Stories from the Stringam Family Ranches of Southern Alberta

From the 50s and 60s to today . . .



Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Another Horse

The Depression gave us many sad stories.
But there are also stories of service and sacrifice that are truly inspiring . . .
My Grampa Stringam was a rancher.
He also served as an MLA in the provincial legislature.
It kept him busy.
And gave him a much broader scope in which to help those in need.
One morning, he announced to Grandma that he was heading over to the neighbours.
When Grandma asked why, he told her that the neighbour had a horse to sell.
“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t know we needed another horse.”
Her response? A cryptic, “We don’t.”
Grampa disappeared, returning some time later. Without the horse.
When Grandma asked him if his business had been concluded satisfactorily, he nodded and smiled.
Fixing him with her best frown, she asked him what was going on.
His smiled widened. “I bought the neighbour’s horse.”
“But why? When you admitted that we didn’t need another.”
“Well, his wife needs medical help and he needs the money to pay for it.”
Enough said.
There is a codicil . . .
Grampa paid the man for the horse.
A fair sum for the times.
The man’s wife got the medical help she needed.
And all was well.
But there is one other point to this story.
An important one.
Grampa never did go and get the horse he had paid for.
Grandma was right.
He didn’t need another horse.

16 comments:

  1. Salt of the earth people, your family is. Salt of the earth.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a kind, uplifting thing to do. You must be so happy to have had him for an ancestor.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm a bit sad that I only have one memory of him. My Dad adored him.

      Delete
  3. Those neighbours would not soon forget such kindness.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love this story. And every time they looked at that horse . . .

      Delete
  4. Aaww, that's lovely. What a beautiful gesture from your Grampa.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He was, by all accounts a very good man. Wish I'd known him longer . . .

      Delete
  5. You have the most amazing family. Wish I could have met your grandpa!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Lana! I so wish I'd had more time with Grampa!

      Delete
  6. What a sweet story Diane. Looking after someone just because they needed a hand. You don't see enough of that today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's true, Rena. I guess we just have to do what you do every day. Pass it forward!

      Delete
  7. What a lovely example of doing something for someone else without expecting anything in return. Your Grandpa was a good man!

    ReplyDelete

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