Bragg Creek, Alberta
Gilbert is almost 70 years old. His runners have been replaced, and he has a fresh paint job, but in all other respects he is an original.
The rocking horse showed up under our Christmas tree in 1957.
The photo below was taken at home near Gravelbourg, Saskatchewan. My very young father (he would have been 23) and I are huddled around an oil-burning heater, playing with the horse and other Christmas presents.
The only trace of Gilbert in this photo is the tiny partial profile of one leg and a runner (bottom left).
The rocking horse was built by my Granduncle Gilbert Bekker (hence the name). He likely used plywood, screws and paint, purchased from Donat Legault Hardware in Gravelbourg.
Receipt from Donat Legault to Wm Paton for hardware items purchased March 15, 1941
Legault Hardware also sold blueprints for toys and other woodworking projects. I expect Uncle Gilbert bought the pattern for the rocking horse when he picked up building materials.
Uncle Gilbert crafted the rocking horse during the winter of 1957 and left it under the Christmas tree for my brother and me.
One component that definitely didn’t come from Legault Hardware is the tail.
Uncle Gilbert was a farmer. The rocking horse’s tail was notched out of one of his milk cows.
I rode Gilbert daily as a child, as did my three siblings. When I had kids, all four of them took turns on the horse. I lent it to my sister Valerie for a few years; her two children also saddled up and rode Gilbert.
Val returned the rocking horse when her kids were done with it, and Gilbert was put out to pasture for about 30 years.
This week the horse was taken out of storage, dusted off and had its runners replaced (for the third time).
Marshall and Deanna had a healthy baby boy last Saturday!
Mason Russell Paton will be the third generation to …
…Rock on Gilbert.
Like and Subscribe…
To join the WellWaterBlog audience, scroll down and add your e-mail address to the growing list. You will receive a notice each time a new article is posted and nothing else – No Advertising, No Solicitations, No B.S., Just Fun.
Leave a Reply