Bio: Lorraine Bittner (Benson)

 School Memories:

The commitment of the teachers who coached us.  Mr. Ray Willoughby our Grade 6 teacher who started a noon hour softball league.  I remember I was on the "Angels" team and we won a trophy.  Mr. Skrupski coaching us in volleyball and softball.  Winning North Central in both of those sports.  Although I could not go, Ms. Krakowetz taking a group of students to Saskatoon to make a video for a Simon and Garfunkel song. I think it was "The Sound of Silence."  The last day of school sitting on the swings realizing this was the last day we were going to be in the school.

In the fall of 1970 I went to Saskatoon and enrolled at the Saskatoon Business College. I lived at 436-4th Ave. North along with Janet Betker, Frances Gerich, and Wendy Kasun. In 1971 I started working for Sask Tel and worked there for two years.  During this time I played ball with the Fabco Steelers.  In 1974-1976 I took the Standard A Teaching course and in the summer of 1976 I played for the Harmony Centre Fastball team in Saskatoon.  We traveled all over Western Canada and then represented Saskatchewan at the Canadian Woman's Fastball Tournament in Quebec.  We came home with the Bronze medal.  

I got off the plane in Saskatoon and Frances and I drove to Macklin and started our teaching career.  It is true 75% of all single girls that went to Macklin stayed and got married there.  I got out!  Actually I had done my internship in Rosetown and they called and offered me a job.  I spent two years in Rosetown.  In 1979 I got married to Lorne Benson from Canwood.  Then in January of 1981 our daughter Leah was born. During that summer with a 6 month old I played ball with the Brown Dusters in Prince Albert.  Crazy right.   In the fall of that year we purchased Lorne's Mom and Dad's farm.  In 1984 our son Rhett was born and our family was complete.  In the late 80's I played ball for the Debden Alouettes for two years.  The deal was they had to play at the same tournaments Dry Creek Penguins (the team Lorne played for) entered.  Needless to say some of the girls married Dry Creek Penguin boys.  

Over the years I would get a maternity leave contract, or partial contracts if they needed extra teachers.  I did a lot of substitute teaching as well.  During this time I took classes to get my degree.  I traveled to Prince Albert for night classes and Saskatoon during the summer.  I started my teaching degree in 1974 and got my diploma in 1994.

In June of 2000 Lorne got very sick with campylobacter infection which led to his body developing colitis.  He was in and out of hospital for all that year.  In January we decided to sell the farm and it was sold by February 14, 2001.  We moved into town for a year and I got a full time position teaching Pre-K and K.  In 2002 we bought one quarter of land north of Canwood and then that turned into 3 more quarters.  Our son is now working off the farm and hobby farming the land.  

In 2012 after 21 years of teaching I retired.  I have been subbing all this time. (It's my fun money)  In June of 2019 I organized a Bittner Reunion in Leask.  We had about 60 people there.  Everyone sent me pictures and bios of their family and I put a Bittner book together of about 100 pages.  I am so glad I did because our 1970 Grad. guest speaker was Les Bittner and he came to the reunion from Ottawa and in the spring of 2020 he passed away.  He was able to see the book that was made of all the Bittner families.  

We moved into town in 2020.  Lorne works a seasonal job for the R.M. and helps out on the farm.  He says you just can't put a price on cows or bulls chasing you around the pasture.  Our kids would say the 4 most hated words on the Benson Ponderosa is "Your Cows Are Out".  Our daughter Leah has given us two grandchildren.  Logan in 2012, and Adam in 2014.  

Lorne's health has turned around and except for two knee replacements (which means I am bionic) my health is fairly good.  Over the years I have been involved in 4-H beef with my kids.  On committees for church, hall, golf course, Rural Crime Watch, Royal Purple Elks member, and taking kids to Sask. Winter Games three times.

In the way of travel we took the kids in 1993 to Disneyland.  The only time we left the farm.  In 2001 when Lorne wasn't well and we weren't sure how things were going to turn out we took the kids on a road trip to Ontario and then down to Tennessee and Florida for a month.  We have taken trips down to Arizona and California.  Jeannette and I went to Jamaica 2015, and all 4 of us went to Hawaii in 2018.

Bucket List
In 2017 we went to Sweden to visit Lorne's cousins, and then over to Austria, and Germany.  I found out later that when I was in Vienna I was only 200 km from where my Grandparents on the Bittner side came from in the early 1900s. I would like to go back and find out information about them. Also I am hoping that my health will hold out so I can spend time with my grandchildren.

Murray, Lorraine and Marvin (RIP) at Leask 100 Year 2012 Reunion.

Lorne’s lederhosen, and Lorraine’s dirndl dress from Germany.

Back Row L-R: Adam, Rhett, Leah, Logan

Front Row: Lorraine, Lorne