Earth Quaker
My name is Irv Kroeker, pronounced Erv Kraker. I was at a noisy party back in California, being introduced to someone.
"What?" the stranger asked. "Earth Quaker?"
Hence the name of this website (and later book).
Stories
-
Northern Lights
When Northern Lights drift close to you They’re after your spirit. Bid your adieux! They’ll carry you off to other souls…
-
Cousins IV
We come from a town Where we were all cousins Mennonite parents Kids by the dozens All were Mennonite Through and…
-
Easter 2022
I celebrate Easter in my old age with memories of music and memories of my daughters in pretty yellow outfits. I…
-
Paska Reprise
Years ago I wrote this story about getting a loaf of paska from my favourite cousin Katherine Penner. It was, in…
-
Boyhood Dreams
When I was just a boy of ten I walked to school each day A mile the path but hundreds then That…
-
Pigs Made Famous
One spring Diane Kroeker made the pigs of Deerbank Farm famous by getting their picture onto ABC’s Good Morning America show. She…
-
Two in a Pew
This morning I had a profound spiritual experience at Mass in the Roman Catholic church next door. I went to church with young…
-
The Wolf Song
Once when our children were young, I took them on a wildlife hunt through Whiteshell Provincial Park. We played a discovery…
-
White-tailed Deer
There are many deer species in the world. They range from the familiar white-tailed deer which came to Manitoba a century…
-
Whiskey Jack
It arrives like a ghost. You may be sitting beside your campfire dozing through a lazy summer afternoon when everything is…
-
Where’s the Camera?
We were driving along Falcon Lake’s south shore last year when suddenly Diane spotted a bird standing on the gravel shoulder.…
-
Thirds for the Birds
It’s quiet. You’ve walked through a garage to the back. Moments ago, even from the freshly shoveled front walk, you heard dozens…
-
Killdeer
The killdeer is an actor worthy of an Oscar. If you come too close to her nest – often a shallow…
-
Day of the Dead
One more year, the Day of the Dead Gone the woman who shared my bed Drifted away in November mist Gone the…
-
Chloe’s First
This dinner gathering was the first time Chloe, my great granddaughter, was with my extended family. She kept us entertained with her…
-
A Shorter Wait
Today Anne-Shirley brought me to St. Boniface Hospital for yet another medical appointment, this time a lung scan with a Gamma Camera.…
-
“Follow Me”
Diane was hostess of “Follow Me”, a children’s TV show grown out of Trinity Television’s “It’s A New Day”. It was telecast…
-
The Forks
There’s a quiet place where the Assiniboine meets the Red, a place for basking in moonglow, a place for wondering in…
-
Our Beardies
An outstanding period in our family was the time when we had two bearded collies. The beardie is a great family…
-
Non-Resistance
Non-resistance is the distinguishing aspect of Menno Simons’ teachings. All Christian denominations have a way of finding God through Jesus…
-
Mennonite Food
Being a Mennonite in Manitoba is living in a microcosm of Mennonites worldwide. Around the world there are Mennonites in almost…
-
Hutterites
I have associated with Hutterites all my life. Although I never considered becoming one, I admired their communal life. I like…
-
Greyfriars Bobby
The story of this famous dog found life in our family at bedtime. There’s a statue of Greyfriars Bobby in Edinborough,…
-
Hummingbird Myth
It’s a myth. Hummingbirds do not migrate under the wings of geese. I don’t know how the myth got started, but…
-
Outhouse, Route 66
We were on another of our many trips to California, travelling across the southwest states along Route 66. We always visited…
-
Farm Etiquette
Farmyard rules never bending Barnyard work never ending Do the chores ever tending Chickens and sheep, ever mending Fences to keep the…
-
The Alps
The towering Alps reach high to the sky, Too tall for me, busy pursuer of life, to climb But my gaze…
