Tony and Emma Duchcherer

Grassland to Grainland

Tony was born at Tramping Lake, Sask. in 1919. His father Stanley Duchcherer and mother Stephena (Weninger) lived on a farm. Tony started working out while quite your. He had four brothers and six sisters. When his father retired he moved to Wilkie in 1946, when he met Emma Stehr, daughter of Gottholt Stehr and Ottillie (Fischer) of Phippen, Sask. Emma was born at Bateman, Sask. in 1926. Stehrs moved to Phippn district in 1931. Emman had two brothers and five sisters.

In July 1946, Tony and Emma were married at Wilkie. They worked for Rupert Wakefiedd at Freemont, Sask, for two months, harvesting. That winter we lived in Sebasion Duchcherer's house at Freemont and looked after his cattle and ours. We'll never forget the day Tony had to get loose straw from the straw pile. It was 62 degrees below, the coldest day we've ever had.

The spring of 1947 we bought our farm NE 16-40-21 in Cleavering district. We started farming with six horses and a four foot oneway. We had nine head of cattle, milked five cows, as that was our only income we had the first year of farming. Tony got odd jobs besides.

We had to build a house, as a person couldn't live in the shack that was there. So we built a little house 16 x 24. We couldn't finish the inside walls, as we couldn't afford it.

That fall our crop really was poor. One piece of wheat we couldn't even binder. We just got our seed back. But we never gave up. We always had a good garden. The next few years things improved.

In 1947, our first child was born Lillian (Weber). She was married in 1965 to Joe Weber of Landis, Sask. They now live in Unity, Sask.

We had five more children. Lloyd lives in Saskatoo, Glen married Deloris (Frey) from Wilkie in July 1973. They live in Unity, Sask. Ivan married Connie (Polsfut) of Biggar in November of 1974. They live in Unity, Sask. Yvonne married in October 1973 to Andre Lizee of Gravelbourg, Sask. They now live in St. Claude, Man. Raymond married Patricia (Lanigan) from Wilkie. They now live at Estevan, Sask.

In 1957 we had to build our house bigger, as we just didn't have enough room. At that time we had five children. We lived on that farm for 29 years. Lillian, Lloyd, Glen and Ivan wen to Cleavering school. They really enjoyed going to the country school. They enjoyed the concerts and everything else. In the winter Tony and Rob Martin took turns taking the children to school across the field with the bob sleigh. When Cleavering school closed the children wen to Unity school on the bus.

We had to retire as Tony couldn't work, he has heart trouble. So we moved to Unity in 1976.

Ivan farmed for two years, then his allergy got so bad from farm dust, he had to quit farming. Then we sold everything.

No matter how many hard times we had on the farm, those were the most important times in our lives.





Last Updated: Tuesday, February 12, 2002