In the History Book "Times past and Present" in Allan, Saskatchewan, Canada is
a history of John (son of Adam) USSELMAN that in places reads very confusing
as there are 2 seperate Leo's and not sure they are the same Leo or two
different ones as the wifes and birth dates don't jive? Not sure how this
should be?
Usselman, Adam
By John A.
Times Past and Present
Allan, Saskatchewan
John was born in 1901 the eldest son of Adam Usselman and Johanna Thomas.
He writes: We emigrated from Selz, Russia arriving in Halifax January 6, 1914.
We traveled by train for six days to Zeima, Saskatchewan. The family at this
time consisted of six children: Helen, Barbara, Marian, John, Anna Mary and
Leo. The eldest daughter and her husband made plans to move to Canada. Not
wanting to be separated from them they made the move with them. Upon arrival
in Zeima we lived with the Fred Usselman family till the spring of 1914 at
which time my father took up blacksmithing in Bradwell during the summer
months and lived in Allan for winters in a sod house with two windows and one
door. A note of interest here is he sharpened plough shares for thirty-five
cents each. I got my education in Russia which was equivalent to two years of
high school. Our highlight of the year was the Saskatoon Exhibition. I
remember going by train with several other young men, fell asleep coming home
and when the train stopped I woke up in Zeima, resulting in a walk back to
Allan in the middle of the night. During 1918 to 1928 we farmed south of
Bradwell and Allan.
On January 18, 1926 I married Frances Martian. We have seven children:
Jennie, Eva, Leo, Edward, Barbara, Eda and Elsie. We farmed with my father for
two years who at this time retired to Allan. 1 continued farming twenty miles
south of Allan till 1934 then moved to a farm six miles south of Allan.
We farmed here till 1939 at which time I purchased Section 17-34-l-W3rd,
where I lived till 1951 semi-retiring to Allan. In 1964 we moved to Saskatoon
where I presently reside. Our son Leo married and took over the family farm
where he still resides.
JENNIE: I was born in 1927. The first school I attended was the Protestant
school in Allan for two years. Dad paid three dollars a month and I stayed
with my grandparents, then I went to Belle Lake and Prairie Home Schools. At
home, Eva and I did the stocking, milked cows and worked in the field with
horses until I left home at the age of eighteen. I married Ray Graves in 1949.
We live in Saskatoon and have a family of four.
EVA, born in 1928 on a farm south of Allan, attended Allan Protestant,
Belle Lake and Prairie Home Schools and completed high school in Allan. She
writes: In the earlier years we went to dances with horse and sleigh in winter
and in summer with our '28 Chev, known as the "Blue Heaven". I did a lot of
stocking, hauling grain with horses and milking cows, however I got time off
to play with the Allan Ladies Softball Team. I attended Teachers' College and
taught two years at Red Cross School south of Battleford, then returned to
Allan and taught at Happy School till June 1949. In 1948 I married Otto Senger
and have farmed ever since in the Allan District. I was on the C.W.L., Home
and School executive and on the Mothers' Auxiliary for Brownies and Guides,
also helped with Baby Clinic for several years. We have four daughters: Fay
(Mrs.Brian Hoiness) Saskatoon, Eileen (Mrs. Brian Sopha) Regina, Deby (Mrs.
Stan Hartz) Bradwell and Laurie, finishing grade twelve.
LEO W: I was born in 1930, later moved to Belle Lake School District, then
I completed my education at Prairie Home School. In growing up I made extra
money while attending school by starting furnace fires before classes started.
Another way was to catch gophers and sell their tails. My spare time was taken
up playing pranks on my brothers and sisters and whoever was visiting. I
married Lorraine Senger in 1958. We have one son James and he attends Allan
school.
EDWARD was born in Allan and spent his early life on farms in the Allan
district. He went to Prairie Home School as well as Allan High. After high
School he moved to Saskatoon where he worked and lived until 1977 when he
moved to Richmond, British Columbia. In August 1955 he married Veronica
Sleekier of Allan. They have four children: Kenneth, Judy, Janice and Glenn.
