No Career For a Woman
Helen Maxine Morton 1927-2004
Written June 2009
Her father told her that journalism was no career for a woman. It was June, 1945 and (Helen) Maxine Church, then 18 years old, had her hopes crushed with one simple sentence.
Instead of setting off for reporting school, when Maxine set off from her family farm the following September, it was for business school in Calgary, where she would board with a family for the duration of her training. A secretary, her father felt, was a much more suitable career for a young lady. Back in 1945, a young woman did not dare defy her father. Maxine would longingly recall the day she left her home, her mother, father, and younger siblings standing in the doorway as the pick-up truck bumped down the gravel road. She did not yet know just how much she would miss it.
The concrete jungle was a sharp contrast to the canola and wheat fields Maxine was used to, and she found herself miserable. Growing up in the small farming town of Stavely, Alberta, Maxine loved the golden fields and rolling hills of her home town, and often spoke fondly of her childhood there. She was an amazing storyteller, and would share animated stories about her wagon rides to school during the brutal Alberta winters, long days spent canning the vegetables from their garden with her mother, and the community’s annual Christmas formal. My siblings and I would sit rapt at her feet, soaking up the stories about early Canadian life on the prairies, as they seemed so distant and magical from where we sat in our British Columbian home. She would talk about her love of nature, and the family farm which sat on a quarter section of fertile land. On Saturday afternoons, when we were caught playing video games or watching the television numbly, she would shoo us out of the house, reminiscing about the days when she would spend hours walking along the river, enjoying the sunshine and exploring the many different flora and fauna that grew there. If Maxine could have loved only three things in this world, it was defiantly family, writing, and nature.
Maxine’s first few months in Calgary were difficult, as she struggled to keep up with her schooling. The growing number of chores expected from her where she was boarding finally became to be too much, and instead of kneeling down to scrub the peeling floorboards, she sent a letter her parents detailing the extent of her work. Upon receiving word, her father promptly removed from that home and moved in with Mrs. Parker.
Mrs. Parker was a widow, with long flowing grey hair and a warm inviting laugh. She was raising her teenage son alone after the untimely death of her husband, and taking on boarders in order to survive. Maxine always spoke fondly of Mrs. Parker, and kept in close contact with both her and her son for much of her adult life. It was during a community picnic that she attended with Mrs. Parker that she met Sidney Morton.
Sidney was a farm boy, and when asked why she married him, Maxine said simply that he was the kindest man she had ever met. The pair married in August of 1947, and Maxine wore what she called an “ugly” dress that hung off her slight 5’2”, 98lb frame. Their ceremony was small, Maxine with her sister standing beside her, and Sidney with his brother. Shortly after they said their vows they moved to Sidney’s home town of Pathlow, Saskatechwan, to begin their life together.
Sidney moved them into an old farm house and began farming chickens and wheat on the rented land to support his wife. Maxine recalled these times as some of the loneliest times in her life, with their closest neighbours nearly 5 miles away. She filled her time with tending to the home, garden, and writing short stories, many of which were not found until her belongings were sorted after her death in 2004. In the winter of 1948, a 5 month pregnant Maxine miscarried their first child. She described it as the most painful experience she ever had. Devastated, Maxine threw herself into her writing. Finally, in 1950, David was born, followed by Shelley in 1952.
Sidney struggled to support his growing family. Finally, it became too much, and in 1956 he packed up his wife and young children and joined the army. Following his training in Kingston, Ontario, the entire family was posted to Germany, where they would spend the next three years living on the army base. The wives of soldiers were expected to maintain spotless homes, and Maxine spoke of the bi-weekly, unscheduled, surprise home inspections. Army officials would enter the home, and inspect every square inch for dust or dirt. She would stand rapt on the corner, heart beating fast, holding her two wide eyed children. They would look on as the men checked behind the television and ran their fingers along window panes in search of any evidence sufficient enough for reproach. Living in constant fear of reprimand helped Maxine to become an impeccable housekeeper, and that skill stayed with her through the rest of her life.
Finally, in 1959 the family was stationed to an army base in Winnipeg. Delighted to be back in English speaking Canada, and with her children close to entering adolescence, Maxine set out in search of work. She was able to find work at the nearby General Hospital, in an administrative position. She was pleased that she was finally able to use some of the skills she acquired during her training in Calgary. Things were starting to look up for their entire family after years of struggle and strife. It was only three months later that she found out she was pregnant with Joseph.
Joseph was born in Winnipeg in January, 1960. Since his next closest sibling, Shelley, was 8 years old, they decided to have another child so that Joe could have a playmate. That is why they decided to have Linda, my mother, who was born in June of 1962.
