Louise Bellair Botha Booster
Congratulations go out to the Bingo winners. The next Bingo evening will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 2, at the Senior Centre. Bingo evenings are always held the second Wednesday in the evenings. Everyone is welcome.
Two special residents of Botha celebrated their birthdays this coming week. Kaleigh Morris celebrated on Friday, July 20 and on Tuesday, July 25, John Blonski will be celebrating his. So happy birthday to both of you. Hope you both have a fantastic one.
Murray Savage passed away peacefully on July 15 at the age of 60 years. Our prayers and thoughts go out to all his family and friends at this time.
Also, on Thursday, July 19 the Stettler Home Church hosted a block party starting at 6:30 p.m. It held a lot of excitement for everyone of all ages, especially children. The last one held will be on Wednesday, July 26 in Erskine, so you will not want to miss out.
Also some great news, floor curling will be continuing for the first time throughout the summer months, starting at 1 p.m. every Thursday afternoon, so make sure you come out for the fun.
Back to the poem first mentioned in Wes Bright poem describing Botha when our little community first started.
This time we will be looking back at the life of Otho Hunter. According to the poem, Hunter and Skocdopole were merchants. Otho Hunter was born in Missouri, USA in Nov. 1886.
Otho’s father and brother came in Alberta and homesteaded at Carstairs and Otho worked at the hardware store for three years to learn what he could about the business. After, he moved to Mayvrille (old Botha) and hired Wes Harrison to build a hardware store, which was located on the corner of Charlie Hart’s quarter section near the J. Henday Store and the Mayvrille Hotel. Shortly after, he added stock in the store and boarded Rev. Freebury and family. During the summer of 1910, when the hotel was vacant, they all stayed there. Pinnekes kept a stopping house and a great eating place, as Mrs. Pinnekes was a fantastic cook.
In 1909, the railroad was just being added, so a lot of businesses, including the hardware store were moved and based around the railroad tracks. In 1909, the CPR changed Mayvrille’s name to Botha. In 1911, Otho met Jennie Gibbson and they married shortly after. Because of lending credit to the many homesteaders, Otho could not make it, so he traded his hardware store to Walter Friend for his farm, just north of Botha. While farming Otho had 300 acres of good farm land and did mixed farming there. Our neighbours were Eddie Friend, where they stayed for several years.
Otho and John Skocdopole were in partnership, then Otho bought a couple of homesteads south of Botha and built a house on the Old Maki homestead and lived there for a few years, selling it to Mr. Groves.