Remembering our roots ~ Bob and Verla Beacome

John Godsman
Times Contributor

 

Bob’s family is thought to have originated in England, but family history starts with his father Robert Beacom in Ontario. In the early years Canada Post would change his surname from ‘Beacom’ to ‘Beacon’, so Robert changed his name to ‘Beacome’. End of problem!
Robert traveled by train to the High River area in 1907, with a Mr. Hearn who purchased a team of horses and a wagon, to move building materials from High River to Reid Hill, 11 kms northwest of Vulcan. Here they built a house and Mr. Hearn started homesteading.
Robert was deemed too young to start homesteading, so leaving Reid Hill, he walked to the Bartch Ranch five miles south of Mossleigh and worked at The Old Stone House, before continuing on foot to Gleichen, where he worked as a butcher for Gleichen Cold Storage until 1914, when he joined the Canadian Army serving in France and Germany, before he was injured when a piece of shrapnel entered his back. He passed away in March 1961. After the war, Robert returned to Gleichen and worked as a butcher for Pacific Cold Storage, and met and married Thelma Ingraham, from Boston, in 1921. They later built a large two story farmhouse on their half section of
land southeast of Mossleigh and raised four children. Bob was born in 1928, their third child, and had two brothers and a sister. They attended Sunset Valley one room school, a mile from the farm, until it closed in the late 1930’s, when they were bused to Mossleigh School through Grade 11. At this time, Bob’s Dad was the butcher for the Sunset Valley Beef Ring – a Co-op of farmers who shared meat cuts with other families in the vicinity, in the days before refrigeration. There is an example of this at Pioneer Acres, near Irricana. Bob, at the age of 17, left school after a disagreement with the principal who insisted ‘cream’ was heavier than ‘milk’! He attended SAIT in Calgary for one term in 1947. At this time he had a girlfriend Verla Lausen, his future wife. Aided by Verla’s sister Francis who worked at CFCN Radio in downtown Calgary, Bob took part in the radio show “The Pelican Man Show” where he played his guitar and sang “You’re the only Star in my Blue Heaven” to Verla, who was listening to the radio at her home in Carseland!
Verla’s family originates from Denmark. Her grandfather, Hans Lausen, moved to Iowa in the 1800’s. Her father Harry, mother Esther and daughter Francis moved from Iowa to Carseland in the early 1900’s, by train with one cow and luggage!
Verla was born in Strathmore in 1929, attended by both Drs. Giffen (father and son), and attended school at Carseland through Grade 10. She and Bob met at a dance in Mossleigh, and they were married on June 30, 1950 at
Knox United Church in Calgary, with the reception being held at the old Empress Hotel.
They had three children Byron (Glenda), and daughter Breanna, living in Standard, Glenda (Martin) with sons Justin and Travis, also living in Standard, and Lyle (Debbie) who had no children. Lyle passed away suddenly at age 46, in 2006.
Bob held many interesting jobs throughout his life, from being a builder in Strathmore, a farm labourer around Mossleigh, to grain buyer at Makepeace, but the one he treasures the most were his 17 years as School Maintenance Supervisor for The County of Wheatland. This was the highlight of his working life, as he enjoyed excellent rapport with everyone, particularly the county councillors and his fellow workers. His goal was to ensure the children of Wheatland County enjoyed attending schools that were clean, well run, and had all the amenities they needed. During his tenure, he and Verla attended many SPOSA (School Plant Official Society Alberta) Conventions at different locations around the province. He retired just before his 65th birthday, which allowed him to spend more time at his favourite hobby – woodworking. He spent ten years working with Candy Tashlikowich, owner of Candy’s Corner, whose students were learning ‘tole painting’ on Bob’s handmade wooden items.
Bob and Verla have enjoyed their lives in the Strathmore area, as well as the three years they lived in the Black Diamond Lodge, and are now enjoying their well earned retirement, at Wheatland Lodge.