Welcome to 2020, Cochrane. May this year bring everyone great health, happiness and success and may it be filled with loads of love. Lets kick off the new year right with a Friday Find from Stockmen's Memorial Foundation set to go.
This week, I tell the story of the very friendly and humourous soul known as Mr. Earl (Bud) Wesley Ullery.
Choosing to tell Bud's story as the first one of the year is rather fitting seeing as he was a New Years baby himself.
Bud was born on January 1, 1915 to Clarence and Hattie May Ullery in Viola, Idaho. Shortly after Bud was born, his parents would pack up their belongings and head for Canada. They first landed in Saskatchewan (go ahead with the jokes) and his father quickly realized that he didn't care for it much, so back to the U.S. they went. A year later the family welcomed a new addition, Amy Ellen on August 15, 1916. The brood would then head for Canada for the second time arriving in the southern village of Alberta known as Champion.
Growing up around a very good farmer, Bud eventually left home at the age of 14 to begin to make a name for himself. His mother and father were faced with some tough times during the depression and soon drifted apart which could be another reason why a young Bud was eager to flee. Off to Montana he went, working on numerous ranches and competing in rodeos to earn a living. Often times Bud would also enter in wrestling matches to catch a few extra dollars and a smile would take over his face as he remembered times his mother would get on his nerves and he would swoop her over his shoulders like a rag doll claiming to be practicing his wrestling moves. All that swooping seemed to come in handy, one day.
At 24 years young, Bud would meet a pretty lady by the name of Vivienne Crane. Things went so well that they were married within the year, purchased land in Stimson Valley and built a home where they would raise their three children; Bill, Jim and Ann. The land Bud and Vivienne purchased was covered in brush and bushes which was cleared using a trusty axe. This soon became tedisome so Bud purchased a CAT tractor. This was the only one in the district and his peers praised him for taking on the duty of cleaning the land.
Another first for Bud echoes a first of his father and shows the comical side of the two. Bud was known for his one liners and witty sense of humour, something he had to have picked up from his pops. When his father purchased his first and only car, a Model T Ford well past its prime, he sold it because "It just went too fast." For Bud when he purchased his first car, a Datsun, someone piped up and asked him how a big man like him could get in such a small car. His reply was quick to follow "I just pull it on like an overcoat."
Bud was always making those around him laugh and growing up he couldn't stop from laughing at the most serious of times, a habit that got him plenty of spankings in his childhood.
A fun fact about Bud, he really enjoyed going to auction sales. If he couldn't find one, he'd quickly make his own. Bud also had a big heart for furry little creatures. He always went out of his way to feed kittens, dogs, even fox pups. Any orphaned or abandoned animals would learn to stay at the Ullery house.
Always paying attention to every aspect around him, Bud took in all the wonders of life. One time a little too much as he ended up in the ditch while driving. When a friend stumbled upon Bud and asked what happened he exclaimed "I was driving along the road looking at the scenery, next thing I knew I was driving along the scenery looking at the road." That sense of humour was sure to lift anyones spirits and his kind personality was easy to fall for making him loved by many people.
A neighbour and dear friend to Bud, Doug Richards wrote his eulogy and tells a tale of a time he worked for Bud digging up post holes in preparation for an auction he was going to have. Bud was telling stories and Richards spent so much time laughing that it took about a week for the pair to put up a dozen posts. In the past Richards said he would often spend money to be entertained but that was one time he was thoroughly entertained and got paid for it. Richards mentioned he took away one important lesson from his good friend and that was that life is a lot easier if you can laugh at it, and not take yourself too seriously, to stop and see the humour in life's situations.
I think we can all take a page out of Bud's book.
