Remembering our roots ~Jens & Clara Lehmann

Times Contributor

 

Both Jens and Clara were born at Jutland, Denmark – Jens in the southern part in 1934, and Clara in the central part in 1938. They were only children when the war started, so they continued to live there and attend school.

Similar to the U.K., there was conscription for males before they reached the age of 20, so Jens joined the army in 1954. He served for 12 months in the Horse Guard Regiment, before being transferred to an Armoured Car Division for the remaining four months.

Jens and Clara met while attending Rodding Cultural College, in 1956. This college is the oldest of its type in Denmark. Jens immigrated to Canada in 1957, and took up residence in Cheadle whilst working as a farm labourer. He returned to Denmark in 1958 to attend Agricultural College. Meanwhile, Clara had gone to Sweden where she worked as a nanny for a year, before returning to Denmark to complete her early childhood teaching education.

They were married in 1961, and moved to Canada in 1963, where they worked on a farm east of Strathmore for the summer, and worked at the turkey farm in Strathmore the next summer. 

This marriage produced four sons. Lars Peter lives in Calgary, and is a movie production manager and a licensed Realtor with CIR Realty in Calgary, like his father. Dan passed away at the age of 29. Markus is living in Brazil, where he and three others built a 2-mast schooner which Markus sails off the coast of Brazil, while studying for his MBA. Hans Andreas lives in New York, and works in investment banking. Jens and Clara now have six grandchildren. 

Jens became a trucker in 1965, and worked for ATCO Industries for the next eight years. He says he knows every back road in the four western provinces as well as in the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska! In 1986, Jens joined JonDor Realty as a realtor, and moved to CIR Realty in Calgary in 1992, where he still works today. 

Clara opened a daycare in Forest Lawn in 1968, which she operated for the next six years. In 1973, they purchased a 1/2 section at Orange Valley, south of Strathmore and west of Hwy 817, where they still live. In between, they purchased a 1/2 section at Cairnhill, but sold this in 1980. 

But, Clara missed the young children in a daycare, so became a teacher at the Strathmore and District Play School, where she worked for 27 years. This playschool started in the United Church basement, before moving to the west side of Westmount Elementary School.

Both Jens and Clara have been, and are, very active at the Danish Church in Calgary since it was founded in 1964. They are founder members of Step One Housing in town.

Jens organizes casino fundraisers for both the Danish Canadian Club and the Step One Housing organization. He is also a 40-year member of the Cheadle Lion’s Club.

The main change they’ve seen in Strathmore since they arrived 50 years ago is the population explosion, and improvement of services such as roads, schools, community facilities and communication.

As many of my readers know, there used to be a CPR Supply Farm on the south side of Hwy 1, in Strathmore. Built in 1905, it was used to supply transcontinental trains with meat and fresh produce, for the dining cars. In 1982, Jens and Clara purchased the Heritage House, and moved it onto their land at Orange Valley, where they have restored it. What a wonderful old home this is, with antique doors, windows, brick fireplaces, etc.