Hildur (Carlson) Sherbeck
Wetaskiwin
1897-1980
Description
Life and Work
Hildur's parents, Swan Carlson and Evelina Marie Johanson, moved to Wetaskiwin from Sweden in 1892. Swan first worked in the tie camps in Calgary. Hildur was born near Gwynne on January 30, 1897. She had four siblings, Mary, Adolph, Elmer and Emmanuel. Her sister died at the age of nine.
Hildur married Alfred Sherbeck in 1919 and moved to the United States. They had two sons, Marrel and Adair. In 1927 Hildur and Alfred returned to Wetaskiwin. Her father passed away in 1928, her mother in 1954.
Hildur, like most pioneer ladies of her time, spent her days washing, baking, cooking, gardening and looking after her children. Most entertainment was in her home with small gatherings of friends and relatives. The family also loved summer picnics along the Battle River. Hildur was also very active in the Baptist Church.
Being of Swedish background Hildur kept up with traditional meals and baking. Meat was salted down for the winter. She baked lefse, a type of Swedish flatbread, and dark bread that she made by grinding her own flour and mixing the whole-wheat flour with molasses. Their meals also consisted of fish from Crooked Lake, wild duck, partridge, pheasants and domestic chickens.
Hildur was one of the many members of the Wetaskiwin Art Club. She took her art lessons from Father Wolfarth. In 1956, she received a scholarship along with Gwen Baker, Lena Forth and Carol Fullerton. She taught art lessons in the old Arts and Crafts Centre (which was part of the old Army hut). She enjoyed teaching art and encouraged her students to continue their lessons with Dorothy Janzen and then on to classes in Camrose. One of her favourite statements was, "When the mother bird did all she could, she would push the babies out of the nest."
Hildur passed away October 3, 1980 at the age of 83.
"Hildur was an ambitious, kind and generous person with a good sense of humour. You couldn't ask for a better friend."
- Tillie Chapman
Sources
- Research and Writing: Sylvia Larson and Janis Ruitenbeck
- Contributors: Marshalene Baur, Irvin and Ida Taje, Tillie Chapman, Lawrence Taje, Gwynne, Elsie Fremstad, Adair Sherbeck and Roxanne Sherbeck
- Curator: Janis Ruitenbeck