MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
Truman Wilford Bone and
Mary Jane (Buhler) Bone
Mary Jane (Buhler) Bone
Spring Coulee and District pages 222 - 223
by George Bone
Truman Wilford Bone the eldest son of George
Joseph Bone and Mary Miranda (Fowler) Bone,
was born in Lehi Utah in 1885 and came to
Canada around 1900. He accompanied the Harkers
and Bradshaws with a train load of horses.
Trueman married Mary Jane Buhler, the eldest
daughter of Charles and Mary Jane Buhler at
Raymond in 1913 and they worked the farm
of George Joseph Bone until they were able to go
out on their own. They had nine children:
Trueman passed away on the 25 of November,
1938 and Mary Jane passed away in August
1968.
Our first farm was about fifteen miles south of
Magrath. My parents started buying their own land
in 1924. This farm was located on the main dirt
road from Lethbridge to Cardston, about nine miles
from Magrath and five miles from Spring Coulee. I
have memories of pulling cars out of muddy barrow
pits.
When the new gravel highway was built, it ran two
miles to the south of our farm and was later black
topped.
Trueman Bone used to irrigate alfalfa fields for
Ralph Thompson with l.V. Law who ran the
elevator and Jack Curliss who was foreman for
the cattle operation. Trueman also stacked hay
for added income and Mary Jane cooked for the crew.
It seemed later that everyone worked for Ralph
Thompson at one time or another. including myself.
Some of my early memories included riding on the
grain tank with my dad. We used four head of horses
to haul wheat to Bradshaw and received twenty five
cents a bushed. I recall an elevator agent saying
to dad; "True, I sure hate to write this cheque"
and dad replied "No harder than for me to take it."
My early recollections of Spring Coulee included
the large community centre at the east end of town
and the weekend dances, Boettcher's Garage and
Welding Shop, Jolliffe's and Munroe's grocery stores,
three elevators, the two story hotel and the
baseball field behind the hotel.
John Thompson. who lived south-east of town had
a large bell which was rung for lunch or disasters
and could be heard for a long ways.
I remember Morris Curliss and others seeing who
could put more hay on the buck rake to overload
the stacker team and listening to Jack cuss
because most of the time he could see what
was taking place.
I recall walking to town with Lloyd and Garth
Peterson and Blaine Curliss to buy pop and
candy for ten cents. I also remember the
blizzard in 1935-36 when three or four trains
were stuck between Lethbridge and Cardston
and seeing fellows taking a rest from shovelling,
sitting on cross bars and telephone poles.
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Mary Tollestrup