Humble Beginnings
Gordon with his students.
September 1948. The first day of school. The day that would decide how things would go for the rest of the year.
At just under 6 feet tall and skinny as a rail, Gordon knew that the oldest boys in the class could easily knock him over without breaking a sweat. Some of them were even older than him. But at 17, he already had a year of teaching under his belt, and this 4-room school in rural Saskatchewan seemed like a big step up from the one-room schoolhouse where he had taught the previous year.
And so, with calm bravado, he opened his desk drawer and took out a leather strap. “What’s this for?” he asked, with mock surprise, as he slapped it four times on the top of the desk. After a moment of stunned silence, laughter rippled around the room. Gordon hoped that none of them suspected that the strap was all for show. He could never actually bring himself to use it on them. He preferred to use humour and respect instead.
“Now, open your readers to page 6,” he continued. And everyone, even the tall boys in the back row, opened their books without complaint.
As Gordon sorted books at the end of the day, Don Hambleton, the principal, entered the room with a friendly smile. “How did it go? Some of the older boys can be a handful.”
“It went pretty well. No big issues yet anyway.”
“Are you hungry? Mrs. Watson dropped off some fresh biscuits, butter, and Saskatoon berry jam.”
So Gordon and Don swapped stories as they enjoyed the delicious treats that helped to compensate for their modest pay. This tradition continued at the end of each school day for the rest of the year.
Albert Mogenson on his farm with his sons Daryle (on the left and Gordon (on the right) around 1933.
“Don, you look way too young to be a school principal. How old are you anyway?”
“I turned 17 in May,” Don laughed.
“Four months younger than me!” Gordon exclaimed, almost choking on his biscuit.
“Mature for my age!” he winked. “I taught here last year and was the only one who returned.”
“So, you must have done the six weeks of Normal School right after high school like I did.”
“Since the war, the shortage of teachers is worse in the small towns …”
“And both too young for university …”
“Did you grow up on a farm?” Don asked.
“Yes, near Delisle,” Gordon replied.
“And your parents didn’t need you?”
“It was my older brother, Daryle, who was supposed to stay with our uncle and aunt in Vanscoy so that he could go to high school, but he was so homesick that he returned the first week. So, I packed my bag, jumped into the car, and took his place.”
“Will you keep teaching?” Don smiled.
“No, I’ve been doing correspondence courses. So, I can start in my third year of General Science at the University of Saskatchewan when I turn 18.”
“Psychology for me,” Don replied.”
And so it began. Although they could not know it then, their childhood experiences of growing up in rural Saskatchewan during the drought and deprivation of the Great Depression would continue to impact them through the years as they worked with limited resources to pursue their dreams.
LESLIE RUTH (MOGENSON) DAMUDE was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and moved to London, Ontario at the age of 9. She has many fond memories of visits to her Saskatchewan relatives during adolescence. She is blessed to have two adult children, six granddaughters and a grandson who live nearby. An interest in creative writing, social justice, and community development was stimulated by three years (1985 to 1988) spent in the Democratic Republic Of Congo (then Zaire) as well as experiences during her part-time work as a Family Physician. Retirement in the spring of 2019 has rekindled an interest in creative writing when family responsibilities permit.
In addition to the books A Year To Be Brave, and Ruth (Wensley) Mogenson’s memoir Take My Hands, Leslie has written a novella called Hearts Of Wax (for adults – not children). Based on a true story, it is about the family crisis that arises when Elizabeth, daughter of renowned British abolitionist William Wilberforce, falls in love with a man who owns plantations with slaves in the West Indies. These books are all available through Amazon Books.
“people stories” shares articles from Folklore Magazine, a Saskatchewan History & Folklore Society publication.