old

of seven,

they have four of their beautiful

in education

got it and Bruce had done very well

at

for businesses

many years ago, he went fishing

in grade seven at the time,

took

College

is a secretary

working

in Vancouver.

they both took

and of course

they all

so had Doug and Patricia

is accomplished

in, besides

and

gardening

her

page 3

Sherman

and Jean Forsyth

flowers

she is very good at sewing,

stuffed

animals,

crocheting,

did a11 kinds of handicraft,

embroidery,

she participated

in selling

I•

alot of her wel1 of course her, her pottery,

she did a10t of pottery_

"

and this is something
i'n there,

she is going

in there fifties

both bothered

doing further.

and they have to find a warmer

in 01iver

and rea11y,

cherries

and peaches,

a little house

to be their move to make.

two acres,

on the property

the place

where

they both

The p1ace has

is two acres,

another

c1imate

rea1 hot bout and

they find that when they work a day or two down there,
feel good and that seemed

Now

they this is a good time to move, they're

with arthritis

and so they found a p1ace

to continue

person,

there's

which

another

person rents and they have very good relationship

with that person.

The place is very we11

to have,

she plans

something

that~

to have a garden

100ked

after.

Jean p1ans

and to do, to go into f10wers,

p1ace needs bad1y.

Her five years

b100m into pottery

down there,

here are going to certainly

she has a11 kinds of ideas where she

can display

and sel1 her pottery

both being

in their,

stil1

of pottery

there and make a new 1ife and being,

in their ear1y fifties,

ha1f of their 1ife to, down there and to enjoy.
two of their children
in Vancouver
Patricia

are in Vancouver,

so they are within

and Bruce are up here

them, well

Doug and Lauretta

in Hazelton

and of course

especia11y

fruit and wonderfu1

to come and visit.

in Two Mile,

like a si1ver

leave and I'm sure they'll

Makes

are both

easy reach of them and of course

be many many trips back and fourth
that's

they have another

to get fruit and bring

But after al1 that's

jubi1ee,

do very we11.

there will
25 years

so it's a good time to
Thankyou.

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

So anyway,

page 4

,---------

yea we started

with Brent,

you figured

that it was about

1972 or something.
Somewhere

in there,

I think so, yea.

And that, it was something
in the school

else, I know that it was very upsetting

and then you say that it's still an open case because.

Yea they keep an open case on deals like this until

there is evidence.

Any kind of evidence?

Any kind of evidence
And I suppose

comes up.

it can be years and years.

Oh yea it can be, you know there has been other cases,
the body was found or something
For_gosh

the body,

years down the road.

sake.

Ma be buried

under

some bunch of sand or somethin

and yea, gosh.

Well anyway,

anyway

then we talked

children

and their schooling

and memories.

about Doug that he really_liked

fishing

,

about all the

Oh yea you were talking

too.

Well yes, he was out about four or five when he caught his first
out here in the creek so that started
He was really

excited

So he's caught

thousands

him in his fishing

career.

that day he got it.
of fish since.

Oh yea, he's caught

them, here and then in the lakes and rivers

stuff and finally

they explored

they grew bigger,

to go do their fishing.

a little

and

further

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

Page 5

What vou1d be the farthest.
Dh well I don't know,

some of the lakes and their dad would take

them out and they'd

go fishing

and awhile,

time he had to spend with them on the weekends.

whatever

or ice fishing

in the winter

once

So it vou1d be Doug and . . .
Bruce. Yea and then afterwards

occasionally

we would

all go out and

take the camper

and the pick up and go for the weekend

Oh that's nice.

We11 they sure1y

did they have any specia1

did 10ve a11 that and the gir1s

hobbies?

Ah, the girls took piano lessons

for a few years and they also took

figure skating.

Oh they did.
I took them to figure

skating.

'Cause it started vith that --- boy, vhat's
Yea.
What's

his name, Dan.

Yea Dan.
Dan, vhat vas his 1ast name?
I can't remember

or something.

his last name either.

his name?

page 6---1
Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

t he was terrific.
Yea he was, he was very good.
And then I guess

it's kind of petered

I guess so, yea, this year

out I guess.

it's sort of just the women

I think just

taught them a little bit of stuff and that, they had some sort of
due but I never did go to it.

And so then, so then your, and then you yourse1f

were certain1y

we11

gardening.
Oh yes. We had to grow a big garden
Canned

from when they were little.

and canned.

Oh that's

true again.

And a11 your berries.
Yea and I got, I got more berries

every year it seemed,

different

kinds.
reat.

Oh th
I though
Oh bo

I had too many.

and then, and of course

Oh yes and for myself,
for people,
something

sewing,

ou sewed for

oh once and awhile

if they wanted

our kids.

I did a few odds and ends

something

hemmed

or if they wanted

fixed.

That's great.

It's a

reat thing,

it's sure money

saving,

'cause

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

you were mentioning
and decided

page 7

somethin

e

about when the

to. . .

Well that's right,
that carried

yea I sewed for myself

in the stores

And then you fina11y

went

a1ways did fancy work

buy anything,

or the catalogue.
into hobbies

and into we11 I guess you

I guess.

Yea did always,

I always

a girl, I always

did fancy work,

towels or something,

'cause I couldn't

did fancy work,

even when I was home as

embroidered

did crocheting.

table cloths or tea

Mom taught me all that, all

us girls.
Did she?
Yes, she taught us all.

