Ring in the New Year!

Her collection took decades to put together, but now the search is on for a new caretaker

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve loved bells and would save any I could get my hands on. I grew up on a small farm in southern Manitoba; when my dad and mom retired, they sold their cattle, but I saved the cow bells from the cows I used to milk. Then, when our old school closed for good, I managed to get one of the old school bells.

As the years went by and our family grew, I collected bells wherever we travelled. Now, in our retirement years, we’ve visited 48 of the 50 states in the U. S. A. and nine Canadian provinces— that alone represents a lot of bells! I also visited Holland with a Dutch friend and got a windmill bell while there, and also one from Iceland, where I travelled with my sister. One of my most special bells is from my great grandparent’s village in the Ukraine, where my sisters and I travelled to see where our ancestors had lived and emigrated from 100 years earlier. What an awesome trip! When our parents passed away, I saved the bells they owned, because they hold many memories for us.

I have also visited the Caribbean and many places in Mexico, so I have accumulated a lot of bells from there. My friends and relatives know of my obsession, and so I have received many bells as gifts. If I went to a flea market and saw an unusual bell, well, I just had to buy it. I guess you could say I was a bellaholic!

Now that I am retired and trying to downsize, I’m ready to sell my collection to someone who will appreciate it as much as I do. ■

Editor’s Note: If you’re interested in Joyce’s collection, write to us at ourcanada.ca and we’ll let Joyce know.