Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1967

Date Range To

1979

Materials

WOOL, THREAD, METAL

No. Pieces

1

Length

65

Width

46

Description

BLUE GREY WOOL JACKET WITH A COLLAR AND SEVEN WHITE SNAP BUTTONS. THE INNER LINER HAS A MULTICOLOUR VERTICAL STRIPE PATTERN. THERE ARE TWO FRONT POCKETS. THE TAG READS “BOUWITT OF WINNIPEG CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETIC WEAR”. 41 PATCHES AND 14 PINS ARE ATTACHED TO THE JACKET. RIGHT SLEEVE PATCHES: -“FOREMOST ALTA FISH & GAME ASSOCIATION” WITH PRONGHORN -“FT. SASK. F.&G. ASSOC. RIFLEMEN’S RODEO AUG. 1ST. & 2ND. 1971” WITH DEER IN CROSS HAIRS -“BENCH REST TOURNAMENT JULY 1971” YELLOW LETTERING ON GREEN BACKGROUND -GREEN MAPLE LEAF WITH BANNER THAT SAYS “CANADA” -“EXPERT 10-95 STANDING” -“EXPERT 10-98 KNEELING” -“EXPERT 10-98 SITTING” -“EXPERT 10-100 PRONE” LEFT SLEEVE PATCHES: -“EVE” -“KIWANIS GREEN ACRES SHARP SHOOTERS INSTRUCTOR”. HAS CROSSED RIFLES AND “K” IN BLUE CIRCLE ON GREEN BACKGROUND -“RIFLEMANS RODEO” -“LADIES CHAMPION 1969” -“FT. SASK. FISH & GAME ASS’N RIFLEMAN’S RODEO” WITH PRONGHORN -“MARKSMEN 10-90- STANDING” -“MARKSMAN 10-93 KNEELING” -“MARKSMEN 10-95- SITTING” -“MARKSMAN 10-98 PRONE” PATCHES ON FRONT BODY: -“FIRST 100 STANDING EVE” -“LETHBRIDGE MARKSMEN” WITH YELLOW CROSSED RIFLES -CIRCULAR “10-X” -“A.E.G. A LETH. MARKSMEN MEMBERSHIP AWARD” WITH DEER -“PONOKA FISH AND GAME” WITH MALLARD DUCK, FISH, AND SCENERY -“SHOOTING FEDERATION DE TIR” WITH RED MAPLE LEAD THAT SAYS “CANADA” -“HUNTER TRAINING CANDIDATE ALBERTA QUALIFIED” WITH BIGHORN SHEEP -“ALBERTA FISH & GAME ASSN. LETHBRIDGE” WITH FLYING GROUSE -“MASTER 10-200- STANDING” PINS ON COLLAR: -BEAR SHAPED WITH “ANNUAL RIFLEMAN’S RODEO ASHCROFT B.C.” IN GOLD -CIRCULAR “FISH & GAME ASSN ALBERTA” WITH FLYING GROUSE -CIRCULAR “SIERRA EXPERT RIFLEMAN” WITH MOUNTAIN SCENE -GOLD “C-I-L SPORTING RIFLE” WITH MAPLE LEAF -BRONZE “C-I-L SPORTING RIFLE” WITH MAPLE LEAF -BLACK/SILVER “C-I-L SPORTING RIFLE” WITH MAPLE LEAF PINS ON FRONT BODY: -GOLD CROSSED RIFLES -CIRCULAR “WEATHERBY” -GOLD MAPLE LEAF WITH “DM DOMINION MARKSMEN” -“FIELD & STREAM HONOR BADGE” WITH DEER -SILVER AND BROWN RIFLE -SILVER MAPLE LEAF WITH “DM DOMINION MARKSMEN” -BRONZE MAPLE LEAF WITH “DM DOMINION MARKSMEN” -SILVER OVAL “C-I-L” WITH HOLES ON EITHER SIDE PATCHES ON BACK BODY: -“DOMINION MARKSMEN MEMBER” WITH DM LOGO AND MAPLE LEAF -“ALBERTA GUN CRAFT LTD LETHBRIDGE” WITH RIFLE, FISHING ROD, AND HAND GUN -“SILVER EXPERT SHIELD RIFLE” WITH DM LOGO AND MAPLE LEAF -SHIELD SHAPED “SPORTING RIFLE SITTING” WITH BLUE DM LOGO AND MAPLE LEAF - SHIELD SHAPED “SPORTING RIFLE KNEELING” WITH GREEN DM LOGO AND MAPLE LEAF -SHIELD SHAPED “SPORTING RIFLE STANDING” WITH RED DM LOGO AND MAPLE LEAF -“PONOKA FISH AND GAME RIFLEMANS RODEO” WITH TWO RIFLES AND MOUNTAIN GOAT -RED SHIELD SHAPED “CANADIAN CENTENNIAL MARKSMAN WINCHESTER 1967 SPORTING RIFLE THREE POSITION” WITH PERSON ON HORSE -“COUNTY OF WARNER” BANNER ATOP ALBERTA PROVINCE AND BLUE CIRCLE -BROWN/BRONZE CIRCULAR “CANADIAN CENTENNIAL MARKSMAN WINCHESTER 1967 SPORTING RIFLE” WITH PERSON ON HORSE -SILVER CIRCULAR “CANADIAN CENTENNIAL MARKSMAN WINCHESTER 1967 SPORTING RIFLE” WITH PERSON ON HORSE -GOLD CIRCULAR “CANADIAN CENTENNIAL MARKSMAN WINCHESTER 1967 SPORTING RIFLE” WITH PERSON ON HORSE -BROWN/BRONZE “SPORTING RIFLE C-I-L SITTING” WITH PERSON SHOOTING AND RED MAPLE LEAF -SILVER “SPORTING RIFLE C-I-L KNEELING” WITH PERSON SHOOTING AND RED MAPLE LEAF -GOLD “SPORTING RIFLE C-I-L STANDING” WITH PERSON SHOOTING AND RED MAPLE LEAF

