ODDS 'N' ENDS

Some odds and ends, little stories and such that were used in the book "Three spades deep".

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HEAR SAY!

During the 1900s, when deep snow was the norm of the time; around the pot belly stove in the store, the boys were telling tall stories about high drifts. A Mr. Stronach said that when he climbed to the top of a drift near his home he could hear the prophets burping.

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INSPIRATION

No Race is over til the yard's run
No Game is lost until it's won
A Fire is never dead while the ashes are still red
Nor is the Sun set in the skies, until the day is done

Author Unknown

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ROYAL TIES ANYONE??

People who can claim lineage from David Bent who married in 1761 to Mary Felch (example: the descendants of David and Susan (Stronach) Bent or Susan (Bent) and George Stronach) MAY be able to trace their ancestry back to the 1030's and Malcolm II, King of Scotland and Ethelred (the Unready), King of England.

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RECIPE TO KEEP HEALTHY

Be:
Half in earnest, half in jest
Half a pet, half a pest.

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EGG TARTS

Egg tarts.... A real favourite among the Stronachs and the Bent cousins. So much so, they became a tradition and remain so to this day. No one seems to know where or when the recipe came from, they were just there and always a part of life. The original recipe might have been something like this:

1 egg
1 cup of brown sugar
Tablespoon of white vinegar
Vanilla

Beat with a hand beater only until well mixed. Pour into tart shells previously prepared (ordinary pie crust recipe). Bake at 325-350 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until brown. Recipe may be doubled.

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COMMUNITY PICNICS

Community picnics were held at Stronach Brook for number of years. In the thirties travel was by horse and buggy, then later on, probably in the early forties, Parker Bent would take everyone in his truck. These events included games, ball, swimming and a picnic supper. Everyone spread out the food they had brought together with their neighbours and sat on the ground or logs or rocks and had a fine feast. It became a custom that Reis Stronach had to make the tea for everyone. He made it in a big pot over the fire...it was strong, it was hot, and it was good.

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A TRUE STORY

Mr. Parker D. Bent's family and Reis H. Stronach's family were closely related; P.D.'s mother was a Stronach and R.H.'s mother was a Bent. Also, we were right good friends, which continues to the present day. We visited considerably and one clear moonlit Saturday evening near midnight, I observed P.D. with his faithful horse pulling a two row seeder, planting turnips.

--Mack Stronach

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THE ADVENTURES OF FLORA COX

Flora (Stronach) Cox was a real adventuress. By the early twenties, she had been to Hawaii twice, travelling by tramp steamer. (She was well ahead of her time.)

As the ship left the dock in Hawaii, it was customary for the band to play 'The star spangled banner'. On one of these trips, Flora's sense of humour came to the fore. As they were leaving the dock, she offered the Bandmaster a $5.00 bribe if he would play 'God save the king'. He accepted her bribe and did indeed play the British anthem as the ship sailed away.

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