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There was no indoor plumbing so water was carried in from the wells. Without electricity, food was cooked on a wood stove.

Bacon and eggs were served at breakfast. Meals consisted of homemade chicken noodle or vegetable soup. Roast chicken and beef dishes were served with homegrown vegetables. The bread and various desserts were all freshly baked.

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It was a lot of work, but the whole family participated. The four schools were closed for two days. The men and older boys acted as guides for the hunters and earned some extra cash. It was an exciting time for all of us.

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Gerhard Wiebe describes working for an American hunter, Howard Snure, pictured in the next photograph, featuring pheasants hanging in a W-shape across the garage:

My brother Fred and I acted as bird dogs for the hunters. The man with the glasses is Howard Snure, an American businessman from Detroit. His hunting dog was an Irish setter. Howard gave me $5.00 American for cleaning burrs off of his dog!

He visited us once in the summer on his yacht with his son Skip, who was about my age. They gave Dad and I potato chips out of a can, and we roamed around the yacht, looking at things.

Another hunter, Ralph Herring from Dayton, Ohio, sent us bags of pecans, and a real football with shoulder pads. He also sent several boxes of canning jars that Mom used for years. I think he sent these as a Christmas present.

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Pheasants in a W-shape. Gerhard Wiebe talking to pheasant hunters with brother Fred sitting in front
1947
Pelee Island, Ontario


Credits:
Essex Kent Mennonite Historical Association

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Anne Fast recalls that before the boat stopped running for the winter "[her] mother would go to the mainland again and use the hunt money to stock up on winter supplies, Christmas presents, and clothes. It was always well spent."