Remembering our roots ~ Bill & Wanda Hartall

Times Contributor

 

Bill’s father Horace Hartall had planned to sail to Canada from England in 1912. How lucky he was to miss sailing on the Titanic, because he was one day too late to buy a ticket! So, he came on the next ship, and eventually settled in Craven, Sask. 

Bill’s mother Sarah MacDonald came from Glace Bay, N.S. to Craven, to become a teacher. Horace and Sarah met in Craven and were married in 1929. They had three children, of which Bill is the eldest.

Bill was born at the farm at Craven in 1931, and attended the country school through Grade 9. He was a member of the Longlaketon 4-H Beef Club, and worked for several years as a farm labourer, to raise the entrance fee for the School of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon. This was the beginning of his lifelong involvement with the cattle industry. After graduating with a Diploma in 1954, he was employed by the Animal Science Department, working as a beef cattle herdsman and foreman of the University of Saskatchewan Beef Cattle Research Project and Bull Test Station.

Wanda’s grandfather Erik Holmlund immigrated from Sweden to Minnesota in 1893. Then in 1907, he moved his family to a farm near Glenside, Sask. Wanda’s father Ezra Holmlund and grandfather Erik broke the land with their yoke of six oxen.

Her mother’s family originated in Ireland, moving to Iowa first, then to Craven, Sask. in 1912 where Wanda’s mother Gertrude Lavender became a teacher. Gertrude and Ezra were married in 1916, and had 10 children born, but unfortunately Wanda’s twin brother died at birth. Her father says she was the end of the row, when she was born in 1935. One of her brothers Chester, was a navigator in the Second World War, but while they were ferrying fuel and food to the Norwegian Underground, their plane went down off the coast of Norway. The Norwegians built a commemorative cairn to honour the six crew members who died. In 1989, six members of Wanda’s family flew to Norway, after being invited by the Local Historical Society, to visit the Memorial. They were headline news in the Norwegian papers.

Wanda attended a country school until Grade 6, then moved to Regina to live with a sister for two years, before moving to Outlook, where her parents had retired to from the farm. She took Grades 9 through Grade 12 here, then took a business course in Saskatoon, before getting a job in the Administration Building at the UofS.

Bill and Wanda met at the UofS. employees curling club. Their first date was attending the Fowl Supper at the village of Floral, Sask. (where Gordie Howe was born). They were married in Saskatoon in 1958, and had a son and two daughters, and now have four grandchildren. Bill continued to work at the University Farm for a year, returning to Craven to operate the family farm after his dad retired. After two years, Bill and Wanda returned to Saskatoon where Bill worked at the University Farm for the next six years. 

In 1967 they moved to Western Feedlots in Strathmore for a couple of years, and in 1971 moved to Calgary where he became the first market analyst for CANFAX. In 1973, he returned to Western Feedlots, as a cattle-marketing manager, responsible for the marketing of close to one million head of finished cattle, until he retired in 1996. 

For more than 50 years, Bill judged numerous 4-H beef club shows. He has also judged many open steer shows across Canada, including the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto, the Western Canadian Agribition in Regina, the Easter Beef Show in Charlottetown, P.E.I., and the Pacific National Exhibition in Vancouver. 

As a hobby, Bill and Wanda raised rabbits for show competition, and travelled to rabbit shows in the U.S. and Western Canada. Because of Bill’s interest in genetics, they were very successful at rabbit shows, and won many ‘Best in Show’ trophies. 

Bill was a volunteer on cattle and rabbit committees with the Calgary Stampede for 20 years. In 2007, 4-H was celebrating 90 years of the organization, and because of Bill’s involvement in judging 4-H shows in this area, he was invited and became parade marshal for Heritage Days.

Apart from when they were raising their family, Wanda too worked outside their home. After they moved to Calgary, she spent 15 years as secretary/bookkeeper at Crossroads Autobody. She filled the same position at Hillhurst United Church for a couple of years. As a child she was a member of the Lutheran Church, but became involved with the United Church in Calgary, and held positions at Renfrew United, Wild Rose United, and now Strathmore United. She met Barbara Davison and Rene Betts (now Strathmore residents) at Renfrew United, where she joined UCW. Through this membership she became involved in both Calgary and Foothills Presbyterials.

On retirement from Western Feedlots, Bill was presented with a trip to Hawaii, which they both enjoyed. They have also enjoyed trips to Expo 1986 in Vancouver, to the Maritimes, a west coast bus trip and cruise to Arizona, and more recently to Victoria.

They moved to Strathmore in 2007, due to Bill’s deteriorating health. He has been in Long Term Care, now Sagewood Age Care for four years, and still enjoys talking about cattle, and reading cattle magazines.

Wanda enjoys crafts, reading, working in her flowerbeds, and walking her dog Paris.