Shirley Klassen Dianne Klassen

Page 549 More Big Hill Country 2009

I was born in Didsbury in 1934 and was nine months old when we moved to Cochrane. I graduated from the Cochrane School in 1951 when W.K. Gish was principal and also a wonderful teacher. I belonged to the choir and C.G .I.T. of St. Andrew’s United Church, the choir being under the very capable direction of Miriam Callaway. One of our highlights was singing “The Hallelujah Chorus” at a C.G.I.T. gathering in Knox United Church in Calgary. Miriam’s primary classes always took top place in the Kiwanis Music Festival.

Father J. Lessard was a great influence in Cochrane. He started the Girl Guides, appointing four patrol leaders, of which I was one and, after he was made an honorary Indian (sic) chief our summer camp was in a teepee. I recall that our parents had quite a time erecting those big tentpoles, but we girls had quite a good time. He also was instrumental in the sale of Canada Savings Bonds during the war, and in forming the Jr. Red Cross. He picked one representative from each of the four schoolrooms (Edward Sibbald, Shirley Klassen, Bill Beynon and Marian Allan) and took us to Calgary to present a cheque to Miss Pinkham of the Red Cross. Thanks to him, I enjoyed the Bing Crosby movies “Going My Way” and “The Bells of St. Mary’s” in Calgary theaters. I often stopped at the manse on my way to school for a game of crib or the card game “Russian Bank”, both of which I learned from him. He started publication of the Cochrane Old Timer and ran off copies on the gestetner in the manse. I received the grand sum of 35 cents every two weeks for delivering all the town papers.

I was attending Mount Royal College in 1951 when Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured. After I stood in line for over two hours just to watch their car pass by, I realized that I should have been in Cochrane to see them being presented with a Roland Gissing painting. I have a Gissing painting which he gave to Dad as payment for some work or repairs that he had done. His large paintings were also showcased on the Cochrane float which was entered in the Calgary Stampede Parade at that time. We used to visit the Gissings and marvel at his model train layout which Gissings and marvel at his model train layout which ran around the outside of his home.

One thing I really missed when I left home was the thick, thick cream that the farmer’s brought to the store every week, usually too thick to pour so it had to be spooned out. Corn flakes have never tasted so good, nor have I ever developed a taste for pasteurized milk!

I remember Dewey Blaney, Nick Cosis, Yee Lee’s Laundry, Brodie’s Barber Shop, the brickyard and creamery, Dave Murray’s blacksmith shop, George Bunney’s milk delivery by horse and wagon. I enjoyed visiting with our next-door neighbour, George Hope, well known for his large garden and lots of horseradish but especially for coloring Easter eggs with onionskins. He called me “Little Barney”. I also remember the burning of Mussolini in effigy after VE Day.

Upon completion of my secretarial course at Mount Royal College, I worked for Imperial Oil Limited in Calgary for five years. I married Derek Lowe from Natal, British Columbia in 1955. The shower and reception were in the Oddfellows’ Hall and the wedding in St. Andrew’s United Church with Rev. Thompson officiating. Lois Callaway was soloist and Dianne (ten years old) was junior bridesmaid.

We have five children: Susan (1957), Rick (1959), Brad (1964), Brian (1966), and Jeff (1967), and seven grandchildren. Derek suffered a fatal heart attack while we were vacationing in Hawaii in 1995. I later married W J. (John) Fenton and have resided in Kelowna since then.