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Come and explore the journey of three families: a politician; an urban family and rural families to learn how they settled and built the town of Didsbury and how the following generations continue to contribute and serve the town and district and society as a whole.
Didsbury, Alberta was founded in 1894 when Jacob Y. Shantz brought a group of 34 Mennonite settlers to establish a town and develop the rich farm lands in the area.
We will explore and learn about the family of Cornelius Hiebert who became the first Mennonite MLA for Rosebud Constituency. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1905 when Alberta became a province. Where is his family now and did they continue to live in Didsbury? Did any of his descendants work in politics?
Allen S. Gole came to Didsbury in 1921 and went to work for his uncle in a Flour Mill. This Mill burned down in 1910 & again in 1948. Allen Gole built his own feed & seed cleaning plant in 1928. Over the years there were a number of disasters but Allen Gole and his three sons continued operating Gole’s Feed Mill for 60 plus years.
Ira Elwood Scott and Lloyd George Kershaw were both young men searching for life and adventure on the farm. They were raised on farms and learned to work with the landscape, environment, climate conditions and personal hardships. How did they endure the work in a rural community and what happened to their farms?
These first settlers raised their families, endured hardships, and found love, faith and joy as they built their new lives. How did they contribute to the growth and development of the town? What skills & knowledge did they use to survive? What happened to their children and grandchildren and do they possess the pioneer characteristics of determination, endurance and persistence to continue to get the job done? In general how have the following generations contributed to the town of Didsbury and society today?
Over the years many businesses changed owners, some closed, and fire nearly wiped out the town twice. But, through perseverance, dedication and faith the town of Didsbury continues to survive and prosper.
