Families on Record
Families we have
Information About
This is a list of family stories we have on record – if you want the full story on each family, please contact us. And please remember, this is not an exhaustive list, so please do check with us if you are looking for something specific!
Abbott: Mae and Stan Abbott moved to the Upper Bench area of Keremeos in 1967, from the Peace Country.
Advocatt: Bertha’s parents moved to Keremeos from the Nickel Plate in 1907
Armstrong: WH Armstrong purchased the Coulthard land in 1906 and started the Keremeos Land Company managed by J.J. Armstrong. Each of WH’s brothers purchased land in Keremeos.
Agar: The Agar family moved to Cawston in 1918 from Brandon Manitoba.
Barcelo: Emanuel Barcelo was born in Guymas, Mexico in 1834. He acquired land in Cawston in 1885 for the cattle he brought from Mexico.
Barker: Gordon Barker first moved to Hedley in 1936, then bought a 10 acre parcel on Hwy 3A in in 1937.He married Margaret Hawksen in 1943, raising 5 children on their farm.
Beecroft: Percy Beecroft ,his wife and 3 children moved to Cawston in 1918, growing tomatoes on the farm, and Percy worked on the section gang of the Great Northern railway.
Bromley: Peter Bromley moved to a place West of Keremeos in the early 1900’s, and operated a blacksmith shop, raising three children. John Lincoln Bush arrived in Keremeos in 1929 as the Agent for the Great Northern Railway.
Camarta: Esterina Camarta moved to the Similkameen in the 1940s following her son Jim and her daughter Lena.
Carelton: Ben and Ellen Carleton moved to Keremeos in 1914 with 4 children,1 son was born here.
Cawston: Richard Lowe Cawston moved to the Similkameen in 1884, purchasing ranch land from FX Richter. He married the next year,he and his wife raised four sons on the ranch.
Christie: George Christie and family moved to Keremeos in 1911 to manage the Bob Armstrong Orchard.They raised two boys and a daughter.
Clarke: RC Clarke moved to Keremeos in 1912. They had four children, JC the oldest going to run Empire Orchards.
Clark: Herb Clark’s parents lived at Green Mountain, and Herb came to Keremeos in 1927 to work on the Tweedle ranch.
Clifton: Ivan Clifton came to Keremeos in 1916 from Grand Forks as the station agent.
Coleman: T.W. Coleman moved from Ontario to Keremeos Centre in 1901 with his wife and son Lorne operating a drugstore, then a general store.
Crooker: Ernest Crooker moved to Keremeos in 1907, working as a cowboy and then operating a hardware store.
Daly: Tom and Elizabeth Daly moved to in 1885, Keremeos after purchasing the Barrington/Price ranch know as The Willows.
East: The East family, comprised of patriarch A.E. and his wife, along with children Joyce, Jack, Peggie and Madge , made their living as growers of fine produce for hotels and CPR dining cars.
Egli: Emil and Emma Egli (nee Meyer) were both born in Switzerland in 1888 and 1886 respectively. Tey sailed to New York and then to Canada where they set up a homestead north of Edmonton.
Elton: In the year 1910, Ralph F. Elton arrived in Keremeos with his wife and four young children, which included three daughters (seven year old Eveylen, five year old Cecil, and (Two year old Mary), and one son (three year old Michael).
Fewtrell: George Harry Fewtrell was born in Dewsbury Yorkshire England on May 14, 1915, the eldest of three children of Alice and John Henry Fewtrell. The family caqme to Canada in 1921.
Gillanders: William and Laughlin Gillanders were born in the Fraser Valley, where their father delivered mail. He drowned while performing that duty and Mrs. Gillanders married a man named Barber; to the Barbers was born William and Laughlin’s half brother, John Barber.
Harris: Colsey Martin Harris (born 1898) and Sarah Catherine (Sadie) Harris (nee Hogarth, born 1895?) with their five children: 3 sons and 2 daughters came to Keremeos in the fall of 1939 from Badwin, Sask,
Innis: Mr. And Mrs. James and Isabella Innis lived in Cobden, Ontario and raised a family of nine children. The eldest of their children was David John Innis. Born in 1876. By 1900, with James Innis Sr. Previously deceased Mrs. Innis and her brood ventered to the South Similkameen Valley to explore new, and hopefully lucrative, avenues of opportunity.
Kirby: George Kirby and his wife Ada Frances emigrated from England in 1892, arriving in British Columbia with daughters Violet, age two, and Louise an infant. Eventually settling on the piece of property that now is the Keremeos cemetery.
Kirkpatrick: George Miller Kirkpatrick was born in Vancouver on Oct 1st, 1905 one of seven children born to William Jones Kirkpatrick and Margaret Kirkpatrick (nee Miller) George Kirkpatrick took his mother’s maiden name of Miller as his own.
Lowe: William H. Lowe was born of Irish descent, a cousin of Similkameen pioneer R.L. Cawston and nephew R.L.’s mother Maria Lowe-Cawston.
Lang: William Dickson Lang was born on a family farm near Ottawa in 1874, he wed Jessio Helen Stewart iof Indian Head Saskatchewan in 1906.
Liddicoat: William Liddicoat came to Hedley to work the gold mines in 1909 and married Frances at Marylebone, England on Frebruary 8th, 1917.
