NEILBURG — The Manitou Pioneers Museum welcomed guests who came from near and far to support their recent Valentine’s Day event on Feb. 10. The evening began with a meal served by Coolidge Catering followed by the music and entertainment of Jaydee Bixby and the Honky Tonk Hillbillies. They took to the stage and treated everyone to some great country music which soon had toes tapping and people out on the dance floor.
The idea of an annual Valentine’s Day Gala began in 2015 when the holiday landed on a Saturday evening, so it seemed like an opportunity for an evening out on the town. The MPM has had several different entertainers throughout the years and it has turned out to be a great way to celebrate Valentine’s with friends and neighbors as well as a great fundraiser for the museum.
The next annual event will be the Spring Plant Sale and Flea Market at the museum on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tables are available for those who would like to showcase their items and can contact Chris at 306-918-7885.
Our Annual General Meeting is April 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the museum. Everyone is welcome so if you would like to hear what is happening at the museum or maybe how you could help, please join them.
“If we are to keep our museum doors open we certainly could use some new members and new ideas,” said President Dale Herbert.
Throughout the winter months, the shop has seen volunteers hard at work. Every Wednesday evening, volunteers who want to work on the machinery and tractors share a meal before getting to work. The two main projects the museum is working on have been putting power steering on the 1951 Allis Chalmers Tract-o-loader and the 1948 REO Speed Wagon, which is ready for painting and re-assembly. Soon, the shop crew would like to work on the IH 80 pull-type combine and Allis Chalmers's round baler.
Woodworking projects have also been worked on including wooden clothes washing machines.
“We appreciate all the donations of tools and shop equipment, which make it possible for our shop crew to get these projects done for the public to see,” said shop member, Evan Horvath.
Betty Anne Goodfellow, a member of the Manitou Pioneers Museum, was one of the first MPM Board of Directors. She served alongside many other locals who understood the importance of having a museum, including the late Jean Ball. As a tribute to the woman who helped start it all, Goodfellow submitted the following on behalf of the MPM.
In 1978, a dedicated and enthusiastic group of people in the Manitou area saw the need to preserve the community’s history, so a meeting was called and soon began the Manitou Pioneers Museum. The person responsible for much of the impetus to get the museum from just an idea to an actual building with a hard-working board was Jean Ball, who served as the first president. Jean recently passed away at a seniors’ home in Victoria, B.C., where she had lived since leaving her home in Neilburg nine years ago.
One of her inspirations to raise funds for the Museum was an annual plant sale close to Mother’s Day. Well-known for her green thumb, she donated a wealth of plants and items to the sale each year. She quickly earned the admiration and respect of other MPM members.
There came a time when the museum was in trouble with a greatly diminished board and lack of funding. It was Jean who kept it alive until a new group of people were ready to take over and build the complex that we have today.
Jean was a woman of vision. She was instrumental in building, what may have been, the ‘first’ seniors’ home in Saskatchewan, now known as Crescent Apartments in Neilburg. Although busy raising a family, Jean was involved in the local horse club, the library board, home & school, plus working at the hospital. With Jean, you could expect wise decisions but tempered with fun times. With boundless energy in later years, she played in a band and helped run a flower shop out of her back yard.
All in all, Jean looked at her community and planned how she could make it better. She was always doing for others and looking for ways to put smiles on their faces. So many of us benefited from her way of thinking and owe her a huge debt of gratitude.
