Oldest farm in Morley still going strong

In the century since Stratton began as a small community composed of hardy homesteaders and pioneers, much has changed.
Gone are the old church, schools, and most of the original farms. But in spite of all the changes over the last 100 years, there still are vestiges of its original flavour and character.
In fact, some of today’s citizens can trace a direct line back to when it all began.
Denny Armstrong is a prime example of that continuity. At 87, he is the second-oldest citizen in Morley Township (and the oldest man). Furthermore, the farm on which he has lived his entire life is the oldest continuously-operating one there.
Located on Ball Road, three km north and two km east of what is now Stratton, the farm began in 1898 when Patrick Armstrong—Denny’s father—arrived from eastern Ontario via steamboat from Rat Portage (Kenora) to confront a quarter section of virgin land, which was his to lose or keep.
“In those days, the government gave out free grants to people who were willing to move here and make a go of it,” Armstrong recalled. “The deal was, you had to clear 15 acres and build a house before you could get title.”
That took 11 years but in 1909, Patrick Armstrong finally had clear title. It hadn’t been easy.
He hauled logs with his team of horses and had them squared at the Anderson mill. By 1908, he had his house, horse stable, granary, and barn. The original homestead is still standing today, although the barn burned down in 1975.
Having carved a farm out of the wilderness, Patrick was now ready to start a family. So he headed back east, where he met schoolteacher Loretta Daley, married her in 1914, and brought her back to the farm. They raised four children, of whom Denny was the youngest and the only boy.
Naturally, he worked alongside his parents while attending school at SS #1 on Sharp Road.
“We raised horses and cattle, and grew hay and grain for feed,” said Armstrong. “Later on, we added some pigs.”
Despite the long days of pioneer farm life and the ravages of the Great Depression in the 1930s, Armstrong and his sisters found welcome diversion within themselves.
“In 1936, my sisters and I started a band and we started playing at barn dances, fairs, and weddings,” Armstrong related. “During the summer, we sometimes played every night.”
Armstrong played fiddle and later guitar, and although the Armstrong Orchestra—as it was known—kept him out of the fields, the supplemental income he earned was welcome to the family.
“I guess I wasn’t much use to my dad on the farm, but we helped pay for his first tractor in 1940,” he chuckled.
In fact, even his parents loved music and Sundays at the Armstrong farm often were filled with the sounds of young people.
When Armstrong was 28, he met and courted Evelyn Berg. On June 26, 1944, they were married. Together, they raised seven children, living in the original house with their parents.
In 1953, Patrick died at the age of 78 while Loretta passed on in 1968.
Denny and Evelyn carried on in the pioneer tradition. Together they plowed the land, cut hay, built fences, and raised stock. At one time they had as many as 250 head of cattle—mostly Herefords—and sold cream to Flinder’s in Fort Frances.
As their children grew up, one by one they left the farm and now are spread out from Alberta to eastern Ontario. By the 1970s, Denny and Evelyn were running the farm on their own. But as fate would have it, they were not entirely alone.
When the barn burned down in 1975 after being struck by lightning, the Armstrongs discovered they had many friends.
“Several barns burned in those days and all the neighbours would get together to rebuild them for each other,” Armstrong recalled. He has particularly fond memories of the local Mennonite community which chipped in without being asked.
“I sure thank the Mennonites,” he stressed. “They brought in food, money, and special skills to rebuild [the barn].”
Eventually, Armstrong’s youngest son, Wayne, returned to carry on the family business. In 1993, Wayne and his siblings built a brand-new house next to the old one for their parents.
Today, the original homestead stands unused, except for storage, while Denny and Evelyn have a comfortable new home all to themselves. Earlier this year, Denny handed over control of the farm to Wayne, who commutes from town every day.
Does he miss farming? “Nope. It [retirement] was real easy,” Armstrong laughed.
Today he is a house husband, tending to most of the indoor chores while taking care of Evelyn, whose health is not as robust as his. At first it was a difficult transition.
“Cleaning is easy, but cooking took some trial and error,” he admitted. “I tried out some of my experiments on the dog and I figured if they didn’t kill him, we’d be OK.”
According to Evelyn, her husband indeed has mastered the mysteries of the kitchen and judging by its appearance, the dog appears to be none the worse for having been a guinea pig.
Today, Armstrong remains more active and vigorous than many men 20 years his junior. He still plays the fiddle and has added an electric keyboard to his repertoire.
When he looks back over a long, productive life, Armstrong says he has few regrets. But he’s glad he no longer carries the burden of the family heritage alone.
“We’re all glad Wayne wanted to take over the farm,” he said. “There were a lot of good times and a lot of hard work, but we wouldn’t trade with anybody.”