I was born in the county southwest of Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan. I went to a one-room school in that area; however the most of my education came from watching and learning from my elders and from the “school of hard knocks,” where you learn from your mistakes.
I started working on my uncle’s ranch until I reached the age that I could follow in the footsteps of my grandfather, three uncles in World War I, and my uncle and seven cousins in World War II, so I joined the Canadian Army as a private.
I took basic training at Maple Creek Saskatchewan and advanced training at Camp Shilo Manitoba. The war in Europe was coming to an end, so I ended up in the Pacific Command.I was honourably discharged in April 1946 and started working for the federal government on a P.F.R.A. pasture. I remained with P.F.R.A. in various positions until my retirement in 1981 when we retired to Maple Creek .
We bought a small place and raised a family of two boys and two girls. We ran a few cattle and horses and sold out in 2005. We now live in the town of Maple Creek. I joined the Legion in Maple Creek in 1949-50, then missed a few years until I got back to Maple Creek. In the Legion, I served on various committees and as President and Vice President a few times.