Remembering our roots ~ Armand & Mary Ellen (Sis) Corbiell

John Godsman
Times Contributor

 

Armand Corbiell’s grandfather was Felix Corbiell, born in Quebec, who first moved to Norway, Mich., then to the Cluny Area in 1910. Armand’s father, Armand (Senior) was also born in Norway, Mich. and also made the move to the Cluny Area. By the age of 14, he had completed his schooling in Cluny, and was attending the Jesuit College in Edmonton, when he received word his father had suddenly passed away. On returning to Cluny, he assisted his mother to operate the farm, which included purchasing more land from CPR to homestead. Armand Jr. was born in Cluny in March 1936, the middle of three children, and has a cousin Damien Corbiell (see article of June 15, 2012)
This is now a fifth generation farm family in the Cluny area. It is a mixed farm, totaling about 3,000 acres of seeded crop, hay and pasture. A Purebred Hereford cattle operation has operated here for the last 60 years.
Mary Ellen’s (Plante) family originated in Quebec. Her great-grandfather, born in 1888, came to Gleichen where he purchased CPR land to homestead. Mary Ellen was born on the farm at Gleichen in 1938. She has two brothers and a sister. Both she and Armand attended school at Gleichen and Cluny, and Armand like his father attended St Anthony’s Jesuit College in Edmonton. They met at a school dance in Cluny, and were married in August 1956. They have five children, 10 grandchildren and six and a half great-grandchildren.
All of the family has been involved in Cluny and Gleichen area activities, including being 4-H leaders and 4-H club members. They have played and coached local hockey, been AG Society members, arena board members, gymkhana club, church council and fireman directors. Armand has served on the boards of both the Canadian and Alberta Hereford Associations, and been president of both. He has sat on the All Breeds Board and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, and recently received his 60-year pin from the Canadian Hereford Association, and is a Charter Member of Cluny Lions.
Mary Ellen was an original member of the board that put together the new Cluny/Gleichen History Book, and has served with CWL, the arena board, and the AG Society. Armand and Mary Ellen are on the Canadian Hereford Association Honour Roll, and Corbiell Herefords were awarded The Bank of Montreal Farm Family Award in 2005.
The main changes in the area, in the past almost 70 years, are the twinning of the TransCanada Highway, installation of telephone service, and the specialization of technology for farming. Farming is certainly very different since they started in the early ’50’s.