Loomer: Mr. And Mrs. Loomer came by four-horse stage over the mountain in 1903. A son Carl was born to the Loomers in 1909.
Manery: William James (W.J.) Manery was born in Ontario in 1859 and raised with seven siblings near Sauble River. In 1887, William married Mary Ellen McCurdy and settled in the lower Similkameen.
Marsel: Louie Marsel came to B.C. from Montreal, Quebec in the 1860’. The Marsel name was originally Versielles but Louie was always known in this region as “Marsel”. He married Elizabeth (no sur name available) and raised four sons, Lamont, (“Leon”), Peter, Joseph, and Eneas.
Mattice: John and Agnes Mattice moved to Keremeos with their 5 adult offspring; sons Kora, William, Albert, and Arthur, and one daughter, Margaret Kerr.
McCurdy: Daniel McCurdy born in 1850 in Bruce County, Ontario moved to B.C. in 1884 In 1885 Daniel travelled back to Ontario to collect his young family comprised of wife Louisa, and children Sarah (age seven), Sam (age 5), and Robert (age 3).
McLean: Sylvester McLean was known as “Mountain” and was from the Lower Similkameen Band in Keremeos. Mountain was born January 1, 1907 and died in 1991 at the age of 84.
Miller: Wilf Miller married his wife Annie Miller and had 4 daughters; Beth, Bernice, Marna and Rhonda. Wilf has an extensive family history that dates back to the 1600s.
Mills: Ezra Mills was born in 1864 and moved to Hedley in December 1905 then moved to Keremeos in 1907. He married in 1905 and had Effie, blair, Leotta, Bill, and Ernest Mills.
Nameth: Andy and Irene Nameth arrived in Keremeos on July 3rd, 1960. They had 3 children Guy, Cathie, and Gordon.
Parsons: Harold Bertram Parsons (H.B.) “Harry” Parsons married Laura Lang and had 6 children; Douglas Kilvert , Russell, Dorothy, H.B. “Bill”, Frederick, and Mary.
Price: Barrington Price was born in Hereford England in 1841 and cam to the Similkameen valley in the 1870’s purchasing the land where the Grist mill sits in 1973. History shows Barrington marrying Millie Skuse and having one daughter, Mille and also being wed to a lady named Katherine. His marriage to Katherine produced one child, a daughter named Edda.
Quaedvlieg: Henry Hubert Quadvlieg was born in Heerlen, Netherlands in 1853. He married Augusta Elizabeth Pinsdorf in 1890. The Quadvlieg’s had four children Elizabeth Leonie, Hubert Henrick Victor, Hugo, Nathien Emmanuel Walter, and Eugene Jacob.
Richter: Francis Xavier Richter was born in Freidland, Bohemia on November 5, 1837. In late 1864 he and a swiss man named King arrived in the Okanagan / Similkameen area to start cattle ranching. He married Lucy simla Acat in 1867 or 1868 and had 5 sons; Charles, Joseph, William, Edward, and John “hans” Richter. He married Florence Elizabeth Loudon in 1894 and sired 6 children; Betty, Freida, Frances, Helen, Kathleen. And Frances X. Richter Jr.
Sanderson: Gerald Sanderson son of Louis Sanderson of Saskatchewan followed his sister Bea to Cawston. Bea had built the Amber Light Garage. Gerald bought the farm across the street in 1946. In 1952 Gerqald married Jean Morely they had 2 children Dianne and Doug.
Schneider: David and Hilda Schneider and their nine children moved to Keremeos from Foam Lake in 1941. The children Idella Mae, Wilmer Phillip, Leo Albert, Betty Lou, Gordon Leonard, Shirley Esther, Margaret Rose, Violet Hilda and Clarence David, 2 more children were born after their arrival in Keremeos, Laura Jean and Kenneth James.
Scott: George Albert Scott was born in 1896 and came to Keremeos in 1920 after fighting in the war. George married Kathleen Stevens in 1929 they had one son George (Scotty) Scott born in 1940.
Sorge: Frank Carl Sorge was born in Freemont, Nebraska in 1885 one of ten children. He first came to Keremeos in 1908 Frank married Anna Pedy in 1912. They raised 3 daughters mary, (Annie) Ruth, and Dorothy.
Strong: Dewain Strong married Lena camarta in 1940, they had 2 children Earl Marvin, and Lorna Gae. They moved to Keremeos in 1942 when earl was one years old and before Lorna was born.
Suprenant / Surprise: Francis Suprenant (Frank Surprise) was born in 1840 . Sometime during the 1860s Frank and Manuel Barcelo brought cattle into the valley. Shortly after this time Frank married Sophie Stinwesket and they had five children; Julia, Matilda, Baptiste, Francis II, Mary, Lena and Julianna.
Terbasket: Michael Thomas Terbasket was born in the Richter Ranch in 1882. It is said that he raised 10 children.
Tickell: Christopher Tickell left his home in Liverpool, England on February 10, 1911. Christopher married Nellie Manery and they had 4 children; Frank, William (Bill), Eileen, and Diane.
Tweddle: Haliburton “Harry” Tweddle was born in Cumberland, England in 1876 he married Florence Elizabeth Richter in 1912. They had 4 children; Haliburton T. (Hal), Margaret, Eileen, and Willa.
More family names to come!