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

SPORTS

ASSOCIATIONS

COMMEMORATIVE

History

ON FEBRUARY 27TH AND MARCH 5TH, 2020 COLLECTIONS TECHINICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN MET WITH EVELYN LEFFINGWELL IN HER LETHBRIDGE HOME ALONG WITH HER DAUGHTER, LYNDA BARANIECKI. EVELYN AND HER LATE HUSBAND FRANK WERE PROMINENT LOCAL MARKSMEN, TAUGHT YOUNG PEOPLE THE SKILL, WON MANY AWARDS COMPETING, AND WERE INDUCTED INTO THE LETHBRIDGE SPORTS HALL OF FAME. THEY WERE BOTH VERY INVOLVED WITH THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION, THE ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES, AND SHOOTING CLUBS. EVELYN DONATED A COLLECTION OF ITEMS RELATED TO THE COUPLE’S SPORTING DAYS TO THE MUSEUM. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS DERIVED FROM THE TWO AFOREMENTIONED INTERVIEWS. EVELYN SHARED THE STORY BEHIND THE DONATED JACKET: “I CAN’T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN WE GOT [THEM], IT WAS PROBABLY IN THE LATE [OR] EARLY ‘70S WHEN WE STARTED SHOOTING. WE HAD A GROUP THAT WAS CALLED ‘THE LETHBRIDGE MARKSMAN…CLUB’ AND I THINK WE HAD ABOUT TEN PEOPLE. WE ALL WENT OUT AND BOUGHT THE SAME JACKETS AND THEN WE GOT OUR CRESTS…[AND] PUT THE CRESTS ON. WE’D GO TO THE SHOOTS AND WE WOULD ALL BE IN OUR JACKETS. WE WOULD WALK INTO A RESTAURANT, YOU COULD SEE EVERYBODY READING THEM…[WONDERING] ‘WHO ARE THEY?’….” EVELYN TOOK CREDIT FOR THE GROUP GETTING MATCHING JACKETS: “[IT WAS] PROBABLY [MY IDEA TO GET THE JACKETS]… WE WERE IN A STORE ONE DAY AND I WAS LOOKIN’ AT [THEM] AND SOME OF OUR FRIENDS FROM OUR CLUB [WERE] IN THERE. I LOOKED AT IT [AND THOUGHT] ‘AW, THAT’S KINDA NICE.’ I PUT IT ON, AND BEFORE WE LEFT I BOUGHT THREE OR FOUR OF US ALL…JACKETS THAT I CONVINCED [THEM] WE SHOULD BUY.” EVELYN CONTINUED: “…[WE] DIDN’T SHOOT IN...[THESE JACKETS]. THEY WERE JUST SOME THAT WE’D WEAR IN THE WINTERTIME WHEN IT WAS COLD AND WE GOT TOGETHER.” “[I] CAN’T REMEMBER WHO BROUGHT THEM IN FOR US. [IT] WAS A LONG TIME AGO… BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A WHOLE PILE OF US THAT HAD [THEM].” EVELYN DESCRIBED THE PATCHES ON THE DONATED JACKETS: “…WE ALL JUST GOT OUR…PACKAGES FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS… THESE ARE THE SHOOTING FEDERATION OF CANADA… SOME OF THEM…[YOU] HAD TO SHOOT…SO MANY TARGETS, AND THEN YOU’D GET THESE BADGES FOR THE TARGETS AND THEN WE JUST HAD THEM SEWED ON OUR JACKETS. THAT WAS JUST ADVERTISING ALL THE SHOOTING PLACES.” EVELYN RECALLED WHO SEWED THE PATCHES ON THE GARMENT: “I THINK I TOOK…[THE JACKET] TO THE LAUNDRIES WITH…[THE BADGES] AND I THINK THEY PUT THEM ON FOR ME [BE]CAUSE I DON’T THINK I COULD HAVE SEWED THEM ALL ON…” WHEN ASKED WHICH PATCHES MEANT THE MOST TO HER, EVELYN SAID: “…THE FISH AND GAME [BADGE IS VALUABLE TO ME]. IT’S ALL THE DIFFERENT PLACES WE WENT TO. OUR LETHBRIDGE MARKSMAN WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES.” “[THE LETHBRIDGE MARKSMAN ONE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE] THAT WAS OUR CLUB. WE WERE FRIENDS AND WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER. WE’D GO TO A SHOOT AND WE’D GO IN…FOUR OR FIVE TRUCKS, FOLLOWING ONE ANOTHER WITH OUR WALKIE-TALKIES, TALKING TO EVERYBODY… WE’D