Author: Keith James Kleinsteuber, in collaboration with Keith Millard
Note: Alec Kleinsteuber was the author's father, and this story is as told to and remembered by his son Keith James Kleinsteuber
The Early Years:
Alexander Kleinsteuber was born in August of 1906 in the log home of his parents, Charles Eleazer Kleinsteuber and Mary Eliza Kenny, in the German Settlement founded by his German immigrant grandfather and uncles in Elzevir Township, Hastings County, Ontario.
In early childhood he lived in the German Settlement near Actinolite and about 11km north of Tweed. Throughout his whole life there were always fond reminiscences from this time, such as the horse and buggy rides and being able to hear the birds singing as they travelled quietly in the sand. The ‘Sheep Rock’, the footbridge over the Skootamatta river, and the sound of the church bell ringing in the distance, these and many other early experiences were all clear in his memory.
At about age eight (circa 1914) he moved to West Lake where he lived with his family near the Sand Banks. This is where he grew from a child to be a young man. Memories from this time included attending school, skating on the lake, playing baseball, family reunions, and many other events such as the socials that were organized by the church. Fishermen, farmers, boat builders, wonderful cooks, musicians, and all manner of colourful personalities came to life in his recollections about his family and neighbours.
Click on photos to enlarge or cursor over for caption:
Note: Alec Kleinsteuber was the author's father, and this story is as told to and remembered by his son Keith James Kleinsteuber
The Early Years:
Alexander Kleinsteuber was born in August of 1906 in the log home of his parents, Charles Eleazer Kleinsteuber and Mary Eliza Kenny, in the German Settlement founded by his German immigrant grandfather and uncles in Elzevir Township, Hastings County, Ontario.
In early childhood he lived in the German Settlement near Actinolite and about 11km north of Tweed. Throughout his whole life there were always fond reminiscences from this time, such as the horse and buggy rides and being able to hear the birds singing as they travelled quietly in the sand. The ‘Sheep Rock’, the footbridge over the Skootamatta river, and the sound of the church bell ringing in the distance, these and many other early experiences were all clear in his memory.
At about age eight (circa 1914) he moved to West Lake where he lived with his family near the Sand Banks. This is where he grew from a child to be a young man. Memories from this time included attending school, skating on the lake, playing baseball, family reunions, and many other events such as the socials that were organized by the church. Fishermen, farmers, boat builders, wonderful cooks, musicians, and all manner of colourful personalities came to life in his recollections about his family and neighbours.
Click on photos to enlarge or cursor over for caption:
The Prairies Years:
As a young man in the 1920’s, Alec looked West for adventure and began to spend the late Summers grain harvesting in Saskatchewan.
During the harvests the vast blue skies of the prairies and the new frontier had ‘cast their charm’ on “Alec” (as he referred to himself). He decided to settle in the West, and chose Nut Mountain, Saskatchewan (named after the many hazelnut trees that grew in the area), and the Assiniboine River has its headwaters in the nearby Nut Hills.
This experience had its trials. Life was not easy on the Prairies. With the onset of the ‘Great Depression’, he had to work long and hard for very little more than his keep at times. In 1936 he married Sophia Boris and began a family and machinery repair business almost at the same time. A daughter, Betty Ann was born in 1937.
With a keen interest in technical things and having “grown up with the automobile” he possessed a remarkable ability with mechanical things. He repaired all kinds of automotive and farm equipment. He did such diverse things as providing emergency medical transportation in harsh winter conditions with a snow plane (a canvas enclosed vehicle which he had constructed himself, fitted with skis and driven by a propeller that he had also made!).
Two sons were born – Eslie Charles in 1942, and Stewart Alexander in 1945. The business grew and developed into a full service repair shop that sold fuel, cars, tractors and other farm equipment. Later on, a lumberyard was added and trucking services.
Sophia looked after the children and household as well as lent her support to the business. She could be found pumping gas at odd hours and doing many other things as needed. Another son, Keith James was born in 1951.
In the 1950’s the farm based community experienced hard times, with successive years of crop failure and poor market conditions. In Dad’s own words: “Business was good but nobody had any money – everything was out on the books.” This resulted in a devastating loss for the whole family. House and home were left behind and most personal possessions were auctioned for pennies on the dollar.
The house is long gone but as close as I can recall it would have been on the North side of 1st Avenue about 1 block East of Main St. The garage would have been on the SE corner of the intersection of Main St. and Highway 49 (the garage is also long gone) - only the cement sidewalk remains where I used to sometimes ride my tricycle. I have a story about that trike. One minute I was riding it and in the next it was being auctioned off in advance of moving to Golden BC - I had not a clue why any of this was happening!!! (I was 5).
Click on photos to enlarge or cursor over for caption, or click on the video (6 min clip about Nut Mountain):
As a young man in the 1920’s, Alec looked West for adventure and began to spend the late Summers grain harvesting in Saskatchewan.
During the harvests the vast blue skies of the prairies and the new frontier had ‘cast their charm’ on “Alec” (as he referred to himself). He decided to settle in the West, and chose Nut Mountain, Saskatchewan (named after the many hazelnut trees that grew in the area), and the Assiniboine River has its headwaters in the nearby Nut Hills.
This experience had its trials. Life was not easy on the Prairies. With the onset of the ‘Great Depression’, he had to work long and hard for very little more than his keep at times. In 1936 he married Sophia Boris and began a family and machinery repair business almost at the same time. A daughter, Betty Ann was born in 1937.