There were five gir1s?
No just the two of us.
the embroidery,

She taught

both of us all the crocheting,

sewing.

Isn't that, oh and sewing.
Oh yes, Mom taught

us to do sewing.

On my.
The first lesson we sat down was
a straight
straight

'cause to hem up tea towels

to get

seem and that was the first lesson once we mastered

seem, then we progressed
reat.

from then and took sewing.

And then fina11y

you got into pottery.

a

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

Yea I went
Through

into pottery.

Carol Gurtz?

Carol Gurtz,

yea.

Yea she
lessons

page 8-

reat and so I guess,

you mentioned

that she got

or something.

Yea, she taught
high school.
college,

like through

the college

here that was held at the

It was held at the high school but it was through

the course

it was through

the

the college.

So she gave more than one I suppose?
Oh yes, there was about twelve

of us or fourteen

of us enrolled

in

that class.
Oh my.

Oh yea Marie was in on it and I was and quiet a few of the girls,
that was sort of our basic

start and then from then on we.

So then you made all kinds of things.
Yea.

Gifts

and I'd give them away and sold some stuff and I'm still

at it but I've been at a stand still for about a year now but I get
organized

and set up again,

And that viII be your pocket

get everything

set up soon.

money.

Yea it's a little extra money but it's a hobby,
hobby.

to me it's just a

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

Sure, you'11
No that's
winter

page 9

never have time to get bored.

for sure, more winter

time there's

nothing

projects

than summer,

'cause in the

to grow outside,

no gardening,

we11 then of course

ou were

no yard

work.
Sure oh

ea.

And an

a,

our hea1th

rob1ems,

Oh yes I've had back problems
Just too much 1ifting
Too much hard work,
worked

and hard.

I was eleven

thrashing

with our parents,

a 10n

from the time I was a girl.

hard like a man, I helped

with haying,

it started

. .
or ten or eleven

years old and I

you know in the barns,

down you know everything,

right along side our parents

I helped

us kids we worked
and then I did house

work on top of it so it's just a .
A 1itt1e too much.
Just too much.
growing

As your growing

you know you're

fast and doing all this heavy

was no bailers,

bailers,

or combines

lifting.

a young kid, you're
At that time there

it was binders.

Oh yea.
Stooking

and sheethes

shovelling
when

r was

grain

them onto the thrasher

and the whole works

a kid too.

so of course

and pitching
Well

and I even helped

I was the second

oldest

clean bars

in the family

by the time the other boy grew up old enough

I had to pitch

in there.

machine,

to do this,

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

a e 10

So how many were there of you.
Jut the four of us, two of each.
So then you sort of, ended up that you have to have an operation.
Yea, surgery,

twice now, the first one was about ten years ago and

the other one was around

two years ago.

And they both, they both were.
Both, yea, they helped

For goodness

sake.

out

'cause with what the problems

And Doctor

Kuntz did one of them.

Dr. Kuntz did the first one and then I went to Vancouver
And then Sherman he, he seemed
troubles

were.

for my second.

to have the same kind or the these

too.

Well yea, he's got problems

too.

a young boy that, his spine didn't

Some of it stemmed

back, he was

fully develop.

Oh I see.
To begin with and then over the period

of years, having

in the bush and the hard work that he did.
On the farm and stuff.
Ah no, more so in the bush.
Is that ri ht?

injuries

Sherman

page 11

and Jean Forsythe

It was after he started

bush work that it progressively

...

Got vorse.
Got worse.
And then I guess

Driving

it, just driving

the truck?

the truck and doing the heavy

like that, he's hurt

lifting,

the tires ad stuff

it many mny times.

Oh yea.

Actually

even this spring,

Oh, lifting

it real bad too.

something?

Yea and working
Oh.

he hurt

on the tires up in the shop.

So, so he had one operation

Yea he had one operation,

quite a fev years ago?

it would be about fourteen

years ago.

That vas vith Dr., also vith Dr. Kuntz?
No he had his in Vancouver.
Oh I see. But you certainly
Oh yes I figured

think alot of Dr. Kuntz.

that Dr. Kuntz was ...

Number ,one.
Number one.

I think

if he had did more x-rays

and checked

Sherman's

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 12

out he could have done his operation
there was something
Oh I see.

more serious

too, at the time they thought

so they sent him to Vancouver.

And so, so now it's, oh yea you said something

fe11 on the ice or something
Yea, well it during,

about Sherman

1ike that?

in the winter

time while he was working,

then

they were on the job and then that's when he ..
Hurt his neck?
Hurt his neck and well that's when
he didn't get doctoring,
when he finally
Because

proper

got to a doctor,

it really

doctoring

progressed.

'Course

there for a few years so

it had hurt him.

he had, you said i~ was somewhere

that he actua11y

took a,

you know took some time off of work or something?
Well yea, he was year practically

down there in the hospital

with

the surgery.
In Vancouver?
Dh yes.
Oh my.
'Cause he had to go right back into the re-hab
get his balance

and learn to walk allover

Oh rea11y?
Dh yes, yes it's a real serious

operation.

centre

again.

and that to

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 13

That vas the one in 177?
Yea, in '77, the one for his neck.
Oh for heavens

sake.

