Pope Family Tree

"On the farm Willie's first job and one he did until he died was to poison gophers. When Willie was twelve years old, a wild cat was spotted in the bush south of the house. William took the shotgun and gave the twenty-two to Willie and they went to get the wild cat. William told Willie to go around to the other side of the bush and watch for the cat, while he went into the bush. Willie was worried that the cat would come his way. William killed the cat and to take it home he put it on a stick and gave it to Willie to carry it on his shoulder. Willie says that he hurried home as he didn't want the cat to bite him on the bum. "New neighbours moved in across the road, Amy went over to help Mrs Hostland during the birth of her son and when Amy got back home she told Willie that there was a nice sensible girl there. One night Winnie and Willie went over to the Hostlands to see if they play cards, and the Hostlands did play cards. William being shy made friends first with the boys Arnold and Marnie Hostland. In later years Marnie Hostland told Willie that he never froze so much as the day he drove Willie and Annie into town to get married, Willie didn't remember it being so cold. "Willie's first car was Model T Ford Coupe which he bought second had for $165.00. Willie later sold this car to Mr Anton Hostland, who took everything out and just kept the body. Anton used the car body as a covered wagon when the Hostland family moved to the homestead. After the move Anton gave the car body back to Willie and he made a cutter that he and Annie used to visit neighbours. "Willie worked and stayed home on the farm. When Willie and Annie were married they moved in with William and Amy until the spring work was over. Down the lane and east of William and Amy house two granaries were put together and fixed up. Willie and Annie moved in. During the winter the stove would be red hot, but water in a pan across the room would be frozen. The next winter they moved into Matt Solberg's house across the road from William and Amy. That winter Willie, Annie and family were warm and cozy. In the spring they moved back to the granaries, until a two room house was built that summer. Every Saturday Annie had $2.00 to buy groceries and supplies. The meat for the week was placed between two granaries. One Sunday morning Willie went for the meat and it was gone, the dog had got it. Willie, Annie and family lived on bread and potatoes that week. Annie went to help Marguerite do her turkey's, for her help Marguerite gave her two turkeys. Annie put the turkeys between two granaries as this was the coolest place. When she went for the turkeys they were gone. The dog had got the turkeys and got sick because he ate too much and was never seen again. "Willie bought the Model A Ford from William when he retired. "In 1945 Willie and Annie moved furniture, bedding, dishes, clothes and children into a seven room house. Coming from a three room house, to one that the girls and boys each had their own bedroom was great until they had to clean them. "Willie always sang when it was raining. His children didn't like the rain and he would be singing. Another time Willie would sing was when he milked the cows. He would sing funny songs to his kids. One was 'Old mother Flipper Flopper jumped out of bed and to her window she popped her old head' "Willie liked children, he was a caring father, and made time for them, if it was going to the creek for water, bring hay or straw for the animals he made going with him fun. "In 1953 the power was turned on, lights in the barn to see to milk the cows, lights in every room in the house, a radio that worked without a battery. The cost for this power to the farm was $2,000.00. "Willie enjoyed playing cards, he could be sleeping in his chair in the living room, when the cards hit the table he was there. "Willie lost his wife of forty-five years in May of 1981, he found that the loneliness just didn't go away. "On July 25 1997 Willie was 89 years of age, he was moving a little slower and should have wore his hearing aid more, but he was still farming. On July 29 1997 Willie was in the hay field cutting hay, the swather started to move forward. The swather pushed him over and he went under the swather. Willie died thirteen days later." -- Pope Family Chronicles, 2007

"May 6 1975 Annie and Willie became foster parents for Lydia V. Nuol an eight year old girl from Nueva Ecija Philippines. "When their children left home Willie and Annie open their home to other children. Their second family included: "Ann, ?, Bjerget, Bergette Jogensen 'These young girls stayed, with Annie and Willie while their father worked at the bakery in Ryley. The father would come out to say goodnight to his girls, they sure missed their home and father. When the father found a house in Ryley and their mother came back, the girls moved back with their parents. "Sandra and Lennie Upton "Sandra and Lennie stayed with Annie and Willie for two years during the summer months while their mother went to summer school in Edmonton. "Robert (Bob) Norman Anderson 'Bob was fourteen when he came to the Pope farm, he stayed for two years. "He attended school in Ryley, and was Confirmed in the Lutheran church in Ryley. One day in Ryley Bob was walking with Annie, she said to Bob 'You don't want to walk with an old lady like me.' Bob said 'He was proud to walk with a lovely lady like you.' Bob moved to Lethbridge Alberta was married there and had two children. This marriage ended in divorce and Bob moved to Vancouver BC. There the folks lost contact with Bob. "Dianne Yudith Hanchiruk "Born June 28 1945 at Calgary Alberta, but Diane is now living in Vancouver British Columbia. In 1963 at the age of eighteen Dianne came to stay with Willie and Annie on the farm, she stayed for three years. This was her first time on the farm, she decided that she liked outside work, better than dishes. At the age of twenty Dianne left the farm and went to the Deer Home in Red Deer. She was there for three years and in Calgary for three years. Dianne moved to Vancouver and went to work at the Central Park Lodge where she worked for twenty seven years and in 2004 she retired. Dianne still phones and visits with the family. The family has lots of fun when she comes home. Dianne remembers all the mischief her and Roger Kathlen (a local boy) got into. Dianne spends her time doing volunteer work for the church. "Baby Linda Jane "Born September 30 1964, was 7 days old when she came to live with Annie & Willie, she stayed 3 months when went to Calgary for adoption. This was hard on Annie and Willie as they wanted to adopt Linda. Annie didn't want any very young babies, she would want to keep them all." -- Pope Family Chronicles, 2007