Page 427 More Big Hill Country 2009
Catherine Claudia Lynn Edge was born on May 3, 1914 to Claude and Anne Lynn on a farm near Atlee, Alberta. Her father, Claude (Clyde) was born in Oklahoma in 1884 and came to Canada as a young man to drill water wells. When he switched to drill oil and gas wells he took out his papers to become a Canadian citizen. Her mother, Anne (Young) Lynn was born in Virden, Manitoba in 1894. Claude and Anne Lynn were married in 1911. Claudia was the second eldest of six, having four brothers, Clarence, George, twins Bill and Barry and a sister Audrey. The family moved to Black Diamond and later when Claudia was in grade one her family moved to Calgary. Claudia attended Killarney School, Sunalta School and Western Canada High School in Calgary.
Claudia’s summers were spent swimming and canoeing at Bowness Park with her best friend Nora Bailey. The girls joined the Bowness Regatta Club, winning medals for their rowing and canoeing. In her grade twelve year, she was president of the Calgary Girls’ Council for CGIT (Canadian Girls In Training). While attending Western Canada High School, basketball became an important part of Claudia’s life. The high school team went two years without losing a game. This passion lead her to join and play for a ladies city team named “Coca Cola Kids”. The Coca Cola Kids had the honour of being one of the exhibition game openers for another team that Claudia fondly remembers: the Edmonton Grads. The Edmonton Grads went on tour all over the world and only lost 50 out of 500 games. Claudia was one of the lucky people to be invited to the party when this team dissolved..
Claudia graduated from Western Canada High School and went on to attend Normal School in Calgary. Her first job came at a school north of Rocky Mountain House called Golden Heights. This was a very poor area moneywise, but had family wealth. Claudia remembers the pride on a small pupil’s face when she came to school and told her teacher, “My big brother sent me a nickel!” When asked what she intended to do with the nickel, the student stated very matter of factly she had given it to her Mother to buy eggs.
So different from students today, who would just reply, “What would a nickel buy.” The area was remote enough that a horse was required to get around. The school was heated with wood in a round barrel stove, light at night came from a coal oil lamp and the teacher lived with the family of one of the students while being paid the handsome sum of $600 for the year. In September of 1936, Claudia came to teach in the Little Jumping Pound School, south of Cochrane. This area was an older more established area, but the school was an old granary located in Percy Copithorne’s bull pasture. After two years, she moved to Springbank School and taught there until 1940.
While teaching in the Jumping Pound area, Claudia met Norman Edge. Norman was born June 12, 1904 to William and Sarah (Ellis) Edge, one of eight brothers and sisters. Norman, Ethel, Wilbert, Edith, Oliver, Harry, David and Laurie made up the “South of the River Edges”. The family still has the silver tea set that Norman’s father was presented with as first prize for showing a Clydesdale stallion at the Territorial Spring Show in Calgary, the summer Norman was born. Norman liked to say the tea set was really a prize for the best looking baby born that year. Being born in the age before automobiles took over, it was no wonder that Norman took a great interest in Rodeo. He spent hours honing his craft, often on the neighbor’s cattle or horses. He also worked for D. P. McDonald and T. B. Jenkinson breaking polo ponies. Norman and brother Ollie made the rounds of small local rodeos, and finally tried the Calgary Stampede. In 1925, Norman won the Brahma Steer Riding and Bareback Bronc riding events. In 1925, he went to the west coast with the Peter Welsh Stampede Company. Two years later in 1927, Norman won the Steer Riding event again. In 1928 he won the Bareback Bronc riding and he gained permanent possession of a sterling silver trophy donated by the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company. In 1929, a team consisting of Johnny Munro, Ollie Edge and Norman Edge won the Wild Horse Race in Calgary. In the years from 1923-1937, he had competed in rodeos at Jumping Pound; Calgary; Montreal; Columbus, Ohio; Sundre; Hand Hills; Toronto; Pendelton, Oregon; the stadium in London, England; Winnipeg, Vancouver; Medicine Hat; Buffalo and New York. Norman retired from rodeo in 1937. After marrying Claudia, he worked as a chute and chuckwagon judge at the Calgary Stampede until 1955.
Claudia was staying with the Jack Copithorne family while teaching the local students. During Norman and Claudia’s courtship Claudia was careful to be considerate of the family by coming home at a decent hour and not making a lot of noise when she came in, especially going up the stairs. One night after saying goodnight to Norman and heading for the door leading upstairs, there was a sudden loud clashing and banging, and accompanying howls of laughter and giggles. The stairs had been covered with pots and pans, each dependent on those underneath to keep them there. Once the door opened the bottom pans fell, followed by the rest, causing the commotion. Everyone knew when “Teacher” had come home.
On December 23, 1940 Norman and Claudia were married in the living room in front of the fireplace in the new house Norman had built on NW Sec 35 Twp 24 Rge 4 W5M. They soon had their family of three boys, Garth, Barry and Lynn. With Norman involved in Rodeo and the Calgary Stampede, it wasn’t any surprise that each of their sons tried their hand at Rodeo; Garth as a bullrider, Barry and Lynn as ropers. Norman and Claudia had many friends from the rodeo circuit and from the neighboring ranches. Life was busy and full.
In 1956, Claudia returned to teaching and traveled country roads into Cochrane daily. She taught in the Andrew Sibbald School and Cochrane High School. Claudia really enjoyed being a teacher and being around children. It was a high point when one of her students came to visit. She retired in 1972, but worked as a substitute until 1977. Claudia saw a lot of changes in the school system and usually a vocal reprimand was enough to squash a student that was out of line.
Norman and Claudia traveled and wintered in Arizona enjoying their retirement. Norman passed away in 1996 at the age of 92. Claudia stayed on the ranch for almost another 10 years before moving into the Big Hill Lodge in November of 2005. Claudia was honored by the Cowgirl Cattle Company in 2001, when they saluted the role of women in Western Canada’s ranching history. Lieutenant Governor Lois Hole was on hand to present plaques to Claudia and Margaret McKinnon of the Airdrie-Crossfield area. This was a special evening for Claudia and she was very proud to be recognized.
Interesting and enjoyable
article about Claudia that I came across purely by accident.
May I suggest a correction to the name of a school she attended. In the article one of the schools is identified as Killarney. I believe it would have been Glengarry which was built in 1920 in the district of Killarney on 29 street SW just north of 21 Avenue. Sadly the building was torched by an arsonist in the 1970’s or 80’s.
A school by the name Killarney was not opened until 1953. I believe it is still in use on 33 street and approximately 30 avenue SW.