The Chambers Family
as told by son, Stan
On their return to Canada, Hank took up a homestead near Prince Albert and he also ran a livery stable. They had three sons born in Prince Albert, one daughter was stillborn and two of the three sons died in infancy, leaving only one son Stanley. When he was two years old in 1922, they gave up the homestead and moved to Kimberley to one of the little houses near the cookhouse on Frist Street at the townsite. This was the only street there at the time. Hank got a job in the Rockhouse.
A short time later two of his brothers, Tommy and Andy Chambers came to Kimberley and got jobs at the Rockhouse. Tommy died in 1926. Andy had married Annie Balfour and they had four daughters, all born in Kimberley: Muriel, Ber- nice and twins, Mavis and Jean.
Both Hank and Andy worked in the Rockhouse for many years. Hank was retired from the Company on sick leave in 1950. They moved to White Rock in 1954 and Hank passed away in 1956. Ethel returned to Kimberley where she still resides.
Hank's mother also came to live in Kimberley after her husband died. She passed away in 1942. Andy and Annie moved to Vancouver where An- nie still resides after Andy passed away in 1973.
Stan grew up on Townsite and he recalls the summers he and Nip Twells were life guards at the McDougall pool. In 1931 he began working for the Company in the Rockhouse with his father, but soon transferred to underground on transportation. He joined the Services for five years and saw action for three and a half years in France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He joined up in Cranbrook at the same time as Fred Blackwell, Bill Richardson and Ed Williams. Ed and Stan went through the war together in the 28th Canadian Armoured Regiment.
On his return, Stan married Evelyn Gustaf- son whose father was Julius Gustafson, born in Vesterboten, Sweden. He came to Prince Rupert in 1909 and by 1911 was working for the Otis Staples Lumber Company at Wycliffe.
When the Company began driving the main 3900 level tunnel, he was one of the crew on that job. In 1916 he went back to the Otis Staples Lumber Company for a short time but returned to the Mine until his retirement in 1953. Julius had married Ingrid Olsen, born in Norway but raised in Weyburn Saskatchewan. They were married in 1922 and had four children. Evelyn and Albert (Rusty) were born while they lived in Wycliffe and Wilma and Arthur (Art) were born in Kimberley. In 1926 Julius and Ingrid moved from Wycliffe to Marysville and actually brought their house from Wycliffe with them.
Three of Ingrid's brothers; Alf, Lloyd and Phillip Oslen, also moved into the area and worked for the Company at the Mine. All are still living here, now. Ingrid died in 1932 and Julius passed away in 1962.
Stan and Evelyn have four children; Sharon, Lynn, Ron and Bill. Sharon married Gordon Bradley who works for Fording Coal at Elkford and they have three children. Lynn married Terry McConnell and they live in Parksville on Vancouver Island, and have two sons. Ron married Melanie Arbuckle and works for the Company on the timber gang underground. They reside in Marysville and have a boy and a girl. Bill plans on attending Camuson College in Vic- toria to study to be a chef, but his holidays are spent working for the Company in the un- derground crushing chamber.
Stan is now retired and he and Evelyn still reside in Marysville.
