Remembering uncle Ken and other family members of the past

Submitted by Fred Hauck
Recently my uncle Ken Hauck passed away at the age of 64 years-old; the same age as my dad Alfred, who passed away in 2009. And it got me thinking about my family’s history in this corner of the province.
My dad’s grandfather Fred Hauck homesteaded in the Cypress hills back in 1904. In those days, homesteaders also got mineral rights along with their land. The territorial government of the day couldn’t see any real value in the natural resources in the ground. When Alberta became a province in 1905 this all changed, and the government kept the rights. My family still retains their rights, and I am told so does my great grandfather’s brother Adam Hauck’s family.
Both my grandmother’s family and my grandfather’s came out west of Redcliff. My grandmother’s family, the Seefrieds, came to the Lake Valley District, (southwest of Redcliff), in 1928. My grandfather in 1940 came to the Bowell District straight west of Redcliff. All of these folks were farmers, and, in turn, so were their offspring.
My granddad Fred, my grandmother’s two brothers Albert and Clarence Seefried, and one cousin named Oscar Seefried, all volunteered their musical services, and played for Bowell and Lake Valley school dances. Living in a rural, farm community this, along with baseball games, was the Big End of pleasure time.
Work on the farm back then always seemed to involve a lot of horses. I remember my dad talking about driving a team of horses at a very young age, doing as a kid what seemed like a hired man’s job at times. My great grandparents also had hired men; some of these were more Redcliff men like Jigs Goodine, Hank Jacobson and Dick Moore who helped at harvest time. And then there was Bill Campbell, who was there permanently for years. But my grandfather always had his kids for help. I remember being out at my grandparents’ farm feeding cows in the winter with the horses and the bobsleigh, or with horses and header box.
My uncle Ken was the was the youngest and last to leave home so he would do some of these chores, or at harvest time he would stack bales on the stoneboat behind the John Deere 14T bailer and McCormic W6 tractor. Even before my grandparents left the farm, my uncle took on the mechanic work and would patch up the old Chev. or GMC trucks. (I remember some half tons with as many as four or five different colours on body parts). Later on, he bought and sold wrecked trucks and parts, and for many years owned and operated Ken Hauck Towing and Truck Repair. His big, red, tow trucks and red pick-up were a common sight at Trukker’s. He will be missed by many.
My grandparents and great grandparents had some neighbours that some older Redcliff residents would remember like Raymond and Maude Dubeau, George and Lydia Lapp, Neil Rutherford and Severn Olsen. These were all good neighbours and deserve a mention. The Dubeaus were honourary pallbearers at my granddad’s funeral.
My parents came to Redcliff in the early 1970s. My dad worked at Dominion Glass and Western Canada Power and Fuel for several years. They also did a lot of volunteer work in the community over the years on various committees, and in 2009 were named Redcliff’s Citizens of the Year. Unfortunately, Dad passed away before the award was received. In 2015, I also received the same award for all my volunteer years in town. I was 21 years with the museum, five with the Legion, and many years with the now defunct Redcliff Angling Association. I am still active in the Anglican church in Redcliff. All of this is now part of my family history, and so my writing continues.
I’ve always had a keen interest, as my dad did, in local history. I recently had a woman from Sedgwick, Alberta compliment me on my articles. It is great to hear from readers, and thanks again to all for you kind attention. All the best of the season!

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