THE GEORGE KELSO FAMILY by George Kelso

    I was born in Russell in 1898, son of James Kelso and Priscilla Robins Kelso. My two sisters, Anne and Jessie, were born there also. Anne is now Mrs. Howard McIntosh and resides in Rossburn. Jessie lives in Roblin.
    When I was eleven years of age, we moved to Rossburn and it was there, after my school years, that I started working, in the creamery.  It was there also that I married Olive Irwin of that town.
    In 1924 Smellie Bros. bought the Rossburn and Shellmouth Creameries and Larry Langford of Shellmouth and I went to Russell to work.  My wife, daughter Betty, who was two weeks old and I moved our belongings there in April, just at the start of the busy season.  Owing to the extra cream coming in, which had to be handled, Our hours were long and ardous. On the staff that year were Charlie Hodgkins, Cliff Whitmer, Bill Naylor, Archie Brown and Bill Sherbrook, the Government Cream Grader. The quality of cream was excellent and we decided to start making exhibition butter and in the following years many major awards were won at Exhibitions across Canada.  In 1933 the Russell Creamery was awarded the Western Canada Championship, and the Dominion Championship for highest total score at fourteen Exhibitions.
    In 1930-31 the School had an excellent hockey team and won the North Wester1n School League and shield. On this team were - Jim Hill, Tom Hembroff, Mit McIntyre, Burgess and Jack Miller, Marshall McDonagh, Jack Hughes and Harold Coulter. Mr. Jack Doughty, Assistant School Principal, was manager and I was coach of the team.   They were fine boys and it was a pleasure to work with them.
    In 1934, we moved to Roblin where Smellie Bros. built a new creamery. At that time I became a partner and manager of the new plant until 1944 when I took on the job of supervising the five plants.
    We have lived in Roblin now for over thirty years.  My daughters, Betty, who is Mrs. Harold Keast, lives here too; Phyllis, who is Mrs. Nes, Mudry, lives in Winnipeg.
    We are not far from Russell and we cherish the many good and true friends we have there.

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