-
Morocco
Here on a hillside, quiet and serene I sit and wonder at the places I’ve seen And none compare to this solitary…
-
Highwind Lake
Here on the shore of Highwind Lake I dream away, hardly awake I sit and wait for a call from the loon…
-
Guatemala
She sits by the water and thinks of her daughters Jesus and John in the water you see keeping a date with…
-
Grand Canyon
My morning song is a song sung along The edge of a canyon rim. Starlight dreams become, it seems, My morning requiem.…
-
The Call of the Loon
A loon will soon in June Send shivers up our spines Long lonesome wail, speckled tail Hysteric cackle in pines Calm lake…
-
Inner Core
At age of four you learned the way how not to stray When you were two …
-
Yosemite
In my search for church I heard the voice of God, Whispering in the pines. It took a while, I drove…
-
Mist on Moor
A mist on the moor is magic, brings tales of old that are tragic; tales that are fresh tales…
-
Dawn Hunter
With the world the birds awake Tweety songs at dawn’s daybreak Birds flit by, slept the night through Owl finds a daytime…
-
Country Cathedral
Together that day, you and I Country cathedral, holy high Country cathedral Sunday morning Spell came on us quick without warning Needed…
-
20 Books
There are 26 cousins in my family tree, descendants of five children of my grandparents. At 83 I’m the youngest. The grandparents…
-
Paradigm Shift II
I stand in the Alps, breathtaking view My restless eyes want something new I look up the Maypole, sky quite odd. Beyond…
-
Paradigm Shift I
It’s called a paradigm shift Our daily view of truth From mountaintop to valley below Questions from our youth We dance…
-
The Bust
The bust we cuss Is just old rust, When we discuss With deep disgust Our thoughts robust. The bust was Chopin Atop…
-
Lost in Lumber
We were lost, me and my two cousins Paul and Harvey, they with guns and me with a camera. We were hunting…
-
Song Ditties
I composed little songs for special occasions as they came up in life, from the birth of little people to Psalms I…
-
My Roots
Canadians East and West make fun of Winnipeg. Winterpeg, they call it, the coldest city in Canada, they say. But Winnipeg is…
-
Day of Old People
The United Nations Assembly has declared October 1 as the day to recognize older people. The theme is to help them adapt…
-
Pee-a-lot
I get water in my legs. It comes from sitting too long at the computer when I should be lying down with…
-
River Road
One of our favourite drives is along River Road from where it veers off Main Street north of Winnipeg to follow the…
-
Max
Like his sister, Max was born on the couch in the front room of their home in Charleswood. At 11 years old,…
-
Isabella
Isabella was born to Rebecca with the help of her Dad Wayne and a midwife on the couch in the front room…
-
Odd Jobs
I have done a number of odd things between serious jobs, some of them close to home, others in distant lands. I…
-
Justin
Justin lived in our house on Maplewood Avenue the first six months of his life, where Diane, his grandmother, and I watched…
-
Paska
Easter was always one of two major annual family celebrations in our household when Diane, mother of my three daughters, was alive.…
-
The Pall
The Pall that covered Diane‘s coffin at her funeral was an unusual sight. It was big. It draped down front and back…
-
Quilt cover
In celebration of the 25th wedding anniversary of Helena (Wiens Kroeker) Dyck and Peter Dyck, a quilt cover measuring 7 feet wide…
-
Rice and Curry
My favourite recipe is Rice and Curry. I learned how to make it from my mother. She learned how to make it…
-
Cousins Breakfast
A significant phenomenon in retirement was Cousins Breakfast – CB for short. Started about 30 years ago by Margaret Kroeker and Ruth…
-
Wiens Reunion
My interest in family history began with a lunch with my Dad, Peter A Kroeker, my aunt, Nettie Kroeker, and my uncle,…