BARBARA attended Prairie Home School for eight years. She writes: My
mother roomed and boarded the teachers, and normal school teachers. I learned
to smoke in the school out house. I am now married to Kasper Deichert and
living in Saskatoon with a family of three sons.
EDA took grades one to eight at Prairie Home School and grades nine, ten
and eleven at Allan School. An outstanding memory is the Christmas Concerts
that were held every year. Every child was involved one way or another.
Preparations began at least a month before with the teachers and parents
working hard at costumes. All parents seemed to attend. She writes: In high
school, my memories most outstanding were drama nights when the hall was
filled to capacity. I have not lived at Allan since I was sixteen years of
age, having made my home in Saskatoon since. I was married in 1957 to Jake
Getzlaf and have four children. I was widowed in April 1979.
Leo writes: Dad and Mother were no farmers to start with. Dad was a blacksmith
by trade. Then in 1920 he rented some land and lived on the farm at Bradwell.
Wheat was the main crop. They had a garden but no ice house or root cellar.
They produced enough for their own use. They hauled grain by wagon and horses.
He started his blacksmith in Allan and did all his business from the lot where
the house
was.
I started school at Allan. Then we went to the farm and there I attended
Deerfield School. I attended school until the age of thirteen. In Allan some
of my school mates were Manny Hauck and Joe Wilderman. I had one experience
Halloween night. Some of my friends, Lloyd, Joe and Ted Martian went to John
Martian's place. We all got up on the roof of the house when all at once John
Martian came out and shot with the gun. He just shot in the air but I am
telling you, we got off that roof in a hurry. No one was hurt.
In 1935 1 married Veria Martian. We then lived on the Herb Smith farm. We
rented it from Herb for about twenty-seven years, and bought it in about 1957.
We had hard times and a family of seven boys. We left Allan in 1962 and came
to Saskatoon to live in 1967 when we sold the farm. I have not been involved
in any activities as my health failed. My wife remembers when two bachelors,
George and Charlie Wilson, were their neighbors. They were two wonderful boys.
Mrs. Martian did their washing and baked bread for them. Charlie used to play
the violin and he used to play and Odell danced the highland fling. We really
enjoyed it. Charlie got married and they went east to live. (Leo passed away
in May 1980).
John was born in 1901 the eldest son of Adam Usselman and Johanna Thomas.
He writes: We emigrated from Selz, Russia arriving in Halifax January 6, 1914.
We traveled by train for six days to Zeima, Saskatchewan. The family at this
time consisted of six children: Helen, Barbara, Marian, John, Anna Mary and
Leo. The eldest daughter and her husband made plans to move to Canada. Not
wanting to be separated from them they made the move with them. Upon arrival
in Zeima we lived with the Fred Usselman family till the spring of 1914 at
which time my father took up blacksmithing in Bradwell during the summer
months and lived in Allan for winters in a sod house with two windows and one
door. A note of interest here is he sharpened plough shares for thirty-five
cents each. I got my education in Russia which was equivalent to two years of
high school. Our highlight of the year was the Saskatoon Exhibition. I
remember going by train with several other young men, fell asleep coming home
and when the train stopped I woke up in Zeima, resulting in a walk back to
Allan in the middle of the night. During 1918 to 1928 we farmed south of
Bradwell and Allan.
On January 18, 1926 I married Frances Martian. We have seven children:
Jennie, Eva, Leo, Edward, Barbara, Eda and Elsie. We farmed with my father for
two years who at this time retired to Allan. 1 continued farming twenty miles
south of Allan till 1934 then moved to a farm six miles south of Allan.
We farmed here till 1939 at which time I purchased Section 17-34-l-W3rd,
where I lived till 1951 semi-retiring to Allan. In 1964 we moved to Saskatoon
where I presently reside. Our son Leo married and took over the family farm
where he still resides.
JENNIE: I was born in 1927. The first school I attended was the Protestant
school in Allan for two years. Dad paid three dollars a month and I stayed
with my grandparents, then I went to Belle Lake and Prairie Home Schools. At
home, Eva and I did the stocking, milked cows and worked in the field with
horses until I left home at the age of eighteen. I married Ray Graves in 1949.