'Cause when he got down there he was darn well paralyzed,
being,

slowly being paralyzed

he was

'cause the nerves were being pinched

off in his neck and in his vertebrae's.
~Oh my.

So it vas after that you vere

decided

you maybe that you

vere going to go to Saskatchevan?

That was, yea, that was, well then was when we made the move back
to Saskatchewan,

that he bought

this service

station,

of his that they would run ~or a year but he didn't
like dealing

him and a friend

like it, he didn't

with the public.

But you liked it there didn1t

you?

I liked it there because

of the climate

even the kids felt better

up there.

and that I felt good there,

Isnlt that something?
Yea.
So an

a .

That's when he come back and started

trucking,

that's when he started

driving

driving

trucks.

Oh

ea.

trucks,

he got a job starting

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 14

He drove for a few years and then he bought his own.
So it was after that service

station

business.

Yea.
So and then I guess
Yes.

For himself.

For I

uess

it was, well

in business

it's years and years, what did he say?

or something?

then?

Seventeen

years

I don't remember.

I think so, something

like that.

And anyway

I know that he mentioned

h

for various

worked

for himself

companies,

that in trucking,

I guess he worked

well of course

for Bruce Parker,

what did see, for about a year and half or something?
Oh no, I don't know how long he drove for him, I don't,

I can't remember.

And then Stege.

He drove for Stege I think for about two or three years,
sure about Steges

trucks.

He had three trucks

I'm not

And then after that he bought his own.

of his own.

So then of course would come the ---- to buy new trucks

then eh?

Ah not the first one, the first one was second hand and then the
other two were new.
So then that would

be beautiful

trucks

but beautiful

payments

I guess.

Sherman

That's

and Jean Forsythe

for sure.

Lot's

page 15

of money,

even the license

alone

is expensive

and then they'd go up every year, and every year it got a little
higher

and a little higher

and I don't know if I had to think now,

for a three month

license

I think

it's around,

think it's around

thirteen

hundred

dollars.

I'm not sure but I

Just for three months?
Just for three months.

So it's really expensive?
It is expensive
hundred

and your tires they run anywhere

to four-fifty,

five hundred

dollars

from three,

four

a piece.

Now never mind all that other stuff.
Oh and that's right,

then there's

your fuel and your oil.

~T~h~e~n~~o~h~y~e~a~:a~n~d~t~h~e~n~w~e:l==l~t~h~e=-~l~i~c~e~n~s~e~,~t~h~a~t~'~
for being able to be on the road.
Right,

yea.

And he's never had any accidents?
He had one, ah about,
a trailer

it was something

or something,

the reach

to do with the, I don't know,

I think he said it broke on it.

It was up there on, just by that seventeen
rock.

Rock cut.

He ran into it.

mile turn off, that wild

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 16
«2

Spi11ed,

spi11ed

his.

Yea he sort of spilled

it but he run the front of the truck up the

rock cut.
Oh I see.
He didn't

get hurt but the truck got, well got damaged.

a bit, yea but they fixed
Oh that was nice.
concerned

it for him.

And he was mentionin

it was actua11y

It got damaged

safer to drive

that as far as driving

is

in the bush that on the

highway.
Yea that's

for sure, he didn't,

contend with the other traffic
Because

that one stor

once he got down to the highway
it was pretty

that he t01d about,

to

serious.

the scho01 bus and ever thing,

that wou1d be something.
Oh yes.
It's pretty,

pretty

serious.

That's right.

So anyway,

so then of course

01iver

is where

you're going now?

Right.
And because

of the c1imate

Well yes and there's

most1y? ,

nothing

really here for us, we've talked

quite

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 17

a few years ago that whenever
we wanted

we sort of half retire

to go down south where

And you find that it really

or whatever,

it was dryer and warmer,

more sunshine.

helps?

Oh yes.
Oh that's

the thing to do.

So maybe

do you think Sherman will get

organized?
Oh he eventually

will,

I don't know,

sometimes

he's having

second

thoughts.

Scared

stiff?

Yea, it's going to be quite a change

for him, well it will be for

me too but I still have my gardening,

my flower growing

and things

like this and my hobbies

something

that lighter work,

Oh he'd probably,

interests

where he's going to have to find

or pick up part time work or whatever.

once he found out that he can do this and that

and the other thing.
This is what

I told him, I said you know because

he can fix anything

and I says,"When

they find out you can fix thing,"

won't have enough

time to turn around."

traveling

too this is why we bought

I said,"You

probably

So but we want to do some

the trailer.

Oh sure, of course.
We didn't get time this summer but we want to take about three months.

And just travel

,/

around?

page 18

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

Travel,

yea, want to go back east and look up family.

Oh yea, 1ike you have some further

. . .

Oh yea, he's got family in Ontario, where his dad came from, of course
then his mothers got family in Nova Scotia and so which we haven't.
been to.
Oh that wou1d be nice.
He's also got an uncle

in New York.

Oh.
And I've never been back east and my oldest brother and my sister
live in Ontario and I've never been there to visit them.
,

So but they've

been to see you?