GO TO PONOKA AND FORT SASKATCHEWAN AND ALL THOSE PLACES, TO ATTEND THE SHOOTS, SO IT WAS GREAT.” WHEN ASKED IF PEOPLE ARE STILL SEEN WEARING THE JACKETS, EVELYN RESPONDED: “NOPE. NOBODY WEARS THEM, ANYMORE.” “WHEN WE QUIT OUR SHOOTING, EVERYBODY…PRETTY WELL JUST PUT…[THE JACKETS] AWAY. I HAVEN’T SEEN…ANYBODY WITH ONE ON FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.” “…IT WAS A GREAT THING THAT WE ALL HAD [THEM]…AND IT WAS NICE WHEN WE COULD ALL SHOOT, AND WE HAD FOUR OR FIVE THAT WON TROPHIES, AND THERE WE WERE ALL AROUND WITH OUR JACKETS ON.” AN OCTOBER 3RD, 1991 LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE OUTLINED SOME OF EVELYN’S SHOOTING ACHIEVEMENTS, SOME OF WHICH ARE CONNECTED TO THE PINS AND PATCHES ON HER DONATED JACKET. THE ARTICLE STATED THAT “EVELYN WAS THE CANADIAN WOMEN’S CHAMPION IN 1967 FOR .22 RIFLE POSTAL MATCHES AND THIRD IN KNEELING. SHE WON THE RIFLEMAN’S RODEO TITLE A NUMBER OF TIMES AND SET CANADIAN BENCHREST RECORDS THREE TIMES. IN 1983 SHE SET THE 100-YARD AGGREGATE HUNTER SCORE MARK AND IN 1984 THE 100-200 YARD AGGREGATE HUNTER SCORE. IN 1987 SHE SET THE VARMIT HUNTER, 200-YARD GROUP RECORD WHICH STILL STANDS.” EVELYN SPOKE ABOUT WHAT SHE GAINED FROM THE SHOOTING COMMUNITY: “[WHAT I GAINED THROUGH SHOOTING WAS] FRIENDSHIP… WE WERE ALL IN THE SAME THING. WE WERE ALL FRIENDS. WE TRAVELED TOGETHER TO THE DIFFERENT SHOOTS… WE ALL WANTED EVERYBODY ELSE TO WIN. IT WAS ENJOYABLE. I LOVED IT. IN FACT, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO [GO TO THE] SOUTHERN ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES. I SHOT IN THE FIRST ONE… FRANK AND I, WE STARTED DOWN AT THE LETHBRIDGE RANGE WITH OUR KIDS, [GETTING THEM] READY, AND US, TO GO TO THE GAMES... I’D GO TO A LOT OF SMALL TOWNS THAT WERE HAVING [THEM], THAT DIDN’T KNOW QUITE WHAT TO DO; GET THEM ALL SET UP FOR THE GAMES. GO IN AND GET THEIR TARGETS… I ALWAYS HAD THEIR TARGETS ALL READY AND THE RANGE READY FOR PEOPLE TO COME IN. I JUST WON A VERY SPECIAL AWARD, ‘HEART OF A CHAMPION’, FROM THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA SUMMER GAMES. [WE ALSO WON THE] MAX GIBB AWARD THAT FRANK AND I BOTH WON. IT’S WORTH IT. PEOPLE APPRECIATE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.” EVELYN ELABORATED ON THE SENSE OF COMMUNITY SHE FOUND IN THE SHOOTING CLUBS AND COMPETITIONS: “…I FIND WHEREVER I GO AND WHENEVER THE MEMBERS…ARE THERE, THEY’RE ALWAYS UP, THEY’RE [HUGGING] ME… WHEN WE USED TO HOLD THE SHOOTS…AND KIDS WOULD SHOOT, THEY’D ALWAYS SHOOT THEIR TARGETS AND RUN [THEM] OVER TO ME…SO THAT I COULD CHECK [THEM] OUT BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENED… [WHEN] WE WERE AT A SHOOT, EVEN IF I WASN’T IN CHARGE OF IT, I WAS THERE, AND…[SOMEBODY] SHOT A TARGET AND THEY DIDN’T FIGURE IT WAS RIGHT, THEY’D BRING IT TO ME. I’D CHECK IT OVER AND THEN I’D GO TO THE SCORERS AND SAY, ‘WILL YOU CHECK THIS OVER, AGAIN?’ IT’S JUST THE TOGETHERNESS THAT I THINK THAT WE FIND.” LYNDA ADDED: “IT’S DEFINITELY A FAMILY... MY DAD WAS A COWBOY…THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT... HE WORE HIS COWBOY BOOTS, HE WORE HIS COWBOY HAT, THAT’S WHAT HE DID. HE WAS JUST A DOWN TO EARTH PERSON… THERE WAS NO AIRS...AND THAT’S HOW I FIND THAT THE SHOOTERS ARE… THEY DON’T HAVE TO PUT ON AIRS FOR ANYBODY… THEY LOVED WHAT THEY DID…” LYNDA CONTINUED: “…YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO BE RICH AND YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO HAVE MONEY…AND EVEN IF YOU HAD MONEY, YOU COULD STILL COME…AND I THINK THE FACT THAT MY DAD WAS A MENTOR… HE TOOK MORE PRIDE IN SEEING HIS JUNIOR SHOOTERS WIN A COMPETITION THAN WINNING IT HIMSELF. HE TOOK MORE PRIDE IN WATCHING…[MY MOM] WIN.” “…EVEN IN THE WINTERTIME WE DIDN’T SHOOT…BUT THEY STILL MET ALL THE TIME... THEY’D GO FOR COFFEE. THIS WAS THEIR GROUP…IT WAS THEIR FAMILY…” EVELYN CONTINUED: “[IT WAS] THE FRIENDSHIP.” “…AFTER FRANK PASSED AWAY, I HAD FRIENDS THAT WOULD PHONE ME EVERY DAY, TELL ME A JOKE TO MAKE ME LAUGH AND THEY JUST DIDN’T FORGET…[YOU]… THAT REALLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE.” LYNDA SPOKE ABOUT HER DAD’S LEGACY IN THE SHOOTING COMMUNITY: “THEY HAVE A MEMORIAL SHOOT FOR MY DAD IN AUGUST, ONCE A YEAR, AS WELL…” LYNDA CONTINUED: “PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER [SHOOT IN THE MEMORIAL]. PEOPLE THAT DON’T KNOW HIM, THOUGH, COME BECAUSE THEY’VE HEARD OF HIM… THE PEOPLE THAT DID KNOW HIM…THEY’RE THE ONES THAT CAN TELL THE STORIES.” WHEN ASKED WHAT MADE FRANK UNIQUE IN HIS COMMUNITY, EVELYN RESPONDED: “HE WAS SO INTERESTED IN PROPER WAY OF SHOOTING, OF TEACHING THE JUNIORS—” “—AND EVERYBODY ELSE…TO SHOOT AND HOW…[TO] BE CAREFUL.” EVELYN WENT ON: “…THAT WAS HIS LIFE. HE LOVED SHOOTING, HE LOVED TO TEACH. GARY ELLISON WROTE A STORY ABOUT HIS SON; HE COULD REMEMBER HOW THANKFUL HIS SON WAS THAT HE WAS DOWN THE RANGE ONE DAY AND FRANK HAD HAD HIM USE HIS GUN TO SHOOT. EVERYBODY RESPECTED HIM BECAUSE OF HIS SAFETY.” LYNDA ADDED: “PROPER HANDLING OF GUNS.” “HE WAS A MASTER IN WHAT HE DID, DEFINITELY.” LYNDA CONTINUED: “…HE JUST HAD [AN] EXTREME KNOWLEDGE… HE WANTED TO LEARN AND HE LEARNED ALL THE TIME.” WHEN ASKED WHAT VALUES EVELYN AND FRANK TRIED TO INSTILL IN THE YOUNG PEOPLE THEY TAUGHT, SHE REPLIED: “SAFETY FIRST. KNOW WHAT YOU’RE [DOING]. WATCH WHAT YOU’RE [DOING]… IN THE ROOM THERE…I HAVE A BARREL THAT I TAKE DOWN WHENEVER WE HAVE OUR JUNIOR SHOOTERS SO THAT WE TEACH [THEM] YOU DON’T PUT IT DOWN [TO] GET THROUGH THE FENCE; YOU DON’T PUT YOUR RIFLE DOWN, YOUR BARREL, [BECAUSE] IT’S JUST BLOWN ALL APART… I’VE BEEN AT SHOOTS WHERE GUYS HAVE LAID DOWN AND PUT THE WRONG AMMUNITION IN THEIR GUN AND IT BLOWS UP… [IT] MAKES A DIFFERENCE. YOU…[HAVE TO] REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE [DOING] AND HOW TO DO IT. SAFETY IS THE FIRST THING.” EVELYN COMMENTED ON BEING REMEMBERED FOR TEACHING JUNIORS THE SPORT: “…I HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM THE FISH AND GAME THAT COME UP TO ME AND SAY, ‘YOU TAUGHT ME AS JUNIOR’ …IT’S…REALLY AMAZING HOW PEOPLE REMEMBER YOU.” LYNDA ELABORATED ON THE MEANING BEHIND HER PARENTS BEING INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME: “MY DAD WAS INDUCTED AS A BUILDER, NOT AS AN ATHLETE. [MY MOM] WAS INDUCTED AS AN ATHLETE, SO THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT CATEGORIES… TO ME, MY DAD WAS A MENTOR. HE TAUGHT, THAT WAS HIS FIELD. THAT’S…WHERE HE SHONE… I MEAN, HE WAS A