Helen (Needham) Culbert’s Poplar Farm Memories

Poplar Farm, the Culbert homestead on Lot 19, Concession 2 (The Coursey Line) in Biddulph Township near Lucan, Ontario

A few years before she died, I asked Helen (Needham) Culbert to share her memories of meeting the Myron Culbert family for the first time at Poplar Farm, near Lucan, Ontario. 

Myron and Effie Culbert, Helen's future in-laws

Helen lived over 3,000 kilometres away from me in Calgary so I asked her daughter, Mary-Lynn Culbert to record Helen’s memories. Thank you, Mary-Lynn.

Helen Needham met the Culbert family when she was 18 years old. She was dating Myron and Effie’s son, Kenneth Arthur Culbert.

Helen Needham and Ken Culbert at Poplar Farm in the late 1930s.

How did you meet the Culberts?

Helen: I think it was on Myron and Effie’s 25th wedding anniversary in 1936. That’s the silver anniversary. 

Invitation to Myron & Effie's silver wedding anniversary party on 15 June 1936 at Poplar Farm

I’d only been going out with Ken for maybe a couple of months. They had all the relatives there and had set up big picnic tables from saw horses with plywood across, then covered them with table clothes under the big maples. The anniversary party was in June - there was a beautiful row of maples trees lining the lane leading up to the farm house, with the house at the end.  All the flowers were out in Effie’s garden.  They had a beautiful German Shepherd dog named Tony that Ken had brought home some time before. Tony was there greeting everyone.  He would come over and press himself against you. 

Ken had borrowed somebody’s car and brought out a gallon of ice cream from London. Ken’s older brother, Cliff brought a girlfriend.  

Cliff Culbert, Myron & Effie's first-born son

We didn’t know one another yet, but Cliff and his girlfriend and Ken and I had bought Myron and Effie the exact same silver candy dish as an anniversary present!

I met all five of Ken’s brothers that day. There must have been 50 guests or more there. They had a lot of lovely food.  

Newspaper account of Myron and Effie's silver wedding anniversary party

Myron Culbert (Ken’s father) was tall and slim with golden hair.  Mel Culbert (Ken’s brother) had curly, golden hair. Mel was too young to have a girlfriend yet. I never saw him cross or mad.  He was always full of fun.  He worked very hard. I think, if he’d lived longer, he would have been very successful. Mel was about two years younger than I was (he was about 16 years old at the time I met him - I was just 18).  

Mel Culbert (1920-1958)

Mert Culbert (Ken’s brother) was just a little kid. Earl Culbert (Ken’s youngest brother) was in the rocking chair.

Earl Culbert (left) and Mert Culbert (right). This photo would have been taken later than 1936.

Mrs. Culbert (Effie) thought her son Ivan Culbert looked like her, and I think Ivan was her favourite. Ken was quite fair too but Ivan was dark and had curly hair, like Effie.  

 

Ivan Culbert (Effie's favourite son)

Ken had told me stories about how strict his mother Effie was, so I was expecting something quite different than what I found.  Here was this little 100 pound woman, meek as a mouse, kissing and hugging her boys.

 

This photo of Effie Taylor before she married Myron Culbert shows how tiny she was.

Mr. Culbert (Myron) was very quiet. He was probably in pain from falling off the barn roof [note - he had surgery on his hips some time later when the pain became too great to bear any longer but never recovered fully]. 

The anniversary party was a lovely affair - white table clothes on the tables, silverware put out. There was potato salad, cabbage salad, devilled eggs, turkey, chicken, five or six different kinds of pies, cakes, cookies, tarts - the place was loaded with food. And tea was served. Everyone was socializing and talking. Some were playing croquet. It was lovely! 

This was my first time out to the farm. The Culberts had two farms at the time - I was impressed! I thought they were a very lovely family. Cliff and Ken were showing off their girlfriends to the family.  The place was spotless. Effie was a wonderful housekeeper, and a wonderful cook. She saw that the boys went to church and Sunday school every week. She was a friend of the minister’s wife. Every morning before breakfast they all knelt beside their chairs and Myron would pray out loud, then he would read a verse out of the Bible.

Helen (Needham) Culbert (1918-2018)

Thank you for your memories, Helen. We miss you.