Thursday, August 30, 2012

Tomorrow Dad Would Be 100 Years Old

      My Dad was born August 31,1912 and died Feb. 8, 2008. So he was a little over 95 when he died. He was a large strong healthy man but Parkinson's took its toll towards the end of his life.
Dad with some of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Parkinson's had taken away all facial expression.

     A couple of funny things happened with Dad's age throughout his life. I have to work backwards on this one.

      When Dad turned 65 he very proudly applied for his old age pension. The government department wrote him back and said , "Mr. Kline, we have never heard of you." This really shocked my Dad. His birth had been registered . He'd gotten married and he paid income tax from the time he started earning money. 

     So you don't argue with  the government. He found the necessary documents to prove how old he was. He found an old school register which had his date of birth. He found his baptismal certificate and something else that proved he was born in Canada on Aug. 31,1912. In due time he received his pension.

     Now Dad thought that his Dad had forgotten to register him at the local office. He thought his Dad was busy with harvesting and just forgot.

     In 1939 when WWW II started most young men in Canada received a form letter inviting them to join the armed forces. Dad never got  a letter and when the pension issue occurred he just thought that since the govt. didn't know he existed they didn't send him a letter inviting him to join the armed forces.

     When Dad told me his story I came across some information on the registration of births , deaths and marriages in Saskatchewan in 1912. Apparently all marriages and deaths were recorded accurately. Some how the births were not recorded for two years. So this is why the Govt. did not know that Mr Kline  existed. It was the government's fault. It wasn't because Grandpa forgot to register him.

25 comments:

  1. You'd think that by August, they'd have figured out that a lot of people born in 1912 didn't seem to exist. Interesting story for sure.

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  2. oh, that must have been weird - to have lived for 65 yrs and not have a 'record'. :)

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  3. It would seem that here was no checking on some little clerk who didn't do his job. They still don't have an explanation as to why this happened.

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  4. Good grief! The bureaucracy has a lot to answer for, but answers are not forthcoming. Just "buck passing"!
    I suppose Saskatchewan in 1912 was frontier country. How come a person paying taxes was "missed" and didn't exist???? Bizarre!
    Same here, so don't think you are Robinson Crusoe in Canada. I have just had a week of hell with authorities. Pity those bunnies didn't arrive, I would have let them loose in the CES/Penioners/Retirees and not forgetting the unmarried mothers office etc etc. The stupid fools would have thought they were lions on the rampage!
    Retiring here and getting old! Well unless you have goldmines or oil wells to support you, you are treated by the bureaucrats as tenth rate creatures, not citizens, creatures!
    I wish I had never paid taxes to implement retirement.
    The idiots here are still paying dead people allowances! Too bad about the living ones!
    A very provocating blog - well done, I shall carefully watch the comments.
    Colin (Brisbane. Australia)

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    1. Yes, Sask was only 7 years old at that time. Since I was a bureaucrat at one time I can tell you the other side of the story and it isn't pretty.

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  5. Amazing....I thought only our civil servants were capable of such incompetence.

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    1. Since I was a civil servant at one time I know the other side and the lack of information etc.

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  6. Oh, my! What an interesting story! Glad he was able to straighten it out, but when the government tells you that you don't exist, it sure can take you aback!

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    1. Yes , it kept him quiet for a few days.

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  7. Amazing, and also lucky that he escaped the war! A toast to your Dad's memory.

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    1. yes he didn't wan to join the forces as he had kids and was a farmer.

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  8. Very interesting to read about your Dad, Red, and not unusual for the government to make a mistake, especially for two years. I could imagine the surprise on your Dad's thoughts and feelings about "we have never heard of you" - good thing he had the records to prove otherwise. Imagine, paying taxes all that time and them never hearing of him???

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    1. To my Dad , this was very humorous and he wouldn't worry about it.

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  9. How strange. At least he did finally get his pension. They didn't have any problem taking his taxes. Wonder if they ever wondered why he paid them since he didn't properly exist. Happy birthday to your dad up in heaven! :-)

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    1. An example of the right hand not knowing what the left hand was doing.

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  10. Glad that he was able to find the papers necessary to prove he existed...The fun we have...

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  11. For most people the papers are there.

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  12. Very interesting story about your Dad. He sounds like a good man. I'm sure you miss him very much.

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    1. Dad could make the story interesting because he would see the humor in it.

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  13. Goodness...I'm so very glad he was able to get his pension...I did notice the finally, so it must have taken much doing!!


    Linda
    http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
    http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

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    1. It just takes two or three pieces of info to prove your age. It's just a bit of a hassle.

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  14. Even in today's world with all the computer technology and supposedly ease of keeping records things still happen.
    I really would have thought as he paid his taxes someone would have said 'who is this guy'. :)
    I'm sure you still miss him Red. I lost my Dad sixteen years ago and still miss him everyday.

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  15. You are right, it only takes one individual to mess up and the whole organisation is targeted!
    My ex-late-father-in-law's last name was Martyn, when he joined the RCMP they made a mistake and made it Martin.
    My son, an actor, changed his name to Martyn. My other son's last name is still Martin!
    Lovely post for your dad.

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  16. wow. I wonder how that happened!?

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  17. A very funny story! I liked the line 'We have never heard of you!!' :)

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