-
Yosemite
Some scenes become crisp in clean air. When they do, they bring new meaning to words like Cathedral. The symphony of the…
-
Zoe
My granddaughter Zoe is 23 years old still working on extended university studies. She has accomplished significant projects. In high school and…
-
Brendan
My grandson Brendan is 23 years old already. It’s shocking to realize how quickly time has flown since he was born. It…
-
Grandma Angel II
This story is about the puppet show that never happened.. My two youngest grandchildren call her Grandma Angel. Once, not long ago,…
-
Grandma Angel I
Grandma Angel in heaven was walking away from the Throne Room down Gold Street. She was looking for her friend Gabriel, who…
-
Kopi Luwak
My favourite movie is “The Bucket List” starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson. Soon both will die, so Jack, who is rich,…
-
My sister Mary
This afternoon I’m visiting my sister Mary. She lives in Donwood Manor in Winnipeg. She’s celebrating her 92nd birthday this month, September…
-
On Safari in Kenya
After Diane died, my friend Godfrey Mawejje said I should go to Uganda to teach kids in his Kalagala school how to…
-
Trinity TV
When I moved to Winnipeg from Nebraska to become editor of Manitoba Moods, my cousins Willard and Betty Thiessen launched the It’s…
-
Churches
All my life in childhood and in marriage later on, the church I attended became my social hub. I went to the…
-
Pizza Cook
I financed my way through college working as a pizza cook at Del Monico’s in San Jose, California. The restaurant was popular…
-
Nigeria
After travelling through Europe and living in Spain half a year in 1965, I travelled through West Africa. My destination was Nigerian…
-
Diane’s Death
We were on tour in Guatemala with 30 passengers in tow. A few of them were parents of students in the Outtatown…
-
Wedding
On our wedding day October 10, 1966, everything was busy at 3212 81st Street in Queens, New York. Diane was getting ready.…
-
Rebecca
We lived in Lincoln, Nebraska, when Rebecca was born. She was the youngest of three daughters, a free spirit. In Lincoln the…
-
How I Met Diane
I always said during my 38 years being married to Diane Dowling life would have been boring without her. She brought fun…
-
Honeymoon
Our honeymoon was a gift from Mom and Dad Dowling. We went to Puerto Rico Sunday morning after our Saturday, October 10,…
-
Lara
Lara came quickly. We were still living in Regina. We had practised driving fast to the hospital, but when the day came,…
-
Vita Reprise
We went to Vita the second time on the spur of the moment. Chris was going to be away for an extended…
-
Vita
Anne-Shirley and I were surprised this Saturday morning to hear her son Chris invite us to go on a day trip to…
-
Kirsten
The birth of Kirsten, our first daughter, was an exciting event. Diane was in Regina General Hospital where I sat waiting. Her…
-
Brandon Sun
Being a reporter for the Brandon Sun was my first real newspaper job. I had been a night police reporter at the…
-
Rupert’s Land News
On the job I rubbed shoulders with smart clergymen. I have often mused that evangelical preachers find satisfaction in giving people their…
-
Bands I Played In
The horns I played, the French horn and the tenor sax, were a welcome extension of me everywhere I went. I brought…
-
Acrylic Painting
Like Grandma Moses, I began painting at age 80. I started by enrolling in an Art Circle in the St. Matthew’s-Maryland Drop-in…
-
My Residences
My father was a Gypsy, a nomad never happy with where he lived, so he moved from place to place. The one…
-
Music Festival
I’m a better writer than musician, but I got the job as Executive Director of the Winnipeg Music Festival. The president called…
-
Whiteshell Echo
I was editor of The Whiteshell Echo four years. During that time I had the privilege of driving often through the PreCambrian…
-
Instruments I Play.