SHOOTER, THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT, HE WAS A MASTER OF WHAT HE DID, BUT IT’S THE TEACHING THAT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO HIM. NOT THAT IT WASN’T TO HER BUT…THAT’S WHY.” EVELYN OFFERED HER CLOSING THOUGHTS ON BEING IN THE HALL OF FAME: “I FEEL…ABSOLUTELY HONOURED. I’VE BEEN THINKING OF THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND TO ME, IT’S GREAT. [FRANK] DESERVES IT. I HEAR EVERYBODY ELSE GOING IN THERE, WHY CAN’T HE? WE GOT OUR ROCK BUT NOBODY SEES THAT. BUT, IT IS AN HONOUR.” AN OCTOBER 3RD, 1991 LETHBRIDGE HERALD ARTICLE MADE REFERENCE TO THE ROCK EVELYN MENTIONED. THE ARTICLE STATED THAT “A CAIRN AT THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME TARGET RANGE, IN MEMORY OF FRANK LEFFINGWELL, ONE OF THE MAIN FORCES BEHIND THE RANGE WILL BE UNVEILED…” EVELYN REVEALED WHAT MOTIVATED HER TO DONATE THE MEMORABILIA TO THE MUSEUM: “…I HAVE SO MUCH STUFF AND FRANK HAS BEEN AWARDED…AND WORKED SO HARD TO GET EVERYTHING THAT HE GOT. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION. HE DID AN AWFUL LOT THROUGH CONSTRUCTION OF THE RANGE DOWN THERE, AND ALL OF THE AWARDS THAT HE HAS WON, HE’S THE GREATEST… THIS WAY, I FIGURED OTHER PEOPLE CAN…SEE JUST WHAT A KIND OF A GENTLEMAN HE WAS…AND HOW GREAT HE WAS AT SHOOTING.” “…I’M [GETTING] OLDER ALL THE TIME AND THERE COULD BE A TIME WHEN I’M…[GOING TO] HAVE TO LEAVE OUR HOME. WHAT AM I…[GOING TO] DO WITH THIS STUFF…? I’VE HAD PEOPLE COME AND I’LL SEE IF THERE’S ANYTHING THAT YOU’D REALLY LIKE TO REMEMBER HIM BY, BY ALL MEANS TAKE IT HOME WITH YOU. BUT THE THING IS, WHAT’S MY FAMILY…[GOING TO] DO WITH EVERYTHING THAT’S HERE? NOBODY WANTS IT. THE TROPHIES, YOU CAN’T DO…[ANYTHING] WITH THEM; THEY END UP IN THE DUMP, WHICH IS SAD TO SAY.” EVELYN WENT ON: “I DON’T THINK YOU’LL SEE [ANYTHING LIKE MY BASEMENT]…AGAIN. THIS IS ALL THE AWARDS AND THINGS THAT WE HAVE WON THROUGH THE YEARS. WE STARTED SHOOTING IN…[1966].” EVELYN PROVIDED THE ORIGINS OF HOW SHE STARTED SHOOTING: “[I STARTED SHOOTING] JUST TO BE WITH HIM, THAT’S ALL.” “…IT WAS JUST THAT WE TRAVELED TOGETHER AND…THAT’S WHY HE HAD ME WITH HIM. IF ANYTHING HAPPENED, IT WAS BOTH OF US TOGETHER. [THAT’S] JUST THE WAY IT WAS.” EVELYN SPOKE ABOUT LEARNING TO HUNT FROM FRANK: “…IT WAS JUST NICE TO BE OUT THERE, TO BE ABLE TO JUST BE OUT IN THE COUNTRY AND SEE THE ANIMALS. IT’S VERY FUNNY, THE FIRST TIME I WENT OUT WITH HIM AND HE SHOT A DEER… HE DECIDED HE’S…[GOING TO] CLEAN IT… HE SAID, ‘HOLD THIS LEG FOR ME.’ SO I HELD THIS LEG AND THEN PRETTY SOON, ‘HOW ABOUT THIS ONE?’ …BEFORE LONG, I’M…LOOKING DOWN INTO IT. HE DIDN’T WANT ME TO DO IT BECAUSE HE THOUGHT I’D GET SICK, BUT, HERE I WAS. [THAT] WAS A GOOD WAY TO TEACH ME.” EVELYN SPOKE ABOUT HOW HER AND FRANK SHARED A COMMITMENT TO THE SPORT OVER TIME: “…THEN IT JUST SEEMED LIKE BEING INVOLVED WITH GOING DOWN TO THE RANGE AND HAVING THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME RANGE... HIS DAD AND MOM LIVED WITH US. HIS DAD AND HIM WOULD LOAD ALL THE TIME AND GO DOWN SHOOTING AND THEN WHEN DAD PASSED AWAY…FRANK JUST CONTINUED ON… THEN…A BUNCH OF US…GOT TOGETHER WITH THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME AND WE WERE UNDER THE GREEN ACRES KIWANIS CLUB. PERCY