Pearl and Andy Molnar moved to Forest Grove in August, 1954. Andy worked as a mechanic for Gordon Graham at the Forest Grove Garage and Pearl work at Felker's General Store.
I (Diane) remember arriving in Forest Grove in October, 1954 with my two sisters Trudy and Pat (our brother Gord was born in 1957). We spent the first night at the Forest Grove Lodge, owned by Bob and Madeline Parkin, then moved into the teacherage building. We lived there for a few months until our house was built behind the Forest Grove Garage. We even had electricity from the generator at the garage! Tuesday was a big day - that's the day mail was delivered each week!
As kids growing up in Forest Grove we had unlimited freedom, something unheard of these days. Unless we were in school, we could roam as we wished. There were endless things to do and we had the freedom to do it.
- we could bike to Ruth Lake to swim
- we could play in the old sawmill behind the stampede grounds
- we could round up some calves, put them in the chutes at the stampede grounds and try to ride them
- we could work on the 'log' hut we were building in the bush
- we could dig tunnels in the sand hill that was beside our house.
- we built rafts and floated them on the racetrack that was flooded from the spring run-off
- we were happy when it was 25 degree below F, and there was no school and we could go outside and play in the snow all day.
There were gymkanas, stock car racing, sulky races and softball games. Dad had a bright pink stock car he used to race.
The old Forest Grove Community Hall (remember all those steps?) was the location for Friday night movies run by Bert Weaver - I think it cost 25 cents. Inevitably the film would break at least once each night. The kids sat on benches in the front rows. The hall held Christmas concerts, Talent Shows, weddings, and Saturday night dances. Evan Kemp and ToIler O'Shea had Forest Grove on their entertainment circuit. They would drive through town with a loudspeaker advertising the show and dance that evening and even gave away free tickets! We all learned to dance at these events, I think we were about 14 years old when we started attending. Of course we had spend the whole day getting ready by pincurling our hair, then putting on our best dancing dress and high heels!
The Forest Grove Open Bonspiel was held every January. One year our Dad and we three girls entered a team and we were thrilled to win the bonspiel by beating out an all- man team. I believe Glen McMillan was on the opposing team - I don't remember the others. Dick Felker was the resident icemaker and bar tender.