Lakefield Herald Special Report

Letters from Home: One Thousand Full Moons

by Patricia Heffernan

Dear Mary Jo,

Len Wingett has been witness to one thousand full moons in his lifetime.

Len turned 80 years old this past month and has an ever growing family, a large circle of friends, a lifetime of stories and a pocket full of moons to show for it.

Despite wild winter winds that unleashed showers of ice from tree branches and roof tops early Saturday evening, it was warm inside the Lakefield Legion and Len was surprised to find himself at the centre of the happy event.

Len’s wife, Carol, was over the moon that the ruse had been a success. She watched on as Len was greeted warmly by their three sons, Dan, Brian, Bill and families as well as brothers Ken, Raymond and families. Friends and neighbours filled the hall.

A huge family effort made the evening a success with special efforts by Ashley, Dustin, Billy and Luke.

Stories were plentiful and one had only to move from table to table to hear a variety of lively and entertaining tales about Len and the Wingett family.

Everyone in attendance shared Sandy McCracken’s opinion of Len when she described him as a gentle, wise man. Sandy recalled that her father, the late Bob McCracken, who ran the hardware store in Lakefield when Len owned and operated the butcher shop, described him as “a fine, fine man.”

Smith-Ennismore-Lakefield Reeve Mary Smith, shared memories working alongside Len as a volunteer with The Lakefield Historical Society. Mary commended Len’s quiet dedication as the cornerstone of the historical society at a time when it was at risk of folding.

Chris (Wink) and Ruth Heffernan also joined in the festivities. Wink, who grew up on “Vinegar Hill” with the Wingetts, recalled the time his older brother Donny, who did not yet have a license, asked Len if he would go to Havelock with him to buy a car. Len agreed and the two young men headed out. When it came time to present a driver’s license, Donny looked at Len and waited. Len looked right back at him and stated, “I said I could drive, I didn’t say I had a license.”

Peggy Jewell caught up on old times with Len. Having worked for Len at his butcher shop for many years, Peggy told Len she finally solved his long time problem of needing a “counter-stretcher” – he had only needed to knock out the wall at one side of the store. “Problem finally solved, Len!” Peggy grinned.

While stories sparked by the life of the well loved man flowed at tables all around him, Len took to the dance floor with his grandchildren. His wife, Carol, with help from family and friends, served a delightful luncheon accompanied by birthday cake.

Len’s brother Ken took an opportunity to address the crowd. He explained that, although Len turned out to be a responsible man, he recalled certain mornings in his youth when his brother had to be dragged out of bed to get to work on time at Teddy Crawford’s Butcher Shop.

One morning, Teddy called the Wingett home and asked Len’s mother, Ruby, if Len would be coming to work that day.

Ruby’s sharp response was, “Yes. Doesn’t he always come to work?”

Kevin Heffernan recalled the time that Len and Bob Delledonne, both from the old Bishop Street neighbourhood, bought an old coupe car from Lakefield’s Earle Orr. The car, Kevin recalled, was made mostly of steel and was built more like a tank.

Evidently, in those days, Lakefield boys did not believe in having a license before they bought cars, so Bob took the wheel first and Len jumped in beside him.

Given that there was only room for two, their friends could only stand by and watch as Bob and Len first took a huge portion of the foundation out of Ruby and Cecil Wingett’s house and then backed up across the road straight into the ditch.

With the nose of the car sticking straight up in the air and Bob and Len trapped inside the car, the rest of the boys – who had not qualified for one of the two available seats – ignored the yells for help coming from deep within the ditch and sauntered back to their respective homes on “Vinegar Hill”.

Lance and Bev Hill, Marg Short, Betty Kidd, Maurice and Cathy Hickey, Jim and Barb Rosborough, Harold and Chris Kidd, Bill Lee, Doug Lee, Roy and Sheila Garrett, Betty and Ben Irwin and Paul and Annette Dunford were among the many who braved the wintery weather Saturday night to celebrate with the Wingetts.

Whether a paper moon, harvest moon, hunter’s moon or full moon, Len has a pocket full. Lakefield is so fortunate he chose to collect them all from here.

As a Hindu prince once said, “Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth.” And the truth is, a collector like Len Wingett comes along only once in a blue moon.

Your little hamlet must offer a spectacular view of the waxing and waning of the moon, Mary Jo.

Though your friends in the village missed you on Saturday night, they are forgiving folks and send you wishes for a full moon on a dark night.

Tricia

~

Tricia

Storm on Saturday wiped out power lines -(stop)- No hydro, only woodstove heat, no phones -(stop)- isolated in the barrens, wild animals taking over -(stop)- Congratulations to Len on one thousand full moons -(stop)- Will never survive that many moons living in this godforsaken place -(stop)- Sounds like I missed a great party -(stop)- Did Len ever get his license -(stop)- Heard the boys on Vinegar Hill said “The moon is brighter since we burned down that barn” -(stop)- Wonder if they ever encountered cougars and bears on walk down the street -(stop)- Coyotes howling –(stop)- Cougars must be lazy -(stop)- Playing Little House on the Prairie to pass time -(stop)- Peter always wants to be Charles Ingalls who is brave and handsome -(stop)- Time passing slowly -(stop)- Sick unto death of word games -(stop)- Rereading your letter yet again -(stop)- Incredible that so many of Len’s friends survived teenage years given their driving skills -(stop)- I know how it feels to get pulled over for erratic driving when you are stone sober -(stop)- So tired of talking to policemen -(stop)- Every time I leave the hamlet they follow me -(stop)- Last time they stopped me, so exasperated I said I was reaching down to pick up my make up bag when my gun fell off my lap and lodged between gas and brake pedal causing erratic driving -(stop)- Do I even look like a criminal -(stop)- Am now-(stop)- To paraphrase Shaw...don’t know if there are people on the moon but if there are they must be using my hamlet as their lunatic asylum -(stop)- So glad to hear from you -(stop)- May Len have warm winds on a cold evening -(stop)- A full moon on a dark night -(stop)- And a smooth road all the way to his door -(stop)- Remember Len that aiming for the moon and missing it is better that aiming for the ditch and hitting it -(stop)- Will see you all at spring thaw -(stop)- Tricia, reply post haste -(stop)- A most expensive telegram –(full stop)

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