CARLYLE - Cliff Walker went to help with harvest on William Thomas’ farm in 1950 and this is where he met his wife Dorothy Thomas.
Cliff also worked for the Saskatchewan government at the time as a nature inspector, checking bees for disease.
“They had no way of controlling it, but now they have a way of controlling it,” said Cliff.
At this time, Dorothy was still in school.
Cliff and Dorothy were married on Sept. 21, 1954. They waited till Dorothy was 20, which was her idea. She said, “I better be 20 before we marry.”
Dorothy gave birth to three children, a boy named Keith and two girls, Debbie Woods and Leisa Grimes. Their growing family went on to include nine grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren.
For the first 18 years of their marriage, the Walker’s lived on their farm outside of Southey. They then moved the house Cliff built into Carlyle in 1972. At that time, it cost only $400 to move to their lot in the town. Dorothy went to the Moose Mountain Lodge in 2015 and Cliff moved to Golden Heritage in 2015.
After moving into Carlyle, Cliff worked several jobs in town to support his family, including working at the creamery on the west side of town.
“I drove the milk truck, delivering milk to homes in Carlyle,” said Cliff. He was always working to make a better life for his family.
After being laid off from his delivery job, Cliff went back to school and studied to be an electrician. He started a business called The Heat and his office was on Main Street.
Dorothy was busy with raising their children. She cleaned the town office for many years,
Dorothy then took the first course for home care and started working and continued to do this for 15 years.
Yardwork was something that Dorothy liked to do and she had a very special yard. It consisted of a rock garden, fishpond and many flowers.
Cliff’s hobby was building purple martin bird houses. There are still a few around town.
The Walkers have attended the local United Church for the last 30 years and they both sang in the choir.
They were also part of the Cornerstone Theatre and performed in eight plays.
Unfortunately, Dorothy was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
“I looked after her for at least five years before she went to the home because of her mental state,” said Cliff.
Cliff says one of the secrets to making your marriage last is to always be honest with your partner. “Be really honest, of course, (and) you've got to be lucky. I don't think it was really anything that we did in particular. We did a lot of travelling, but we loved to dance and sing.”
