The Edgelows
Clayton and Diane Edgelow
We moved to Cochrane in 1962, and began attending All Saints Anglican Church.
The church never had much of a budget to work on, so most of the work was done by volunteers. Interestingly enough, most committee meetings, whether Boy Scouts, vestry, etc. were composed of the same people. Meetings were held in individual homes, and spouses usually came to visit and bring a delectable lunch. Maybe that's why the attendance record was so good!
Henry Whitfield and Sam Peverell were faithful in many capacities, and their terms never seemed to expire because at voting time they were always unanimously returned to office!
When funds were being raised for the rectory, many an hour was spent collecting enough money to make a dream come true. I remember our milkman, Ted Lee, had a collection of fifty—cent coins, and he donated all of them to the cause.
Christmas was always special.
We held a 'Walk a Christmas Mile' starting at one church with a service; then we would walk down the street to another church for more caroling - singing as we walked along. Protestant and Catholic churches participated. At the last church we would sing again, and gather after the Benediction for cocoa and cookies. Each year the churches took turns being last.
When the church was upgraded, Neil and Robin Harvie donated the lights, in keeping with the original décor. They were installed and hooked up to new power.
I remember Scott, who was about five years old, helping me with the wiring. He crawled under the floor pulling a wire to the front of the church so we could install a plug-in for Christmas tree lights. He was a brave little guy, I thought, to go under that floor with only a flashlight to see his way!
We had a variety of ministers, including Rev. Wright from Canmore. He had a long drive and an invalid wife waiting at home, so our service with him was exactly one hour long; we could practically set our watches by him.
We cleaned the church, lovingly polishing the old wood. New kneelers were added, and new carpeting, but always in the same original theme.
Jim Kerfoot was instrumental in getting us a new furnace.
We spent many days with Henry Whitfield painting the fence, and then, after much discussion with the town manager, getting the back area fixed up.
Diane taught Sunday School in the Community and remembers cleaning up bottles, cans and garbage left after Saturday night parties-not part of the job description!
Two of the highlights of our time in the church were the purchase of the rectory, and the building of Ford Hall.
When Doug and Doris Ford arrived, Bishop Ford was instrumental in having the hall built after we as a group had been so undecided about how to do it. It was great to name it Ford Hall.
Yard work was a full day. We brought lunches and treats to share with our friends and co-workers. Fences were repaired and painted, and we planted trees along the south fence, and bedding plants by the church.
Rev. Howes arrived at our doorstep early one morning to borrow our car to attend to his service in Balzac. Somebody during the night had siphoned his gas tank!
We held a Christmas bazaar, Santa's Soup Kitchen, which even the men looked forward to.
Each family would make a large pot of soup, and at the hall mix them all together. It was delicious. We baked, made handicrafts at each other's homes, collected for a white elephant table—it was truly a major event.
We remember Frances Hill singing 'Bless This House' for a special occasion.
Clayton and I started a youth group in our home, and we had an amazing turnout, with ages from 13—30 years. We had some lively discussions.
Our annual picnics were held at Wildcat Hills gas plant, which is now Petro Canada.
Food, fun and games included baseball, horseshoes, and races including potato sack and wheelbarrow.
We went to Butters for our annual Christmas tree cutting and sleigh rides, ending with hot chocolate and cookies.
During the discussions on Church Union, we held ecumenical meetings at our homes with Roman Catholic priests and Protestant ministers in attendance. The discussions were lively and educational, and the evening always too short.
Pancake Supper on Shrove Tuesdays were always planned and organized by the men, and they did a marvelous job from beginning to end. Sausages, bacon and pancakes, etc. were served, and there was always a lineup to get in for the great meal.
The associations that we had with All Saints church have provided us, and our children, with lifetime friendships.
It has been a pleasure to do this trip down memory lane, and has brought back memories that seemed to lead from one to another. It took longer than it should because Clay and I would stop to reminisce!