Remembering our roots – Bob & Yvonne Hartell

John Godsman
Times Contributor

 

The name ‘Hartell’ originates in Wales, and Bob’s grandfather F.J.Hartell immigrated initially to Ontario, before moving on to homestead at Fort Qu’Appelle, Sask. in 1885.
After marrying Carry, they moved to Alberta. In 1916, he purchased three different quarter sections, and Bob and Yvonne now live on one of them.
Bob was born in Calgary in 1948, to Jack and Mag Hartell who farmed four miles west of Strathmore, where the house was located at Hartell’s Coulee. He attended the original Samuel Crowther School, then went to Olds Agricultural College.
Yvonne’s great-grandfather on her father’s side originated in Belgium. They were supposed to come to Canada on the Titanic in 1912, but missed the boat!
Yvonne’s mother’s side of the family moved from Iowa to the Gleichen area, where they started farming. Yvonne was born in 1948 in Calgary, to Albert and Florice Desmet, and after attending school in Namaka, attended Samuel Crowther, before attending Mount Royal College (now University) where she graduated as a registered nurse.
Both sets of parents were very involved in the development of Strathmore and surrounding area.
Bob and Yvonne had first met while in Grade 3 at Samuel Crowther, and they were married in 1969. They have two daughters and a son, who have provided them with seven grandchildren.
Their main occupation in life has been farming and ranching, grain and beef.
In the 1980’s and early 1990’s, Bob was the manager of Hoggy’s Bar and Grill, while Yvonne became an office worker with Strathmore RCMP, a position she enjoyed for the next 28 years. At the same time, she was co-owner of The Fit Stop in Strathmore, and worked with the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede taking horse racing bets! Bob also spent 18 years working as a Brand Inspector for livestock investigation.
In 1975, Bob was awarded All Round Cowboy for Canada. He advises that income from farming was very poor in the late 60’s, and he had to turn to rodeo activities to supplement his income.
Bob has worked in many movies like Unforgiven, Little Big Man, The Shootist, and Buffalo Bill and the Indians. One year he participated in flying his plane over California when a group of cowboys from Southern Alberta were lost and presumed to have crashed in the California mountains.
Both Bob and Yvonne are retired, and enjoy camping, fishing and hunting. Most of their spare time is spent visiting and following family members in their sports and activities, which includes rodeo.