With a keen interest in technical things and having “grown up with the automobile” he possessed a remarkable ability with mechanical things. He repaired all kinds of automotive and farm equipment. He did such diverse things as providing emergency medical transportation in harsh winter conditions with a snow plane (a canvas enclosed vehicle which he had constructed himself, fitted with skis and driven by a propeller that he had also made!).
Two sons were born – Eslie Charles in 1942, and Stewart Alexander in 1945. The business grew and developed into a full service repair shop that sold fuel, cars, tractors and other farm equipment. Later on, a lumberyard was added and trucking services.
Sophia looked after the children and household as well as lent her support to the business. She could be found pumping gas at odd hours and doing many other things as needed. Another son, Keith James was born in 1951.
In the 1950’s the farm based community experienced hard times, with successive years of crop failure and poor market conditions. In Dad’s own words: “Business was good but nobody had any money – everything was out on the books.” This resulted in a devastating loss for the whole family. House and home were left behind and most personal possessions were auctioned for pennies on the dollar.
The house is long gone but as close as I can recall it would have been on the North side of 1st Avenue about 1 block East of Main St. The garage would have been on the SE corner of the intersection of Main St. and Highway 49 (the garage is also long gone) - only the cement sidewalk remains where I used to sometimes ride my tricycle. I have a story about that trike. One minute I was riding it and in the next it was being auctioned off in advance of moving to Golden BC - I had not a clue why any of this was happening!!! (I was 5).
Click on photos to enlarge or cursor over for caption, or click on the video (6 min clip about Nut Mountain):
The "Golden" Years:
In 1956 at age 50, with his young family and precious few resources Alec moved the family to an uncertain future in Golden BC. Sophie and Alexander had visited B.C. the year before and they were very impressed! At this time B.C. was in a period of rapid development. He believed that B.C. held the promise of opportunities for the whole family.
‘Strangers in a strange land’, the family had to adapt to the very different culture of a logging and lumbering village nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Alec worked variously as a labourer on the Trans Canada Highway project, sawmill worker, then he later operated his own trucking company. The youngest member of the family, Terrance Dale was born 1959.
In 1960 fate was to deal another hard blow. At age 54 his pelvis was severely crushed in an industrial accident – doctors told him that he would not walk again. After a lengthy convalescence, the doctors were proved to be mistaken! Alec took training in First Aid and lumber grading, and worked in various sawmills until his late seventies.
At the same time as he was working in sawmills he started developing his “profitable hobby” (circa. 1964) of growing raspberries. This was something he loved and continued to do until near the end of his life at age 96. Each spring he would emerge from the long winter to tend his raspberries. His produce had unlimited demand. Many local people as well as the chefs at Chateau Lake Louise and at the Banff Chateau would wait anxiously for his berries to make their seasonal desserts.
Although Dad’s life choices led him far from his family, he liked to share his memories of his early life in Ontario and in later years he visited ‘back East’ many times. Dad was always proud of his heritage and it was clear from how often his family were in his thoughts that they were very important to him. Dad loved to travel by car and would make marathon trips back to Ontario in as few as 3 days from Golden – even at an advanced age!
Alec Kleinsteuber was an optimistic man with a quick wit, sparkling blue eyes and a sense of humour that remained with him to his dying days at age 96.
My parent’s remains are buried in a shared plot in the cemetery at Golden BC marked with a simple polished red granite stone.
Click on photos to enlarge or cursor over for caption:
In 1956 at age 50, with his young family and precious few resources Alec moved the family to an uncertain future in Golden BC. Sophie and Alexander had visited B.C. the year before and they were very impressed! At this time B.C. was in a period of rapid development. He believed that B.C. held the promise of opportunities for the whole family.
‘Strangers in a strange land’, the family had to adapt to the very different culture of a logging and lumbering village nestled in the Rocky Mountains. Alec worked variously as a labourer on the Trans Canada Highway project, sawmill worker, then he later operated his own trucking company. The youngest member of the family, Terrance Dale was born 1959.
In 1960 fate was to deal another hard blow. At age 54 his pelvis was severely crushed in an industrial accident – doctors told him that he would not walk again. After a lengthy convalescence, the doctors were proved to be mistaken! Alec took training in First Aid and lumber grading, and worked in various sawmills until his late seventies.
At the same time as he was working in sawmills he started developing his “profitable hobby” (circa. 1964) of growing raspberries. This was something he loved and continued to do until near the end of his life at age 96. Each spring he would emerge from the long winter to tend his raspberries. His produce had unlimited demand. Many local people as well as the chefs at Chateau Lake Louise and at the Banff Chateau would wait anxiously for his berries to make their seasonal desserts.
Although Dad’s life choices led him far from his family, he liked to share his memories of his early life in Ontario and in later years he visited ‘back East’ many times. Dad was always proud of his heritage and it was clear from how often his family were in his thoughts that they were very important to him. Dad loved to travel by car and would make marathon trips back to Ontario in as few as 3 days from Golden – even at an advanced age!
Alec Kleinsteuber was an optimistic man with a quick wit, sparkling blue eyes and a sense of humour that remained with him to his dying days at age 96.
My parent’s remains are buried in a shared plot in the cemetery at Golden BC marked with a simple polished red granite stone.
Click on photos to enlarge or cursor over for caption:
