June Alma
Clarkson
Second Child Born in
Amesdale
June Alma
Clarkson was these second child of European ancestry to be born in Amesdale. She was born to Robert and Myrtle Clarkson in
a sheep barn converted into a dwelling, where she was delivered by her grandmother Annie Ames, an experienced midwife.
June’s
parents had followed Myrtle’s parents, Samuel George and Annie Eliza Ames, to
Amesdale in the fall of 1933. Bob
and Myrtle lived in Amesdale for about four years, just long enough for June to
be born on June 21, 1934. The family
returned to Manitoba where Robert became a Rawleigh dealer.
June writes a touching tribute to her mother, whom she said was happiest when serving
others.
Memories of
her Mother,
Myrtle Ames Clarkson
Myrtle Ames Clarkson
by June Clarkson Sobieski
Dated May 2008
"My Mom’s life was one of sacrifice and service
to others. She was a Godly woman who
loved Jesus.
She had a hard life, being the third child and eldest daughter of the 10
children born to Sam and Annie Ames. The winter she was eleven years old her Dad took her out of school to cook in the bush camp, as Grandma was ill
and busy with younger children. She used
to laugh and say she stood on a stool to knead bread for them. After
growing up she often wondered what the bread was like, but said the men never complained.
Mom married at age 18, and I was the fourth and last child, arriving 11 years behind the rest.
I remember Mom playing our old pump organ by
ear and we’d sing the good old hymns by the hour. She made all my clothes, sometimes designing patterns
out of old newspapers. I’d look through the catalogue and pick out a
style I liked, then Mom would make the pattern and sew it for me. I got my first store-bought coat after Mom
took sick when I was 17.
Mom had a keen sense of humour and much
patience and wisdom and she was always read you listen and give good
advice. She taught me to knit, crochet
and quilt.
Nightly prayer and devotions were special, with Mom reading
by the light of the Coleman lamp. She
never had electricity or modern conveniences.
Hydro came in the early 50’s. Our
home was wired and we waited weeks for the hydro workers to come and hook us to
the power. Mom died at 5am. and that morn at 8:30am, they came and hooked us
up. But Mom never lived to see it.
Mom nursed Dad’s Mom until Grandma died. Then when I was eight Dad’s spinster sister Aunt
Hattie came, to live with us for two years.
My sister married at 18 and moved to Dauphin. At age 20 she had her first baby, and died in
the Dauphin hospital with pneumonia. This devastated Mom and Dad. They brought the baby boy home and raised him
as their own. My sister’s husband kind
of went off and made a new life for himself, so Mom and Dad had full care and responsibility
for Bobby.
When Bobby was four Grandma and Grandpa came
to live with us. Grandma had had a
stroke and was in a wheel chair. She
needed lifting in and out of bed and everywhere. With Dad away at work, me in school, and
Grandpa feeble, all the lifting fell to Mom.
After five years Grandma died.
Shortly after that Mom got stomach cancer. She had two-thirds of her stomach removed. She lived two more years and I stayed home,
took over the house, and nursed her and Grandpa who were bedfast by then. I had to give Mom morphine needles every 4
hours as there was no home nursing back then.
Mom never complained that I hurt her.
She’d often ask me to sing and play “Where the Roses Never Fade”.
A cousin of Mom’s, Annie Tanner Charles, came to help me the last
month. She was a great spiritual support
for our family, as well as physical and emotional support.
Mom never complained or felt sorry for herself. She just worried how we would manage, when
she was gone and so concerned about Bobby who was 8 years old by then. She tried to advise and prepare us.
She slipped into a comma December 17th. Jesus came for her December 18th,
1952. Just before here last breath she
opened her eyes for the first time in two days, looked up, smiled, and said "Jesus". We knew He had come for her and
she was peacefully resting in his arms."
