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Colin Curtis

April 25, 2003

Colin Curtis passed away peacefully at Heritage House in Cariboo Lodge April 25, 2003.

Colin was the last remaining child of pioneers Harry and Julia Curtis.

He was born on March 5, 1915 at Chimney Creek by the Fraser River.

At the age of five Colin started school in Williams Lake where they held their classes under a clump of trees until the school was built on the present site of the library.

At the age of nine Colin started competing in the rodeo events at the Williams Lake Stampede.

At the age of 11 Colin won the boys steer riding championship.

He repeated his success the following two years andwas presented with a leather belt with an engraved silver buckle.

At the age of 14, Colin chose to go to work instead of continuing his schooling. His first job was at the Alkali Ranch in 1929 where he worked at the sawmill.

He also worked on weekends to help build the big Woodward house, and was there for four years.

For extra money, Colin taught young Chunky Woodward to ride a horse in the evenings.

As well as being a carpenter and an accomplished axeman, Colin went on to become a boilermaker, a trade which he pursued for 32 years and retired when he was 67 years old.

While working with the Bickerton Steel Erectors, Colin worked in various towns throughout B.C.

In 1937 Colin married Ethel “Siss” Bambrick at the St. Joseph’s Mission in Williams Lake.

Together they had four children. Luela, and Allen, were born in Williams Lake.

Colin and Ethel and their two children left Williams Lake in 1942 to live in Vancouver where daughter Leora and son Colin Jr. were born.

Colin and Ethel (now Annamay) separated in 1951 and then divorced.

Colin met Maxine Dowling in Vancouver and together they built a home in Coquitlam.

They were together until Maxine passed away in 1969. In 1971, Colin married Rose (Atkinson), and in 1974 they moved to Williams Lake and built a home on Dog Creek Road. Rose passed away in 1977.

In 1986, Colin built his third home on South Lakeside, overlooking the lake.

Colin lived there until he moved into Cariboo Lodge in 1999.

During his early retirement years, Colin loved to hunt, fish and camp. He also liked to travel to all of the rodeos in the Cariboo and in the fall he would travel to Edmonton, for the rodeo finals.

In the spring, with friends, or one of his nephew’s he liked to take a trip to Reno for a few days.

He also had his own vegetable and flower garden every year and was always very active.

Colin was a people person. He loved to talk and socialize with everyone. He was always there to help anyone who needed it. He was a friend to all and will be sadly missed by all who knew him.

Colin is survived by his sister-in-law Dora Curtis of Williams Lake; son Allen (Judy) Curtis of Williams Lake; daughter Leora (Bob) Lahoda of Williams Lake, and son Colin (Kim) Curtis Jr. of Vancouver; 10 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.




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