Henry Engelsjord of Norwegian decent was born in 1931 in Bowsman, Manitoba, a community about 15 kilometres north of the Town of Swan River: Here is his story in a nutshell:
Henry's parents immigrated to Canada from Norway in 1927; they eventually moved to Saskatchewan in 1934. His father worked in a sawmill until he purchased a quarter section of land in 1938 and went into farming. Henry was one of five children; he had a twin brother, two older sisters and one younger brother, they all attended school in Crooked River, Sask.
He moved to Tisdale, Sask. in 1951 and worked as a parts man in a farm machinery dealership; two years later he moved to Star City, Sask. where he met and married Lois Rolles.
The young couple decided to head west to British Columbia. They arrived in Quesnel in June of 1955 and Henry found work as a parts man and was pleased with his pay of $250 per month. This was considered good money back then.
They eventually came to Prince George in February of 1957 with the intention of only staying a few years. When they arrived in Prince George, Henry worked in the logging industry until 'spring break up,' an industry term used to describe the time of year when the frost comes out of the ground causing the earth to become soft and muddy, a period of a major slow-down in the logging industry. During that period of time he went to work as a parts man at a heavy duty truck dealership.
Time went by and he tired of all the paper work involved in the business so in 1972 he changed his direction and partnered up with a friend and together they formed Inland Radiators - a radiator repair business. Henry said, "The radiator repair business was totally different work than what I was used to but I learned the business and our company was successful. I worked the administrative end of the company for 18 years and I eventually bought the entire company."
Henry sold the business in 1990 and for a short time took up interior painting.
Henry and Lois raised three children: Dave (Lynn) who lives in Kelowna, Don (Sharon) who lives in Prince George and Judy (Blaine Black) who lives in Penticton. Their children in turn gave them six grand children and five great grandchildren.
Henry said, "We moved to a country home next to the Aspen Grove Golf course in December of 1976 and lived there for the next 20 years. In 1997 and due to the failing health of Lois we moved into town to live in a condo; sadly Lois passed away in 2003.
"It was great living next to the Aspen Grove Golf course. I took up golfing at the age of 55 and now 29 years later I still golf there three times a week."
Henry has been involved with the BC Senior Games for many years serving as the local Zone 9 golf coordinator.
His passion however is curling; he has curled since he was 22 years old so that equates to nearly 63 years in the sport. In the 80s his team of himself, Brian Mooney, Laurie Rustad and Ron Backman won the Senior Men's Provincial Curling playoffs twice. They won the 1988 Provincial playoffs in Peterborough, Ont. and then again in 1989 in Kenora, Ontario and the team went on to play in the Peterborough and Kenora Canadian Championships.
Henry said, "I have curled with the Prince George Senior Curling Mixed League for many years. It is good fun and it keeps me active socially. If you are at all interested in curling you should consider checking us out."
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February birthdays that I know about: Catherine Bond (recently deceased - she would have been 95), Judy Jackson, Darlene Meyers, Gilbert Stolz, Bob Carrier, Judy Fisher, Amy Vander Ploeg, Ton Amy Vander Ploeg, Sophie Chartrand, Kirsten Redding, Paul Steindl, Iris Frenkel, Verna Wright, Clarence Boudreau, Kathy Iselmoe, Joan McKay, Helen Wlasitz, Wendy Wlasitz, Peter Osis, Aurela Kronebusch, Marlene Johnson, Gertraud Hildebrandt, Roman Hildebrandt, Betty Pearson, Raymond Roch, Helen Dahl, Andrea McKenzie, Evelyn Porter, Delores Bircher, Ingrid Maack, Lillian Peter, Ted Scoullar, Jack McKinley, Edna Stitt, Muriel Goodson, Fred Dettling, Marlys Labonte, Anna Sciara, Rosetta Mauro, Chris Jacobs, Joyce Antonyk, Millie Christenson, Doris Dittaro, Irene Carbert, Manfred Hamm, Luisa Botelho, Sandy Shinnie, Neil Peterson, Mary Brizan, Denise Chenail, Joyce Denluck, Anita Laurin, Louis Matte, Mel Pearson, James Stanyer, Mona Strand, Noreen Stubley, Jack Wager, Frances Chroscinski, Lloyd Annis, Rudy Wortman, Ted Girling, Russel Prouse, Audrey Kelly, Barbara Carson, Carol Ventress, Dorothy Mosser, Luci Goodfellow, Judy Johnson, Olga Roux, Wanda Hauff, Dorthy Barks, Connie Card, William Theeseen, Corinne Collins and Chris Marsh.
Anniversaries: 61 years for Keith and Marg McLachlan, 51 years for Ernie and Diana Myers, 51 years for Wayne and Jan Braaten, 51 years for Earl and Lorraine Turner, 22 years for Joe and Janice (Taylor) Anderson, and 14 years for Lino and Kathy Nadalin.
