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Don Brosius |
Add Your Bio |
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YMCA &
The Village People |
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Explore Other Years |
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1969 1970 1972 |
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I joined the Air Force in 1972 and was based in CFB Edmonton as a Radio Technician. In 1973, I married Judy Dziwenka from St. Micheal, Alberta and raised 2 children. I left the military, in 1978, and worked in several locations in Alberta and BC as a radio tech, and Sales Rep. Moved back to Wetaskiwin in 1997 to work at Home Hardware Distribution Centre.
Looking forward to retirement later
this year in Wetaskiwin. Hobbies include genealogy and travel. |
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Like most of you, this story starts in Wetaskiwin. Following High school, I attended the U of A with an interest in Business and Engineering. To help cover costs while attending school, I worked in construction during the summers. On graduation I was hired by General Motors and was fortunate to receive a variety of work assignments in several locations. In 1989 I left General Motors in order to operate a GM Dealership in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Saskatoon would be our home for the next 20 years. It was a great community for my wife Sharon and I to raise our two children which were introduced to our family starting in 1983. Supporting the Kids in skiing, soccer and competitive cycling consumed a large portion of our family’s recreational time over the next 20 years. In 2007 I retired only to start work on the next chapter. British Columbia’s Southern Gulf Islands had been a favored holiday spot over the past years; the Islands offer a reasonable climate and great sailing. Decades ago, Sharon had agreed to spend a year exploring the Caribbean and East Coast with me on a sail boat. Sailing was still a major interest, so the Gulf Islands seemed a reasonable choice. Work on our Island property started with the construction of a work shop c/w studio, which would act as a base from which to build our new home. The skills I learned during those school summers became valuable during the 3-year construction project. The logistics of building on an Island is like trying to build on the moon. We made the final move from Saskatoon to the Island in 2011. As a small community our Island is dependent on volunteers for its community programs, in addition to volunteer work our time in BC has been occupied by a mix of tennis, travel, cycling and sailing. Still haven’t learned to fish. |
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Ah 1971. A lifetime ago. After graduation I married my high school sweetheart. We lived on a hobby farm near Thorsby. I learned to garden, make pyrogies, milk a cow by hand, assist cows when they were giving birth, raise chickens and pigs. Certainly things I hadn't anticipated as an idealistic high school student. We had 2 amazing children and I was a stay-at-home mom for 10 year. In 1981 I started working as an Institutional Aid at an AADAC Centre near Alsike. When the program transitioned in to a Solicitor General Correctional camp in 1984 I was offered the opportunity to become a Correctional Peace Officer. The years were busy with raising my children, working and farming but I wanted to further my education. I completed the Correctional Services Program through Grant MacEwan, Simon Fraser and U. Vic. by correspondence to prepare for the future. I was widowed in 1995 when my youngest was in grade 12. It was time for me to expand my boundaries and challenge myself. There weren't many new opportunities for me in camp so I moved to Edmonton and relocated to the main centre in Fort Saskatchewan in 1997. There were numerous new possibilities and I soon confirmed that my interests involved working directly with the offender population. For the last 15 years I have been working as a Correctional Services Worker - the last 10 years with female offenders. I have mixed feelings about retiring next year. Back in grade 12 if anyone would have suggested my future was in jail I would have laughed out loud but it has truly been a good fit. I have amazing memories and stories that you could never even imagine. I married my husband, Barry Manning in 1998. He retired from the City of Edmonton in 2007 so he has lots of time to spoil our dog - a 12 year old Shitzu-poodle cross we call Max. We have 5 grandchildren whom we adore. They still go camping, quadding and fishing with us every summer although the older ones have less time for Nana and Papa since they work and have their own social obligations. We enjoy our annual winter holiday someplace warm and are thrilled that over the years each of our grandchildren has been able to join us in the sun and the sand a couple of times. I consider myself very fortunate to have my sister/my best friend live across the street from us. When Barry is not interested the next adventure I have in mind, Marlene is. Truly a blessing! I have a long list of things to do when I retire and after all these years of being busy I'm not ready to slow down any time soon. |
