Fred Peterson worked for Father at the Sorrell Creek mill. As a sincere inquisitive young man he questioned the reason why our mill was closed down on Saturday, and why the bulk of the people of Bismarck went to church on that day rather than on the traditional Sunday. So he took out his Bible and asked Father some questions relative to this odd behaviour. Dad was more than ready to help him sort out this doctrinal question, and give him further spiritual advice. Fred finally decided that if he was to be a consistent Christian, he ought to be keeping the Ten Commandments precisely as the Bible stated, regardless of custom or inconvenience. When this decision was reported to his own father he was turned out of the home. Since he had nowhere to go, my father invited him to come and live with us.
So Fred brought his box of possessions and joined our family. He was a diligent student of the Bible and developed into a good Sabbath School teacher. He was also a good bandsman, playing first baritone. One of my most vivid memories of Fred is that of him faithfully practising his instrument in the kitchen and disturbing the peace of the household. But no one ever complained; we took it in our stride, though I doubt if it would have been tolerated in some households. My father sold the farm to Fred. He developed it for some time while working at the mill, then left outside employment and gave full time to the farm.
Fred was industrious, a careful planner and a hard worker. He made the farm pay well. To fall in love with one of our eligible girls was perhaps to be expected, for they were compatible characters. After a year or more, perhaps two, when financially confident, Fred married Lydia and they set up a prosperous home and farm. We moved up to the old Brandstater homestead, and later to a temporary home near Sorrell Creek, where mother passed away. After that the rest of us made our home at the Collin’s Cap mill; that is, Father, Ida, Gordon and myself.
