Anna Janowski Alexander was born in Germany or East Prussia she used to say. When a young girl she came to North Dakota with her brothers. She was born a Catholic but when she met her future husband William who was a Methodist she changed her religion. They settled in Alberta at the turn of the century. Her first 3 children were born in North Dakota. They were a farming family, growing grain and having livestock as well. At one time they all left Alberta and moved to Aggasi BC where Grandpa had a dairy farm and had an orchard of fruit trees. But eventually they came back to Alberta and settled permanently. Grandpa had moved the family many times during the childrens growing up years.
I remember my Grandmother being German and sometimes speaking German.She could not read or write English. so her birthday cards were always signed by my Mother. She was a wonderful Grandmother who always remembered our birthdays with 5 dollars or more quite a sum when you remember back in the 40's that she had over 20 grandchildren. I can remember she always had family get togethers in Picture Butte. As there were 8 offspring and their spouses and a lot of grandchildren, these gatherings were often held outside weather permitting and the table was saw horses with planks over top covered by tablecloths to accommodate everyone. Grandpa always made home made ice cream for the kids. Sometimes we crowded into her house with the same planks and saw horses making a very long table so long that I remember Uncle Carl passing a dinner roll to Uncle Wilfred by throwing it from end to end. He caught it too! In those early days there were no seniors homes so Grandma would start at one end of the family say, my father's house and work down from the eldest to youngest with a one month stay at each home. Grandpa would start at the opposite end and work through. Grandma was an excellent cook. She made her own cottage cheese and headcheese. She made a gravy from cream and onions what was delicious on any kind of potato. She made us all help out at those family gatherings. Everyone had a job and she was not shy about brandishing a stove poker if we objected.I can say that the Alexanders really knew how to cooperate and work together. We continued those Alexander Reunions until about 5 years ago when it got too difficult to get second and third cousins together as they do not have the same outlook on family.
I remember when she visited us one of my jobs was to wash and curl her hair something I had never done before. She had leg trouble and often would be up in the night massaging her sore swollen legs and as we slept in the same room I remember her discomfort.
I was only around 12 when she passed away in Calgary in 1954. She had been staying in Calgary with Aunt Margaret her eldest daughter. It was a rainy day on the day of her funeral and Aunt Trace her sister in law from North Dakota said that rain meant the deceased was happy. It was the first time I ever saw my Dad shed tears during our visit at the funeral home and that image has stuck with me all these years. I have never felt so loved or happy since that time with all the Alexander relations around me.They were a loving caring family who thought the world of each other and sad to think that now they have all passed away. Remembering much happier days when we were all together. God Bless you in Heaven Grandma.
I remember my Grandmother being German and sometimes speaking German.She could not read or write English. so her birthday cards were always signed by my Mother. She was a wonderful Grandmother who always remembered our birthdays with 5 dollars or more quite a sum when you remember back in the 40's that she had over 20 grandchildren. I can remember she always had family get togethers in Picture Butte. As there were 8 offspring and their spouses and a lot of grandchildren, these gatherings were often held outside weather permitting and the table was saw horses with planks over top covered by tablecloths to accommodate everyone. Grandpa always made home made ice cream for the kids. Sometimes we crowded into her house with the same planks and saw horses making a very long table so long that I remember Uncle Carl passing a dinner roll to Uncle Wilfred by throwing it from end to end. He caught it too! In those early days there were no seniors homes so Grandma would start at one end of the family say, my father's house and work down from the eldest to youngest with a one month stay at each home. Grandpa would start at the opposite end and work through. Grandma was an excellent cook. She made her own cottage cheese and headcheese. She made a gravy from cream and onions what was delicious on any kind of potato. She made us all help out at those family gatherings. Everyone had a job and she was not shy about brandishing a stove poker if we objected.I can say that the Alexanders really knew how to cooperate and work together. We continued those Alexander Reunions until about 5 years ago when it got too difficult to get second and third cousins together as they do not have the same outlook on family.
I remember when she visited us one of my jobs was to wash and curl her hair something I had never done before. She had leg trouble and often would be up in the night massaging her sore swollen legs and as we slept in the same room I remember her discomfort.
I was only around 12 when she passed away in Calgary in 1954. She had been staying in Calgary with Aunt Margaret her eldest daughter. It was a rainy day on the day of her funeral and Aunt Trace her sister in law from North Dakota said that rain meant the deceased was happy. It was the first time I ever saw my Dad shed tears during our visit at the funeral home and that image has stuck with me all these years. I have never felt so loved or happy since that time with all the Alexander relations around me.They were a loving caring family who thought the world of each other and sad to think that now they have all passed away. Remembering much happier days when we were all together. God Bless you in Heaven Grandma.
