Francis Edward Pettipher was born October 14, 1879, at
Cold Harbor
Farm, Swerford, Oxfordshire, England. He was apprenticed as a machinist
at the Banbury Technical Institute, and received first class standing
in machine construction and drawing. Qualified as a machinist, he
worked at the Motor Mills Company, Banbury, until illness necessitated
his moving to a drier climate. In April, 1905, he left for Canada. He
sailed on the maiden voyage of The Victorian to St. John's, New
Brunswick, and travelled west by colonist coach. He spent a month at
Glen Ewen, District of Assiniboia, where he had friends, then bicycled
to Brandon to work at the Brandon Machine Works. En route he stopped at
Melita to inquire about work at the machine shop, which was attached to
the flour mill owned by Jim McCallum and Tom Lamont. He worked a few
weeks in Brandon,
but found the wages of 27 cents an hour too meagre. Returning to Melita
in June, he began working for the mill for 35 cents an hour, and also
working independently. He soon built a reputation for himself as a
skilled machinist. He moved to the location north of the Union Bank
where he opened the
Melita Machine Shop outfitted with lathe, milling machine, planer and
drill press.
So began over 55 years of service to the Melita community. He witnessed
the transformation of agricultural equipment from steam driven machines
to gasoline engines. In the early years there were sometimes 20 to 30
steam engines on the lots beside the machine shop waiting for repairs
for the harvest season. In the late 1950's, when Frank was in his mid-
seventies, oil rig breakdowns were brought to him from as far west as
Regina for repair. "I can't remember a job I couldn't do," he once
said. He served the community as a highly skilled craftsman with a deep
sense of integrity and commitment,
Frank was a loyal supporter of Christ Church, serving as vestryman for
over 50 years. As well he was Sunday School Superintendent, delegate to
Synod, and either People's Warden or Rector's Warden for 30 years. He
was a member of Melita Town Council for seven years, and during that
time gave freely of his skill and knowledge in maintaining the town's
lighting
system.
During the depression Frank was never idle and took pride in not having
to accept relief for his family. He operated the machine shop and
filling station, did electrical wiring, and ingeniously made repairs to
cars, radios and farm equipment to help the owner "make do". A few of
Frank's customers paid immediately and some never paid. The majority
charged their accounts, paying over months or years or when an estate
was wound up. Payment was often in produce; in meat, vegetables, eggs
or fuel. In early winter the back kitchen would be stored with roasts
of pork or mutton, a quarter of beef, even prairie chicken or wild
ducks. In bins of sand in the cellar were turnips, carrots and
potatoes. Eggs were stored in crocks of waterglass and would be used in
spite of their peculiar taste from the hen's diet of grasshoppers.
Sometimes payment was coal from one of the Turtle Mountain mines, or a
load of firewood cut along the Souris River. Other welcome payments
were home-made soap or butter, cream or a basket of
freshly picked mushrooms.
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