Photo description:

Oriole Vane Veldhuis looks out of the window of the Bug House that Percy Criddle worked in as she stands next to a old hand crank wash machine. Oriole Vane Veldhuis, author of For Elise, who has rescurrected the Criddle - Vane story with her research and depiction of Criddle's mistress Else Vane who was actually engaged to Criddle for but who he never married. 49er feature on the Criddle family the park is named after. Percy Criddle, a somewhat wealthy merchant, arrived from London in 1882 with his wife and four children, and his German mistress Else and their five children. They homesteaded in this weird arrangement, passing off his mistress as a widow who worked as the family maid. The provincial park still carries many of their effects, although vandals torched the home about two weeks ago. Homestead is near Shilo Manitoba. See Bill Redekop story. July 16, 2014 Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press