,

Well we meet in Saskatchewan at Mom's sort of deal and this is oh
once every eight or ten years or whatever.
Rea11y?
Yea.
Well I think once was what, when we put on their 40th wedding
anniversary and Lauretta was about three years old or something or
two years old.
She wasn't very old.
I forget what year it was.
So that was the first time I seen them since we all left home.
Then
the next time was my dad passed away in '81, that we were all together.
Oh my.
And then the next time was that last summer when my nephew got married
so that's you Know how far apart it was.
My youngest brother, I
got to see him more often 'cause he was Saskatchewan for quite a
few years and that so he was close enough I could visit him as well
as with mom.
Then he came up for Bruce's wedding.
Oh that was nice.
Yea.
So then Sherman has a11 kinds of fami1y here besides, 'course he
has Stuart which I'm 1ad to to et Stuart and ub
I have to et
that started.
Then he has, who e1se you can name them a11?
Well his mother

lives in Montreal,

And then, he has, we11
Yea.

Peggy.

1ets see we11 of course he 10st two brothers.

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 19

That vas John and Albert?

~--------------------~---

John and Albert.
And that vas all logging,

they vere all loggers?

Yea well Alvin had sort of a sawmill.
Anyway

and so there vere hov many girls,

hov many in tha.t family?

There were fourteen.
Fourteen

altogether.

And they vere all living?

And they were all living.
And the first one to go vas?
John.
And he already

told us that he vas sick.

And then Alvin.

He had a burst blood vessel in his head.
He had high blood pressure
but he wasn't doctored with it, he didn't, he didn't really look
after his health real good and that, he didn't go to a doctor and
that.
He'd get severe nose bleeds and then he went down and of course
they sort of seared it for him and they weren't quite so severe and
that and they figured if he'd have had a nose bleed that day, he'd
been O.K., it would have relieved the pressure.
But then I guess he used to drink a bit too.
Yea he did but he had cut back alot at that time but it was hot,
he couldn't take the heat but he wouldn't go to the doctor, the kids
they tried to get him to go to the doctor when he wasn't feeling
good until finally late in the afternoon, by that time he was seriously
injured.
So because
Alvin's

Alvin

-----, vhat vere their kids names?

kids?

His vife vas, vhat's

her name?

Hela.
And of',course John is the youngest.
Yea.
And then there vas?

Sherman

page 20

and Jean Forsythe

Loraine.
Loraine.

Oh yea Loraine

Loraine

was the oldest.

vas the oldest vas she?
And then Mike.

Mike.
Timmy.
And Timmy.
Karl.
And John.
For goodness sake and of course Mike,
Loraine are all in Hazelton.
All in Hazelton,

Karl and

yea.

And then John and his mother,
Yea they're

Jimmy,

down in, around

are they still?

by Abbotsford.

Is that right?
Yea.
John married?
No he's working,

he just graduated
So the
all in 10

here a couple years ago.
then Mike and Jimmy and Karl,

Well I guess so, yea, yea Jimmy works in the bush, he runs loader
usually, in the bush.
And Karl, I think he does falling over there.
And the Ire all married?
Yea there's
But an

separation

a s there the

Well Mike, he's a little, he's se arated.

there.
are.

Yea.
So that vas Alvin

and then vho vas the oldest

in their family

anyway?

Ah Thelma was the oldest.
Thelma she's the one in?

,

Well the last I heard

she'd been

in North Battleford,

she'd been

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 21

there for years.
Oh yea and then Thelma
Well there's,

Marie

died.

The ones that are in Hazelton

are.

is here.

Marie?
try an

Bruce and I'll
ory.

And Anna.
Anna.

That's Anna and Bill.

And Bill Reagan.
Oh Reagan,
is e.

yea.

REA

He's the accountant,
And that's

really

G A N.

So and Bill is he, he's the accountant

yea.

how he makes a living.

Uh huh.
Does Anna work at all.
She does baby-sitting.
Oh that's neat.

And what, who are their kids.

Ah, Mavis.
Oh yea Mavis.
And Jerry.
And Jerry.
And Mark.
Mark.

And then who else?

Elaine .
.<>hyea, Elaine.
And Jerry.
And Gerry,
G.

that's

J or G?

Sherman
G?

page 22

and Jean Forsythe

And that's

Snider?

Right.
And well he's a trucker
No, he's

in, working

His own logging
Logging

isn't he?

in the bush.

He's got his own logging

...

company.

company.

'Cause I remember
Yea, well

he was so mad at Kispiox

the other day.

I guess alot of them are.

Yea and then so he has his logging

com an

then?

Uh huh.
So he'd em 10

all kinds of

eo Ie?

Yea.
And who are their children?
Ah, Robert.
Robert.
And Gerald.
And Gerald.
Jason.
All boys eh, and so they are, I guess

--.;;'"------

Robert and Gerald work with their dad and Jason, he still goes to
school.
Oh I see.

And who else, is that it?

Ah, Wallace

is around here.

And Wallace?
Yea.
Oh I guess, he's the one, has a drinking
Yes.

He's the one that was married

problem.

to Karen Forsythe.

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 23

Oh I ~e.
So that and then of course
sort of a loner now.

the Parkers.

So then he's

Yea.
Sort of kind of drifter.
Yea.

I guess

so.

