Tim Nowlin was born 4 May 1911 in Claresholm, Alberta. He died 5 August 1997 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He married Louise
Cox 2 November 1935 in Calgary. Louise Cox was born 27 August 1907 in Monarch, Alberta. She died 22 May 1996 in Calgary.
Below is a life sketch for Tim and Louise Nowlin written by daughter Gail Nowlin Ramsay.
Thomas Harvie (Tim) and Louise Nowlin
Tim and Louise Nowlin were married on November 2, 1935 in Calgary, Alberta. They moved from Fort MacLeod to the Cochrane
area where they purchased the John Ireland place located N1/2-30-27-5-5. The land is situated in what is known as the Montreal
Valley and is at the head of Grand Valley Creek, formerly called the Coal Creek. They ran seventy-five to a hundred head
of horses and thirty-five to forty head of cattle. Mom would supplement their income by staying with Gran and Gramp [George
and Lydia Almeda Morgan Nowlin] in Banff so she could work for periods of time. When she came home, she rode the bus as far
as she could and then borrowed a horse to go the rest of the way. Dad worked the rigs in the Wildcat Hills for Royalite Oil.
Both my sister and brother were born while they lived at the ranch.
Nelda was born at Mineral Springs Hospital in Banff on February 26, 1938 and Tommy was born on February 12, 1943, also at
Mineral Springs. Nelda was a very bright little girl and my parents had wonderful memories of her as a young child. She
learned to ride a horse at a very young age and so fit well into the ranching life. They lived on wild meat and berries and
also did a lot of canning for winter food. Life at the ranch was very good; however, I expect it was becoming more and more
evident that our brother Tommy was not flourishing and that there was need to be closer to medical care.
In 1945 my parents moved to Cochrane, having purchased a house and one acre of land from Sarah Robinson. Dad became a logging
contractor and with a contract from Calgary Power, from 1949 to 1951, logged a big part of the area that is now Spray Lakes.
He also worked at the Shell Gas Plant before turning his hand to carpentry. After study and working in the trade he challenged
the provincial exam and became a Journeyman Carpenter on November 15, 1956. He was employed by Glenco, a Calgary builder,
for several years. In 1959, he was hired by Indian Affairs to build houses with an all-native crew on the Stoney Indian Reserve.
He worked with the natives for eight years building up to thirty-five houses a year with up to forty crew members. He also
carpentered in the Cochrane area for a number of years before retiring. He lent his skills to the service clubs he was involved
with, doing renovations on the Masonic Hall, helping to build the Cochrane Rodeo Grounds and the Cochrane Arena where his
grandchildren figure skated and played hockey.
In 1958, Dad renovated a large old house that was moved onto their property and for many years Mom ran a very successful boarding
house for men working on oil rigs around the Cochrane area. Later they moved another house onto the property which Dad made
into suites. Revenue from their property allowed them to retire and enjoy life.
Mom was always able to come up with a good meal when friends or family dropped in. They always had a big garden and lots
of meat in the freezer. They enjoyed gardening, keeping up their property and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
I was born after my family moved from the ranch into Cochrane. My name is Gail and I was born on December 14, 1946 at the
Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary. Our brother Thomas Morgan Nowlin (Tommy) lives at Michener Centre in Red Deer, Alberta.
Michener is a facility for individuals with developmental disabilities. He has been a resident at this facility since he
was ten years old. Tommy grew into a fine man with a great sense of humor and a love for music and his sisters. Bless him.
Family portrait of the Tim and Louise Cox Nowlin family.
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