James Aloysius Babkirk , 1907 - 2001

James Aloysius Babkirk was born in Providence, Rhode Island on Aug. 19, 1907, to a family that included his sister Eliza and his brother Wilbert. His family lived in the area where cotton mills and factories provided work. His father worked as a machinist, his mother in the cotton mills.
With the family increasing in size, better opportunities were needed so the family moved to Souris, P.E.I. where James's grandfather and grandmother McCabe had a small farm. The plan was for Mary Winifreide Babkirk and the three children - Wilbert, Eliza and James - to stay with the McCabes while his father, James Alexander Babkirk, headed west. He did just that, working his way along in search of a place to settle and make a home. It took two years, maybe three, James recalls, for him to scout a place to live.
Finally, in the spring of 1913, word came that the family should prepare to head west. James's grandfather and grandmother McCabe decided to come along too. They sold their 10-acre farm for $750.
James landed in High Prairie in June of 1913 at the age of six years.
Helping out and growing up as part of a pioneer family left very little time to be a boy. At age eight, James entered school, which involved a three-mile trip by horseback. Those early years were devoted to expanding your acres, doing whatever you could find as extra, outside work to help eke out a living.
When James was 12, his younger brother Albert was born, then a couple years later Walter, and the family was complete. The family then settled on land 21 miles south of town.
James tells of a story of an early frost in High Prairie that damaged gardens and crops in town. A woman who lived out in the area known as the Stockman School District came to town and told a man at the livery stable that they did not get frost at their place.
"Well, I guess that's because you people live out there in the Banana Belt."
For whatever reason, the name stuck.
James would go on to spend many years working the land. There, he developed his skill working with horses.
As with most pioneering families, land clearing and brushing out more land was a constant struggle. Large steam tractors were a great labour saver in their time, but for the most part it was manual labour that carried the day.
James never married, choosing instead to remain single, but he lived in a growing community and was always in for his share of the work and then some; not only on his own land but the land of other members of his family and neighbours around him.
In those days harvest time meant threshing. Adjoining family farmers would pool together horse and wagon outfits with whoever actually had a threshing machine to take the crops off.
Throughout the long years of work and being part of the community, there always came time for harvest dances or a pie or box social. James was a fine dancer, none better. His timing and naturally being light and easy on his feet made it plain to see. The many ladies and singles at these occasions kept his dance card full. James always found time to call out a few squares come square dance time. He'd be calling the moves and directing traffic, especially if a young couple or inexperienced paired off singles were in the circle. At times like these, James had a large following.
James was also famous for his hunting trips.
The years flew by but James always stayed in touch with his family. A niece's wedding in Lethbridge provided another opportunity for James to mix with his family. James, in his eighties by then, needed a few chores done on wedding day. A haircut was first: no male barbers, just young girls clipping and fussing over James, him completely at ease instructing them in all seriousness.
James touched us all in many different ways. A friend, a neighbour, an uncle, a brother - James was all of these things. Patient, understanding, humourous, reliable; rarely, if ever, putting himself first. James was indeed a single man but he had a large, large family.