The Story of Carl Kerbes and Family

Judy Graham (nee Kerbes)

Out of the snow, in the warmth of an Estonian-style sauna, my father Carl Kerbes was born on December 22, 1915. Peter and Julia had cause for celebration of the birth of their last child, a first generation Canadian. The Kerbes family was large and each big sister was responsible for taking care of a baby brother, and my aunt Ann (Johanna) was thrilled that Carl would be “her baby”. This responsibility created a close bond between the two siblings that lasted their entire lifetime.

He enjoyed the horses and dogs at the farm and often talked about the long trips to the town of Stettler by oxen. They would hitch up a team of oxen to a wagon on Friday night and they would travel all night and spend the day in Stettler on Saturday. Then they would travel back all Saturday night the same way.

My father talked many times about his life on the farm, and how he knew as he was growing up that the farm life was not for him. He sought employment in the city with the Post Office and was in the Civil Service for thirty-three years. His employment in the Post Office eased his way when he volunteered for the army in the mail corps during the Second World War. He was based in Naples, and while he was there hiked to the top of Mount Vesuvius, the volcano that buried Pompeii.

Carl was glad when the war was over and returned home to Canada. He went to live with his sister Ann and husband Dick in Genelle and again worked at the Post Office as a letter carrier. While there he enjoyed the trips to Christina Lake, the dances at the Pavilion, and diving in the water to swim and cool off when the dance was over.

Carl moved to Calgary where again he was a postman, but more renowned as he delivered mail to a radio station and they often invited him to yodel on the radio. He also skied at this time in Banff, where he skied a nine-mile run into town at the end of the day.

Carl loved to dance and chose to go to a dance at the Rendezvous Dance Club, a dance club designed for servicemen, in Calgary in September 1948. This was to be a major event in his life as he met Ruth Nielsen, who was a hostess at the club that night and a good friend of hers, Tina. Carl talked and danced with both ladies, and joined them on their tram ride home, but didn’t show his cards, until it was Ruth’s turn to get off, and he walked her home. He met her parents, who had immigrated with their family from Denmark. They hit it off immediately and soon were engaged in November 1948. Ironically they grew up very close to each other, as Mom lived outside Stettler. They married at Sharon Lutheran Church on June 11, 1949.

They bought a house in Calgary and a daughter, Judy was born on December 29, 1953. Carl now worked in the railway mail service and traveled by train to Revelstoke. In 1961, Carl had an opportunity for a promotion, but it meant a move to the coast as he would be working out of Vancouver and traveling by train to Calgary. Carl moved his family to Burnaby in April, 1961.

In Burnaby, Carl became very involved with the Post Office Union and held several executive positions. He continued his dancing passion with Ruth and they began square and round dancing. They also became very active in Faith Lutheran Church.

Carl was a loving, dedicated father who was very involved in his daughter’s life. He took her to swimming lessons and later when she was a teenager, shared his love of skiing with her. Arthritis unfortunately left Carl too sore and stiff to ski, but he drove Judy and her friends regularly up the mountain so they could ski, and waited for them to drive them down. Judy’s girl friends enjoyed Carl driving, as another friend’s father kept chasing the boys away. Carl never did, and often offered them rides as well.

Carl took his family on a yearly vacation to visit family in Alberta and Christina Lake where Ann and Dick had a cabin. There were many enjoyable days of swimming, family, friends, and feasts. The family went on two major vacations. One, Carl drove from Calgary to California with Ruth, Judy, and his in-laws Ida and Chris Nielsen. Another vacation was with Ruth and Judy to Hawaii where Judy celebrated her seventeenth birthday. Later Carl and Ruth made several trips to Hawaii on their own.

On one of the trips to Christina Lake Judy met Bruce Graham playing tackle football in the lake, who she married in December 20, 1974.

Eventually the railway mail service was abolished and Carl worked in two different Burnaby Post Offices. He retired after thirty-three years, and began a new career in the insurance business, first with BCAA, and then with ICBC.

When Carl finally ended his career, he had a passion for him, Ruth, Judy and husband Bruce to have a family cottage. The family decided on Pender Island where they bought a lot with an ocean view and a five minute walk to beaches on the ocean. Planning and building this place was driven by Carl, and the four spent many pleasurable hours working together to realize their dream. A son, Brett, was born to Bruce and Judy during this time in February 1982. Most of the cabin was finished when Carl died on July 1, 1983. Ruth still lives in their home in Burnaby.

Since then two children were born to Bruce and Judy, a son Torben on July 6, 1984, and daughter, Katrin-Liis on July 24, 1986.

Bruce and Judy live in Surrey. Judy is a Special Education teacher, and Bruce works in the sign business. Judy loves to paint watercolors and Bruce to play hockey. Together they sail and ski. Brett attends University of Victoria in the Faculty of Engineering in Computer Science. Torben attends the University of Victoria in the Faculty of Science with a goal of becoming a P.E. teacher. Katrin-Liis is completing Grade 12 this year and plans to become a teacher as well. All three love to play hockey and have refereed; Liis refereed the BC Winter Games this year. All three can ski, but Liis prefers to snowboard. They all love to swim, especially at Christina Lake, their Grandpa’s favorite. They too love Pender Island like their Grandpa Carl, and all have summer jobs there.

Judy and Bruce traveled to Estonia and Denmark last summer to meet family and for Judy to present at the European Conference on Reading in Tallinn. I know Carl would be pleased to have our Canadian family connect with our Estonian family.