BUTLER…WANTED TO START THE SHOOTING PROGRAM AND WE GOT INVOLVED IN THAT, AND THAT WAS THE START OF IT; WE JUST CONTINUED ON.” “…IT WAS ALSO THE GREEN ACRES KIWANIS [THAT PROMPTED FRANK TO START TARGET SHOOTING]… THEY WANTED TO START A JUNIOR PROGRAM SO SOME OF OUR MEMBERS FROM THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME, THEY WERE IN THERE, THEY WERE…[GOING TO] TEACH THE PROPER WAY OF HANDLING GUNS AND EVERYTHING AND FRANK AND I [WERE] WITH [THEM]. SO WE JUST WENT IN…[TO TEACHING] THEM AND CONTINUED ON. WE HAD PROGRAMS WHERE WE HAVE SENIORS, WE USED TO SHOOT IN THE RCMP INDOOR RANGE. THAT WAS BELOW THE GARAGE. [THAT] WAS MANY YEARS AGO…” “…WE STARTED WITH…TEACHING JUNIORS [SHOOTING]…AND THEN JUST WENT ON TO COMPETITION-SHOOTING. [WE] TRAVELED ALL OVER AND, LUCKY ENOUGH, THAT WE WERE GOOD ENOUGH TO DO IT. BUT WE DID IT TOGETHER. [THAT] WAS THE MAIN THING. WE LOADED BEFORE WE WENT TO A SHOOT, RIGHT UP UNTIL TWELVE O’CLOCK AT NIGHT, JUMP INTO THE TRUCK, AND DROVE TO WHEREVER WE WERE GOING TO COMPETE. WE PRACTICED TOGETHER, WE SHOT TOGETHER, WE DID JUNIORS TOGETHER, WE DID EVERYTHING TOGETHER… THAT’S THE MAIN THING… I WANT HIS MEMORY TO GO ON. THAT’S WHY I’M…[DONATING THE ITEMS TO MUSEUM].” LYNDA TALKED ABOUT THE COUPLE’S COMMON PASSION FOR SHOOTING: “…THEY’D BE TOGETHER… IT WOULD ALWAYS BE FRANK AND EVELYN. THAT’S THE WAY THAT PEOPLE THINK OF THE WHOLE THING… NOW…THERE ARE OTHER KIDS THAT ARE COMING UP, THE ONES THAT SHE TEACHES IN THE SUMMERTIME THAT ARE DIFFERENT… BUT ANY OF THE SHOOTERS, IT WAS ALWAYS FRANK AND EVELYN; ‘WE DID THIS WITH FRANK AND EVELYN.’ IT WAS ALWAYS TOGETHER.” LYNDA OFFERED A STORY AS TO HOW HER DAD STARTED TARGET SHOOTING, WANTING TO BECOME A BETTER SHOT: “...THERE IS AN ARTICLE WHERE DAD IS TALKING ABOUT WHEN HE WAS DOWN AT THE RANGE SIGHTING IN ON ONE OF HIS GUNS TO GO HUNTING… GENE SCULLY, WHO WAS ALSO ONE OF THE INSTRUCTORS FOR THE YOUNG KIDS SAID TO HIM, ‘WELL, WHY DON’T YOU SHOOT AT THIS TARGET?’ AND [DAD] SAID, ‘I SHOT TEN ROUNDS. THAT’S WHEN I FIGURED OUT I BETTER LEARN HOW TO SHOOT. SO THAT’S WHEN I STARTED DOING TARGET SHOOTING.’ SO THAT…[WAS] HIS INSPIRATION, [IT] WAS THAT, ‘I’M NOT QUITE AS GOOD AS I THINK I AM. MAYBE I BETTER PRACTICE A LITTLE BIT MORE’.” EVELYN SPOKE ABOUT THE CLUB NAME SHE WAS A PART OF: “THE LETHBRIDGE MARKSMAN, WE WERE. [IN THE 1970S].” EVELYN REVEALED HOW THE VARIOUS LETHBRIDGE SHOOTING RANGE LOCATIONS CHANGED OVER TIME: “…ALLAN JARVIE WAS A VETERAN… HE OPENED A RED ASH COMPANY DOWN IN THE RIVER, BUT EVERYBODY CONTINUED TO GO DOWN AND SHOOT ALL HIS MACHINERY… WE KNEW ALLAN AND HIS WIFE AND FAMILY FROM THE TIME THEY WERE KIDS. BUT HE WENT TO THE [LETHBRIDGE] FISH AND GAME [ASSOCIATION] AND HE SAID, ‘I’LL MAKE YOU A DEAL. I OWN SO MUCH PROPERTY DOWN HERE, I’LL GIVE YOU THIS PARCEL OF LAND IF YOU WILL AGREE TO KEEP IT CLEAN AND HAVE IT SHOOTING SO PEOPLE WON’T COME DOWN AND SHOOT MY STUFF SO MUCH.’ AND THAT WAS THE START OF…[THE FIRST SHOOTING RANGE].” “THAT WAS THE FIRST RANGE. THEN, PEENAQUIM PARK DECIDED THEY WANTED TO MOVE IN THERE. THEY WANTED TO MAKE A WALKING TRAIL WHERE WE WERE…” “…SO THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT– THEY COME TO US TO SEE IF THAT PROPERTY WAS OPEN, IF WE WOULD MOVE. WELL, WE WENT TO UMPTEEN DOZEN MEETINGS WITH THE CITY OF LETHBRIDGE TRYING TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO GET OUR RANGE MOVED. FINALLY, THE CITY…[CAME] TO US AND THEY SAID, ‘WE’VE GOT A COULEE THAT IS FALLING DOWN. WE’LL TAKE THAT DIRT AND WE WILL BUILD YOU NINE-FEET BERMS BETWEEN EACH DISCIPLINE OF SHOOTING, IF YOU’LL AGREE TO MOVE.’ WELL, IT SOUNDED PRETTY GOOD. IT WAS A LOT BIGGER THAN WHAT WE HAD.” EVELYN TALKED ABOUT THE GENDER MAKEUP IN THE SHOOTING COMMUNITY: “[THERE WAS] PROBABLY MORE MEN [SHOOTING] BUT THERE’S A LOT OF WOMEN THAT ARE IN THERE NOW, TOO. A LOT OF KIDS.” LYNDA ESTIMATED THE RATIO AT: “FIVE [MEN] TO ONE [WOMAN], I BET YOU ANYWAY.” LYNDA ELABORATED: “I MEAN, WHEN YOU’D GO TO A SHOOT THERE’D MAYBE BE SIX OR SEVEN WOMEN BUT THERE’D BE THIRTY MEN…” EVELYN ORGANIZED AND VOLUNTEERED IN THE COMMUNITY: “[WITH THE LETHBRIDGE FISH AND GAME ASSOCIATION, I WAS A PART OF THE] BANQUET COMMITTEE, BINGO COMMITTEE. ANYTIME THEY HAD ONE THAT THEY WERE TAKING THE KIDS OUT [I WAS INVOLVED]… WE’D TAKE KIDS OUT FISHING AND THEN GO SOMEWHERE AND HAVE LUNCH AND EVERYTHING… JUST ANYTHING TO DO PRIMARILY WITH KIDS, I WAS WILLING TO DO IT. AND I STILL AM.” “…I USED TO GO HELP ALL THE SMALLER TOWNS THAT DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO DO AND THINGS. I’D GO [AND] HELP WITH THE SCORING AND GETTIN’ PEOPLE TO WORK, SET UP THE RANGES, GET THEIR TARGETS READY AND SO I ENJOYED IT, I LOVED IT…” WHEN ASKED WHAT TIME PERIOD THE FAMILY HAD PEAK MEMORIES AND INVOLVEMENT IN THE SPORT, LYNDA RESPONDED: “70S.” TO THE SAME QUESTION AS ABOVE, EVELYN REPLIED: “YEAH, 70S, ’75, ‘80S.” WHEN ASKED HOW EVELYN GOT SO GOOD AT SHOOTING, SHE ANSWERED: “WE PRACTICED ALL THE TIME.” LYNDA ADDED: “SPEND HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS AT THE RANGE.” EVELYN SAID SHE PRACTICED REGULARILY: “SOMETIMES EVERY EVENING, AFTER WORK.” “…ALWAYS HAD TIME FOR IT… I’M NOT DOING THAT MUCH NOW BECAUSE I’M OLDER...” “…BUT I’LL HELP WHEREVER I CAN. I ENJOY IT. IT’S A GOOD ORGANIZATION. I’VE MADE A LOT OF FRIENDS…” LYNDA SPOKE ABOUT HER FATHER’S COMMITMENT TO SHOOTING: “…EVEN INTO THE ‘80S, WHEN [MY PARENTS] WERE STILL GOING TO ALL [THEIR] SHOOTS, WHEN MY DAD FIRST GOT SICK…HE WAS STILL DOING JUNIOR SHOOTERS AND…THAT’S BASICALLY WHEN HE WAS SETTING UP THE NEW RANGE, IN THAT AREA… HE WAS BUSY…DOING THAT STILL AND HE [HAD A SURGERY]…DONE AND WAS STILL DOWN AT THE RANGE PROBABLY TWO WEEKS LATER.” FRANK WAS ALSO ALWAYS PRACTICING, ACCORDING TO EVELYN: “…IF HE WAS SITTIN’ HERE NOW AND HE’D HAVE A GUN IN HIS HAND, HE’D BE AIMING AT SOMETHING...PRACTICING...NO MATTER WHERE IT WAS… HE’D ALWAYS SAY, ‘WELL, PICK IT UP AND TRY IT. AIM AT SOMETHING.’ HE HAD HIS OWN, SPECIAL WAY OF [DOING] THINGS… HE WAS GREAT.” LYNDA CONFIRMED THE FREQUENCY OF HER PARENT’S SHOOTING PRACTICE: “DEFINITELY EVERY EVENING AFTER WORK, SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY.” LYNDA CONTINUED: “…IT’S LIKE ANY SPORT, I SUPPOSE… IT GETS IN…[YOU], IT’S YOURS… YOU STRIVE TO BE BETTER AND YOU WORK HARDER TO BE BETTER… THEN YOU [ALSO] GO DOWN THERE [TO THE SHOOTING RANGE] TO SEE WHO’S DOWN THERE [BECAUSE] YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS ANYBODY.” LYNDA SPOKE ABOUT HOW HER DAD DID THE