by Margaret Chalack pg 356 More Big Hill Country 2009
Sam Chalack was born at the Belfast subdivision on the northeast outskirts of Calgary in 1921. His parents, William and Lena Chalack had a dairy farm at this location.
At the age of seventeen, after the death of his parents, Lena in 1935 and William in 1938, Sam came to the Lochend district to work for his sister Margaret Clifford on their dairy farm.
In 1948 he married Margaret Hawkwood, daughter of Arthur and Isabella Hawkwood. They were dairy farmers in the Bearspaw district which is now approximately Crowchild Trail and Nose Hill Drive in Calgary. In 1952 Sam, Margaret and their two young sons David and Donnie accepted a half-share dairy venture with Margaret’s sister Betty and her husband Jack Bancroft. This was on the original Luther Keeney homestead, NW Sec 2 Twp 26 Rge 3 W5M.
In 1954 the Bancrofts and Chalacks were able to purchase the Walter Gathercole farm. this was the original Richard Standring homestead, NW Sec 14 Twp 26 Rge 3W5M. In 1958 we dissolved a very successful partnership and began farming on our own on the NW Sec 14 Twp 26 Rge 3 W5M and NE Sec 14 Twp 26 Rge 3 W5M.
Two more sons were born Tom on April 7, 1961 and Tim on August 3, 1963. David attended Bearspaw School for grades 1 and 2. Mrs. Helen Scott was the teacher. Bearspaw School closed and the boys all attended school in Cochrane. They all participated in the Bearspaw 4-H Dairy Club. Sam was a leader of this club for ten years.
We were members of the Bearspaw Red Cross Organization which began in 1939 as a charitable war effort and is still in existence. Margaret is still a member of this organization.
All the boys took on their Dad’s interest in good dairy cattle. In 1965, we purchased our first purebred animals from Pickard and Clark at Carstairs, Alberta. The farm prefix of Ultra Holsteins began. This was an interesting time for all the family. Many awards and achievements were won and many good friends were made from near and far.
David is a veterinarian and is married to Joanne. Joanne is the daughter of William and the late Dora Aarts of Chilliwack, British Columbia.
They have two children: Caden Sam is attending university in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan taking his Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences. Ashlee has a marketing degree from the University of Lethbridge, Alberta and works for Heinz Foods. She is married to Kevin Thomas, son of William and Corrine Thomas of Fernie, British Columbia. Ashlee and Kevin live in Calgary.
Donnie dairy farms east of Bowden, Alberta with his wife Wendy. The prefix of their purebred Holstein herd is “Wendon”. Wendy is the daughter of Grace and the late Tom Hamilton of Innisfail, Alberta. They have three children. Linsey received her Agricultural Science degree from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She is married to Shawn Whalen, son of Alan and Linda Whalen of Edmonton, Alberta. They have a daughter Paige and they live in Millet, Alberta. Donnie and Wendy’s second daughter Jillian received her diploma in agriculture Business from Olds College and is now employed at ATB Financial in Red Deer. She also lives in Red Deer. Logan, Donnie and Wendy’s son, received his diploma in Agriculture Business at Olds College and is now working on the family farm. All the children were involved in 4-H.
Tom Chalack lost his life in a traffic accident in 1979 and is buried in the Cochrane Cemetery.
Tim farms at Carstairs, Alberta with his wife Cathy. Cathy is the daughter of JoAnn and the late Doug Jones of Balzac, Alberta. They have three children, Terra, Riley and Kylina who all attend school in Carstairs. They are involved in 4-H Beef Club and Equestrian events. Cathy teaches Equine Science at Olds College.
Sam passed away on December 26, 1985, and is buried in the Cochrane Cemetery. Margaret still lives on the family farm. At present the farm is rented to her son David and two of his associates. It is a dairy enterprise under the name of Rocky Mountain Holsteins
