Janet (Hawkins) Firman

1941, 1942, Home Farm

Back in 1940 during World War II, girls that went to work on farms left high school in the spring, providing they had a certain percentage or standing in their class. These girls were called Farmerettes.

I spent my first year, 1941-1942, at Watford High School, getting out in April and helping on my parents' farm. My brother, who was a member of the Army Reserve in Forest, was employed at the Forest canning factory and did not have time to help with farm labour. When going to high school in Watford, a gentleman who drove a large car (we called it "the hearse") worked as a machinist in Watford at Sanders Machine Shop. He had a route through Warwick Township to Watford where he picked up nine students (eight girls and one boy) and delivered us to school and then he went to work. At the end of the school year, gas and tire rationing came into effect and he could not drive us anymore. We paid him fifty cents a day.

While on the farm, I helped out in the house - churning butter, making bread, doing laundry, general cleaning and preparing meals - because my mother was not healthy. I did farm chores as well, working with my father. We had a large raspberry patch. Many long hours I managed and picked and had pickers come in to help me. We sold the raspberries locally. It was the raspberries that eventually paid for my wedding! With our vegetable garden produce we did a lot of canning and pickling.

In the fall of 1942, I attended Sarnia Collegiate Institute and Technical School (SCITS) where I stayed with Uncle Dougall and Aunt Marion Janes. During my time at SCITS I took a three-year Commercial course. Again, in the spring of 1943 I got out of school on farm leave as a Farmerette. I helped my father driving horses, milking cows, tending to poultry and doing everyday chores, along with housework. At threshing time we always had extra mouths to feed - ten or more men with big appetites. The favoured desserts were pies.

I spent the next two years with another Uncle and Aunt, Ray and Amy Janes, while I completed my three-year term, each spring coming home to help on the farm. I was a star boarder, helping my Aunt do housework while she worked in their grocery store. I graduated in the spring of 1945 but the SCITS graduation ceremony was not held until December that year.

I only got home from Sarnia about once a month, in a small bus that travelled between Sarnia and Forest, owned by Willard Forbes. My parents sent me spending money of one dollar a week.

During the war, gas, margarine and tea were rationed. In the cities other items like butter (that we made ourselves on the farm) and meat (we butchered our own) were also rationed. Coupons were used for many commodities. Times were tough.