Remembering our roots ~John & Carol Keer

Times Contributor

 

John’s grandfather Walter Keer, with his wife Edith and their four sons, arrived in Alberta in May 1910. They had left Scotland earlier and sailed to New Zealand, before coming to Canada. What a journey that must have been! They purchased land near the Lyalta Road and the TransCanada Hwy. The farm became 100 years old in May 2010, and is still operated by the Keer Family, under the name Kerora Farming Co. Ltd.

During the drought of the 1930’s, farming was brought to a standstill. John’s parents went where there was work to be had, and in this case it was in the Longview Area. John was born in the Village of Royalties, in 1938. A shanty-town built for people working in the oil patch, also known as Little Chicago. They returned to the farm in 1942, and have been there ever since. John went to a one-room school at Turner, formerly on the Lyalta Road, from Grades 1 to 7. From here he went to Samuel Crowther, before attending Olds School of Agriculture.

Carol was local born, in Namaka, in 1942. She attended the two-room Namaka School until Grade 9, before being bussed to Samuel Crowther in Strathmore where she and John met. When they were in Grade 8, it was a requirement for them to join the Strathmore Army Cadets, as part of their schooling! This would have been in the early 1950’s after the Second World War ended. 

They were married in Strathmore United Church on Dec. 4, 1965, and this marriage produced two daughters and a son, and they now have 10 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. They are very proud of them all including the parents.

John worked for Jondor Realty for about 10 years, but his main occupation was farming. He and his brother Bert operated the farm jointly with both cattle and grain for a number of years, but it is now only grain. Sadly his brother passed away in 2009, and now John and his son Doug operate the farm together. Carol worked in Calgary for five years before their marriage, then returned to the farm to become a mother, and the farm book-keeper.

In 1981, John designed and built the Keer Shear, which attaches to the swather for dividing canola at harvest time.

In the mid-1970’s, it was very hard to obtain good quality farm labour, so through I.A.E.A.- International Agricultural Exchange Association based in Denmark, they began hosting agriculture trainees. Over the next 23 years they hosted 26 students from Denmark, Sweden, Holland, England, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand. The students were always accommodated at the farm. The students found this a very heart-warming experience. 

John is a founding member of Cheadle Lions, formed to raise funds for wherever assistance was needed. 

The main changes in the area, is the population growth. 

They used to know all their neighbours, but don’t now. Mainly because all the smaller farms have been replaced by large farms. In the old days, they were surrounded by dark countryside, but now due to the growth of both Strathmore to the east, and Calgary to the west, they can see the lights of residential sub-divisions. Road improvements include the twinning of the TransCanada Hwy, and the more recent paving of the Lyalta Road. 

They feel their farming success is due to the quality of employees they’ve had over the years.