I guess that's

So any that's, isn't that amazing
~is here~
.

all that's here, yea.
that, that much of that family

Yea that's right.
And of course their mother is here.
So anywa , if ou were to ut
1 1n, 1n a ew words or sentences what are our best memories of
the Hazelton area?
Well.
That you might miss or whatever?
I don't know.
There's actually been quite a few good memories.
When the weather's nice it is nice you know and that.
Oh I don't
know, it's been a good place to raise the kids, it's been a rural
place sort of and this was one thing that, they had to, they had
chores and different things to do.
It was sort of a nice place for
them to grow up.
They had a creek right

in their yard.

Well that and you know there was not the hassle of being in the cities
and that, they had their sport and whatever the recreation and also
they had a little more of a rural schooling, like you know which
they would ...
But I had myself you know and it, I found it was
alot nicer for them.
It sure is. I think its swin in
back to their schools~oday.

back

I think it's

to swin

Oh I hope so.
And I think that little b
even private schools now.

~~-=~~~~~~~=7~~~-A~~~~

little,
Schools

you
-----~--can

to be more,
-s~------------------~

Well that's right and the only thing too, another thing is some of
the education they teach and I don't know what sense there is in
it, they, I don't know.
When I, I guess when I went to school we
just had, had our basic education.
The three R's.

page 24

an and Jean Fors the

The three R's and that was it you know, oh we had Our little bits of music
or art on the side line but we didn't

go over board on it and I figure

that alot of this is just, it's too much emphasis
education

and not enough

on the niceties

in the

on the three R's.

That's right and then of course

in those days it was alot more attention

on the community.
That's right,

yea.

Those community

life.

It was, a community

life.

And then of course you were

just part of the community.

That's right and if there were and doings
thing, the parents

and the children

at the school,

were all involved.

it was a community
It wasn't

just

kids going there with just loud music and doing what they want to.
used to start at ten maybe eleven

-

The kids at nine are ready, we were waiting
Yes that's right.

The little

'cause we'd wait.

for the parents.

school was nicer,

there was a little more

involvement.
Did yo

et

were

ou ever in any of those plays that they had at

the school here?
No.
Oh 'cause Sheila

I think was involved.

was the post l~dy.

I can't think of her name, she

Sherman

a e 25

and Jean Forsythe

It was before my time.
I guess so.

No I was involved
Oh yea.

with raising

Yea that's

reall

money

great.

for bake sales and stuff like that.

So lets see.

You vant to tell me that,

tell that it vas four years that since his, since he vas fell on the ice
and now after a~l this_hQY

to do vith the CAT and all this

For four years he was doctored
got his surgery

before

he got any relief

over •••

from, then he

on it.

And doctor Kuntz did it?

No doctor Kunts couldn't,

didn't

do it.

doctor Kuntz only looked at his report

We went to see doctor Kuntz but
and his x-rays

and when he looked

at this report when he took that fall, he was paralyzed,
maybe he had a brain
serious

tumor or something,

so he sent him to Vancouver

he figured

he thought that

it was a little more

to a neurologist.

Oh I see.
And this is way.

So when they, when he got down there to the neurologist

they did a brain scan on him and they did everything
to see the doctor
his brain

and then when the doctor

like he hadn't

scan or the x-rays being

I guess

it was a reflex

little

and he said he tapped him here on the chin and he said your problems

in the neck.
Really?

seen

and when he come in he asked him a few questions.

And he said he had this little hammer,
hammer

come in and he hadn't

looked at the brain

done down there or anything

before he even got

He knew just like that.

Sherman

Yea.

and Jean Forsythe

page 26

He was a young doctor he was only probably

And just by touching
Just by tapping
problem was.
a wonder,"

his chin?

him on the chin with his little hammer

And he said to him, he said,"You

he said,'You're

And he reco nized

walking,

know,"

he knew where his
he said,"Your,

it's

the shape your back and neck is in.

it?

Yea right away because
(Background

in his mid thirties.

his nerves

voice.)That's

were pinched

off.

like you know when Ike got his on the head with

a tree and the next day after he got home from the hospital
him and feed him breakfast

I had to dress

when he came back from the hospital
And they said there's

nothing

because

he couldn't

raise his arms.

wrong with

your neck,

I got them to x-ray his neck and they said there wasn't anything

wrong with

it and I had to ask them to do it.

And they still said that

he never put out a disk or anything

but still if Ike turns his head to

the side,

to black out.

(just like that) he starts

to black out and still is bothered

like his neck gets sore.

And this is, just so, so fortunately
ot ni

Either way he starts

because

ed with the thin

he had this accident

with

•

Yea that he got this bump on the head.
(Background

voice.)Well

with his neck before

Yea it wasn't

before

then?

Like he had problems

he fell?

that bad though,

but what had happened
operated

what happened

it didn't

really bother him to that point

was that then the doctor

told down there when he

on him and they had to chip bone out in six vertebrae's

neck like to relieve

the pressure

on the nerves

in his

to make more room and

herman

and Jean Fors the
page 27

also down his spinal

So the nerves

were

column.

literally

They were being pinched

dying.

off and he was slowly being paralyzed.

why he had poor balance.

He couldn't

he'd go pins and needles,

any little bump he'd get on his head, he'd go

all pins and needles.

walk straight.

This was

And this is why

So they had to chip bone away from around the spina:

column.
Chip bone away?