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1953 - 1974: Grew up on family farm 5.5 miles north of Gwynne. Farming career over when farm was sold spring of 1974. 1959 - 1971: Schooling received from Gwynne Elementary and Junior High, Clear Vista Junior High and WCHS graduating in 1971. 1971 - 1972: Gained employment at Glendale Mobile Homes in Wetaskiwin, started apprenticeship within the electrical trade only due to a neighborhood farmer wanting me to be on his crew. Obtained 1st year-- residential experience. 1972 - 1973: Gained employment with Harberg Electric in Camrose - commercial experience - partial 2nd year. 1973 - 1974: Gained employment with Sparrow Electric in Leduc - industrial experience working for Esso and Texaco throughout the Leduc field - completed 2nd year and entered into third year. 1974 - 1977: Fall of 74 moved to Edmonton and gained employment with Hammond Electric. Owner, John Morgan, placed myself into a serviceman electrician's position. Major customers, Labatt's, Texaco, introduced first self-serve gas stations throughout Edmonton, McDonald's Restaurants - wired original (6) within Edmonton and St. Albert. Became first class journeyman with red seal status June of 77. 1977 - 1980: Fall of 77 took on a serviceman's position with Tucana Electric. Life lessons learned becoming co-owner. Know your partner well. Positive event was meeting my future wife Tammy in January 1979 when she joined our operations as a bookkeeper/receptionist. 1980 - 1983: Fall of 1980 partnership difficulties led me to Dalberg Electric taking on position of lead serviceman. Another off branch from Hammond Electric that had a great core of tradesmen only to dissolve due to downturn in the economy in the early eighties. 1982 - 1990: Tammy and I were married at the Namao United Church July 24th, 1982. First son, Chris, born in 1984 and second son Matthew born in 1988. Formed "The Danielson Workshop" a general contractor specializing within the electrical and carpentry sectors where design and construction services are offered within the residential and commercial sectors. Obtained my electrical masters in 1990. 1983 - 1994: Maintenance Foreman - ALCB Head Office and Warehouse Facility - St. Albert (611,000 sq.) Led (9) man team consisting of electricians, millwrights and heavy duty mechanics maintaining all MHE equipment, conveyors, towveyors, pick cars and automatic cranes to meet daily shipping schedules. 1993, privatization was upon us, another career move required. 1994 - 1999: Plant / Retail Foreman - T. Eaton Company, Edmonton Market. Led (7) man team maintaining and coordinating all of Eaton's high end fashion and facility needs in the retail world. Renovated both Southgate and Millwood's Town Center Woodward locations to Eaton's upon my arrival in 1994. Took on overall responsibility of (6) Edmonton locations and Bower Centre in Red Deer. 5.5 year career until closure in October of 1999. 1999--2001: Maintenance Technician - Weldco Beales Manufacturing - Major heavy equipment attachment manufacturing plant in Edmonton that incorporated an engineering division, welding/fabrication shop, machine shop, hydraulic shop and painting and finishing shop. Major clients were John Deere, Finning, City of Edmonton, sanding trucks/blades and Fort McMurray oil sand dump trucks. Massive equipment throughout overall forestry and mining industries. Maintained all facility and equipment needs. 2001 - 2003: Returned to serviceman electrical career through head hunters moving onto Vector Electric and Controls, Canem Systems and River City Electric. 2003 - Present: Maintenance Manager - AGLC - St. Albert. Coordinate facility space planning, operational and renovation needs for original Office Tower and Warehouse facility (611,000 sq.ft.) in conjunction with Calder Gaming Warehouse (70,000 sq. ft.), overall support to 900 staff. Instrumental in design of new #2 Boudreau Warehouse facility located adjacent to Anthony Hendey and Campbell Road opening spring of 2018. Forty-one years of service experience led to design of equipment service corridor/spline running length of warehouse to house all critical facility equipment within a warm, controlled and protected zone adding comfort for the next generation of service techs. A whirlwind career that continually changed due to closure, downsizing, rightsizing, you name it, I needed to deal with it. I value the strong work ethic and values instilled by my parents at an early age in conjunction with the fortunate introduction to the trade of an electrician followed by the insight of John Morgan to offer a serviceman's career, one that presented many opportunities of interaction and building upon customer relations and opening up many avenues throughout the service industry. Thanks Ron for your time with putting this all together. |
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Since graduating from WCHS in 1971, I’ve spent most of my time in the Calgary area working in arts management and in food. I went to the University of Calgary and followed that with many years with Loose Moose Theatre, The Banff Centre, the Glenbow Museum and the Calgary Centre for Performing Arts. During much of my time in the arts I had a sideline writing about food (and eating it too) until I went full-time food in 1999. In 1980 I became the restaurant critic for CBC Radio Calgary and have happily held that position for over 36 years. I taught Food & Culture programs for the U of C for over twenty years (I retired from that in 2015) and have acted as contributing editor for numerous magazines. I have a weekly restaurant column in the Calgary Herald (since 1999) and have written eleven books on dining in southern Alberta. I lead culinary travel programs for the U of C (heading to Lyon and Strasbourg, France in 2018 if you’re interested in coming) and judge many national and international culinary competitions. (And it all started with mushroom burgers at the Burger Baron.) I’ve been married to Catherine Caldwell since 1983 (we met in an Abnormal Psychology class at the U of C) and we are enjoying life as we slip slowly into retirement. |
