Page 801 More Big Hill Country 2009
Our paternal grand parents Robert and Mary Alice Whitfield and Grandpa1s brother William homesteaded in the Cochrane area, and our Great-Grandparents, also lived here briefly. However, Dad was the only member of the family that made Cochrane his home. His elder brother Robert lived in Alix, Alberta until his death in 1975 and younger brother George lived most of his life in Nevis, Alberta, however was living in Iowa when he passed away in 2003.
Mom’s parents, Joseph and Maude Bowhay, moved to the farm on the Retreat Road in 1929 after first settling in the Symons Valley area in 1915. Mom’s brother Gordon farmed on the Lochend Road for many years before moving to Bergen in 1972. Gordon passed away in 1999.
Dad and Mom married in 1937. Initially Dad worked “in the bush” for Paul Swanson. With the exception of the war years when he served in the RCAF, they lived on the dairy farm on the Retreat Road from 1938 through to the end of their lives. Dad worked for our Grandparents and then carried on after Grandma passed away. We sold the cows in 1970 and that allowed our parents to enjoy a long and happy retirement, which included several trips.
Dad may have been retired but he didn’t stop working. He worked around the place and served as a civilian guard for the RCMP until he was 78.
He also worked to serve his community. He served as secretary-treasurer of All Saints Anglican Church for 35 years; worked to build Cochrane’s first arena; served on committees for the Big Hill Lodge, and spearheaded the development of Evergreen Manor, an apartment building for seniors. The Chamber of Commerce honoured Dad with a Community Builder Award in 1983 and the Cochrane Legion awarded him a Life Membership for his work on the Manor. The Town of Cochrane named a small park in his honour after his passing. The awards may have had his name on them but it was a team effort all the way with Mom as his greatest supporter.
They were unswerving in their devotion to the family and had a profound influence on all the grandchildren. Their home was always a very welcoming place and the tea kettle was always on. Mom and Dad celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 1987. Dad passed away in 1992 and Mom in 1997. Both are buried in the Field of Honour at the Cochrane Cemetery.