Chip the bone away and the vertebrae's
they could move and the doctor
that you're

not in a wheel

to make room for these nerves so

told him, he said that, he said."I'm

chair,

the shape you're

in.

"Well

why this happened,

his spine did not fully develop

up as a teenager.

He said at about the time he turned sixteen

growing,

quit developing

so the spine actually

his body and this also didn't help matters

surpri:

also

when he was growing
it quit

is small for the size of

you see.

Too much pressure

and fell and bumped

his head that it

on it.
So actually
Well

after he had this accident.

i guess

To bring

it was sort of fortunate ...

it all u

to the form.

Yea that I guess that he tripped
brought

it on finally

something

about

And of course
Doctor

that he finally

got to see a doctor

it.

it was doctor

Kuntz that sent him there.

Kuntz sent him to Vancouver,

yea.

that would do

Sherman

and JeanForsythe

He thought

it was something

Yea he thought
the whole

page 28
really

more serious.

it was more serious

that it was.

year in the hospital

in Vancouver

because

So he spent practically

and between

the hospital

the rehabilitation

centre,

he had to learn to walk allover

Well this is what

it is, I was here home alone with the kids.

and
again.

How many then?
Four of them.

But I think that's when
No that was before

ou were subbing

I was subbing.

alot.

See Lauretta

was only about three years

old or something.
(Background

voice)You

had a teaching

job did you?

Yea I ~~d, up ?er~ at _Two !'1-..~}e
ancLove.:ra~_._N~F'
TowD-1.I d:i.da coup Le 2f
tlmes over _~~ _S2pth 3o'ill..l ~ lots a~_.;rohn
.Field.

----

--

----~

Oh she must have subbed here for years and years.
Oh yea, I did a whole week for you one time when Doug bumped,

ran into

you on the steep hill and you bumped

your wrist,

Christmas.

Yea I did alot of subbing

Either

up here.

just before

the grade one two or three

or else your class.
Oh yea.

Doug was barrelin~

Showing

off.

ba~rds, <;:;

And I was, had I been skating

normally

hanging

onto little Kathleen

M£oris

course

I was poking

it would have been O.K but I was

or something,

grade one and so of

along and so anyway next thing you know this kid just

page 29
Sherman

and Je~n Fors the

barreLed-Do~
ou know I lost m balance, oh God was I sore. So
comes to me and he sa s,nAre you all right?" and I said,nGo away!n
was in such pain.
I remember

he grumbled

and complained

he didn't want to do his school work,
fault,"I

said,"If

you hadn't

down and broke her wrist,
to suffer

'cause I was there for a whole week,
I said,"Listen,"I

been showing

I wouldn't

said,"It

off and knocked

be here.

Mrs. Walker

So,"I said,"You're

it out and do your work the same as if she was here."

Oh gosh that was funny.
Oh yea, it was alot of fun.

was your
going

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 30

This is a continuation
wanted

of Jean and Sherman's

story.

So many of the things I

to ask you Jean what year vas it that, that awful tragedy happened wi

Brent?
The year?

Oh golly.

Must have been

197 ...

197 .. I can't remember
'72 or somethin
Something

the year.

like that.

like that I think possibly.

'Cause he was in grade

seven wasn't

he?

Yep.
Grade seven and nothing

ever ever ever was found.

Never found, nothing.

It's still and open case.

Is that right.
Yea they keep it open
Is that right?

'till there's

some evidence

So it might be years,

shown.

they might find some part of a body or

something.
Or even his fishing
Oh I see.
Yea

Yea

rod, piece of clothing

'cause the fishing

'cause it never

rod ...

showed up, nothing.

or anything.

Sherman

page 31

and Jean Forsythe

Oh for gosh sakes.

'Cause I know that oh they must have worked

on it for wt

a year anyway.
Yea because

I know Sherman

far as Cedarvale

and back,

hired

a boat afterwards,

searching

a river boat, they went

the river.

Is that right.
Yea there wasn't

anything.

But that of course was I think it was Mayor
Just to the end of June,

something

wasn't

it?

it was about five or so days of school before the e

of school.
I still have his little bear that he made.
Yea that's right,

I have a few things

of his too, children's

Yea oh well an

so then well we'll

talk about

thin

a

Gardenin ~was your bi

to keep.

Yea I grew a good garden
And of course baking,
I

ou.

stuff.

at first when the kids were all horne and little.

baking

and everything

and cooking

everything

and sevin

uess you made all their clothes.

Well alot of them when they were

little

play jackets

sometimes

Because

or whatever

or pants

I guess when you used to travel,

Vander-hoof-. It must haye~e.e

terribl

I used to make over jackets for then
and different

things.

you used to travel
hard on the fami1Y?

to all these pIa

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

age 32

Well the thing of it is you couldn't
in one move.
a trailer

So you couldn't

aquire much

'cause you had to move ever)

have any more than what you could move either

or a truck or whatever

so it was just the necessities

j

that you too}

along with you.
So when

it was Apri1

Yea right I guess

1965 that was a big day to fina11y

so.

And then you cou1d spread

out.

Yea and you could aquire

something.

So then ~ny incidents

with the chi1dren

specia1 things

that you can reca11,

specia1 hobbies

or did they, of course

They got a11 kinds

put your roots down.

of awards

when they were young growing up, any

about the kids and

ou know the, they ha~

I know they a11 did very we11 at schoo

and stuff 1ike that.

