56

While she was expecting Emma, my mother made her baby clothes. She had sewn a tiny dress, booties and a bonnet for her. I like to take care of her when she is good and she is not crying.

57

The rocking chair
1920
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba

58

Mama and Papa have the cradle in their room until she is old enough to sleep in the girls' room. When she cries at night, Mama rocks her in her chair to put her back to sleep. I remember a song in a Swiss dialect my father would always sing to me before bedtime.
Audio: lullaby sung by Louis Chaperon

59

The washstand
1930
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba

60

In Mama and Papa's room, there's also a washstand to hold the pitcher and the porcelain basin used for bathing. Looking closely, I also found a hot-water bottle we bring in bed with us when it's cold like it is now. Usually, you can also always find a chamber pot in the bedrooms. I think there's one hidden in the nightstand.

61

The dresser
1920
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba

62

There is also a funny little table with a mirror Mama uses to do her hair and get all dolled up. She calls it her vanity.

63

The wedding
1908
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba

64

This wedding photo was taken in 1908. Today, in the 30s, we still celebrate weddings at home but a few couples use the church hall where they can invite more people and have dancing. If the party is at home, the dancing is held in the barn. In certain religious families, dancing is forbidden. My parents go to church often and pray a lot but they tell us that dancing is not a sin. But the priests tell us it is.
Audio: "In those days, a lot of weddings were held at the bride's home. That would somewhat limit the amount of guests you could invite, especially if it was winter. Usually though, weddings would take place in the fall. It was done like we used to say: "After..., we'll marry our sweethearts. " That's the way it was. Then, when halls became available, we were able to hold gatherings in those community halls. We could invite a lot more people."
Louis Comte

65

The honeymoon
1930
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba

66

After the wedding, the young couple often goes on a honeymoon. Some of them travel outside of Manitoba but most take the train for Winnipeg the day after the wedding. In the city, they buy things for their new home.

67

The train station
1930
Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba

68

I found a photo of the train station in Notre Dame de Lourdes. It was built in 1921. Lourdes residents can now take the train directly in town instead of going to Cardinal, as it was before.
Audio: "Monday, you'd go to the city (Winnipeg) and come back Wednesday. Every two days. You'd go to the train station in town and you'd wait for the train. When we were in school, we'd often come to see the people arriving on the train. Then we'd put coins on the track. You should have seen how they'd become flat!"
Louis Chaperon

69

The cinema
February, 1929
Musée des Pionniers et des Chanoinesses, Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes, Manitoba