I never miss your column in the North Bay Nugget or  Community Voice. I Love it. Reminds me of my Grandfather  A gentle hard-working orderly person who never  wasted a thing in his  life and could make me a whistle or a toy or a very useful  item out of something he knew the exact where-abouts-of.  He went overseas during  World War I, and the only stories I remember him telling  were in relation to the kindly and appreciative people  he met and the countryside.  He raised a wonderful family of 5 after his wife died  in child-birth.  Mom was the oldest and had to quit school at the age of 13  to stay home with her siblings. You are so right.  It WAS a hard life, but those people will never be forgotten. Thanks for keeping their memories alive. Elva