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Merrill & Linda married 43 years ago in Wetaskiwin, have 2 children, Matt & Krista, each of whom have married in the last 4 years. Our First grandchild is on the way. Linda went to nursing school out of high school, while Merrill went to NAIT and studied "Laboratory Glass Blowing". Linda and I enjoyed making our living as artists for 25 years as glass sculptors, and as entrepreneurs. We live in Naples Florida where we own a private practice, a Pain Relief Center. We moved to Florida in 1996 to pursue post graduate studies in alternative rehabilitation treatments. We studied Neuromuscular, Craniosacral, and Merrill had some training with Deepak Chopra in Calf. We've founded NeuroMuscularFusion Therapy which we both Teach and Practice. (a fusion of many effective therapies and tools, we have studied or innovated) Merrill started inventing therapy tools ten years ago, one of which won him an award from the "Edison Inventors Association”. We invent, manufacture and distribute the tools through our company Career Extenders. Our tools are in use globally in Physical Therapy, Chiropractic, Massage Therapy Clinics, and a few hospitals from Australia to Austria. We have enjoyed travel through the South Pacific, Central, and South America mostly. I look forward to Machu Picchu in the near future, and Linda to Scotland. We look forward to attending the reunion. ( whisper- "Who are all these OLD PEOPLE posted here"? - LOL! ) |
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“The older I get, the better I was!” After Graduation, I applied to Royal Canadian Armed Forces as a navigator. I had the highest mark in Western Canada. I failed the medical because I turned out to have red/green deficiency. (damn!) Married Marilyn Melnychuk Jan 1972. Attended Camrose Lutheran College in General Science. Attended UofA in Industrial Education. Begat daughter Karen. Marilyn left Karen and me Jan 1975. Met Loretta Prosser Sept. 75. We married July 1978. Graduated UofA 1976. First teaching job worked as a Power Mechanics Teacher at Camrose Composite High School for one year. I moved on and took a new challenge teaching “General Shop” at the Alberta School For The Deaf. I attended UBC and became a certified Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. In 1982, we adopted Debbie (age 9) and David (age 6). Alex was born in 1984 and Tamara was born in 1985. I had moved on to Tofield (86) to set up a new multiple activity lab. In 1988, we moved to Salmon Arm. I discovered a wonderful teaching environment. I worked with hard of hearing students, taught gifted enrichment classes, Resource Room Teacher, and I became a Storefront School teacher. In 1999-2000, Loretta and I took a year off and motor-home schooled our youngest two while we toured around North America for nine months. When we returned, I developed a program to assist home-schooled children and their parents. In 2008 I was diagnosed with brain cancer. Luckily, all the right people were in the right place at the right time, and I have been cancer free for nine years. I have 9 grandchildren. I belong to the local train club, the local vintage car club, the ukulele club, and I am building a miniature 1 inch to the foot house. My life is filled with gratitude. Peace, Live Long, and Prosper |
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Upon graduation I moved to Edmonton, went to Alberta College and then on to National Data Centre where I worked with punched cards and paper tape - very high tech back in the day! By 1976 I got itchy feet and left for Europe to go on an extended 9 week camping trip (aka “party on a bus”) which took in all the highlights of 13 countries, followed by some time in England and Scotland. While on that trip of a lifetime I met many Australians and made some very good and enduring friends. In 1978 I left Canada to move to Perth, Australia where I lived and worked for 3 years and later we moved to Melbourne for 2 years. While in Melbourne, my bestie Peggy (Thornton) Sapwell and her husband, an RAAF pilot, were stationed there so we were able to share many good and memorable times while enjoying all Victoria had to offer. I also spent several months living in Sydney with a friend with a side trip to Bali. Living and working in Australia had a vacation feel to it – oceans and fresh seafood at hand, snorkeling on weekends and summertime New Year’s Eves, so it always seemed like fun. After 5 years and a divorce I returned to Wetaskiwin and eventually moved back to Edmonton finding work at ICG Engineering where I met my husband Jerry. Later I worked for Edmonton Public Schools in the Planning Department managing the student boundary database. While working at EPSB I attended the U of A Residential Interiors program, Faculty of Extension, and upon graduating started Keyheart Designs. Later I worked for Superior Cabinets as a kitchen designer and now I find that most of my work involves renovations where kitchens and bathrooms have the starring role. Jerry and I have travelled quite a bit south of the border as well as meeting Peggy and Peter in Lisbon and tackling Portugal, Spain, Gibraltar and Morocco. Jerry and I have also spent time in France. We plan on more travel and definitely back down under to my “other” home. |
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I have been married had two wonderful
