My father, James Gagan, and I each took a
homestead at Del Bonita. A two roomed house
was built on the dividing line south of the
Milk River.

Lillian and I were married at Fairview Farm,
Magrath, July 4,'1915. Our eldest child,
Jimmy, was born August 23, 1916 and passed
away September 4, 1917. While we were at Del
Bonita, a daughter was born, and another
daughter born later at Magrath.

As father ran a band of sheep, the first
winter we lived in a sheep wagon. The
following spring we lambed out and Lillian
and I trailed the sheep to Stirling, our
home was the camp wagon all summer. The
lambs were sold there and we returned to
the ranch with the ewes. During the winter
the sheep were taken out every day on the
prairies for feed. I would pile rocks up
as a wind shield and many a day my sandwiches
were so frozen I could not eat them. In
the summer we cut every bit of wild grass
for feed and Lillian and I would stack it
at the buildings.

To go to Magrath was a hardship as we had
so many gates to open, and then we went
only to see the doctor and dentist. The
R.C.M.P. on his rounds would stay at our
place and as we were so isolated, we always
looked forward to his coming to hear news
of the country.

Lillian on finding fish in the Milk River,
loved to fish and in the summer she'd take
our daughter and place her in an apple box
and pick saskatoons along the river. Also
she loved the great friendship of Maude and
Ella Hillmer and never forgot the companionship
of the Del Bonita people over the years.

Lillian and I worked very hard to save money
to get started on the Fairview Farm at Magrath
and seven years later we were able to buy
furniture and machinery to move there.

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