BALJENNIE — Many memories of school life together were so welcome at our house during a brief visit by our old school chum Robert Maxwell from Edmonton, Alta. Robert’s only son Glenn and wife Sheila of Portage la Prairie, Man. were visiting in Edmonton. On their return trip, Robert was with them. They contacted cousins from Lloydminster and Maymont.
They all got together, as Robert wanted to show them where he used to live in Saskatchewan. The tour started out at Mount Hope area where Robert and his sister Anna went to school while they lived on a farm in the area. The old school area is marked by the hedge bushes still there and the sports area. The old school was relocated to another area. The school has been closed a few years.
They also visited with some old friends. The Maxwell family moved from Mount Hope to a farm at Baljennie in 1944. The Edenboroughs just had an auction sale and moved to North Battleford. Robert and Anna walked a mile to Baljennie School. Robert finished his school and went to work on a farm in the Sonningdale area.
From there the tour went back to the Baljennie town site and Beljennie School and the farm where they used to live. Stanley and Dorothy Mills farm where Robert and his family once lived. Robert’s parents left the farm in 1956 to live in Maymont.
Our old farm brought back a lot of memories, but only their old house was left. In 2009 a tornado went through the yard and took all the buildings that were there when Maxwells lived there.
Robert is the only family member still living who knew the farm and area. He wanted to show the family on the tour all about living there.
Robert has had an active life after being on the farm. He took some training and joined the RCMP in Ontario. He was stationed at Two Hills, Alta. and ended up in Edmonton. He married a woman from Two Hills and they had a family of two sons. They lost one son at a young age. There other son is with the Canadian Armed Forces.
Robert’s wife Elaine passed away a few years ago.
When Robert lived at Baljennie, he met Stanley Mills at the Edenborough farm and became close friends. They were active and ready to try out all sorts of mechanical things. They called themselves Milmax Do and are still intrigued with electronic gadgets.