Anna Janowski Alexander was born in Germany or East Prussia she used to say. When a young girl she came to North Dakota with her brothers. She was born a Catholic but when she met her future husband William who was a Methodist she changed her religion. They settled in Alberta at the turn of the century. Her first 3 children were born in North Dakota. They were a farming family, growing grain and having livestock as well. At one time they all left Alberta and moved to Aggasi BC where Grandpa had a dairy farm and had an orchard of fruit trees. But eventually they came back to Alberta and settled permanently. Grandpa had moved the family many times during the childrens growing up years.
I remember my Grandmother being German and sometimes speaking German.She could not read or write English. so her birthday cards were always signed by my Mother. She was a wonderful Grandmother who always remembered our birthdays with 5 dollars or more quite a sum when you remember back in the 40's that she had over 20 grandchildren. I can remember she always had family get togethers in Picture Butte. As there were 8 offspring and their spouses and a lot of grandchildren, these gatherings were often held outside weather permitting and the table was saw horses with planks over top covered by tablecloths to accommodate everyone. Grandpa always made home made ice cream for the kids. Sometimes we crowded into her house with the same planks and saw horses making a very long table so long that I remember Uncle Carl passing a dinner roll to Uncle Wilfred by throwing it from end to end. He caught it too! In those early days there were no seniors homes so Grandma would start at one end of the family say, my father's house and work down from the eldest to youngest with a one month stay at each home. Grandpa would start at the opposite end and work through. Grandma was an excellent cook. She made her own cottage cheese and headcheese. She made a gravy from cream and onions what was delicious on any kind of potato. She made us all help out at those family gatherings. Everyone had a job and she was not shy about brandishing a stove poker if we objected.I can say that the Alexanders really knew how to cooperate and work together. We continued those Alexander Reunions until about 5 years ago when it got too difficult to get second and third cousins together as they do not have the same outlook on family.
I remember when she visited us one of my jobs was to wash and curl her hair something I had never done before. She had leg trouble and often would be up in the night massaging her sore swollen legs and as we slept in the same room I remember her discomfort.
I was only around 12 when she passed away in Calgary in 1954. She had been staying in Calgary with Aunt Margaret her eldest daughter. It was a rainy day on the day of her funeral and Aunt Trace her sister in law from North Dakota said that rain meant the deceased was happy. It was the first time I ever saw my Dad shed tears during our visit at the funeral home and that image has stuck with me all these years. I have never felt so loved or happy since that time with all the Alexander relations around me.They were a loving caring family who thought the world of each other and sad to think that now they have all passed away. Remembering much happier days when we were all together. God Bless you in Heaven Grandma.
I remember my Grandmother being German and sometimes speaking German.She could not read or write English. so her birthday cards were always signed by my Mother. She was a wonderful Grandmother who always remembered our birthdays with 5 dollars or more quite a sum when you remember back in the 40's that she had over 20 grandchildren. I can remember she always had family get togethers in Picture Butte. As there were 8 offspring and their spouses and a lot of grandchildren, these gatherings were often held outside weather permitting and the table was saw horses with planks over top covered by tablecloths to accommodate everyone. Grandpa always made home made ice cream for the kids. Sometimes we crowded into her house with the same planks and saw horses making a very long table so long that I remember Uncle Carl passing a dinner roll to Uncle Wilfred by throwing it from end to end. He caught it too! In those early days there were no seniors homes so Grandma would start at one end of the family say, my father's house and work down from the eldest to youngest with a one month stay at each home. Grandpa would start at the opposite end and work through. Grandma was an excellent cook. She made her own cottage cheese and headcheese. She made a gravy from cream and onions what was delicious on any kind of potato. She made us all help out at those family gatherings. Everyone had a job and she was not shy about brandishing a stove poker if we objected.I can say that the Alexanders really knew how to cooperate and work together. We continued those Alexander Reunions until about 5 years ago when it got too difficult to get second and third cousins together as they do not have the same outlook on family.
I remember when she visited us one of my jobs was to wash and curl her hair something I had never done before. She had leg trouble and often would be up in the night massaging her sore swollen legs and as we slept in the same room I remember her discomfort.
I was only around 12 when she passed away in Calgary in 1954. She had been staying in Calgary with Aunt Margaret her eldest daughter. It was a rainy day on the day of her funeral and Aunt Trace her sister in law from North Dakota said that rain meant the deceased was happy. It was the first time I ever saw my Dad shed tears during our visit at the funeral home and that image has stuck with me all these years. I have never felt so loved or happy since that time with all the Alexander relations around me.They were a loving caring family who thought the world of each other and sad to think that now they have all passed away. Remembering much happier days when we were all together. God Bless you in Heaven Grandma.
