Extracts from a piece that was originally written for 'Wagons to Wings' in 1980, by the grand daughter of Ernest Augustus Green.

Ernest Augustus Green was born on 23 February 1872 in London, England, to Thomas (Tom) and Jane Green. He had two brothers, Harry, Fred, and four  sisters, Madeline, Edith, Maud, and Ada. He learnt two trades, drawing blueprints and blacksmithing.

In 1891, at the age of 19 [see notes], with his hair already snow white,  he emigrated to Canada. He landed at Quebec and travelled to Ontario. He worked in Fort William and Port Arthur on the railroad which at that time was the end of the line. Eventually he moved to Manitoba where he built a log cabin beside Pecully Lake, north of Clarkleigh, where he lived for several years.

On 1st April 1900 he took a homestead on S.E. 18-18-3 [see notes], along with his good friend Mr Viv Thompson [see notes]. He built a log shack where they lived for several more years. They built a house on the homestead which Ernest used as a blacksmiths shop. The new house was all plastered and whitewashed.

Ernest played the trombone in the Posen Brass Band. They held concerts in the Seamo Hall. He was also a member of the Independent Order of Foresters.

In 1908 he married Eliza Louisa Jeffery in Seamo [see notes] Church, Clarkleigh. Eliza, the eldest daughter of John and Ellen (née Wells) (born 30 Dec 1885, Teulon, Manitoba) Jeffery. Her twin sister Mary Margaret died age 6 months a victim of Cradle Death. They settled down and had a small mixed farm and a blacksmiths shop. Ernest was a school trustee for several years and was active in community affairs. They built a new larger home which was also plastered and whitewashed. They had a little stone milkhouse which I remember and marvel at how cool it was on hot summer days. They had four children; Ernest William, Allan Frederick, Ada Ellen Jane (named Ada after Ernest's sister, Ellen after Eliza's mother, and Jane after Ernest's mother), and Edward Gerald.

Ernest William was their first child, born 31 October 1909. He grew up on the farm and later became a mechanic. His hobby was photography, taking pictures, developing, and enlarging the pictures. He married Ida Chartrand on 26 Feb 1947, but she passed away shortly afterwards. Ernie went to work in a garage in Brandon, but in 1950 he too passed away and was buried beside the Anglican Church in Clarkleigh MB.

Allan Frederick their second son was born on 26 Feb 1912. His hobby was playing the guitar and piano. He too was a mechanic and spent several years working for Art Nunn, farming at Harperville, MB. In July 1955 he married May Byron (née Emms) who was a widow with two children, Alfred and Pearl. They resided in Oak Point until his sudden death in Jan 1961 and was buried in Lundar Cemetery, MB.

Ada Ellen Jane, was born on 28 July 1914. Her hobbies were art and sewing both of which she did very well. On 29 July 1940 she married Donald Allen eldest son of Alfred and Catherine (née Glendinning) Emms of Ideal MB. Ada and Donald settled down to mixed farming with their family of five: Ellen, Joyce, Ruth, Gail, and Donald jr.

The youngest son, Edward Gerald, was born on 21 Jan 1917. His hobbies were music, violin in particular: he too was a mechanic. He married Lavina Quigley 23 May 1944, and produced a family of five: Gerald, Norman, Debbie, Russell, Shelly. Ed, and Lavina, resided in Lundar after some years on the old homestead and a few in Oak Point.

For several years Ernest and Eliza also had a foster boy, Neil Rigby, he grew up and eventually left home and they lost track of him.

In 1939 Ernest and Eliza built a new house just a short distance from the old one. It was only one story with a large cellar, three bedrooms, living room, and a kitchen. They had lived on their homestead for 51 years. It was nine miles from Oak Point and twelve miles from Clarkleigh. Chalton School which all the children attended was a mile away across the prairie and bush.  Eliza's brother Clarence and wife Edna lived in Ernest's old house for several years and bought the next quarter [see notes] over and built up a farm.

In those days most travelling was done by horse and buggy, wagon, or sleigh, whatever the weather dictated. Roads were almost non existent, just bush trails. I can remember many buggy rides and a few runaways [see notes] with horse hooked to a sleigh or caboose.

I spent my first school year with my grandparents attending Chalton School as Ideal did not have enough children to open a school, and spent many happy summer holidays with them. I often walked to school with Mary Quigley and Ruth and Audrey Jeffery. On hot days the sand flies were vicious, but regardless, we went off to town by horse and buggy.

My grandparents had a large garden and spent many, many hours keeping it free of weeds. Grandpa made a batch of ketchup every fall and had bins of onions drying all over the house until they were dry enough to store in the cellar. Eventually they had a gravel pit opened on the home quarter which was a good swimming pool. The pit has now ruined a good part of that quarter and gravel is still hauled from there [1980].

Ernest and Eliza retired from the Homestead and moved to Oak Point in 1956. Grandpa always enjoyed smoking his pipe and would go to the hotel to buy a six pack of stout [see notes] and would have one each night before going to bed.  They both stayed active, looking after a small garden, and grandpa chopped wood everyday. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by attending a tea held in their honour in the Oak Point Hall.

On 23 March 1965 Ernest died at home at the age of 93. He was buried in the Clarkleigh Cemetery on Section 8, back of Cliff Harris's. Eliza lived a few years and then moved to Ideal to live with her daughter Ada (Ada Ellen Jane Green). Eventually, she moved to a senior citizens home in Winnipeg, MB [see notes]. She passed away aged 87 on 10th  July 1973, and was buried next to Ernest.

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