Remembering our roots ~ Don and Dianne Brown

John Godsman
Times Contributor

 

Don’s grandfather, Andy Brown, came to Canada in the early 1900s from Ayrshire, Scotland, where the family farmed. Andy and his wife Rose (nee McIntyre) had 11 children. The oldest one was Don’s father, Hugh Brown, born in Lethbridge in 1914.
Don’s maternal grandfather, Reginald Sykes, was born in Yorkshire, England and came to Canada in 1892. He married Laura Dupuis, also from Yorkshire, and they had three girls. One of them – Margaret Sykes – became a teacher for a few years, before marrying Hugh Brown in 1936, and they had six children. Don and his twin sister Rosemary were born in Bassano on April 1, 1943. Hugh was not at the hospital at the time, so when the doctor phoned to tell him he had twins, he thought it was an April Fool’s joke! Don attended school in Cluny, until he began farming with his Dad and brother.
Dianne’s grandparents, Jean Pierre (Joe) Paris and Elizabeth Lispomidaire, originated from the Pyrenees Region of southern France, which forms the border between France and Spain. Joe and Elizabeth came separately to Vancouver, where they met and married. He was a great handball player, winning the championship for France before moving to Canada in 1904. They moved to Alberta in 1917, and farmed in the Langdon and Cheadle areas, and had three children. One of them was Dianne’s mother Mary, who became a teacher in this area, before retiring from Namaka School.
Dianne’s other grandparents were Richard Barlow, born in England, and Hanna Holland, born in Wales. Richard originally came to Canada in 1904, and homesteaded at Cessford. Following a visit to England in 1920, he became ill on the return voyage, and the nurse who looked after him was Hannah. She was a widow whose first husband had died from injuries he had sustained during the First World War. She had two sons, Eric and Noel.
Richard and Hannah were married in 1924, and settled at the Cessford homestead. Dianne’s father, Ed Barlow, was born here in 1925, and the family moved to Carseland around 1930.
Ed married Mary Paris in 1946, and they had three children. Dianne was born during a blizzard on May 29, 1951 and raised at Cheadle.
Of interest to my readers is that Ed and Mary donated the land where the new Cheadle Hall stands. Despite the wonderful times they had at Cheadle, the family moved to Gleichen in 1965, where they worked together to establish a beautiful farm at the base of Hammer Hill, which is still family owned today. Ed and Mary were very active in the community, Ed being charter president of the Gleichen Lions, and a strong member of the Strathmore Legion.
In 1980, Mary opened the Cobbler Shoe Store in Strathmore.
Dianne graduated from Cluny, then attended Mount Royal College, before working at North Hill News.
Don and Dianne were married on Nov. 10, 1973, and established their farm north of Cluny. They still farm some of the original Sykes land that was settled in 1910. Together, they have raised six children – Leanne (Jason) Sauve, Heather (Slim) Wilson, Helen (Dan) Peake, Doug (Denise) Brown, Norma (Matthew) Douglass, Katie (Kyle) Crump, and 18 grandchildren. Their children and grandchildren are very actively involved in sports of many varieties.
In 2005, Dianne decided to follow in her mother’s footsteps, opening the now very popular Country Farmhouse restaurant, located between Gleichen and Cluny, where one needs a reservation to take large groups to dine and shop. Both Dianne and Don enjoy meeting and visiting with the many people who stop by.
Don has been a member of the Cluny Lions Club for over 40 years, and has curled for over 57 years. He loves to curl with both his children and grandchildren. Dianne has served on school councils, been a 4-H leader, coached gymnastics and girls hockey, and helped with many other community activities.
The main changes Don and Dianne have seen includes the new technology available in agriculture, how mobile our society is now, and how small the world is becoming.