JOCK YOUNG FAMILY

by Jo Young and Carol Tucker

In 1905 John Michie Young, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland and his wife (the former Marie Joel who was born in Switzerland) with their infant daughter Rosalie, came to the Turner Valley area where they took up residence on a homestead. They lived in and around Turner Valley until 1916. At one time they resided on a homestead on the south side of Sheep River near the Forest Reserve. In 1906 Maurice Albert Michie (Jock) Young was born near the Big Rock. He was the second of six children to John and Marie. They came to know residence of the area at that time including the Bob Price, Dan Pierce, Starling and Walt Renard families. In 1916 they moved to the Scotfield and Youngstown district and later back to the Westfield Beach, N.B. Maurice was the only one to return to Alberta. The remaining living members of his family all reside in upper New York State.

In 1928 Jock returned to Youngstown to work for a cattle rancher. While employed with this family he went with them to Athabasca in 1931. There he met Josephine Senz and eight years later, after travelling overseas numerous times with cattle boats he returned to Athabasca. He and Jo were married in 1939, and bought a farm. They raised grain and milked cows, and during the winter he hauled logs with his team of horses for the sawmill. While on the farm they were blessed with five girls and a boy. With none of the conveniences of today, making a living was much harder than it is now; but then with six children there was always fun and laughter in the home.

In 1951, they sold their farm and moved to the Oilfields. They lived in Black Diamond for a year and then lived south of Black Diamond for three years, where the children attended Glenmede School, which has since been torn down. There were two teachers, Mrs. Wegelin and Mrs. Oborne. In 1954 they returned to Black Diamond and in the fall of 1956 they bought an old home and moved it to the Royalite flat in Turner Valley.

Jock worked first for the Royalite Oil Co. and then for Bernard Construction. While employed with Bernard Construction he was badly burned while plowing a fireguard around Battery 14, wellhead. Jock worked with the succeeding owners of Bernard Construction, Maurice Decap and Tom Campbell. He then worked three years for Colpitt's Dairy farm, north of Calgary. During his last few years, when he was able, he worked with Ed Smith at the golf course. "Jo" worked at the Turner Valley Hospital, from December 1964 to March 1973 in the laundry room, quitting due to Jock's ill health.

The Young children finished their education at Black Diamond and Turner Valley. Never having an abundance of money, they all worked at various part-time jobs through their school years. The girls set pins at the bowling alley, did housecleaning and baby sitting. Dick worked on various farms on weekends and summer holidays. In March 1960, he joined the Navy and until February 1963 served with H.M.C.S. Conwalllis off the Eastern coast, and was fortunate to see some of the world.

Jock suffered several strokes and other complications, from 1973-75 and passed away while a resident of Lacombe Nursing Home, July 1, 1975. Jo then sold her home in Turner Valley, and bought a trailer home in Okotoks, where she is an active grandmother.

From, "IN THE LIGHT OF THE FLARES," pg 745-746
1979 published by The Sheep River Historical Society