Max Gordon Yerex

Max was the second oldest of the ten.  Max married Lorna Pierson and they had 5 kids Tom, Ken, Chris, Grace and Laura Joan.

I loved going to the farm at Aunt Lorna's and Uncle Max's as a kid.  The first time I milked a cow, the first time I fed a cow that bucked her head and splashed my face with milk too!

Their kitchen probably had the best view of the rolling hills out of all the farms, with Jim & Norma's place a close second.  They all had nice views but because their farm was close to Riding Mountain National Park the view was amazing so high up.

Again, all the kids were older and mostly moved away from home by the time I was hanging out there.  Laura Joan was there and was super nice to me growing up.  She had a mischievous side to her, a lot of fun.  I do remember our bike experience pedaling down the hill towards the road.  Laura thought it would be fun to put me on the handle bars and double down the lane, it didn't end well as she lost control of the bike in the gravel and I went flying off.  I wasn't hurt and I remember Laura laughing her butt off.  She also has the best story out of our family on how she met her husband.  She can tell that story!

I never had a dog until we got into our own home in 1979 so the farm dogs were always fun to play with.  I remember Snoopy and Bingo on their farm.  2 of the nicest dogs ever.

But my favourite was the bird they had when I was little.  It talked and loved the attention.  One morning after staying there I got up early and went to the kitchen to play with the bird and he loved to talk.  I guess the adults had a long night of drinking and I was the first up which was rare with this family of farmers.  Anyway, my dad came out to use the bathroom and looked like death, and with perfect timing the bird says, "Good morning pretty boy."  I was about 4.  It was priceless.

Uncle Max always had the same advice for me and that was to quit hockey because it was too dangerous.  Uncle Max had so much stuff on the farm.  Old cars, tires, parts you name it, he probably had something you could use from their garage to the north of their home.

I remember going hunting with my cousins and my dad one year and we visited Uncle Max at the farm.  We started talking about getting old and Uncle Max said he won't be moving from the farm.  And Tom said, "you're having trouble walking now, how are you going to get your groceries?"  Max said, "Well, you can just pick up the groceries and drop them off here for me."  Tom laughed and said, "I won't be doing that, you're going to have to move into a home."  Uncle Max said, "I won't be moving into a home."

He ended up in the hospital and in the senior home at the end  of his life and ended up loving it because they served him all day long!

At my wedding Uncle Max was in a wheelchair in my ex mother-in-laws kitchen at the ceremony and she asked if she could get anything for him and he said, "I'd sure like a slice of that pie."  They talked about that for years after.

We went to visit him in the senior home and he had an aerial shot of his farm and at that time he couldn't walk because of his problems with his flat feet and ankle, he was basically walking on his ankle it had fell down so far.  So he was saying he is going to get his foot fixed and he's going back to the farm, he said he couldn't walk so he couldn't stay on the farm.  And my favourite line, "I can't walk, and if you can't walk what good are you?"  He did try to get around with his walker but he didn't like that.  At least he loved his last days being served all day.