Lorraine Jablonski grew up on a family farm between Stoughton and Forget. Here she learned what it meant to work hard and enjoyed living amongst her large family as the third youngest of 10.
"I had seven brothers and two sisters, a big family," Lorraine explained.
Laughing later Lorraine said, "Poor Mom had an awful time." Though Lorraine said she wasn't one to get into mischief some of her siblings easily could.
On the farm Lorraine and her seven brothers and two sisters worked hard. They'd help in the fields, in the barn taking care of the animals, and in the house.
Though they had cows, chickens, and pigs, Lorraine's favourite was her pony named Bette.
"It was four miles to school and I would ride my pony," Lorraine explained. Once at school Lorraine laughed as The Observer questioned where Bette would go, to which Lorraine laughed as she stated that all the ponies would be put in the pasture beside the school until the end of the day.
Lorraine enjoyed school, but says it was less about the subjects and more about being able to socialize with the other youth remembering how they would play games, especially baseball.
Thinking of school, Lorraine began to think of how they prepared to go to school saying a typical morning would consist of getting up, milking the cows, having oatmeal their mother made, and then riding for school.
Though oatmeal was a staple, Lorraine remembers learning how to cook from her mother who used all her own recipes.
"Mom used to cover the table in bread, pies, everything!" Lorraine stated. "They don't do that nowadays."
"She had all her own recipes. She made cakes, pie crusts, muffins, and it didn't taste anything like things do today."
In addition to cooking and baking, her mother would often be found canning fruit and pickles.
Lorraine would end up finishing grade 11 in school and enter the work force. She moved to Weyburn where she worked in three different cafes, which continued after she met her husband Bill.
"We lived in Weyburn. I worked in three different cafes there. Bill was going to school, so I had to work," Lorraine explained.
As Lorraine spoke about Bill her thoughts focused on their wedding day, which was quite something.
"I met my husband and we got married, we had a triple wedding!" Lorraine exclaimed. "My two brothers and I were married on the same day, and the one married my husband's sister."
"It was nice, it was July. Nice and warm."
As she thought about her wedding day she went on to explain triple weddings come with a multitude of guests.
"It was so full you couldn't dance and couldn't sit down to eat," Lorraine smiled widely. "[The dance was held] in a Catholic hall in Weyburn. It's something I'll never forget."
As Lorraine continued to work, she would also come to raise two boys who she enjoyed raising immensely and who she thought were pretty good, not getting into too much mischief.
