at home. He was in a cast from his armpit to the tip of his toes. With the approach of Christmas that year, the children wanted to go to the woods to get a Christmas tree. Roach, being a family man, insisted on going, too. The older children put him on a hand-sleigh, cast and all, and they left for the woods. As they approached the bush, they hit a mound of snow, and Roach fell off. They had quite a time trying to get him back on the sleigh, but they managed to do so. They returned home with a tree, along with their father, who was unharmed. From then on, life on the farm was very difficult, and he never made a complete recovery. He could not bend his leg, and found it strenuous to follow the machinery which was horse-drawn at the time. Roach never gave up, and he needed money to support his ever¬ growing family. So, he accepted a position taking the mail from Souris to Greenvale . This meant that he had to board in Souris during the week, since it was too far for the horse to travel to Bear River every day. At this time, some of the children were now old enough to look after the farm. This job was a very exhausting one for Roach, because his sore leg ached when he sat in the wagon for any length of time. In 1941, he became Bear River 's postmaster, operating the post office from his living room, and using the front door as an exit. Later, he was able to add another room to his dwelling which made it easier for all. His duties included transporting the mail to and from the train, as well as sorting the mail, and selling money orders and stamps, etc. His salary was a meager thirty dollars a month, but that helped to supplement his small farming operation, and keep food on the table. Bernice Maclnnis , Roach's daughter, recalls that the post office was the place where the young and old gathered every evening, to receive mail, and to chat, and have some fun. There was one very happy evening in that post office that she recalls so vividly. It was in 112