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Note: RI204
Note: (Research):Written by Russell Warren Tigner October 1980
I was born in Blackie , Alberta on May 13, 1912. we were raised on a large farm two miles north of Blackie. Life on the farm, at that time was quite primitive as compared to today's standards---no electric lights, no central heat, no running water and, yes,outside privies, so many flies in summer and so damn cold in winter. I guess, to balance that, NO TELEVISION and very few radios.
Ours was a large family and we somehow survived the frustration that seemed to be a farmer's life---poor crops, poor prices when you had a crop, hail ,drought, grasshoppers, mosquitoes, flying ants and duststorms. Smaller catastrophies and frustration were ever present.
During all these years on the farm, with all the reverses, we always had lots to eat. Dad always had a large garden and many cows and pigs. Mother raised turkeys and chickens. I'll always remember fried chicken at lest twice a day from June until Christmas, and could Mother fry chicken! Colonel Saunders, hang your head!
All things on the farm were not bad. Sure, we worked hard but we played hard too. In summer there was time to play a little baseball, go fishing with Dad and play hooky, etc. Winter was a relaxing time of the year. In the long winter evenings I read many books, ate a lot of popcorn and nuts, played pool and a little poker too. for many years, I played hockey for surrounding towns and enjoyed myself very much---no pay but lots of fun! I was enthusiastic about curling also--and still am. Parties and dancing were the highlights of the winter season and you know The Moon and You!.
After I married Ruth Herbert on November 10, 1939, we stayed on the farm for a few years during which time our son, Roy, was born in the High River Hospital on June 12, 1942.
We then moved to Vancouver, B. C. and I bought a large building about 30 miles east of Vancouver, at Milner. This building contained two stores with a dance hall above. I ran the butcher shop and dance hall and rented the other store to a gocery man. We had a lot of fun running the dance hall and made some money which was eaten up by losses in the butcher shop. I decided the butcher business was not for me so I sold out, building and all.
After we had been in Vancouver a few years, our daughter Carol was born on November 4, 1949 in the Grace Hospital.
I then had an opportunity to go back to Alberta and go into the implement business with Art Lincoln, my brother-in-law, in Stettler. After a couple of years, we decided to sell and I moved back to Vancouver.
After a short and educational bout with the logging business and a little stint in the used car business, I got a job in a retail lumber yard. I worked there for about five years until I decided not to work ten hours any more for eight hours pay. I then got a job, or was enticed to work for a small yard having a very tough go of it. I was to reorganize the operation and put it on a paying basis. They pay was good but the promises were not and, after managing and planning for ten years and after much expansion, I could see that my future with them was not too bright so I resigned. During my time with this company, I was instrumental in starting the first self-serve lumber yard in B. C.---an idea that has expanded to many such stores and a multi-million dollar buusiness.t
Leaving that position, I immediately got a managerial job with another progressive lumber yard. After managing this yard for five years, our president decided to open plywood franchise stores. These stores were an immediate success. I was general manager of the main store and three company plywood stores. It also was my job to plan and set up the operation of the franchise stores. After seeing the operation grow to 25 stores, I decided I had had enough and so I retired in 1975.
After I retired, I dsid a few small contracting jobs to keep busy. These jobs became too boring---nobody to talk to but yourself---so four years ago I got a selling job in one of the first plywood franchise stores that I had helped to start a few years previous. Now I work three days a week and enjoy it very much---I meet many people and the work is not hard with very few responsibilities.
At the present time, things are going very smoothly and I am, and have been for the last twenty years, residing in Coquitlam, about 15 miles east of Vancouver. When we moved here first, it was semi-wilderness where deer, bear and even mountain lions were to be seen at times and, of couse, many racoons. All this has changed and civilization has moved in--a very large shopping centre at our back door(1/4 mile away), the trees have been cut down, and there are housing developments all around. Progress--I guess!
Roy is still a bachelor and works in Vancouver as an accountant and Carol married Rod MacDougall in Port Coquitlam on March 29, 1969. They now live in Vernon B. C. where Rod is assistant manager of administration for Royal Bank. They have two lovely children---Andrea,7 and Ryan 6.
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