Remembering our roots ~ Gary & Joyce Lyons

John Godsman
Times Contributor

 

Little is known of the Lyons Family name, prior to their moving to Canada in the 1800’s. Gary’s father Nelson Lyons was born in Mount Forest, Ontario in 1889, but came west around 1905, because his sister Lena lived in Calgary. Family records show that he attended the first ever Calgary Stampede in 1912. He was known as a ‘Jack of All Trades,’ and was responsible for the building of the old butcher shop, which then became the post office in Carseland, about 100 years ago. He was also a barber, and ran a livery stable, before becoming a farmer.
Gary’s mother Vera Hunt was born in Quasquiten, Iowa in the early 1900’s. Nelson and Vera were married in Whitecourt, Alta. in June 1924, and had four sons and a daughter. Gary was the youngest, born in Edmonton on Oct. 14, 1939. After being raised in Whitecourt and attending school there through Grade 12, he moved to Kelowna with his family, after his father’s retirement. On settling in Kelowna, Gary applied to join the RCMP, and following the successful completion of Entrance Exams was accepted and joined the RCMP on April 10, 1958 in Edmonton. He attended the RCMP Depot Division (now known as the RCMP Training Academy) in Regina for 10 months, and this started his over 20 years of service with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, where he attained the rank of Sergeant. Gary really enjoyed all the locations he was posted to, even remote locations like Fort Nelson and Vanderhoof, B.C. in the early 1960’s. Remember at this time, the Alaska Highway was just a gravel road through dense bush, there were no cell phones and communication with the outside world was very difficult and intermittent. Although there was still a Hudson Bay Trading Post, there was no hospital or medical facility, and no liquor store! But, both the Canadian Armed Forces and the United States Air force had bases there. He remembers that he had lived in Fort Nelson for three months, before he was able to wear civilian clothing, because he was always working! He retired from the RCMP on Nov. 30, 1980 and joined Baker Hughes Mining Company of Dallas, Texas, serving in their Grande Prairie office for 15 years in sales and marketing.
Joyce’c father Carson Browne was born in Ireland in 1912, and emigrated to Ontario in 1928, where he initially joined his sisters. On his arrival in Canada, Immigration misspelt his name, dropping the ‘e’ on Browne. He came west to Calgary in the early 1930’s to join his brothers who already lived here. Carson worked for Jenkins Groceteria in downtown Calgary, before being transferred to their Drumheller store. In 1940, he purchased
Elliot’s Dairy in Drumheller, and renamed it Brown’s Dairy.
Joyce’s mother Margaret Hill was born near Hanna in 1920. Her father had come from England in 1904 and homesteaded there. Upon marrying Carson in Calgary in 1941, Margaret became known as ‘Peg’ Brown, a name she would be known as for the rest of her life! They had five children, of which Joyce is the oldest. She was born in Drumheller in 1942, and attended school there through Grade 12, before joining the Canadian Air Force for a year, then joining the Bank of Montreal as a trainee in 1962. One of the bank’s customers was Gary Lyons, who checked her out for almost a year before asking her out on a date, and this resulted in them being married in Drumheller in 1964. They have three daughters and one grand-daughter. Joyce worked for banks throughout her working life – the Bank of Montreal, the Toronto-Dominion, and Alberta Treasury Branch.
Their community activities were limited because of where they lived – Gary has been a Mason for over 40 years, and a Shriner for 30 years. Joyce volunteered with Brownies and Girl Guides, when her daughters were growing up.
They retired to Strathmore in 2003, and have seen many changes – mainly the population growth, all the new big box stores, and downtown Strathmore emptying of many businesses.