PREPARATION WORK OF LOADING BULLETS: “…[THE COST WAS] WHY THEY LOADED THEIR OWN BULLETS… DAD USED TO HAVE, IN THAT BEDROOM THERE, WAS…WHERE HIS LOADING ROOM WAS… IN THAT ARTICLE I READ THIS MORNING, HE SAYS THAT…IT WAS PROBABLY A THIRD OF THE COST TO LOAD HIS OWN BUT HE ALSO TALKS IN THAT ARTICLE ABOUT HOW PRECISE [LOADING WAS]… HE HAD TO LEARN, OVER THE YEARS, HOW…[TO LOAD]… YOU HAD TO HAVE EXACT AMOUNT OF POWDER, YOU LEARNED THE BETTER THINGS TO USE… HE USED CASTOR OIL RATHER THAN THE MANUFACTURER’S OIL… HE LEARNED DIFFERENT THINGS AND HOW PERFECT IT WAS… IT’S AN ART JUST TO DO THE LOADING ITSELF… HE WOULD BE DOWN HERE FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS, LOADING BULLETS… HE’D HAVE FIVE HUNDRED OF [THEM] AND A HUNDRED OF [THEM] MIGHT BE GOOD AND THE OTHER FOUR HUNDRED HE’D DUMP OUT AND START ALL OVER AGAIN… IT’S QUITE AN ART JUST DOING THAT.” “IN THE EVENINGS. HE’D BE DOWN LOADING, EVERY NIGHT. HE’D BE DOWN WORKING IN HIS LOADING ROOM, [DOING] THINGS… THIS WAS IS SPECIALTY…” EVELYN STILL IS INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY: “…I STILL GO DOWN [TO THE RANGE]… A FRIEND OF MINE THAT IS A FISH AND GAME MEMBER, WE TEACH…FISH AND GAME MEMBER JUNIORS ALL THE TIME. WE HAVE ABOUT A FOUR TO FIVE-WEEK COURSE EVERY YEAR AND WHEN THE COURSE IS FINISHED, I RECYCLE MY TROPHIES AND GIVE EACH CHILD A TROPHY AND IT MEANS A LOT TO [THEM].” “IT WAS A GOOD SPORT. I REALLY ENJOYED IT WHILE I WAS IN AND I ENJOYED THE PEOPLE, SO IT’S TOO BAD IF I GOT DOWN THERE I WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO GET UP AGAIN. I CAN’T GET DOWN IN THE PROPER POSITION ANYMORE.” EVELYN TALKED ABOUT HAVING TO SELL HER GUNS: “...[IT] BROKE MY HEART TO HAVE TO GET RID OF [THEM] ALL.” EVELYN CONTINUED: “I HAD SPECIAL…[FIREARMS] THAT…[FRANK] HAD BUILT JUST FOR ME.” LYNDA ADDED ON THE TOPIC OF GETTING RID OF THE FIREARMS A DECADE AGO FOLLOWING FRANK’S DEATH: “…DAD BUILT HIS OWN GUNS. HE DID BUILD FOR HER, HE BUIL[T] THE STOCKS…AND PAINTED ON [THEM] AND HAD WRITINGS... IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KEEP SOME OF THE STOCKS BUT IT’S HARD…[TO] JUST SELL A BARREL.” LYNDA CONTINUED: “…IT WAS TO THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WITH THEM. SOMEONE NEEDS TO ENJOY THEM LIKE DAD DID… THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT WANTED THESE THINGS AND…WE JUST HAD TO DO IT…” EVELYN REFLECTED ON RETIRING FROM THE SPORT: “IT’S TOUGH WHEN YOU CAN’T DO IT ANYMORE. BUT WHEN YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND YOU CAN’T, YOU DON’T WANNA GET OUT THERE AND MAKE A FOOL OUT OF YOURSELF, SO IT’S EASIER TO WATCH OR WORK.” LYNDA TALKED ABOUT HER MOM STILL PARTAKING THE THE MEMORIAL SHOOT FOR HER FATHER: “SHE STILL SHOOTS ONCE A YEAR WHICH I DON’T REALLY THINK SHE SHOULD BUT SHE DOES, AT MY DAD’S MEMORIAL SHOOT… SO SHE HASN’T GIVEN THAT UP COMPLETELY EVEN THOUGH SHE WANTS TO TELL YOU SHE HAS, SHE HASN’T.” EVELYN ADDED: “…I WILL CONTINUE SHOOTING IT UNTIL THEY PUT ME IN MY CASKET.” FOR MORE INFORMATION, OR TO SEE THE FULL TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE SEE THE DONATION’S PERMANENT FILE.

Catalogue Number

P20200006001

Acquisition Date

2020-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail