PELLY — Residents of Pelly came together to celebrate and acknowledge the contributions of dedicated volunteers to their community.
The event took place at the Happy Hearts Recreation Centre on Oct. 21, when the Fort Pelly-Livingston Museum and attendees shared their gratitude for the remarkable efforts of several individuals who have dedicated their time and talents to various community initiatives.
The event began informally, with attendees exchanging greetings and catching up. The gathering featured numerous speakers, some of whom took the opportunity to express their heartfelt appreciation for the honourees.
One of the first individuals recognized was the late Clifton Abrahamson, a long-time community member who, together with his wife Sylvia, had been a valuable part of the museum. His contributions to the museum and involvement in the community were acknowledged and celebrated during the event. It was a surprise to Sylvia Abrahamson that Clifton, alongside Lewis and Vivian Anfinson, would be honoured with a plaque that will be installed at the Fort Pelly-Livingston Museum.
The other set of honorees, Vivian and Lewis Anfinson, were praised by Donna Abrahamson for their unwavering dedication to the community. The Anfinsons have been involved in various community activities, such as restoring the local Anglican Church, and baking bread to support the museum. Their extensive involvement was highlighted during the event, emphasizing the positive impact of their hard work and dedication.
“Lewis and Vivian moved to Pelly in 1985,” said Donna Abrahamson. “And they had decided that they needed to do something in the community and they looked around and they thought, ‘I think we will we will try to get in and work with the museum.’ And so they joined the museum and they've been here ever since.
“One of the first major things that Lewis did was he joined up with Ed and built that oven and they said that as a joke between them, who was the Ukrainian each day on the work, because Lewis is Norwegian and Ed was German. And so we know that (the oven) has been put into much use, they figure it was somewhere in the late '80s that they built it but they weren't quite sure. Another thing that Lewis took on was driving the Model T. So when we had a special activity, he was out there driving people around the town. And some people have told me that their grandchildren, what they talk about now is their rides in the Model T, never mind anything else in the museum. With that, it wasn't just to drive people around but he had to keep that vehicle running. And he's kind of a mechanic and he was able to keep it running and get it put away after they drove it and for many years he was doing that. Another thing that Lewis, Clifton and John Anfinson did was restore the Anglican Church. That floor was rotted out. The beams underneath were rotted out and the east wall with the siding on the outside was all rotted. And those three men did weeks of work doing that.”
The community emphasized the importance of volunteerism and the invaluable role that dedicated individuals play in supporting the various organizations and initiatives that benefit the town. Lewis Anfinson encouraged others to get involved and contribute to the betterment of their community, emphasizing the shared sense of responsibility and community spirit that defines small-town life.
