14

Gerhard Wiebe, Jim Dick, father James Dick, Ken Dick, and Fred Wiebe in front
1948
Pelee Island, Ontario


Credits:
Essex Kent Mennonite Historical Association

15

Gerhard Wiebe describes some antics of the boys in the preceding photograph:

"When I was about 8 years old [in 1948], my friends, brother Fred, and I decided, this is Pelee Island, it's hot, and we want to swim. Mom and Dad didn't know where we were. We were swimming a long time before they found out. And of course we didn't take a bathing suit. We figured they might say, 'You're too little; you can't go; there's nobody to take care of you!' So we'd go all by ourselves. Jim and Ken Dick had bikes; we must have just jogged Indian style beside them to get to the water. So we'd skinny-dip, and we'd push out these sun-polished logs, and have them about six feet apart, and nobody could swim. And then you'd jump off a log, and someone would grab you before you went down too far, and pull you in! And after a while we learned to dog paddle, adn then of course we learned to open up our eyes under the water, and then we were like otters, we didn't need the logs anymore, see? Eventually the parents found out and I can't really remember their words, but they must have said just 'Be careful,' because we were going there anyway. We had a lot of fun; lot of fun."

16

Paul, Kurt, baby Frieda, and Astrid Gossen sitting on the running board of their car
1946
Pelee Island, Ontario


Credits:
Essex Kent Mennonite Historical Association

17

If the family was hungry for chicken noodle soup, the man of the household needed to catch a chicken - most were free range - and chop its head off. In the meantime, the woman would make noodle dough with flour and eggs, roll it out, and cut it into tiny strips. Then the chicken's innards needed to be removed. The liver was saved, the feathers were pulled off. Then the chicken was cut up and cooked. The down (soft feathers) were saved for stuffing pillows and comforters. Butchering cows and pigs was a bigger undertaking and required more time, people and effort.

18

Wiebe family
1948
Pelee Island, Ontario


Credits:
Essex Kent Mennonite Historical Association

19

Parents seldom left the home without their children. Entire families took part in social functions, for example, it would have been unheard of for parents to attend a church, social function or movie without their children.