SECOND GENERATION

4. Charles Maunu was born on 14 Jul 1889 in Estelline, SD, USA. He died in Jul 1959 in Ashcraft BC. He was buried in Jul 1959 in Clinton BC.

The following from Ernest and Terry Mannu

Charlie (Kalle) Maunu

Charles Maunu was born in Estelline, South Dakota on July 14, 1889. In 1906 he emigrated with his brother John to the Loreburn district of Saskatchewan and registered a homestead at SE 32-27-6 W3rd.

A few years later he met Lilli Mattilda Waara from the Dunblane area and in 1919 they went to the West Coast. They lived in Victoria for one year where their first son, John Carl was born on July 14, 1920. That fall they returned to the Dunblane area to farm Charlie's father's homestead on the East riverbank, NE 19-26-6 W3rd. They had three more boys, Nels Brynolf born on August 16, 1921; Harry August born on August 4, 1923; and Melvin Edward born on November 2, 1928.

Charlie was rather shiftless and found it difficult to settle down in one place for very long. Charles and Lilli farmed Jacob Maunu's land from 1920 to about 1924 when the family moved four miles west of Dunblane, NW 6-26-7 W3rd, and farmed rented land, which had been originally homesteaded by Henry Saari in 1909. For a short time, he also rented land owned by Robert Leighton located 3-1/2 miles north-west of Dunblane, SW 21-26-7 W3rd. This land would later be farmed by Fred Pelto.

In about 1930 he moved to John Metcalf's land, SW 35-26-7 W3rd, located four miles north of Dunblane and one mile from the river, which he farmed for a few years. During the depression years things got so bad that Charlie and Lilli decided to move to the New Finland district of Saskatchewan, located north of Wapella and south of the Qu'Appelle River.

In 1933 they set out with their four boys, a team of horses pulling a caboose on a wagon, five cows, and a few of their belongings. One cow was tied behind the wagon so, with a bit of coaxing, the other cattle tagged along. In the mornings and the evenings the family would stop to do the milking. Butter was made along the way to be used as trade for groceries and supplies when they passed through a town. Their trip took them 30 days. They finally arrived at the farm of a friend of theirs who had previously farmed Jacob Maunu's land on the East side of the river near Dunblane, Arvid Johnson. Charlie and Lilli parked their caboose and stayed with the Johnson's for the rest of the summer. Times were hard, Charlie found little work that paid, but they managed with butter sales and Lilli's sewing. She soon became well known for her sewing abilities and had regular customers. The pastor's wife was one of her favorites because the pastor paid so well. The price for sewing a lady's dress was 65 cents, but the pastor always paid more. Later that same year, the Maunu's moved to S. Petrays' quarter, SE 5-18-33-W1. They lived there for three years and then moved to a place near Gus Lauttamus' farm.

In about 1940 Charlie left his family behind and moved to Dinorwic, Ontario to help his brother John cut and haul timber for railway ties for the railroads. John had homesteaded land near Dinorwic in about 1939. Over the next several years Charlie spent time in both Saskatchewan and Ontario. Later, after retirement, he moved to Merritt, B.C. where his son John had settled. He died in Ashcroft, B.C. on June 22, 1959 and is buried in the Clinton, B.C. cemetery.

After Charlie left her and the children Lilli married Charles Lake. They had one daughter, Marlene, who married Emil Urzada and lived near Gerald, Saskatchewan. Charles Lake passed away in 1971. Lilli was left to live in Esterhazy with her sons, Harry and Melvin.

This biography is based on the "Charlie Maunu" biography by Velma Deydey as it appeared in Echoes of Coteau and the "Charlie and Lilli Maunu" biography in Life in the New Finland Woods - A History of New Finland, Saskatchewan with additional information by Ernest Maunu and Terry Maunu.
Charles Maunu Obituary

Charles Maunu

In sad memory of our loving father
Charles Maunu
who passed away from a heart attack on June 22, 1959
in Clinton, B.C. in the home of his son John.
He was born in South Dakota on July 7 (?), 1889.
Surviving are his sons John, Harry, and Melvin
of Clinton B.C., and son Nels of Sault Ste. Marie,
eleven grandchildren, sisters Emma and Minnie,
brothers Arvid and John, and many other relatives
and friends.

The sons

Obituary Information supplied by Edna (Lauttamus) Maunu and translated by Ernest Maunu.