Page 25 - Forest Grove Years 17 Feb

Aside from school I made some good friends who lived nearby on our street. The names
I remember are Albert and David Slack, Wayne Macdonald and Kenny Lutz. Kenny had a
massive comic book collection, and I was very impressed. I recall it being mentioned
that they were Jewish, but do not think it was meant as a disparaging remark. On Sat-
urdays we would go downtown to the movies. This was a step up from the movies in
Forest Grove which were held in the Community Hall. The selection was also a consider-
able improvement. I seem to remember names like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry and
Hopalong Cassidy who starred in the Hollywood genre of “Western” films of that era.
It was during this time that I managed to break my ankle at school. For some reason, a
ditch was being excavated on the school grounds and great fun was to be had by jump-
ing over it to the other side. One of my jumps fell short and I went down into the ditch
with predictable results. I wore a cast for a few weeks after which I was left with a very
stiff ankle joint. I do not think physiotherapy was in vogue in those years, but I sur-
vived.
Return to Forest Grove
In 1953 we sold our house and packed our belongings into an old black Monarch and
drove through the United States back to British Columbia. We spent a few days in Van-
couver and then continued on to Forest Grove where we once again established our-
selves in the lodge. I was during those days in Vancouver that I had my introduction to
television at Alex and Leona Mackenzie’s house. We must have arrived in the spring of
the year because I recall completing grade seven at Forest Grove Elementary School. I
have only a general idea of the economic circumstances that had allowed our return and
believe that it related to the lumber business. Things went on more or less as they had
prior to our departure although we lived in the lodge because Bob and Madelene had
taken over the cabin and constructed a small kitchen in the area that had once been my
bedroom.
One winter my mother became quite ill with I think bronchitis. My father had to take her
to a dry location somewhere, but do not recall being told or if I was, I have long forgot-
ten. Earl and Ruth Sellars moved into the lodge with their son Shorty (Irwin). I seem to
remember that they also had a dog that Earl would speak to as a means of communi-
cating with Ruth. Shorty and I occupied the south upstairs bedroom facing the remains
of the store. Life went on as usual until one winter morning a group of us were walking
down the hill from our place to the main road on the way to school. The road was icy,
and a truck driven by a German lady who was living in one of the small cabins lost con-
trol and headed into our little group of four or five children. Everyone managed to jump
clear but me. The front bumper on the right side of the truck caught me behind the
knees and down I went. The right front wheel ran over the back of both of my legs. This
could have resulted in serious injuries, but I was in the snow on the side of the road and
the impact was cushioned. I had no serious damage aside from bruising to the back of
both legs. The poor woman driving the truck was terrible upset. She had recently lost
her husband in a logging accident on Canim Lake and was trying to get her life together.
Ruth Sellars was also quite concerned as she did not want to report to my parents that I
had broken both of my legs on her watch. I think I was off school for two or three days
and on my return discovered that I had become a celebrity as the boy who had been
run over by a truck and survived to tell the tale.
I enjoyed for several weeks the companionship of another boy who was roughly my age.