Rimbey and District old Timers’ Assoc. to hold 63rd homecoming
By Treena Mielke
Friends, neighbours and families will soon have an opportunity to get together and enjoy some good old fashioned visiting at the annual Rimbey & District Oldtimers Reunion.
The reunion is to be held Sat., June 16 at the Peter Lougheed Community Centre. Registration is at noon and a concession lunch is available from noon until 2 p.m.
President of the Rimbey & District Oldtimers Association, Murray Ormberg said the William and Henrietta Pregoda family and the class of ‘68 will be honoured.
He noted that the Pregoda family came to the Rimbey area at the same time as John and Minnie Sakofsky and Gustav and Marie Starozik arrived.
“They all came together. They were originally from the same part of Germany and moved to Illinois. Some worked at the coal mines at Bankhead.”
The families settled in the Lavesta area.
The class of ‘68 will include anyone who attended school in Rimbey during the years of 1956 to 1968.
Ormberg encourages everyone from near and far, young and old, new and lifetime residents to attend.
“It’s a great time to visit old and new friends,” he said.
Supper will be served at 5 p.m. at the community centre.
On Sun. June 17 a pancake breakfast will be held at Pas Ka Poo Park from 8 to 11 a.m. A museum pass which can be used all year will also be available.
The reunion began more than sixty years ago when a few community minded residents who wanted to see an old timers’ association get off the ground decided to get together and make it happen.
The primary purpose of the association was to maintain strong ties with people from near and far.
The group nominated William Gwinn as president and Mabel Mellis as secretary. Irene Wright was the treasurer. The membership fee was $1.
The organizational meeting was held in the town office and Gladys Johnson, past president noted that the reunions were to be held on the last Monday in June at 2 p.m.
“That was written in stone,” she said with a laugh.
It was also moved and carried at the organizational meeting that any person who was in the west before 1920 be classified as an old timer.
On April 1994 the definition of an old timer was amended to include anyone who likes to meet old friends, share old memories, make new friends and share new experiences.
Ormberg has modified that definition, somewhat.
“If you’ve been in Rimbey for 24 hours you are classified as an old timer,” he said.
The first reunion held in 1955 attracted 97 people.
The 37th year the event was held, 136 people registered, seven of whom were from outside of Alberta.
Mrs. Spinks, 97, was the oldest lady present and ninety-two-year old Clyde Wilson was the oldest man.
In 1994, one hundred and eighty-five people attended the reunion held Monday, June 27.
That year the pancake breakfast was held at the Grand Hotel. Ragna Olson of Rimbey and Mrs. Martin from Rocky Mountain House, both 87, tied for being the oldest ladies present. At 94, Clyde Wilson was the oldest man.