The life of soldier involved constant moving. It did not matter what your circumstances were, when you were a soldier with the Canadian Army, you were expected to go where they told you, when they told you. After many moves in and around BC, they finally settled in Ladner, BC, close to where most of Maxine’s family had ended up. They were able to develop a network of close personal friends, and weekends were spent playing cards and socializing with other couples while their children played quietly in other rooms. Times were happy for the couple and they finally had some order in their once turbulent lives.
It all came to an end, when in 1969, after 7 years of living in one place, they posted Sidney to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a painstaking decision, but finally the couple decided that they could not leave their beloved home and Sidney left the army.
Times were tough financially, and Sidney, working at the liquor store, wanted Maxine to go back to work. She felt that her skills were outdated, and lacked the confidence needed to get out into the workforce and sell herself to a potential employer. Instead, Maxine began watching children in her home while her own children attended school. Her lack of secure employment and their financial difficulties continued to cause problems in their marriage, and remained a bone of contention for years to come.
In 1973, Sidney secured work with Canada Post, a reliable company with a Union, pension and benefits. They moved the family to Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, where she stayed for the remainder of her life. As she watched her children grow Maxine continued to write stories and poetry, and grew beautiful gardens all around her home. One may say that she tried to re-create the beauty she found in her hometown.
Helen Maxine Morton, nee Church, was a loving woman who lived a diverse and difficult life. She was a wife, sister, mother, and my grandmother. Her death in 2004 came on only months after being diagnosed with Cancer, and left the entire family reeling in shocked grief. She is deeply missed, but her love of writing lives on in her family. It is my hope that I can live her dream for her, because even though in 1945 journalism may not have been a career for a woman, it certainly is now.
Love Song
Winged are her feet her face is a song
Her sigh is the breeze as she dances along
Her laughter’s the trill of the birds in the sky
Her voice is the brook as it murmurs by
The suns shining rays make the gold of her hair
Lovely her cheeks with the rose blooming there
Clear are her eyes of the sky’s deepest blue
The meadow is her gown of fairest hue
Oh what a joy is this maiden to me
As she skips down the hillside So fair! So free!
Behold her about you! Rejoice and sing!
For happy are the lovers of Mistress Spring
(Helen) Maxine Church
Stavely Literary Prize 1945
Her father told her that journalism was no career for a woman. It was June, 1945 and (Helen) Maxine Church, then 18 years old, had her hopes crushed with one simple sentence.
Instead of setting off for reporting school, when Maxine set off from her family farm the following September, it was for business school in Calgary, where she would board with a family for the duration of her training. A secretary, her father felt, was a much more suitable career for a young lady. Back in 1945, a young woman did not dare defy her father. Maxine would longingly recall the day she left her home, her mother, father, and younger siblings standing in the doorway as the pick-up truck bumped down the gravel road. She did not yet know just how much she would miss it.
The concrete jungle was a sharp contrast to the canola and wheat fields Maxine was used to, and she found herself miserable. Growing up in the small farming town of Stavely, Alberta, Maxine loved the golden fields and rolling hills of her home town, and often spoke fondly of her childhood there. She was an amazing storyteller, and would share animated stories about her wagon rides to school during the brutal Alberta winters, long days spent canning the vegetables from their garden with her mother, and the community’s annual Christmas formal. My siblings and I would sit rapt at her feet, soaking up the stories about early Canadian life on the prairies, as they seemed so distant and magical from where we sat in our British Columbian home. She would talk about her love of nature, and the family farm which sat on a quarter section of fertile land. On Saturday afternoons, when we were caught playing video games or watching the television numbly, she would shoo us out of the house, reminiscing about the days when she would spend hours walking along the river, enjoying the sunshine and exploring the many different flora and fauna that grew there. If Maxine could have loved only three things in this world, it was defiantly family, writing, and nature.
Maxine’s first few months in Calgary were difficult, as she struggled to keep up with her schooling. The growing number of chores expected from her where she was boarding finally became to be too much, and instead of kneeling down to scrub the peeling floorboards, she sent a letter her parents detailing the extent of her work. Upon receiving word, her father promptly removed from that home and moved in with Mrs. Parker.
Mrs. Parker was a widow, with long flowing grey hair and a warm inviting laugh. She was raising her teenage son alone after the untimely death of her husband, and taking on boarders in order to survive. Maxine always spoke fondly of Mrs. Parker, and kept in close contact with both her and her son for much of her adult life. It was during a community picnic that she attended with Mrs. Parker that she met Sidney Morton.
