Mom & Dad recognized for work at WCC and the Church

Irene and Cal Young

Irene the youngest daughter of Mervyn and Laura Goodwin grew up on the family farm south of McCord. Saskatchewan. She attended the Horse Creek Church of Christ and was baptized in the creek, July 7, 1946 by Gordon Pennock.

Calvin the son of Percy and May Young grew up on the family farm in the Willen district of Manitoba. Cal was baptized February 13, 1951 by Ed Elford in the water trough of the family farm. He attended the Manson Church of Christ. As a young man Cal was mentored and encouraged by Alonzo & Nellie Rogers and Jim, Ester Kirby Ed, Helen Elford and others in the Manson congregation in becoming a Christian.

Cal met Irene through neighbors on the farm: Ed, Helen Elford and family (Helen being the sister of Irene). They where married on July 5, 1952 at the Goodwin farm officiated by Gordon Pennock. The couple moved to New Westminster B.C where Cal was employed in a pulp mill. While living in B.C they attended the 12th and Carolina Church of Christ (later known as Oakridge) as newlyweds.

In March of 1953 they moved back to the prairies living in Regina where Cal was employed as a parts man for International Harvester and Irene stayed home and cared for their new born son Llewellyn (Lew). While living in Regina Irene (and Cal) cared for 22 foster children (not at one time) two of them being adopted into the family; Lyonell and Sherri.

Their home was shared by 14 borders and at one time there was five residing with them at 1519 Dover Ave. Eleven of these individuals where members of the church and also alumni of Western Christian College, Eleanor Pauls, Doug Parker, David Muller, Tom Ulrich, and a nephew Dale Elford, two nieces; Edith Mae Johnson and Gayle Goodwin. During the day Irene would also do daily baby sitting for neighborhood mothers. As one can tell the house was never a dull place for lack of activity.

For 14 years they worshiped with the Regina Church of Christ at 1459 Retalick which later became 7th Ave. & Pasqua when it moved to the newly built Church building. Cal and Irene shared in the many Church functions while members there. Irene taught Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, ladies activities and always had something prepared for the Church picnics in Wascana Park or for Sunday potlucks.

Cal served as a Deacon for the congregation, involved in the churches programs; he drove members to Church who did not have a car. Lew can remember accompanying his Dad on Sunday afternoons to the Wascana Rehab Center taking communion and visiting the shut-ins and those in the hospital.

Cal and Irene both took their turn in maintaining the church facilities. From 1964 and for many years to follow Cal and Irene would spend a week at Clearview Christian Camp where they would look after the meals for the campers as well as general maintenance around the facility.
The family enjoyed many evening fellowship times with many members of the Regina congregation, the occasional “Rook” game that would go well into the next morning as well as hosting many a hymn sing.

While in Regina Cal and Irene where known for planning and preparing a number of wedding receptions for young couples, right down to the preparation of the food that would be served and the cleanup that followed. Couples such as: Don and Sandra Elsaesser; Bob and Sharon Parker; Wayne and Betty Kemp and Ron and Verna Reid. They think it was the reputation from this that Dan Weib and Ernest Andreas asked them to consider coming to Western Christian College to look after the cafeteria.

In March of 1967 Cal, Irene and family left a secure environment and moved to make their home on the campus of Western Christian College, managing the Morgan Cafeteria. It was not uncommon for special occasions such as Homecoming, Graduations and Lectureships that they where responsible for feeding 500 and one year at Lectureship over 1000 people (with no reservations required!).

That next summer dorm parents where required for Torkleson Hall the girls dormitory, for the next school year. Irene accepted the position as “Dorm Mother” and Cal continued managing the cafeteria. What made this special was that their good friends from Regina, Marg and Ed Ashby would be arriving on campus where Marg would look after the boy’s dormitory the Wilfred Orr residence and Ed would be in charge of the Business Office.

When the College program began Irene was asked to become “Dorm Mother” at College Hall the dormitory for college ladies and some grade 12’s. Their home was also home to two young ladies on separate occasions; Ardith Laycock and Debbie Wilson.

It seemed the reputation of Wedding receptions followed them to Weyburn catering for;
Linda Gates and Frank Bell; Linda Wieb and Warren King; Barb and Garry Zorn; Judy and Bob Andreas; Kathy and Dale Elford and Carolyn and John McMillan and maybe some whose names have been missed.

During their years in Weyburn they where again actively involved with the Weyburn Church of Christ. Cal served as a Deacon and Irene assisted in the Ladies activities and the annual VBS program and the JOY (Bus program)

It was not uncommon for Cal and Irene to get a car load of people together and travel to attend the Abilene Christian Lectureship’s and the Tulsa Soul Saving Workshop.

After nine years of sharing their lives in Christian Education Cal accepted a job in Moose Jaw to work along side again, their good friends who had become family, Ed Ashby who was parts manager at International Harvester Farm Branch.

On March 28th, 1975 Cal and Irene moved to be close to Irene’s aging parents. It was not long that a home was purchased with a basement suite so that Mervyn and Laura could live in the residence; having their own independence and handy for Irene and Cal to be close by if the need arose

Their life in Moose Jaw has been active. Irene was employed in a day care until the birth of their oldest grandchildren Brett and Beckie at which time she offered to babysit them.

Church activities in Moose Jaw have continued much as in all the other communities they have lived in. Cal has served as an Elder, leading in the worship services and a mentor to many a young man. He took his turn driving the JOY Bus on Sunday mornings bring children to Sunday school.

Irene has been involved with ladies classes, has prepared a historical pictorial of the Moose Jaw congregation and has been involved with helping Shelly Jacobs with the historical data of churches of Christ in Canada. She was instrumental in the creation of the Sunday school resource room for curriculum and supplies.

Both Cal and Irene have helped over the years with Western’s Alumni Association and Irene with Western’s Women Service Club. Cal served on the Board of Directors for WCC for one term.

After retirement Cal was involved as a “Volunteer Driver” putting many thousands of miles on his vehicle driving individuals to Doctor and hospital appointments to Regina, Saskatoon and locally.

The last number of years Irene has become actively involved with Saskatchewan Co-op Housing serving on the Provincial executive.

They enjoy living in their apartment complex and their home continues to be one where there is never a dull moment and a lack of activity.

Cal and Irene have shared their lives with many individuals over the years, but their first love is their own family and especially the delight in sharing their lives with their great grand daughter Chloe, who is blessed to have such a wonderful and caring great grand parents.

A quote from Lillian Torkleson’s Radburn’s Memoirs in reference to Cal, Irene and Marg and Ed Ashby:

“I believe that these four people, as well as others, employed by Western are as much missionaries of Christ as those who go to foreign fields. They have the opportunity to touch the lives of hundreds of young people, not only in this generation but in the future generations.”

And they have!