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Welcome to the
Gottfried Harlos story

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Gottfried Harlos sits on the apron of a Fire Box in a Kiln
1970
Claybank Brick Plant Site

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Gottfried Harlos Story

Gottfired Harlos was born in December 1925 and raised on a farm about five miles south of Bayard, Saskatchewan. He attended Tranquillity School and at the age of fifteen went to work for Tom Wong at the Claybank Brick Plant. Mr. Wong was the boarding house cook and Gottfried his helper. Gottfried worked at the boarding house for one and half years, he always said he baked very good pies there but when asked by his wife to bake a pie he would refuse. Gottfried sometimes would take his younger brother and sister to the plant boarding house to sample Mr. Wong's good cooking, they walked the five miles across the hills to the plant, had a good feed and then walk back home. He was taught to be a very good cook and made many delicious meals for himself and his family when his wife was absent. Gottfried left his cooks helper position and laboured at a few farms in the nearby countryside. In 1945, he again started work at the plant and resided at the boarding house until 1947 at which time he was married. The winters were bad in those days and a many a time Gottfried would walk from Bayard to work, stay the night at the plant and walk back home the next evening.

Gottfried's first job at the Brick Plant was to wheel mad (clay) from the pug mill to the men that hand moulded the brick in another section of the plant. This job came with a wage of 27 ½ cents per hour.

At first the wheelbarrow would tip over and he would have to start the whole process over again but in time Gottfried became an excellent "wheeler". When his brother, Walter started work at the plant he was given the job of wheeling and Gottfried mixed the mud. Walter Harlos worked at the plant from 1951 to 1989 and his Daryl also worked there for a time.

After the moulding shop closed down, Gottfried did a variety of jobs, wherever he was needed. Most of the time he changed presses and would go back many times after supper to finish the change so the presses would be ready to make brick the next morning. He was promoted to foreman in 1975 and held that position until the plant closed in 1989.

Gottfried spent forty-four years as a valued employee of the Claybank Brick Plant, he passed away October 23, 1996 and will be missed.

Gottfried and Agnes raised six children - four girls and two boys. All told the Harlos family contributed many years to the Claybank Brick Plant, Gottfried - 44 years, Walter - 28 years, Wilfred - 25 years and Gerald - 10 years.

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Thank you