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My Memories of Aunt Rhoda

by Mark Eric Neis

It will be hard for me to understand why my Aunt Rhoda is not waiting for me when I next go to visit Mirror. Virtually every year for the last 48 years I have traveled to Mirror with my family or by myself to visit my Grandfather's sister. She lived on a farm once owned by my Great Grandpa and she always had farm fresh milk and eggs and cows. She always told stories of the Neis family and farming and relatives I never knew; who would promptly arrive to sit and eat and drink and confirm that her stories were as real as the smile on Rhoda's face.

She had a large garden and cooked more food than anyone could eat. Her house was a scrapbook into the Neis family and we could always go walking around the farm where there were sheds full of equipment and barns full of animals. We could climb onto great farm tractors and combines and we could milk cows. We could take a horse and just ride away down the road with nobody watching or caring where we were or what we did.

Even the trips to see my Aunt Rhoda were filled with great excitement as my dad would get wound up telling stories of his early years growing up on the farm. We would all get very excited and couldn't wait to get there trying to remember which turn would lead us to the farm gate. It was always such a special time every summer when we would stop to see my Aunt Rhoda. The visits were always too short, but the love and wonder that she provided during these moments left the greatest memories I could ever have of this very special lady.

Thank-you Aunt Rhoda.

Love Mark Eric Neis

Remembrance of Rhoda Ferguson

by Rosalind Neis

I don't remember the first time we went to the farm, but I do remember Rhoda always having cold drinks, cookies and a big smile. It was my only "farm" experience being a kid from the big city of Saskatoon.

Rhoda was always happy to see us and the strange thing I remember is jumping on the hay stacks beside the pig pen. They must have been 15 feet high and if you jumped from one hay stack to the other you had to be very careful not to fall or the "killer" hogs would get you. I remember the smell of the air.

I also remember the cool things Aunt Rhoda had in her basement. Of course, if we were really good we could go down stairs and look at the old items, but we were careful not to disturb any thing as it seemed like a museum to such a small child as me.

I was lucky to take my two sons, Cole and Chase, to the farm one summer during our trip back to Kelowna from Turtle Lake. Things never seemed to change at the farm even though Aunt Rhoda was getting on in years and her health was not what it used to be. We will miss her smile, and her happiness to have family drop in for a visit.

Love to all from

Rosalind, Cole and Chase

Remembrance of Rhoda Johanna Norene (Neis) Ferguson

September 8, 1920 – December 9, 2005

by Vernon Valentine Neis

When I was 6 to 8 years old, Aunt Rhoda was in her later teen years and she was living at home with Grandad and Grammy one-quarter mile south of my home. I remember walking that long, long way down south to visit with my grandparents and George Jr. (I knew him only as “Sonny”) and Rhoda. I specially liked that grown up girl who was 11 years older than me. She always tried to protect me from the teasing that Sonny would always lay on me.

Life in those days was quite a bit simpler than it is today. Some of the changes in direction in my life started when my mom and dad and I left the farm and moved to Calgary in 1942. Since that time I have lived away from the Lamerton district and I have only been able to visit with Rhoda occasionally.

Margot and I have a particular memory of an event involving Rhoda, Bette-Jo and Bill that happened in mid-May, 1954. Margot and I were on our honeymoon and we stopped for one night at the farm. Rhoda and her two 4 and 5 year old kids rigged the bed so that in the middle of the night our bed collapsed and Margot and I had to sleep the remainder of the night in a collapsed bed.

That was typical of Rhoda – always full of fun and laughing and singing and playing the piano and making other people as happy as could be.

God Speed, Rhoda, bless your soul and please put in a good word for the rest of us.

Vernon (the “neis” one)

My Memories of Aunt Rhoda

by Valerie (Neis) Hartney

Aunt Rhoda was very special to me for many reasons. For a start, she was my only aunt on my father's side of our family, and she was the link to my Dad's life growing up on the farm.

Growing up as a 'city girl' I always wanted to be a 'country girl' and I thought that living on a farm would be the best life in the world. My childhood visits to see Aunt Rhoda were always filled with anticipation. Mom & Dad would pile the three of us kids into the car, and head out from Saskatoon to Calgary, with a detour to Aunt Rhoda and Uncle Vernon's farm. It seemed that in our family, road trips had to be an adventure from start to finish, so my Dad would inevitably time the trip to ensure that it occurred either during or just after a big storm so that we would get lost in the downpour and the road ruts would swallow up the car and we would get stuck in mud and muck. Also, there being no road signs, Dad would inevitably take several wrong turns, and we would all be assigned to keep an eye out for the old schoolhouse as a landmark, as we drove down miles of gravel roads along fields that all looked identical to us. When we would finally arrive, hours late, Rhoda would be waiting with open arms and a welcoming kitchen!

A few years later, as a horse-crazy young teenager, I was fortunate to visit the farm for a couple of weeks in the summer, and Aunt Rhoda arranged for me to have a horse to ride. It was a great treat and I was just thrilled. As I look back on it, I am not quite sure what Aunt Rhoda thought of this naive city girl who didn't know how to do anything - but she got me straightened out by giving me a few chores to do. I think I probably did a lousy job with the chores because all I wanted to do was ride the horse!

My connection to the farm continued when I was able to take my own sons, Matthew and Nathan for visits to Aunt Rhoda on our way to and from Vancouver and Saskatoon. Like me, Matt & Nathan loved those visits - exploring the barn and countryside for a few short hours. I think every child should be so lucky as to have an Aunt and Uncle with a farm. It is so much more 'real' than our city life.

Aunt Rhoda had many talents that made her special, including a wonderful music talent. However, she also had one very unique ability that I could never quite figure out. For many years, she would send me a birthday card which would always arrive the exact day of my birthday, without fail. I still don't know how she did it - given the unreliability of Canada Post. It was like magic, it would be my birthday and the postman would deliver a card from Aunt Rhoda. Those birthday cards always made me feel special, and to this day I remember each one. Each card was a reminder to me of how thoughtful and loving Aunt Rhoda was, not just to me, but to all of us. Those cards were a symbol of the many wonderful times we shared, and the memories that would keep me connected to her, the farm, and the rest of her family.

I was blessed to have Aunt Rhoda in my life, and there will always be a special place for her in my heart.

Love, Valerie Hartney