by Linda Steeves pg 737 More Big Hill Country 2009
Another in our continuing series on Willing, Working, Women, the women behind the Cochrane Library coming into being.
Dorothy May Retzler was born at Castor, Alberta on July 23, 1920. She lived there until the break up of her famjly. She and her brother Bob, and sisters Ruby and Marie, stayed at the Lacombe Home south of Calgary until their father, Frank Retzler, was able to pay for their keep and provide for the children. Before 1930 the family travelled by covered wagon to the Peace River Country where other relatives lived. Dorothy left school in grade five to help maintain the home for her siblings. She had a hard life as a young girl, but often told stories of the dances, Northern Lights and the dangers of being caught with moonshine.
Floyd Chester Steeves was born December 14, 1910 in Sidney, British Columbia. His father, Alfred Hezekiah Steeves, was born in 1877 near Hillsborough, New Brunswick. He was a descendent of Heinrich and Rachel Steeves, who settled in Moncton with seven sons in 1766 before the United Empire Loyalists came to Canada. All the Steeves family is very proud of their heritage. Alfred left New Brunswick, met and married Reva Leona Bush in Michigan, and moved to Sidney, British Columbia, where he worked in the lumber industry. Four children were born in British Columbia: Lydia May, Floyd, Frederick and Paul. The family moved to Water Valley. Alberta to homestead. Alfred passed away December 18, 1917 at Water Valley. Reva moved with a Mr. Gostnell to the Peace River country, remarried and had four more children: Thelma, Everett. Howard and Elmer.
Floyd and Dorothy met and were married on September 22, 1937 in Fairview, Alberta by Rev. Bill Thompson. They moved to Calgary in 1938 and to Cochrane in 1942, when Floyd found employment working in lumber mills northwest of Cochrane. He worked for J .T. Kendrew & Son of Cochrane at the time of this company declaring bankruptcy in February 1945. In lieu of unpaid wages, Floyd was awarded title to nineteen lots on the south side of the railroad in Cochrane (see included documents and map of property referred to). As security for his family, the property was registered to Dorothy Steeves. Three lots were kept for the family home, which began as a shack. It was added on to as the family increased. Aluminum siding, sewer and running water modernized the home in the late 1950’s. The lots were sold one by one for $45 with no loam and $50 with loam. Imagine the value of 19 lots in Cochrane’s industrial area today!
During the war years Floyd began working for Shell Oil at the Jumping Pound Gas Plant. This brought a degree of financial security to the ever growing family. There were seven children born to Floyd and Dorothy. All of them were baptized at home in Cochrane by Rev. Bill Thomspon who had married Floyd and Dorothy in 1937. All the children attended Sunday school at the St. Andrews United Church and have records and prizes of attendance.
Floyd and Dorothy worked hard to raise their seven children. Dorothy kept a large garden, canning and freezing as much produce as possible. She baked bread, washed and ironed for the children without modern conveniences until the children were grown. She was well known for her crochet work. She sold many doilies, tablecloths, etc. to supplement the family income.
Floyd spent many hours renovating the home. Floyd Jr. remembers helping to dig out the basement and putting a foundation and cement walls under the house. A lot of hard work by a father and two sons went into the labour-intensive home renovation. Floyd was also well known as a backyard mechanic and fixed many vehicles to supplement the family income as well.
In July of 1967 Floyd passed away suddenly. Dorothy remained in the family home until 1978 when she sold the property and bought a trailer in the Cochrane Trailer Court. She worked in Calgary at the Wales Hotel and Holiday Inn for about ten years. When she retired from this employment she went to work at the Nan Boothby Memorial Library. She had been on the committee of founding board members for the Cochrane Library in the 1950’s and enjoyed her time as a librarian. She enjoyed her retirement years spending time with her children and grandchildren. She passed away at the George Boyack Nursing Home in Calgary in February of 2003.
The children were as follows: Leona May was born in Calgary on May 31, 1938. She attended school in Cochrane, met and married John Mescaniak in Calgary in 1957. They moved to British Columbia, where John worked for the British Columbia Forest Services. They had three children: Richard Allan born October 4, 1957; Randall Dean born October 18, 1959; and Sheri Gaye born August 13, 1962. Leona and John moved to Fernie, British Columbia in 1970 where John worked for Kaiser Resources at Sparwood. The children were educated there. Rick now resides in Creston, British Columbia, Randy in Surrey, British Columbia and Sheri passed away in 1973. Leona moved to Creston around 1990 and worked as a home care specialist until her death in July 2001.
Marion Joyce was born on November 25, 1939. She graduated from Cochrane High School in 1956. She married Edwin Trithart and moved to Swan Hills. She and Ed owned and operated Triple T Trucking in Swan Hills until Ed’s death in 1975. Marion lived on their farm at Fort Assiniboine until she sold it and moved to Barrhead in 1998, where she still resides.
Floyd Ervin was born October 1, 1941 and married Linda Hansen of Cochrane in 1961. Their story has been told separately.
Harold Melvin was born June 23, 1943 and died as a result of a brain injury on June 26, 1956.
Shirley Ruth was born on March 3, 1945. Shirley completed grade 9 in Cochrane and married AJ Anderson on April 27, 1963. They lived in Calgary until their separation in 1967. Shirley moved to Princeton, British Columbia and had three children with partner Edward Alexandre. Ronald was born January 28, 1972 in Princeton. He is now married to Pattie and has two children, Kolbi and Dakota. Ron is a truck driver and lives in Rimbey, Alberta. Brian was born November 10, 1973 in Princeton. He was educated in Cochrane and currently lives and works there. Stacy was born March l , 1978, in Princeton, British Columbia and educated in Cochrane. Stacy married Luke Bressler in 2001 and now lives in Cochrane. Shirley came to Cochrane in 1981 with her family. She has worked as a babysitter and foster parent for 15 years. She now resides with Denis Fenton in Cochrane, within sight of her old family home.
In 1980 there was a bylaw in place in Cochrane which disallowed dancing on the south side of the tracks. This affected the business of a nightclub situated on the old Steeves homesite. During a Steeves family gathering at the 75th celebration in Cochrane, Shirley noted that the Steeves children had done a lot worse things than dance on the south side of the tracks.
Judith Ann was born January 1, 1949. Graeme Broatch, then mayor of Cochrane, drove Dorothy to the General Hospital in Calgary for this event. Judy was the second child born in Calgary in 1949. Judy completed her education in Cochrane and married Ken Murphy on September 9, 1967. They had two daughters, Coreen born July 27, 1969 and Crystal born June 7, 1971 . Coreen married John Pearce and has two sons, Justin and Jordan. They all live in Cochrane. Crystal married Gerald Holt and has one daughter, Kaylee, who resides in Calgary. Judy and Ken Murphy divorced and Judy married Robert Wutzke in 1988. Bob passed away November 7, 1992. Judy now resides in Calgary with chosen partner Terry Bednarek.
Eileen Louise was born October 7, 1950 in Calgary. She was educated in Cochrane and married Lyle Wright of Sundre on November 23, 1968. Eileen and Lyle farm and live near Mayerthorpe, Alberta. They have two children. Edwin was born June 6, 1969 and married Coleen on February 14, 1995. Ed and Coleen have two sons, Cody and Lyndon and live in Edmonton, Alberta. Elisha married Keith Cahoon on March 27, l 993. They have two children, Cade and Kayla. Elisha and Keith built a new home on the family farm at Mayerthorpe.
