Remembering our past Florence and Alvin Mullen

Times Contributor

 

After Florence (Jeffer) and Alvin Mullen were married on June 13, 1942, they lived the first four years of their life together at the Mullen Farm, before moving to the Jeffer Farm until 1953. 

Then they purchased the David McBean farm, just south of Cluny, where they farmed for the next 38.5 years. Both the Mullen family and Jeffer family originated from County Armagh, Northern Ireland. But, strangely enough, neither knew each other before they immigrated to Canada. 

Irish immigrants are known for raising workhorses, and this line of work continued after they arrived in Alberta. 

Alvin was born in Bassano in 1921, whilst Florence was born in Gleichen Hospital in 1924. She met Alvin while attending the High School Dormitory in Calgary, through his two sisters, who had befriended her. Alvin and Florence’ farm included growing grain, horses and purebred Herefords. 

Much reference has been given to me in previous interviews, about students attending Normal School. This was a school where students entered a teaching career, and Florence had wanted to be a teacher since she was about five years old! At the beginning of WW2, all the male teachers were called upon to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces, and student teachers were used to fill their places. 

Florence was now 18 years old, and as a student at Normal School not yet finished her studies, she suddenly found herself transferred to Peavine School near Sangudo, Alberta in 1942. 

Here she started her teaching career, far from family and friends. The Provincial Government paid her $1 per teaching day, to the end of that school year. In the fall, she started teaching at Makepeace School in the Cluny Area. 

The marriage of Alvin and Florence produced two sons, Lorne (Elaine) and Bruce (Verna), who have given them five grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Alvin passed away in 2002, after 60 years of marriage.

Because Alvin and Florence had no daughters, and Lorne and Bruce had thoroughbred horses, Florence became a barrel racer. She still has her saddle mounted in her basement room, beside a number of winning trophies. In the early years of their marriage, Alvin and Florence were part of The Makepeace Orchestra, who played to audiences within a 60-mile radius of Makepeace. Florence played the piano, Alvin – banjo, Alvin Sandquist – saxophone, and Ed Schaffer – drums. They were always in great demand.

Florence was an avid curler, and participated in The Alberta Seniors Winter Games for four years. She and Alvin served on the Gleichen United Church Board for 25 years.  

Florence was a member of UCW in both Gleichen and Strathmore, and they both square danced with Strathmore’s Wheatland Whirlers Square Dance club in the late 1980’s.

As previously indicated, they spent most of their married lives on their farm at Gleichen. In the early days, Gleichen was known as Siding #14, after CPR track laying teams reached there in mid-July 1883. It was a thriving community of over 2,600 because of the railway. However, when the Trans Canada Highway arrived in mid-July 1963, the population dropped quite drastically. 

In 1990 Alvin and Florence retired to Strathmore, which has really grown since they arrived.