Oh I don't know, other than Doug, Doug loved his fishing,

that was his big th

Is that right?

Yea.

'Course the other boys did too but Doug he, that was an exception.

Dh

he just loved fishing.
It ran in the fami1y

I guess.

So where

did he fish most1y?

Right out here in this little creek and that's where he caught his first fish
He was about I don't know four or five years old.
Is that right.
And I made him a little
clothes

fishing

rod out of, a little bit of a string with a b

pin on a little piece of stick.

Was out there and he caught this lit

page33

Sherman and Jea Forsythe

fish, it was about three

inches

long and talk about excited.

After that, that was it, you couldn't
Oh isn't that something?
had any mishaps

That's

or anything

Oh he was so tj

keep him out of the creek.

great.

So then, there vas no, none of them

to speak of.

Oh no, not out of the ordinary.
Nothing

out of the ordinary?

with their scrapes

and falls and fish hooks

in the fingers

at the odd time.

Oh yea I took ..
Lot's of those eh?
Yea.

Oh I think Bruce and Doug both,

the hook out of their thumbs

I took them down to the hospital

to ge1

and fingers.

Oh gee.
Yea.
So then
going

ou vent into your other hobbies

into your other hobbies

Pottery.

I started

as they vere groving

that oh actually

when they were fairly grown up.

No I, we got introduced
Oh rea11y.

I've bE

You know, when I first got introduced 1

it.
So that vas through

You start.

1ike?

into it for about five or six years.

Oh yea.

up.

Marie vas it?

to that through

Carol Gurtz.

Sherman
Jean Forsythe 1
_____________________________ and

Yea she did while
who introduced
Oh well

a e 34

they were here,

stationed

here that time.

She was the one

us to it.

isn't that nice.

And so you sort of took lessons

from her.

Yea we did the one year down at her place at first, just a little bit and thE
she taught

it through

the college

the next year.

Oh and you took it at the college?
Yea.

Isn't that wonderful

and that gave you something

really

Just to start yea, and then after that we just practiced

special to do.

on our own and workE

on it.
And you really really

like it?

Yea I do, yea.
Did you sell alot?
I've sold a fair amount,
So actually

yea.

it sort of almost makes

It, yea, I think a person
gone like into getting
all tnis and that.
then Marie

all your expenses.

can sort of cover them and that because

alot of the chemicals

and stuff to make up glazes and

Some of it I will just order

and I worked

well I havE

and she had the chemicals

it ready mixed or whatever (

and we sort of worked toge1

and mixed them up and then I would pay her for the, so much for what the cheI
might amount

to.

Sherman and Jean Forsythe

Oh I see.

So they were,

you're

actually

naturally

of no end of gifts, that

gave I suppose?
Oh yea, I give lots away.
And that saves you, saver right there.
Right,

yea.

And of course

the fact that you made them would make so much difference.

Oh yea, sure.
Ah that's

great and lets see what else?

Crocheting,

knitting.

Crocheting

and knitting?

Then you did fancy sewing.

Oh yea I do everything.

So anyway you still do that?
Yea.
Is that right?

So when you sit by a T.V. that's what you do?

Yea in the evenings

I'll sit and I crochet

I've sewn quite a few of them and that.

Isn't that great?
Yea I sew, make cushions

or whatever.

and crochet

doilies

or whatever a

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

page 36

Do you make any of your own c10thes

or anything?

Oh yes I sew alot of my own clothes.
Oh that sure is, that sure saves money doesn't

it?

Well when the styles go in when they were all these mini skirts
shirts with short skirts,

I wouldn't

find my style or whatever

I like or a color or something

and shorts and

wear them so I sewed my own.

When I can't

so I'd buy the materia

and sew what I like.
Gee that's great.

So anyway we11 and then of course we11 Sherman,

that he has some hea1th

prob1em,

with his back or something,

we11

you wer~ say

it's his back

isn't it?
Yea.
So those started

quite a whi1e

ago then?

Oh he's had it for quite awhile
the trucking

but he's hurt himself

the last while now and

too is ..

Just with driving

so much?

Yea, well driving

and the heavy

oodness
So he's serious1

sake.

So then he's

, comp1ete1y

Yea.
S01d his truck and.

lifting,

• •

going

fixing

tires and stuff too.

·ust has to cut back, that's
to quit?

a11 understooc

Sherman

and JeanForsythe

Retirement,

yea.

So then of course he said something

about he had, did have three trucks?

Yes.
So I guess the first truck must have been a biggee,
big excitement

I guess

must have been the

for him.

Well, I don't know, you see he drove for other people before.
Oh yea that's

right.

Yea so he drove first for different
Parker for awhile

and he drove

people.

Well he drove for Bruce

some of, one of Stege's

trucks for a few

years too.

That's right so then, it's great when you work for 10ca1 peop1e
of course he wou1d have his work done in Bruce's

and then

shop I guess?

Yea.
That wou1d be the big ...
Right, yea.

Al and Bruce would

Sherman just sort of drove

sort of do the work on it too 'cause

it and he would

fix little things

Bruce and who?
Oh Bruce did the work.

Oh I see.
Yea so Sherman was just sort of the driver mainly.

and that.

Sherman

and JeanForsythe

I see.