Sidney was a farm boy, and when asked why she married him, Maxine said simply that he was the kindest man she had ever met. The pair married in August of 1947, and Maxine wore what she called an “ugly” dress that hung off her slight 5’2”, 98lb frame. Their ceremony was small, Maxine with her sister standing beside her, and Sidney with his brother. Shortly after they said their vows they moved to Sidney’s home town of Pathlow, Saskatechwan, to begin their life together.
Sidney moved them into an old farm house and began farming chickens and wheat on the rented land to support his wife. Maxine recalled these times as some of the loneliest times in her life, with their closest neighbours nearly 5 miles away. She filled her time with tending to the home, garden, and writing short stories, many of which were not found until her belongings were sorted after her death in 2004. In the winter of 1948, a 5 month pregnant Maxine miscarried their first child. She described it as the most painful experience she ever had. Devastated, Maxine threw herself into her writing. Finally, in 1950, David was born, followed by Shelley in 1952.
Sidney struggled to support his growing family. Finally, it became too much, and in 1956 he packed up his wife and young children and joined the army. Following his training in Kingston, Ontario, the entire family was posted to Germany, where they would spend the next three years living on the army base. The wives of soldiers were expected to maintain spotless homes, and Maxine spoke of the bi-weekly, unscheduled, surprise home inspections. Army officials would enter the home, and inspect every square inch for dust or dirt. She would stand rapt on the corner, heart beating fast, holding her two wide eyed children. They would look on as the men checked behind the television and ran their fingers along window panes in search of any evidence sufficient enough for reproach. Living in constant fear of reprimand helped Maxine to become an impeccable housekeeper, and that skill stayed with her through the rest of her life.
Finally, in 1959 the family was stationed to an army base in Winnipeg. Delighted to be back in English speaking Canada, and with her children close to entering adolescence, Maxine set out in search of work. She was able to find work at the nearby General Hospital, in an administrative position. She was pleased that she was finally able to use some of the skills she acquired during her training in Calgary. Things were starting to look up for their entire family after years of struggle and strife. It was only three months later that she found out she was pregnant with Joseph.
Joseph was born in Winnipeg in January, 1960. Since his next closest sibling, Shelley, was 8 years old, they decided to have another child so that Joe could have a playmate. That is why they decided to have Linda, my mother, who was born in June of 1962.
The life of soldier involved constant moving. It did not matter what your circumstances were, when you were a soldier with the Canadian Army, you were expected to go where they told you, when they told you. After many moves in and around BC, they finally settled in Ladner, BC, close to where most of Maxine’s family had ended up. They were able to develop a network of close personal friends, and weekends were spent playing cards and socializing with other couples while their children played quietly in other rooms. Times were happy for the couple and they finally had some order in their once turbulent lives.
It all came to an end, when in 1969, after 7 years of living in one place, they posted Sidney to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was a painstaking decision, but finally the couple decided that they could not leave their beloved home and Sidney left the army.
Times were tough financially, and Sidney, working at the liquor store, wanted Maxine to go back to work. She felt that her skills were outdated, and lacked the confidence needed to get out into the workforce and sell herself to a potential employer. Instead, Maxine began watching children in her home while her own children attended school. Her lack of secure employment and their financial difficulties continued to cause problems in their marriage, and remained a bone of contention for years to come.
In 1973, Sidney secured work with Canada Post, a reliable company with a Union, pension and benefits. They moved the family to Port Alberni, Vancouver Island, where she stayed for the remainder of her life. As she watched her children grow Maxine continued to write stories and poetry, and grew beautiful gardens all around her home. One may say that she tried to re-create the beauty she found in her hometown.
Helen Maxine Morton, nee Church, was a loving woman who lived a diverse and difficult life. She was a wife, sister, mother, and my grandmother. Her death in 2004 came on only months after being diagnosed with Cancer, and left the entire family reeling in shocked grief. She is deeply missed, but her love of writing lives on in her family. It is my hope that I can live her dream for her, because even though in 1945 journalism may not have been a career for a woman, it certainly is now.
Love Song
Winged are her feet her face is a song
Her sigh is the breeze as she dances along
Her laughter’s the trill of the birds in the sky
Her voice is the brook as it murmurs by
The suns shining rays make the gold of her hair
Lovely her cheeks with the rose blooming there
Clear are her eyes of the sky’s deepest blue
The meadow is her gown of fairest hue
Oh what a joy is this maiden to me
As she skips down the hillside So fair! So free!
Behold her about you! Rejoice and sing!
For happy are the lovers of Mistress Spring
(Helen) Maxine Church
Stavely Literary Prize 1945