The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Wilfred Laurier Burrows arrived in Flin Flon in 1931 from Kimberley, British Columbia. Company Consolidated, at which he worked, had asked him to go to Flin Flon because, as a metallurgist, his expertise was needed to help train people in the mining industry. The position was for one year. Wilf arrived in May 1931 and his wife Mary, along with their six-month-old daughter, Marilyn, arrived a few months later, after a very long train ride. Mary stated, "When we got to Winnipeg and I went to get a ticket from the ticket agent for Flin FlonÉ the agent couldn't even find it on the map! The furthest north the map went at that time was The Pas. There was no such thing as a dining car, we had to depend on someone to bring us something to eat! To top things off it had rained since Calgary. Once we arrived at the 'so called station', we soon found out it was quite a distance from town." Mary laughs, "At first sight of Flin Flon, the first thing that came to mind was 'Uncle Tom's cabin'! The homes were mainly tent shacks." The Burrows family's first night was spent in a hotel right across from the Blue and White General Store on Main Street. Mary states, "Since we were only going to be here for one year, Wilf thought it only feasible to rent something for a year! Well, he soon realized that renting was not an option, there was such a shortage of places to live. Luckily he heard of a carpenter gang that had finished their job in town and was heading to Ontario and Wilf was able to buy their house for $1,100. The house was situated in the vicinity of the present Co-op store and was hauled onto Main Street by Joe Beuotte, to become 48 Main Street. (The house is still there!) See 'Glee' P.# Con't from P.# As things turned out, the family lived in that house for ten years and son Donald was born there in 1935. In about 1941 when Marilyn was about 12 years-old the family moved into the Company apartments. Some of their neighbours were Glen and Gail Barker, the Dave Roberston family, the Bowes family, Ben and Bertha Schneider and the Stickney family. During those years Mary loved to sing and she recalls, "There wasn't a specific church choir then, we just all got together and would go to whatever church needed us, having one choir helping one another." As people came to town the Glee Club was formed. Seth Mathews, Harold Vance, D. Bucher, Ron Price, Bill and Chubby Luthwaite, Jean Frechette, Earl Watson (while his wife Noreen worked tirelessly on the scenery), Jean Price (who was the pianist), and Mary were some of the originals. Mary and Wilf were very active in the community. Mary belonged to the Eastern Star and the Rebekah Lodge (she became Past Deputy District President). Mary joined the lodge when she was only 19 years of age. She was instrumental in forming the Pineline Toastmistresses Club in Flin Flon, later to become International Toastmistresses Club. Whereas Wilf belonged to the Shrine Club, the Masons and the Rotary. They also golfed on the drained bottom of Flin Flon Lake. Mary laughs, "I did curl but never got passed lead because I was too busy socializing and never took the game very seriously!" She adds, "In those early years, Christmas was a special time for the community. We never locked our doors and neighbours would drop in for a Christmas drink, even if we weren't home, they'd just tell us the next time they saw us on the street!" The kids went to Main School until grade 6 and then on to Hapnot. Marilyn recalls her grade one teacher as being Miss McDonald and that Neil McLellan was the principal of Main School then. As a teenager, Marilyn recalls hanging out at Milt's Sweet Shop, enjoying chocolate cake and ice-cream and Cokes. Marilyn stated, "We (June Bowes, Freda McIntosh, Maureen Hogan, Jackie Kitchen, Joyce Guymer and Gail and Glen Barker ) would alternate theatres on the weekend by going to the Rex Theatre one night and the Northland the next. (During the war the kids would gather on Barker's veranda and spend hours weaving stocking strips into squares that were then made into blankets and sent overseas.) In those years the Flin Flon Junior Bombers were a team to be reckoned with and the kids never missed a game. Neither did "Ricky" who happened to be the Burrows' black cocker spaniel who could be found anywhere the kids were. That included the movie theatres where he would come into the theatre and check out where the kids were sitting and curl up on an