I was born and raised in Turner Valley, Alberta. My father came west from Ontario where he was a funeral director. In 1928, my parents were married and bought an acreage north of Turner Valley Here they raised cattle and my dad dabbled In race horses, winning a few prizes. My dad had a few hobbies for which he was well known. He liked to play the violin and bagpipes. He was also a volunteer fireman, an auctioneer and belonged to the Oddfellows Lodge. My mother worked for the telephone company and was also a homemaker. I had two brothers and one sister. In 1958, my brother, Allen, died in a car accident. My sister lives in Edmonton and owns the Coloseum Restaurant & Steak House with her husband and two children. My brother lives in Calgary, has an oil well consulting business and has five children.
In 1960, I finished high school in what some Canmore residents will now recognize as the Turner Valley Golf and Country Club. After high school, I came to Banff to work and then returned to Calgary to continue my education. In 1964, I took a cosmetology course and returned to Canmore. I worked for Clair Trenholm and shortly after bought the salon from Clair and operated it for almost seventeen years. Tracy Slavin bought the salon from me and then sold it to Margaret Lausten. I continued to work part-time for them. In 1987, I went to work at Elli’s Hair West where I remained for thirteen years. In 1976, I went to work at the Bow River Seniors Lodge, doing hair one day a week for twenty-four years. I enjoy working with the seniors and have gained a knowledge of the stages we go through in our lifetime. I still have eight clients whose hair I have done for thirty-four years. I now work at Mozaic Hair Design for Tracy Le Sann.
In 1966, I married Robert Lambert whom I met in Banff in 1961. Our son Lyle was born in 1969 and went through school here in Canmore. After high school, Lyle went to N.A.I.T. in Edmonton and took Forestry. He then went on to the University of Northern B.C. where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in natural resource management.
Since I have been in Canmore, I have been a volunteer with the Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary, Rebekahs, Ladies’ Hospital Auxiliary and the Canmore Legion. At Ralph Connor Church, I taught Sunday School and belonged to the United Church Women. I also taught Cubs and Junior Forest Wardens and helped with July 1st, Heritage Days and the Highland Games. In 1998, I received the Mayor’s Award of Excellence for Volunteering. I hope to continue living in Canmore for many years.
In Canmore Seniors at the Summit, ed. Canmore Seniors Association, 2000, p.158-159.
