My story this week is about a relatively new newcomer to Prince George. I would like to introduce you to Marie (Kehler) Trew who moved to Prince George from Hudson Hope via Saskatchewan in 2010. Here is her story in a nutshell:
Marie was born in Prelate, Saskatchewan in 1928. She remembers the dirty 30s and all the Saskatchewan dust storms very well. She said, "I remember as a child being tucked into bed with a clean handkerchief over my nose to keep me safe from all the dust if there was a storm. We stuffed wet clothes where ever there was an air space in our house to try and keep out the dust. If there were any leaks we soon found drifts of dust and we knew to plug that leak as well."
In 1938 and at the age of ten the family moved to Leader, Saskatchewan. Marie finished high school and moved to Victoria to take her nurses training at St Joseph's Hospital. After three years of training she graduated as a registered nurse in 1949 and then went back to Saskatchewan. She had considered moving to the States to practice nursing but in the end went back to where her family lived.
That proved to be the right choice because that was where she renewed an old friendship with school friend Rodney Trew. They were married in 1953 and together they raised three children, Jacquie of Prince George, Randy (deceased) and Barbara of Gibsons. She now has six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren - all of which own a huge part of her heart.
After they got married the couple moved to Edmonton where Marie worked as a nurse at the general hospital in obstetrics. Marie loved the work because she assisted with the birth of new babies and at times delivered them if the doctor did not make it to the hospital on time.
Work had started on the W.A.C. Bennett Dam in Hudson Hope and Rod saw lots of opportunities. The couple packed up their family and in 1962 they moved to Hudson Hope and opened the first retail store in town.
They lived and worked in Hudson Hope for 36 years. They saw the town grow from 50 people to 3,000 people due to all of the construction. They also saw the town dwindle down to the current population of about 1,200 people; now the town mainly consists of Hydro production people and their families.
During their 36 years in Hudson Hope they became very involved in the community. They owned Rod's News and Men's Wear Store; basically a general store where they sold everything except groceries. Marie did all the alterations to the men's clothing and many times worked late into the night just to keep up.
Marie also filled in as a nurse at the Outpost Red Cross Station. The Red Cross Station had a couple of beds quite like an emergency room. There was no full time doctor in Hudson Hope so Marie volunteered at the station for two years and was on call with a direct line to a doctor in Fort St. John. The doctor would give her instructions for medication or to arrange transportation of a patient to the hospital in Fort St. John.
Marie could not work full time due to her commitments to the family and the store. Quite often people needing attention came to her house and she applied bandages, butterfly tape, slings and advice as needed.
Marie was always there for everyone that needed her help. There was no barber in town so she even cut hair on the side. She said, "Our motto was: 'We Serve' and we did!"
They quickly expanded and Rod built a new building with pool tables and the vision of a community hall. He unsuccessfully applied for a liquor license. The workers in the town wanted a drink at the end of a hard day so they did not frequent his pool hall. It was then that he changed his direction and turned the building into a bigger store.
Marie and Rod volunteered for all the activities that their children were involved in. Rod served on the hospital board, the regional board and was an active member of the Lions Club moving all the way up to the position of Deputy District Governor. Rod served as a City Councilor for five years and then was elected as the Mayor of Hudson Hope for three years. He did not run for a second term because of the demands of his business and family obligations.
They sold the store in 1991. Then in 1996 they sold everything else and moved back to Saskatoon to look after Marie's ailing mother. It was there in 2001 that Rodney passed away after nearly 50 years of marriage. Marie's health went downhill due to a heart condition and at the request of her daughter Jacquie, she moved to Prince George in 2010.
Marie happily said, "I love Prince George. I have a wonderful doctor and I belong to two great senior centres. I play bridge at the Prince George and District Senior Citizens Activity Centre on Brunswick Street and the Elder Citizens Recreation Centre on Tenth Avenue and they are both wonderful places. They are warm, kind and welcoming senior centres and I have made many new friends. I just turned 86 and I am thankful every day for my life. My family and my friends are all in my prayers every day."