kids, widowed, remarried and divorced. After high school moved back
to my hometown of McLennan working at the hospital a few years,
married n came back to Edmonton. I've spend the last fifteen years
in Tumbler Ridge, BC and just recently came back to Edmonton. While
I was retired kept very busy doing volunteer work at the garden
club, knitting, seniors club, hiking, spending the last seven years
going down south and escaping these harsh winters. I'm now enjoying
the single life and my three beautiful granddaughters and looking
for travelling buddies...as Forest Gump would say Life is like a box
of chocolates!! |
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In 1974, I graduated as an RN from
the Calgary General Hospital School of Nursing, and in 2000, a BSc
from the U of A, and worked in Edmonton for 35 years. I enjoyed
Band & Troubadors in High School, and have been singing with a few
groups ever since. I was an old spinster with cats, able to retire
at 55, and then I met Herman Van Seggelen, a widower with 2 sons and
4 grandkids. So I got married in my old age, live in beautiful
Okotoks, and am a proud Grandma, enjoying life, baseball (Blue Jays
& Okotoks Dawgs) and traveling. |
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Born in Wetaskiwin I was lucky to have great memories growing up there, particularly my high school years. I taught dancing from age 12 and through high school, and reluctantly played the ‘old time fiddle’ in a band with my sister and brother. While my Mom wanted me to aspire to be an AGT telephone operator, I left right after high school and moved to Edmonton and worked at a car wash and then at a concrete company for about a year. I was looking for adventure and to see the world, so I joined the military where I spent five years primarily in Chilliwack, BC. I married and had my first baby, left the military, and moved back to Edmonton in 1976 during the first oil boom. Now with two boys, we lived in Leduc and then Beaumont. I worked for Sparrow Industries as their Comptroller at Nisku for many years and then moved to a construction management company in Edmonton. We had moved into Edmonton just before ‘the bust’ in the early ‘80s. With high interest rates and a divorce in 1983, I was fortunate enough to have moved to a federal government position with Transport Canada, and then in 1988 I moved to the department of Western Economic Diversification where I spent the rest of my career. While with government I completed an undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Athabasca University, and then in 2004 a Masters of Arts in Knowledge Management degree from Royal Roads University. After 13 years of single parenthood, I married Ralph Schroth in 2000. We live in Sherwood Park. I ‘retired’ from government in 2009 to work in our financial services business that continues to keep us busy today. Together we have four children and three grandchildren. While the knees still work and the money lasts, we travel as much as we can and have been fortunate to have been to Ecuador, Peru, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Dubai, South Africa, France, Czech Republic, Mexico, and the US to name a few. We enjoy time with the family and friends on Lower Mann Lake in Alberta. A few things are on my horizon when I free up some time: learn Spanish, relearn the violin, learn how to paint, and join a book club. |
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In 1967 fate and a Greyhound bus brought me to Wetaskiwin. I only knew one person and set out to find him, David Allen. David introduced me to his buddy Larry Sullivan and we all got along like incense and peppermints. Other friendships were formed and Wetaskiwin became my new home. After graduating WCHS in 71' I started at The Wetaskiwin News Advertiser. Al Barnhill insisted on paying me $30 less a month because I had long hair LOL. He told me he had a hard time explaining to the other businessmen why he hired a hippy. As you can see from my photo this wouldn't be an issue today I loved all aspects of the print and newspaper industry. This set my life-career in motion and I spent the next 42 years always doing something that involved printers ink. Margaret Pocock and I had been high school sweethearts and we married in 1972. In 1974 Maggie and I welcomed a daughter, Amadew and in 1975 a son Noah was born. In 1986 my second wife Suzanne and I moved to Barrie, Ontario and opened a map making business. Suzanne has suffered daily from chronic facial/head pain for years. As it got worse I needed to take on more of the domestic duties. So in 2014 after 28 years I sold the business and retired. We are both huge Stephen King fans and had one of the largest book collections in Canada (including over 100 signatures). Since retiring I seem to golf less, but have become a seller on eBay, with lots of books still to sell. I am enjoying writing my first novel and am 40,000 words into a 90,000 word mystery. I have only good memories when I think back of my years in Wetaskiwin. I am looking forward to lots of laughs this August.
Robbie Robertson sure nailed it with
“We grow up so slowly.......and grow old so fast.” |
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Wetaskiwin Composite High School 2017 & 2023 Reunions © 2023 All Rights Reserved |
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Don
Brosius 
Carl
Bunnin
Linda
Crenshaw 
John
Gilchrist 
Merril
Lund - shared bio with wife Linda Wiekman (1972)
Merv
Krull
Linda
(Overn) Hartley
Celine
Paradis
Judy
(Somshor) Van Seggelen
Brenda
Thibault 
Foster
Walt