Purden icon keeps his skis pointing forward
Bob Stowell was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1922. It is a long story but he finally ended up in Prince George in 1965. He grew up and went to school in St Paul, Minn., where he played football, hockey and baseball but skiing was his all-time favorite sport.
Bob reminisced and said, “When we were kids we used to slide down the banks of the Mississippi River on homemade skis. We used to ski on barrel staves which were bound to our feet with old inner tube rubber. We ran the rubber from the tip of our toes back to the heel for more control. The bindings were a lot to be desired and we could only ski straight forward. It was all we had and it was good enough for us at the time.
“When I look back I have to think that I was lucky to not have broken my legs.
“I enjoyed watching the Olympics these past few weeks and it is hard to believe all the tricks and the ability of the skis and the skiers. I was just thinking about how busy the orthopedic surgeons are going to be when these athletes are a bit older.
“I have had both knees replaced over the years and those surgeries made all the difference in the world. Thanks to those surgeons, I am still doing OK today.”
Bob said the only time that he was unable to ski was when he joined the United States Marine Corps at the age of 18 and served in the South Pacific from 1942-45.
He started working for the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Company in 1947.
In 1952, Bob and two other friends bought some land and an unused sawmill site in Tye, B.C., which was a railroad line at the time and only accessible by rail or by boat. The Tye sawmill site was located south of Nelson and on the east side of Kootenay Lake.
They rebuilt the sawmill and got it up and running. They worked hard and built their homes. Everything was going OK until one night the sawmill burned to the ground and ruined their dreams.
This piece of bad luck did not stop them; they kept on logging and just sold the logs to Glacier Sawmills in Nelson.
Six years later, Bob went to Lewiston, Idaho and worked for the Potlach Forest Sawmill piling lumber.
Four years later, Weyerhaeuser hired him and sent him to Cleveland, Ohio, to work in their sales department.
His next move was to Columbia Falls, Mont., where he managed a logging company for a family-owned business.
It wasn’t long until he was hired by the owners of The Pas Lumber Co Ltd. in Minneapolis, Minn. to work in their sales department. This job led to the opportunity to move to Prince George in 1965 to look after the forestry and logging end of the Pas Lumber Company in Prince George.
The Pas Lumber Company was also known as the Winton Global sawmill and owned by the Winton brothers, David N. and Charles J. of Minnesota.
Bob worked for the company in Prince George from 1965 until his retirement in 1991.
“It was a terrific job and a great company to work for,” said Bob. “I loved the work and as I look back I can say that I was lucky to work for such a fine company as well as all the capable and competent people in the industry. I am still good friends with all of them.”
Bob met and married Nancy Mayall in 1947. Nancy was a student at the University of Minnesota and it just so happened that a mutual friend introduced them to one another in the dining area at the university.
They had two sons Bill (Debora) and David (Jodi) who gave them four granddaughters and so far, only one grandson.
They were married for 68 years when sadly Nancy passed away in 2015.
At the age of 94, Bob was the oldest and still active Canadian Ski Patrol Volunteer on record. He started volunteering at the Purden Ski Village 49 years ago when the hill first opened for business in 1968.
Bob laughed and said, “I remember when Keith Buchannan’s young son was working on the hill packing snow. I reminded everyone that they had the youngest packer operator and the oldest ski patroller in the country and that this was probably not good for advertising.”
Bob retired from his volunteer ski patrol position in 2017 due to health issues.
Purden Ski Village is a ski resort located on Purden Mountain on the Yellowhead Highway 60 km east of Prince George. The ski hill has 25 named runs; the longest run is the Lakeview run and it is two miles in length. Bob reminded me and said, “I know every run like the back of my hand and I know where every rock is located.”
As a certified first responder and a Canadian Ski Patrol volunteer he provided first aid, emergency response service, promoted safety and accident prevention and when neces- sary he helped remove accident victims off the hill.
Bob said, “I was there the day Purden Ski Hill opened and I would still be there volunteering but I just thought the time was right to retire and besides that they need younger people.
“I loved the job and all the people and I am proud to say that the Canadian Ski Patrol bestowed the honor of making me a life member of the Canadian Ski Patrol. The Canadian Ski Patrol is a great volunteer organization and I am extremely proud to be a life member.” ***
March birthdays that I know about: Caroline Nadalin, Frank Manfredi, Elaine Hughes, Lois Keim, Rita Sexsmith, Janice Arndt, Linda Meise, Frances Roch, Doreen Denicola, Pat Coutts, Kathleen Soltis, Julia Cook, Peggy Vogan, James Dow, Carol Anderson, Colin Arthurs, Eric Davidson, Rose Dorish, Harold Moore, Gloria Sintich, Carl Wikjord, Marva Gibbs, Ted Horvath, Ethel Drake, Joyce Bickford, Shirley Carless, Sandy Houston, Andrea McKenzie (Jr.), Rita Thibault, Betty Burbee, Lil MacGillivray, Alice Olesen, Margaret Pearson, Hollis Wood, Reg Pointer, Betty Stock, Gerald Denluck, Ernie Simpson, Robert Krekoski, Alzora Hick, Janet Dahlberg, Joan Fogarty, Ray Bouffard, Susan Hunter, Bettie Doherty, John Mcclelland, Audrey Fritz, Carmand Wagner, Lynn Kedl, Oj Regent, Lynda Harding, Sheila Hall, Don Hollis, Hollis Wood and Harold Moore who is now 91.
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Here’s a nice email I received: Dear Kathy,
My name is Dr. Alan Olson, I currently live in Lumby and I would like to submit this short note to your readers. I am wondering if you could please include it in your Seniors’ Scene column.
I recently read a copy of your book People of Prince George. I enjoyed the book immensely because I know many of the people that you wrote about. I would like to recommend that other people read your book and recognize their neighbors and realize what a great city Prince George really is.
I would like to take this opportunity to just say hello to all my past clients and my many friends in Prince George via your column. I have had some recent medical issue’s but I am doing OK.
Sincerely,
Dr. Alan Olson.