THE NOBLE FAMILY 
My father was working in Wichita, Kansas, and somehow my mother's brother, Ira Willis, and his wife Clara and youngest sister went to Elk Point. They thought it was great, so my folks went to join them.
We arrived in Elk Point in the summer of 1912. In our family at that time were my father Irvin; my mother Mae; and three sons: Herb, age eight; Willis, age six; and Harvey, just four years old. The homestead was about six miles north of where Elk Point now stands. We went from Vermilion by wagon and two horses. The wagon was pretty well loaded with mail and groceries, and on the steep hills everyone had to get out and walk so the horses could pull the wagon up. The only road was the tracks of the last wagon, either going to Elk Point, or from Elk Point.
Several neighbors, or perhaps all of them, worked together to put up a log house for us to live in. I wish I could remember their names. They were just wonderful. Before the house was completely finished, Dad and Mother stayed one night instead of walking the six miles back to the Willises. At night the fire died down, and my father froze his big toe in bed. The tea kettle and any water also froze solid.
Herb, Harvey, Willis, and Mae Noble on Noble homestead, 1913.
One thing in those days we did have plenty of meat. There were rabbits everywhere; they were good at that time. Moose, deer, and elk were plentiful, and fish were easy to get. One day when we three boys were playing in the yard, a black bear put us and the dog into the house in a hurry.
My dad helped to put in the first phone line from Vermilion to St. Paul de Metis. That would be in 1914 or 1915. A neighbor bought our homestead in 1916. I believe his name was Oscar Holthe. We went to live near Edgerton, and it was there John, the youngest boy, was born.
Dad and Mother spent their last days near Olympia, Wash., and are both buried there. Willis, Harvey and John married girls from Vermilion. I, Herb, married an Edgerton girl, Julia Moen. We celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary on Jan. 18,1976.
Willis passed away in Summerland, B.C., and John in Dawson Creek, B.C. At this writing Harvey and Doris live in New Westminster, B.C. Julia and I live in Centralia, Wash