We live in Saskatoon and have a family of four.
EVA, born in 1928 on a farm south of Allan, attended Allan Protestant,
Belle Lake and Prairie Home Schools and completed high school in Allan. She
writes: In the earlier years we went to dances with horse and sleigh in winter
and in summer with our '28 Chev, known as the "Blue Heaven". I did a lot of
stocking, hauling grain with horses and milking cows, however I got time off
to play with the Allan Ladies Softball Team. I attended Teachers' College and
taught two years at Red Cross School south of Battleford, then returned to
Allan and taught at Happy School till June 1949. In 1948 I married Otto Senger
and have farmed ever since in the Allan District. I was on the C.W.L., Home
and School executive and on the Mothers' Auxiliary for Brownies and Guides,
also helped with Baby Clinic for several years. We have four daughters: Fay
(Mrs.Brian Hoiness) Saskatoon, Eileen (Mrs. Brian Sopha) Regina, Deby (Mrs.
Stan Hartz) Bradwell and Laurie, finishing grade twelve.
LEO W: I was born in 1930, later moved to Belle Lake School District, then
I completed my education at Prairie Home School. In growing up I made extra
money while attending school by starting furnace fires before classes started.
Another way was to catch gophers and sell their tails. My spare time was taken
up playing pranks on my brothers and sisters and whoever was visiting. I
married Lorraine Senger in 1958. We have one son James and he attends Allan
school.
EDWARD was born in Allan and spent his early life on farms in the Allan
district. He went to Prairie Home School as well as Allan High. After high
School he moved to Saskatoon where he worked and lived until 1977 when he
moved to Richmond, British Columbia. In August 1955 he married Veronica
Sleekier of Allan. They have four children: Kenneth, Judy, Janice and Glenn.
BARBARA attended Prairie Home School for eight years. She writes: My
mother roomed and boarded the teachers, and normal school teachers. I learned
to smoke in the school out house. I am now married to Kasper Deichert and
living in Saskatoon with a family of three sons.
EDA took grades one to eight at Prairie Home School and grades nine, ten
and eleven at Allan School. An outstanding memory is the Christmas Concerts
that were held every year. Every child was involved one way or another.
Preparations began at least a month before with the teachers and parents
working hard at costumes. All parents seemed to attend. She writes: In high
school, my memories most outstanding were drama nights when the hall was
filled to capacity. I have not lived at Allan since I was sixteen years of
age, having made my home in Saskatoon since. I was married in 1957 to Jake
Getzlaf and have four children. I was widowed in April 1979.
Leo writes: Dad and Mother were no farmers to start with. Dad was a blacksmith
by trade. Then in 1920 he rented some land and lived on the farm at Bradwell.
Wheat was the main crop. They had a garden but no ice house or root cellar.
They produced enough for their own use. They hauled grain by wagon and horses.
He started his blacksmith in Allan and did all his business from the lot where
the house
was.
I started school at Allan. Then we went to the farm and there I attended
Deerfield School. I attended school until the age of thirteen. In Allan some
of my school mates were Manny Hauck and Joe Wilderman. I had one experience
Halloween night. Some of my friends, Lloyd, Joe and Ted Martian went to John
Martian's place. We all got up on the roof of the house when all at once John
Martian came out and shot with the gun. He just shot in the air but I am
telling you, we got off that roof in a hurry. No one was hurt.
In 1935 1 married Veria Martian. We then lived on the Herb Smith farm. We
rented it from Herb for about twenty-seven years, and bought it in about 1957.
We had hard times and a family of seven boys. We left Allan in 1962 and came
to Saskatoon to live in 1967 when we sold the farm. I have not been involved
in any activities as my health failed. My wife remembers when two bachelors,
George and Charlie Wilson, were their neighbors. They were two wonderful boys.
Mrs. Martian did their washing and baked bread for them. Charlie used to play
the violin and he used to play and Odell danced the highland fling. We really
enjoyed it. Charlie got married and they went east to live. (Leo passed away
in May 1980).