Remembering our past – Ivy Bogstie

Times Contributor

 

Ivy Bogstie, nee Watts, was born in Namaka on Jan. 11, 1917, the sixth of nine children. Her Dad worked at the lumber yard, before working at the National Grain elevator in Namaka. Her mother worked as a midwife for Dr. Giffen. 

Ivy went to school through Grade 8 at Namaka, before becoming a farm labourer. Around age 14, she moved to Gleichen and stayed with friends, while she did odd jobs in Gleichen and Arrowwood. 

A couple of the places she worked at included Wilson’s Service Station, and Farquharson’s Drug Store. She met her husband-to-be Gordon, at a coming home party for Stan Haskayne. 

After Gordon and Ivy’s wedding in 1946, they moved into the house where Ivy lives, and has lived in for the past 66 years! This house was built in 1904, and the only upgrade has been to install indoor plumbing. Their marriage produced two sons and a daughter, six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. 

One son lives in B.C., her daughter lives in Calgary, and her other son Richard lives in Gleichen. Gordon was a mechanic at Central Motors, then worked with Alberta Transportation, before passing away from Lou Gehrig’s disease at the age of 58, in 1976.

Ivy’s community activities in and around Gleichen include the upkeep of the town park, and working to preserve the wooden water tower built in 1911. It has now been designated as an ‘Historical Site and Landmark’ by the provincial government. Her son Richard assisted in this project. 

A model of this Water Tower appears in the annual Gleichen Parade. For her services at the Park, the Dept. of Parks and Recreation have advised there will be a park bench installed at the park with Ivy’s name on it. She has been a stalwart volunteer worker of Gleichen & Cluny Jubilee Club which opened in 1981. 

She was President of The Home and School Association, ran the bingo at The Royal Canadian Legion, and is still very supportive of The Sequoia Outreach School. She was a Cub master, and participated in Group Camps at Carseland for her troop of up to 21 cubs. They held group camps with other cubs from Rockyford, Tudor, Strathmore, Namaka, and Cheadle.

Ivy still walks around town with her walker, and I’m told her garden is a mass of colour in the summer.

In its heyday, Gleichen boasted a population of over 2,600. This has now dropped to around 400. The opening of the TransCanada Hwy in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s, caused Canadian Pacific Railway to remove Gleichen as a regular train stop. Paterson Grain Terminal opened in 2011, replacing the old grain elevators. The CIBC and Royal Bank closed their doors, and were replaced by ATB which originated in a downtown store, but now operates in the Black Castle Industries building.

Over the years many businesses have closed, but there is indication that some are returning. Family Foods have opened a large food store in town, and others are planned.

St Andrews Anglican Church, will be 126 years old this year, and is still in use today. Construction was started in 1885, and the first service was held on November 30, 1886, under the diocese of Saskatchewan and Northwest Territories. It is the oldest non-renovated church in Alberta, and has also been designated as a Historical Site and Landmark by the provincial government

As the oldest living resident in Gleichen, still in her own home, Ivy has seen many changes throughout this area, during the past 95 years.