Nettie Beckett loves to keep busy

By Joan Janzen

Nettie Beckett moved to Caleb Village three years ago in order to be closer to her daughter Deb Smith and grandson Derek, who both live outside of Kindersley. In fact, she can see their homes from her window.

She was born March 29, 1932, on a farm north of Biggar. Home deliveries were common back then, with a midwife helping out. Nettie had three older siblings who all accompanied her parents from Ukraine when they immigrated to Canada. Nettie and three more siblings were born in Canada.

Nettie Beckett lives at Caleb Village in Kindersley. Photo by Joan Janzen

“I had to walk five miles to school,” Betty recalls. “When the horses were busy in the field, we had to walk. That’s ten miles a day!” But in the winter months, they rode in a caboose.

She remembers the Dirty 30s as a tough time. The family milked cows, and a truck came to pick up the cream, which they would sell. They also raised pigs and cows and had a huge garden. They worked hard, but they were happy.

Not only did they work hard, but they played hard. “We played a lot of ball, rode horses and went to field days,” she remembered. “I was a pretty good ball player.”

Nettie quit school in Grade 10 after her mom passed away at the age of 48, and Nettie had to look after her younger siblings. When she was 18, she began working at the old Biggar Hospital. She worked there for two years and then got married to Keith Beckett, a railroader.

The couple had three children: Deb, Glen and Linda. Linda was killed in a car accident at the tender age of 17. It was a very difficult time for their family.

As always, Nettie liked to keep busy. She did a lot of sewing, crafts, and community work, was president of the hospital auxiliary for ten years, and loved gardening. She had a greenhouse in her backyard and shared produce with family and friends. After her children were grown, she became a dedicated curler. “I went to every bonspiel there was,” she noted.

“My husband and I built two houses together in Biggar. The last one we built was an energy-efficient home,” she said.

Nettie claims the secret to a long and happy life is to keep busy, which she does. Her home and balcony are filled with plants; she helps look after the flower beds in Caleb’s yard and likes to visit her daughter on the farm and help with yard work.

“I like doing puzzles now. Never did them before, but I’m working on it,” she said. She also cooks her own meals and does her own housework.

“I was busy all my life, and now I moved here because of my family, and will be able to see my grandchildren grow up. My daughter is really good to me,” Nettie concluded.