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Archival description
With digital objects
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Sunday visit

Sketches of a family travelling by horse and wagon to visit relatives in Schanzenfeld on a Sunday circa 1929.
"Dressed in Sunday best, past Wielers fence, we're off to visit grandmother! "TKL," goes father, and Toots trots easily, two miles off to Schanzenfeld... "Come my goslings! Have you missed me already too?" calls Grandmother in greeting"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Nobody home

Sketch of a portion of a housebarn in rural Manitoba.
"Driving a long way by horse and buggy to visit some people, no telephones you know, and they weren't home, their door open, we went in, made ourselves some Faspa, thinking they'd be along by the time we were done. When it was time to go we left a sign we'd been there, the way people would to us if they'd come and we were away. This was taken in great good humour and there'd be much slapping on shoulders and laughter next time we'd meet."

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

The wedding

Sketch of a wedding taking place outdoors in rural Manitoba.

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Bucket of water

Sketches of a woman playing a joke on her husband on their farm in Chortitz, Manitoba
"Once mother had called father to come and eat many times. Yet still he stood talking over the back fence with neighbour Schellenberg. Then she sneaked up behind him and dumped a bucket of water over his head! People still laugh over it!"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Today is hot

Sketches of a family working in the fields and stopping to eat
"Today it is hot! En route to hoe potatoes in the field we stop in the garden to eat a lovely cantaloupe: this way they taste best! The flies are biting again: that means rain, we say..."

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

No rain, watering fields

Sketch of a family watering their crops by hand
""Well, if it doesn't rain soon..." then father hauls a drum of water by stoneboat to the fields. So it won't slop over too much he toes a rope over a piece of canvas that covers it. We children like going the back way through cowfences and woods. We're watering the sunflower and potato patch."

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Wash Day in Winter

Sketches of a woman collecting snow to prepare washwater to do laundry with
"Snow gives good soft washwater.
The water-barrel needs busy filling.
For lunch Greet quickly makes noodles and uses the water for starching.
Letting freeze makes white. (bleaches)
Afterwards, in the attic, (to) finish drying."

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Corner patterns

Sketches of patterns from a drawing book that was used as embroidery patterns
"Mrs. Penner has a drawingbook. She loans it out; even though we trace from it until the best pictures nearly fall out!
Corner patterns for headshawl embroidery"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Chores before bedtime

Sketches of a family completing chores before going to bed for the night
""...Watch carefully now. We have quite enough cups without "ears"! says Greet to Tina and Lisa. They are washing dishes. Mary is sweeping. Abe and I can go along to help gather eggs. "Hurry so you can play before bedtime."
"Going to sleep with the chickens" is a good expression! We keep the young chickens separate until they're able to get up on the roost. A few hens always get startled and come flying down with a big to-do! In the nests it is dark.
Left hand drawing"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

When the sun is two hands high

Sketch of a girl judging the time of day in order to determine when to bring the cows home
"When the sun is two hands high"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Large view with text

Sketch of a panoramic view of Marta Goertzen's childhood farm in Chortitz, Manitoba.
"Our Canadian prairie Mennonite village home recalled and drawn from memory of 1930 or so..."

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Chick by the stove

Sketches of Marta and another girl playing with baby chicks in front of the stove in their house.
"We enjoy the baby chicks coming out in spring! Lisa and I have to teach them to peck up crumbs and drink water. At first they cheep fearfully! Then, when we cover them in their big cardboard box behind the stove, they nestle together. With now and then a cheep, they sleep... We call them like this: cheep-cheep-cheep!"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Father comforts

Sketches of a family in their rural house in Chortitz, Manitoba.
""There now, Mary, you can soon stop crying already. Mother has no more pain. You and Tina can sleep on the big bed. We're living in the whole house now. When we moved here Mother was not strong. That's why we used only the front room and the parlour. Abe is at Aunt Mary's for now." Mary says she can hear mother at night still rocking on the rocking chair."

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

Birthday

Sketches of Marta's family celebrating a birthday in their home.
"Happy Birthday! After supper Tina and Mary secretly get a pillow. This is how we do it: we put the birthday child on it and tug his ears, one after the other: once for every year and an extra tug to grow on! We put up a mock defence but really quite enjoy it!"

Goertzen-Armin, Marta, 1923-2009

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