empty seat beside them and have a sleep. Church was not exempt from Ricky's visitsÉ if his family was in there he would find them! Marilyn completed her high school in Regina, then spent one year in Nova Scotia with her grandmother before returning to Flin Flon in 1952, where she got a job at HBMS in the Personnel Department. She worked with Toddy Murray, Lorna Rogan, Florence Evans, Joyce Murray, Helen Bray, Norma McLean, Annette Lavergne, Bert Kirkwood, Eddie Carate and Laurie Johnson. "When we worked at HBMS, we'd have great parties. The person who hosted the party would buy the beer and then everyone would just throw in a quarter per beer. We had a great time!" recalls Marilyn. In 1954 Marilyn's curling team of Norma Saddlemeyer, Joyce Guymer and Gwen Busch won the Ostry Cup and had it presented to them by George Ostry. Also in 1954 Marilyn and her friend Freda McIntosh, R.N., took a trip overseas. It was through Freda that Marilyn met Ron Watson who was a practicing general practitioner at the Company and the Flin Flon General hospitals. The couple were married on January 18, 1956 in the United Church by Rev. George Rupp. Standing up for them were Lorna Rogan, Stella Locker, Maureen Hogan, Don Locker, Al Killoh and Don Burrows. The couple honeymooned in Winnipeg for a week, travelling by train. Along with them on the train were Bud and Donnie Jobin. The couple left Flin Flon in June of 1956 and moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where they lived for four years. While there Dr. Ron Watson got his ENT (Ear, Nose and Throat) Specialty and their children Donald (born in '57), Debbie (born in '58) and Rick (born in '60) were born. The family moved to Winnipeg, where Dr. Watson opened up his practice and later Linda (born in '61) and Ron (born in '63) completed the family. The family has lived in Winnipeg ever since but still has strong ties to Flin Flon, especially Denare Beach. The family would come back in the summers and Dr. Watson would practice his specialty for a few days while they were here as a favour to the local doctors and the people of Flin Flon and Norway House, saving them a trip into the city. Wilf and Mary retired in 1966 and made their home in Winnipeg but continued to have their summer home at Denare Beach. Again they dove into activities in Winnipeg. Volunteering was not a new thing for them. Mary would drive 'seniors' around on Sundays. She laughs, "Many times they were younger than me!" She joined the Prairie Crocus Club (International Toastmistresses, later to become International Training Communication). This venture took her on many adventures and conventions, even as far away as Hawaii. Letting no grass grow under her feet, Mary became a member of the Pan Am Pool and when she was swimming through the water there she took an interest in the National Members Association of Parliamentarians and before long had written the 7 1Ú2 hour exam, passed it, and became a Registered Parliamentarian. With her interest in people being so strong, she soon started writing human interest stories and became an accomplished writer, winning the Kathleen Strange Award in 1974. She is a member of the Canadian Authors Association and has been interviewed on TV. Mary's most notable story to people in Flin Flon would have been the rescue of Walter Sedor. Walter Ñ as you will recall Ñ was lost in the bush outside Flin Flon in May 18, 1960, for 15 days after the plane in which he was a passenger (along with his father Steve and pilot Ken Harrison who were killed) had crashed in the wilderness, leaving Walter alone in the mosquito-infested wilderness, having been treed by at least one bear. This lady even at the age of 99 is still not idle. Since she finds it difficult to get out, she holds the meetings at her home! Mary has had her share of the negative in life as well, such as life is. Her loving husband of over 60 years passed away in December 27, 1994, and his family scattered his ashes in areas at Denare Beach. Then again at Christmas her son Donald passed away in 2002. Marilyn's husband, Ron, passed away in August 6, 2004. All Mary's family still live in Winnipeg. She has seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Mary now resides in a seniors home in Winnipeg, "Come Home to the Waverly", and is looking forward to her 100th birthday on March 30, 2006. Marilyn also resides in Winnipeg. Thanks so much for sharing such interesting and entertaining lives! It was such a pleasure to meet you!
