from More Big Hill Country
Beaupre Creek Ranch NE Sec 28 Twp 26 Rge 5 W5M.
Big Hill Country continues and the history of the Norman Edge family follows. But first, we must bring you up to date on where we came from. Norman’s mother Margaret (better known as “Peggy”) was born in Grand Valley, just over the hill from our home, in 1896. Her father had come to Calgary from South Uist, Scotland in 1887. See Big Hill Country page 400 for the Morrison Story. Norman’s Dad, Clem was born in 1890 in Derbyshire, England, one of ten children. He came to Canada with his brother in 1904 when he was just fourteen. He married Peggy Morrison in 1922 at the Catholic Church in Cochrane. They had five children Donald, Margaret (who died of a heart seizure at nine months of age,) Norman, Edith, and Frank. See Page 297 in Big Hill Country for their history and photos.
That brings you up to date to understand where we are continuing with Norman Edge’s history. In Big Hill Country we recorded that he married Shirley Moore of Calgary in 1955 and they had four children: Duane, Jackie-Lou, Lyle, and Marty. Shirley has asked each one of them to continue their lives in print for her as they know much better than she what they found really interesting in their lives once they left home.
Rodeo is still a high priority in their family. Once Norman quit bull riding he started judging and has travelled all over Canada and the United States in his career. He was asked to judge the World Cup of Rodeo in Australia, the stock at the National Finals in Oklahoma City, the first rodeo in the New Madison Square Gardens, the Canadian National Finals and many more.
Although Shirley was never a rodeo contestant, she was involved as a rodeo secretary, and timer, and was instrumental in developing the CRES (central entry system) for the Professional Rodeo Association. She carried a press card and wrote for the Canadian Rodeo News covering the National Finals in Oklahoma City, U.S.A. Shirley was the convener of the convention that accompanied the First Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton. This rodeo was six days long and she had to organize daily luncheons, breakfasts, hospital visits, sporting events, cabarets and the final awards banquet that was the largest in Edmonton at the time, hosting 1200 guests.
Norman and Shirley were also involved in the formation of the Canadian Rodeo Historical Association. It has been a long road to develop the organization and Shirley has held the position of Secretary and President over the years. With the formation of the Western Heritage Centre, a joint venture of the Historical Association and the Stockmen’s Foundation, Shirley was its first president. The memorable 1990 Cattle Drive to raise funds for this centre was indeed most successful. Both Norman and Shirley were inducted into the Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame in October 2007.
The two of them are still ranching on the Beaupre Creek Ranch about 14 km. west of Cochrane. Norman is still involved in the film industry working on western movies doing special skills, the varied jobs of a wrangler, that range from working with the horses or other livestock, teaching the actors to ride and feel comfortable on a horse, harnessing and driving teams and wagon and many other things. He really enjoys himself when he is working on films but mostly because he can renew friendships with other workers that he may not have seen since the last film. Our son Marty, partners with us on the ranch. He and Norman have a good working arrangement where one of them is always here to look after business.
Once their children were raised, Shirley decided to take up painting with the Cochrane Art Club. It has been quite an experience for her and she has thoroughly enjoyed it for the past 30 years. She works mostly in Oil and Acrylics but likes to pursue watercolour as well. She has received several awards for her work and an interesting commission from the Government of Alberta. Their lives haven’t changed much over the years, ranching is still their first priority but they each have a few other interests to keep their lives interesting.
Norman and Shirley were the first couple inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame in 2007
