FRONTIER FAITH
by Anonymous

The religious faith of our ancestors was a very strong and deep one. Most of them brought their beliefs with them from the old country. One such person was Mary Bums from Ireland. Her faith was so strong that she almost sacrificed her new born baby to make sure it was baptized. After she came to this country she married a Flatwork and settled here in Red Bank. When one of her baby's was born premature she thought it was too small to live. I don't know how small the baby was but the mother could place her wedding ring over his tiny hand. The ring looked just like a bracelet on his arm. Thinking the baby didn't have a chance to live and wanting to make sure it died in a state of grace she decided to have it baptized. However, there was no Roman Catholic church up here in Red Bank at that time. The nearest church of her faith was in Nelson. I believe Father
Egan was the priest at the time. Mary asked her sister to take the infant to Nelson to be baptized before it died. Before she left the mother said, "If the baby dies, bury him there."
The sister wrapped the child up as best she could and placed it underneath her coat for the long walk down river to Nelson. This all took place in the winter time and there was no road suitable to travel so she walked down the river on the board ice. Board ice forms when the tide brings water over the river ice and it freezes on top. It makes for dangerous walking. Anyway, she walked the river on the board ice and crossed over where the Northwest Bridge is today. Then she crossed on the river ice from Bedaub's Island to Nelson. When they arrived in Nelson the infant was Baptized Thomas B. Flatwork and to everyone's delight he didn't die. He was returned to the loving arms of his mother and grew up to be a wonderful person. As a matter of fact he lived to the ripe old age of eighty six.
During his life Tom married twice and raised two large families. His first wife was Mary Maddox and his second wife was Margaret Wed den.
He was a portage with Ritchie's for sixty years. One of his sons served with the rank of major in the Boer War. The son, also named Thomas, died from tuberculosis while still II young man. I think he was in his thirties. He had the first full military funeral in Red Bank. Sometimes I wonder if God didn't reward Mary for her faith by letting the child live.