Camrose, Alberta

Camrose was originally called Sparling Alberta

Home of my wife's family, the Jeremiah “Jerry” Twomey Family.
Today there are still some 2nd cousins, once removed, living in the area.

1st Great Grand Uncle of my wife, Dennis J. Twomey was the first to arrive in the Twomey family,
Jan 16, 1907 he was elected to the First Camrose Town Council, becoming Mayor of Camrose, 1909-1910, and again in 1914,
Dennis owned a Hardware Store, Real Estate Business, Stoney Creek Collieries Ltd.(Mine #244), Round Hill Collieries Ltd.(Mine #250) Coal Mines, and other property in or near Camrose.
1923 AB Mine Directory shows Dennis Twomey as Managing Director of Stoney Creek Collieries Ltd. (Mine #244)
Mine Office in Camrose, Mine located at L.S. 1, Sec 33, Township 46, Range 20, W4, 200 acres in size, 4ft 6“ seam, 82 ft of top cover.
Directors, Dennis, Frank L. Farley, and E. L. Scotwold. (Enoch L. Scotvold? Lewis Scotvold?)

Dennis Jeremiah Twomey
b- Jan 21, 1875 in Fenelon Falls, ON
d- Feb 5, 1940 in Camrose AB
buried in Camrose Valleyview Cemetery, Camrose AB.

Dennis Twomey came to Alberta in 1898 on the advice of his physician from Fenelon Falls Ontario.
He located in Strathcona with a cousin, J. J. Duggan (John Joseph Duggan) who later became Mayor of Strathcona.
1901 census shows Dennis as a boarder with the J. J. Duggan family, in Strathcona. It shows Dennis as a Book Keeper, J. J. as a Merchant
J. J. Duggan's family home from 1907-1931, is now a heritage home in Edmonton.

In 1905 Dennis drove with his cousin, William George “Billy” Duggan (brother to J. J. Duggan) to Sparling, now Camrose AB.,
And bought the Harry Foucar Hardware store, in partnership with Billy. It was located on Lot 22, Block 2
Day of Dennis Twomey's funeral all business in Camrose was closed from 10-11 am in his memory.
Dennis Twomey was a Rotary Member, Boy Scout Supporter, Horticultural Society Member, Etc.
The Duggan family went on to own many things in Camrose, one was the Duggan Gau Store.

Twomey Farm, three miles east of Camrose on Highway 13

Dennis brought his Nephew, my wife's Grandfather, Jeremiah “Jerry” Twomey, to do the books, and manage the coal mine he owned at Round Hill.
Both came from Fenelon Falls ON. where the Twomey clan were one of the first settlers,
Back to a Jeremiah Twomey, from Cork, Ireland, an early Blacksmith in Fenelon Falls.
1923 AB Mine directory shows Jerry Twomey as Secretary-Treasurer of Round Hill Collieries Ltd. (Mine #250) Mine Office at Round Hill
Mine Located at SE 1/4 Sec 30, Township 48, Range 18, W4, 80 acres, 7 ft seam, 18 ft of top cover

Jeremiah “Jerry” Twomey
b- June 24, 1889 in Fenelon Falls, ON
d- Oct 1, 1978, Winnipeg MB
buried in Section M - St Mary's Cemetery, Osborne St, Winnipeg, MB.
son of Jeremiah Twomey, and Margaret Lenihan,
His father was a Hotel Keeper and major land owner in Fenelon Falls, ON
It seems the Twomey family were stuck on the name Jeremiah, and no middle name, to distinquish them apart. Makes Genealogy research on this family a treat!
Jerry Twomey moved his whole family to Winnipeg in 1928

As it turns out my wife's Grandmother was a Forster, and her Great Grandfather was Victor Emmanuel Forster, another Business Owner in Camrose.

He sold Farm Implements in Camrose
Victor was also Mayor of Camrose. 1919-1922 for 2 terms


Victor Emmanuel Forster
b- Feb 24, 1867 Neustadt, ON
d- July 3, 1939 Camrose AB
buried in Camrose Valleyview Cemetery
2 of his sons enlisted in WWII, Frank Forster and Athol Forster. Athol Laurier Forster died in 1944 in London England.
Victor's brother, Martin Luther Forster, owned the Hotel in Wainwright, that was rebuilt as an exact replica, in the Heritage Park in Calgary
Martin L. Forster was Mayor of Wainwright AB from 1927-1935
Martin also owned the Lakeview Hotel at Wabamun AB.
Victor and Martin's father was Martin Förster, a Veterinary Surgeon in Neustadt ON.
Per Jerry Twomey's notes Victor bought the land, and started the cemetery in Camrose. I have never verified this.
He owned a Woolen Mill in Clarksburg ON before selling out and building a home in Camrose, and moving his family to Camrose.
The Forster home was next door to the Twomey Home.
It seems the Twomey and Forster families alternated being Mayor of the town in the early years
The difference in the religions in the 2 families was a cause of concern more than once in Camrose, according to family legend.
Presbyterian for the Forsters, and Catholic for the Twomeys.

Another famous family member from Camrose, was Arthur Cornelius Twomey, son of Dennis J. Twomey

Dr. Arthur Cornelius Twomey
b- Oct 15, 1908, Camrose AB
d- Nov 10, 1994 Ingleside Nursing Home, Borough of Old Tappan, Bergen Co., New Jersey
He received his B.S. in Zoology from the University of Alberta in 1934,
Then his M.Sc. in 1935, and his Ph.D. in 1937, both in Zoology, from the University of Illinois at Champaign, Urbana
He was the Curator of Ornathology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh for many years.
Co-Author of “Needle to the North” book.
Director of Education for the Carnegie Museum, who gave lecturers around the the world.
He got interested in birds and wildlife, from Frank L. Farley, a local Camrose man, who was in partnership with Dennis Twomey in their Real Estate Business
Frank Farley was the uncle of Farley Mowatt, the famous Canadian author.

And then we have a more recent relative of my wife, her Uncle,

Jeremiah “Jerry” Forster Twomey. (1915-2008)
Possibly the most colourful relative of all.
Oldest son of Jerry Twomey above, Jerry was born in Camrose.
He moved with his family in 1928 to Winnipeg MB.
He received a Bachelor of Science and Agriculture Degree with a major in Genetics, from the University of Manitoba,
Followed by post-graduate studies in Taxonomy and Genetics at the University of Minnesota
He became a world reknowned Geneticist, World award winning Rose Breeder, First Inuit Art Collector to record Artists information, and at one time had 4,000 in his collection, and one of the first group to sell Canadian Wheat to the Russians, also he was involved in a secret plan to grow hardy vegetable seeds for Britian during WWII, which were flown over there, and much more.
At age 24 he bred a Gladioli, named “Margaret Beaton” after his grandmother, that won the 1939 World Fair First Place Prize of $10,000, and it is still sold today.
He started T&T Seeds in Winnipeg, with another fellow, who he bought out. Eventually going into business with his brother Paddy Twomey, who ended up owning the Company for years.
Uncle Jerry was full of stories, and before he died he took a trip through rural Alberta, with a nephew, and he remembered all the farmers names, years after he lived and worked there.

http://www.ourroots.ca

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