In their 46 years of marriage Syl and Linda Meise have seen many changes in Prince George. Syl arrived from Saskatchewan with his family in 1948 to a Prince George with wooden sidewalks and a population of approximately 3,500. He attended Pineview Elementary School located where the Pineview Community Hall is presently located. At 15 Syl went to work logging with horses near Summit Lake, then went on to other forestry jobs and a few years with the Experimental Farm, before taking up trucking. Linda was raised in Winfield near Kelowna where she helped on the family farm and found summer work in nearby orchards, restaurants and at a local newspaper office.
Syl and Linda soon bought a piece of land and built a small cabin on it with one electrical outlet and no running water, and lived there for a year while they put in a well and built a larger home. They now had logging trucks of their own, which meant 14-16 hour work days for Syl with weekends spent on truck maintenance. Linda learned to drive truck, did the bookkeeping for the business and also worked for the Ministry of Forests. They both enjoyed volunteering, sports and community dances which were usually family events with older children learning to dance and younger ones playing on the dance floor until they fell asleep at the table under the watchful eyes of their parents.
With a son and daughter added to their family, plus several horses, they decided to buy a small hobby farm. This meant more work but also a lot of fun with the whole family milking goats, fixing fences and competing in gymkhanas. In his spare time Syl trained horses and was an outrider for chuck wagon and chariot races. As well they both belonged to the community Volunteer Fire Department.
In 1980 Syl switched from truck driving to bus driving. Driving school, city and charter bus combined two favorite activities - driving and meeting people. Many in Prince George remember him as their favorite driver whether across town or across the province.
Syl and Linda continue to volunteer with various groups, Linda as a provincial Director of the BC Seniors Games, while Syl coaches slo pitch. They are both gold and silver medal winners many times over at the B.C. Senior Games, both in individual and team events. They not only help organize and fundraise for these games, they are also active participants.
The amazing and totally united Syl and Linda Meise team have been together for 46 years and between them they have close to 100 years of volunteer work in our community. I could see no signs of either one of them slowing down.
Syl and Linda helped open the Seniors Drop in Centre at the Pineview Hall at 6470 Bendixon Road and as well they are involved with the drama group at the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre.
Syl recently received the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal and he proudly told me that they are both signed up volunteers for the 2015 Canada Winter Games.
Dance to the music of the Elks Elastic Band at 425 Brunswick St. on Saturday May 4th from 8 pm to midnight. Admission is $10 at the door, everyone 19 and over is welcome.
Send me your seniors' information at: [email protected]
