Peter's Parents; Early Life

While re reading Dad’s book of stories, randomly recorded during the last 4 years whenever I could get him going, it is clear that his most colourful early memories are about his father and his jobs, and how the former often influenced the latter.

To set the context, David Neufeld was born in Russia in 1875, came to Canada when he was approximately 18 years old, spoke 7 languages. The family had been in Russia for three generations but along with many other Mennonites, had been kicked out of many countries since their origin in Holland.   He was literate, wrote many letters and owned an encyclopedia.   He insisted they all go to church even though the Mennonite church had not been established yet in Alberta.   He taught his kids carols in German and made them perform for guests.   Most of the kids refused to speak German back to him because they were suffering from “DP” discrimination at school.  David Neufeld senior retired from working at the grain elevator in Walsh, Alberta in 1938 and died suddenly in the potatoe garden behind the Grand Café (the venue of many adventures and events in Walsh)

So Peter was the youngest boy.  There were two more sons after him, Abraham and Robert but they died in infancy.  Dad lamented the position of being the youngest son and having to sit in the last place on the bench.  “I wanted to get out of there and get my own bench!”, he said.   He says he suffered the usual younger brother abuse from Dave, Bill and Hank.   Dad was usually in some kind of hot water for mischief. (school class picture good here). 

How Dad’s Dad connects to early jobs is a testament to Pete’s independence and determination to prove he was worthy and different than the expectations created for him. The boys were supposed to pull the weeds around the grain elevator but not get paid.  Pete broke ranks and went to work for Mr. Reinhardt who paid him a dollar to pull his weeds.   Pete loved annoying his father in small and big ways “because he was harsh”.

The blacksmith seems to be an early influence.  Dad started going there to replenish the alcohol needed to run a toy engine that he had.  He started going there every day to turn the forge (?) for Mr. Murray.   We found a page of newspaper from 1928 when he would have been still a boy and the only thing on it that makes any connection is all of the car ads.   He loved the idea of motors.

Dianne