Family History

From Ireland's western shores to the shores of the Great Lakes, from Sweden's lakeshores to the rolling prairies of North America, from the farmlands of Flanders to the prairie flowers of North Dakota, they all converged at the heartland of Canada's breadbasket - Saskatchewan; these are the origins and legacies of my family.

Importance of Family History

I've created this website as a legacy for my family. I've always had an intense interest in history and genealogy, and by creating these pages I hope to be able to make my research accessible to family far and wide so they can learn about the rich culture and history that we all come from.

I live in Cochrane, Alberta. I work for Sproule Associates Limited, worldwide petroleum consultants, and we evaluate oil and gas reserves for oil companies all over the world. I have worked at Sproule for over 30 years. I am the Assistant to the President and Executive Vice-President. I am also Webmaster and I take care of Advertising/Marketing.

I have a son, Chris, who is married and has two sons and one daughter. He and his family live in Calgary, and he is a Geologist for a major oil and gas company. My daughter-in-law, Nancy, is a Corporate Paralegal. My grandsons, aged 11 and 8, are my delight, as well as my new granddaughter, who is about 3 months old. She is so dainty. The boys are especially happy to have a little sister to take care of.

My mother passed away in October 2008 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. All her children really miss her. She lost her husband, Claude Treinen, in September of 2007 and she was really lonely without him. All of my sisters and one brother live in Saskatchewan. My oldest sister has retired and moved to our hometown. Only one brother and I remain in Calgary. The lure of the prairies is still strong and many people originally from Saskatchewan are being called home.

I grew up in Elrose, Saskatchewan. I moved to Calgary, Alberta in 1970 and made my home there until 2009, when I moved to Cochrane, Alberta. Rural Alberta is my home now, but I am still close to my family in the city. My son and I carpool to work every day and I see my grandchildren almost every day. We always discuss how their day went, and I especially enjoy hearing about their classes and activities. My 8-year-old is an avid sports fan, and loves to talk about hockey. Of course, my 11-year-old is very cool, and likes to talk about computer games. I treasure this time I spend with my family. How different their lives are from mine, growing up in Elrose.

I've been working on my family's history for many years. I find that family research is a constant striving to solve a mystery. It is better than reading a novel because the characters are real. I wish to bring these characters to life for my son and his children. I also wish to pay these courageous ancestors of mine the tribute they deserve for their courage and their sense of adventure for they all have something in common — they all moved from the security of their homes in the old country to a new land and created a quality life for their children and grandchildren.

I hope you enjoy your journey through My Family History and for those distant family members, I sincerely hope my research can assist you in your research.