When I tell people about myself, I often say writing is my profession, but music is my passion. Theroughout my life I…
-
The Messiah
I played the French horn in Ben Horch’s Mennonite Community Orchestra every time he scheduled a performance, which was annually for about…
-
My Sister Helen
When I was five years old, I had rheumatic fever and had to stay home from school all winter. During that time…
-
Farm Vacations
I was visiting my friend Marguerite Manning in her Assiniboine Avenue office. She was telling me about a good time on one…
-
Nebraskaland
Nebraskaland Magazine was published by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. I was appointed its editor after working for several years on…
-
Manitoba Moods
My singularly favourite professional project that I am most proud of is Manitoba Moods Magazine. It was published for three years under…
-
Farm Memories
The last big health scare happened 100 years ago. It was the Spanish flu of 1918, the year my parents got married.…
-
Digital Transition
My profession takes many forms from news reporting to writing in a diary. The image of a journalist has changed from a…
-
Johnny Cash
It was a special Saturday afternoon, October 5, 2013, when a guest speaker came to present the life of Johnny Cash on…
-
Harvest Moon
It’s the season of Autumn when the legendary Harvest Moon turns and burns bright orange in the southern sky – September 19…
-
Deerbank Farm
It is a glorious winter morning in Manitoba. The sun rose far south of where it comes up in summer. The wind…
-
My Window
I sit at the computer and look out my bedroom window, realizing that I have to move out of this house and…
-
Easter Journey
My Easter journey this year followed a pattern of expansion in relationship. It started Maundy Thursday, continued Good Friday, and came to…
-
Mary’s Prayer
One spring I travelled by bus from Los Angeles, California, where I was finishing high school, to Amarillo, Texas. It was Easter…
-
Aches and Pains
I vowed long ago that I would never, in old age, bore friends with talk of my aches and pains and doctor…
-
Fiddleheads
I went to an editors’ conference in Vermont 40 years ago when at one of our evening banquets the vegetable on the…
-
Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is one of the Wonders of the World, a long incision into Mother Earth along the Arizona portion of…
-
Fall Supper
I went to a Fall Supper in the Community Hall of Dominion City one Sunday evening a few years back. Dominion City…
-
Gig At Elmwood MB
I played a gig one Sunday afternoon in the Elmwood MB Church of Winnipeg where I grew up. I sat one Sunday…
-
Electric Fence
The farm where I grew up near Winkler was often a place of mystery, but things I did not understand as a…
-
My 83rd Birthday
At 83, I can still think and walk. What a wonder! Two or three generations ago people died in their 50s and…
-
Horse at City Hall
For several years during my working days I belonged to Winnipeg’s Metro Club, representing Manitoba Farm Vacations. As a member you went…
-
Anne-Shirley
We were in the Art Circle at the St. Matthew’s-Maryland Drop-in. It met regularly Thursday afternoons. Most of the dozen artists sitting…
-
Must Not Lose It
I struggle with being an addict. It is a life-long curse, never-ending. It is a constant awareness to stay away from the…
-
Work at The Trib
Whenever I drive through Winnipeg, I have fond memories of events in my life related to a certain building at a specific…
-
Funt in Winnipeg
People with personality, and places with pizazz flash through my mind when I remember Winnipeg in the 60s. Sometimes I remember a…
-
Poplar Tree
There was a significant 100-year-old poplar tree on our farmland at Winkler, Manitoba that had grown into a cluster of seven or…
-
Christmas 2020
Christmas 2020 was in many ways lousy because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It was Code Red, which meant you could not gather…
-
Eagle Feather
I Want An Eagle Feather I have always wanted an eagle feather, but in aboriginal spirituality, you can’t just go and find…
-
Brother Wilfred
Wilfred was my older brother who died at age 14, three months after I was born in August of 1938. He…
-
First Day at School
School starts again this week. Labour Day has passed and the time has come for my grandchildren to pick uo their knapsacks…
-
Garage Cleaning
Cleaning the garage was one of my greatest challenges because there were memories I had to let go. It was not just…
-
John Coltrane
We went on a modern-day pilgrimage to the church of St John Coltrane on Fillmore Street in San Francisco one mid-August Sunday.…
-
Herman’s Funeral
I have not yet gone to play tenor sax at the Church of John Coltrane in San Francisco because I have another…
-
Steinbeck in Salinas
Not often do I get my picture taken as an author. I have a respectable resume, but usually I am at the…
-
Ste. Elizabeth
Life on Deerbank Farm near Morris, a prairie town of 3,000 in the middle of Canada, is vastly different than it was…
-
In Recovery
In response to a Christmas letter I sent to friends, someone suggested I write a personal narrative so that the preachy-ness I…
-
Studebaker
I owned an old ’49 Studebaker back in the days when I attended college in San Jose, California. I call it old…
-
Baseball
I never was much good at sports. Give me pen and paper and I’ll write a story. Give me a sheet of…
-
The Clown
During the 20-odd years we lived in our 15-room, three-storey house on Maplewood Avenue in Winnipeg’s old Riverview district, we had a…
-
Lake Winnipeg
I almost drowned one spring day in Lake Winnipeg off the shore of Camp Arnes, Manitoba, when I was 15 years old.…
-
Amsterdam Xmas
I was in the Amsterdam Youth Hostel sitting in the guest lounge. It was Christmas Eve in the mid-60s. One other person…