Yea we11 that's

~ut

he wou1d

sa

page 38

great.

we11 Jim was sti11 1iving

oh I fixed that truck or he fixed that truck.

Oh yea Jim worked

here for Bruce for awhile

So then any specia1,

too at the shop, that's right.

1ike I mean he, we11 he's the one who wou1d have

to1d us a11 about his trucks
his trucks

I remember

or se11ing

the first one because

I guess.

or buying
it

Any specia1

or I mean 1ike I su

ot 01der?

ot rid of

Or was it a new truck?

Yea, no it was an older truck and then he traded
O.K.

do with

it off on a newer one.

So then of course he'd have to get into debt.

Oh yes, it was pretty

rough at first.

And then of course you'd have a11 these huge paYments?
Yes.
How big payments

wou1d he have to make?

I don't know, he did the business

Wou1d

you remember?

end of it so I don't know, he just

made them out.

But I know it cost, you know alot of money went into

it and that.

Oh by the time you buy tire and the fuel and the license

plates

itself was expensive.

So that's,
be home.

sure we11 maybe,

I might afterwards

And 1ets see, what e1se we got here?

a 1itt1e bit of arthritic
Yes I also had surgery

prob1ems.

on my back twice.

come back and maybe he'11
So then you deve10ped

a e 39

Sherman and Jean Forsythe

Really?
Yea.

Really?

So is there any, just nothing

Well I guess

that particularly

caused

it?

just alot of hard work when I was a young girl growing

and then as I got older

it started

to bother

up

me.

So you did hard york on the farm and stuff?
Dh yea I worked
Dh my.

hard when

So then it starts

I was a young girl.
shoving

up later?

Yea.
And did the

0

erations

hel

ou?

Yes.

Were any of these done b

Kuntz or anything.

Yes the first one was and that's

about nine, ten, almost

that I had the first one done.
And it vas a success?
Yea.
So you'd be a great supporter
Dh yes.

of him?

ten years ago

Sherman

a e 40

and JeanForsythe

'Cause you've

signed

Yea I did you know

some of his •••

it's too bad that he didn't make it.

Well yea, well he's kind of a genius

and I guess sometimes

genius's

have

problems.
That's right.
They're kind of head~trong.

So and Sherman

had some surgery

too I guess

eh?
Yea he had it on his neck, on the top part of his spine.
O.K. was that caused by any particular
Well yea, it started
didn't get proper
development

thing?

out he took a fallon

attention

the ice at work and then he

on it, but part of it was not a full growth

from the time he was a young boy.

Oh you mean this happened
Oh this happened

a long time ago?

quite a few years ago.

But was it in Hazelton?

Yea.
Oh in Hazelton.
Dh yes it was when we were living here.
_ Oh for~osh

sakes.

And so then he had to have an operation

on it?

Sherman and Jean Forsythe

page 41

Yea.
And that he1ped?
Yea oh yea.
Was that Kuntz a1so?

No he went to Vancouver

to a specia1ist.

No he was in St. Pauls.

St. Pau1s?
Yea.

And that he1ped

a10t?

Oh yes.

Oh that's great.

So you find that in going to the warmer

c1imate

you'11

fee1 •••

Yes we feel alot better

down there.

And it isn't just your

imagination?

No,

live been feeling

I feel achy today,

Just because

a little stiff and achy today.

it's damp?

Dh huh.

Isn't that something
go.

. .

so that's

just 1ike the right thing to do is to

Sherman and Jean Forsythe

page 42

I guess so, yea well we've
wanted

to go down where

Sure.

Because

talked

about for quite a few years that we've

its warmer

I guess noticed

and dryer and more sunshine.

for quite awhile

that you felt better.
I

Oh yes.
Well how about Saskatchewan,
where you worked

so hard

I guess,

did you used to feel,

I guess but when you visited

'course Saskatchewc

there, that's

also

hot and stuff.
Yea I found that I felt better

too.

Is that right?
Yea. Even that one year that we moved back.

Oh that's-Eight.
Yea.

You moved back for one year?

One year, yea.

Oh yea,

Well

'cause Sherman

No he was running
Oh for goodness

was going to go work on he farm?

a service

sake.

just about a year I guess.

station

with a friend of his.

Oh I see and you just went back to, went back

with him of course.
Yea oh yea.
So you just settled
Well he didn't,

and then you had to come back?

couldn't

deal with the public,

he didn't

care for it.

Sherman

page 43

and Jean Forsythe

So he had to come back to B.C.

I

didn't want to come back.

Oh is that right?

Yea because

you were really

looking

forward

eh?
Yea.
'Cause your children,

well they were still quite young then.

Oh yea, Lauretta

was only in grade one when we moved back.

Oh for goodness

sake.

Doug was just six.

Oh yea.

to it

Sherman

and Jean Forsythe

Incident with

the CAT:

Sherman was hung up on a stump.
him off.

In returning

and remained

imobilized

him and they brought
body.

a piece of metal).

He went to ask another

to the CAT he slipped
for awhile.

him horne.

He told Jean he's going

appeared

page 44

and fell face downwards

The man's young son noticed

Slowly

full feeling

to see a doctor

Dr. Kuntz thought

and sent him to Neurologist

man to help pull

carne back to his

(scrape on his head from

it was more serious
in Vancouver.

that it