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Peter
Finnen
Peter
Thomas Finnen was born in Huntingdon, Quebec, October 9, 1854, of Irish
parents. He was the eldest in a family of nine, five brothers,
Alex, Charles, Theophillus, Herman and William, and three sisters, Ida
(Mrs. C. Howard), Sarah (Mrs. George Crawford) and Mary Jane (Mrs.
William Dow).
When
quite young, he lived with his family at Wingham, Ontario and on
reaching manhood, moved to Manitoba in 1881, homesteading the N. W. ¼
of 34-3-16. The C. P. R. survey, which was believed to come
through the Tisdale, later was changed to a route farther south, now
Killarney. The reason given was because of the great cost of
building the track over the rugged terrain, up through the Glendenning
valley.
Mr. T.
J. Lawlor was operating a small store on 2-4-16 and with this change in
the railroad, the store was moved to Killarney. Peter Finnen and
Byron Mason handled the contract in February, 1884.
The
first home was a sod shanty on the bank of the Pembina River. The
next year, lumber for a new house was sawn at the saw-mill located in
the Pelican Lake valley. This house, built in 1882 was one of the
first frame houses in the district.
His
“bride-to-be”, Agnes Fowler, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Fowler,
was born in Seaforth, Ontario in 1860, of Scotch and English
parents. She came west in 1882, to her father’s homestead. N. E.
28-3-16. She also lived one year with her brother, James Fowler,
north of Mather. On December 19, 1885, the couple were married at
Marringhurst and moved to their farm 34-3-16, where they resided till
1929. Their family consisted of two boys, Charles and William and
two girls, Maggie (Mrs. G. Clarke) and Matilda, deceased at the age of
10 years).
In
those days church services were held in private homes and the Spiritual
life of the pioneer was not forgotten. In 1892 Hullett School was
built and became the heart of the district, being used not only as an
educational and social centre, but for religious services as
well. Services had previously been given by a Presbyterian
Minister, then a Methodist Minister and later it became a United Church
appointment. With the shift of population, Church Services were
discontinued at Hullett School. Peter Finnen and his wife served
for many years as superintendent and teachers at the Sunday
School. He was also one of the first trustees of the School.
The
social life of the district went along with house parties, games,
concerts, etc. and were thoroughly enjoyed by a wide-spread
community. There was the annual, and looked forward to, picnic,
near Pelican Lake where the first cricket game was played. A
basket lunch and homemade ice cream were a treat for young and old.
The
pioneer women were not idle, spending long hours, doing everything the
hard way. Butter was churned with a dash churn and cheese was
made. The meat supply was pork, killed in the spring, salted and
stored in large barrels. The washing was done by washboard, using
homemade soap.
The
stoves were wood-burning, consuming lots of wood. It was a
winter’s job to get enough wood out of the bush and sawed by hand, to
last the next winter.
Early
transportation was by foot, oxen or horseback. There was always a
bit of humor to lighten the weary load. Once, Peter Finnen and a
number of other homesteaders walked to Deloraine to register their
land. On the return trip, one of the men (Tobias Gillespie)
played out and Peter Finnen carried him the last mile on his
back. Mr. Gillespie’s homestead the S. W. ¼ of 10-4-16.
Neighbors
were a valuable asset in those days, a helping hand could be depended
on at any hour of the night. The “Cluff” home, situated a few
miles southeast, was a stopping place for passers-by and many the
traveller found food and lodging there. Their home never lacked
kindness and hospitality, which meant so much to the pioneer.
Peter
Finnen passed away May 4th, 1938, at the age of 84 years.
His
wife, Agnes Finnen, passed away July 24th, 1940, at the age of 80 years.
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