Don Primrose and his original truck when Primrose Trucking started in the 1960’s.
Since 1962, Rumsey-based Primrose Trucking has been logging the miles both hauling for Starland County and filling general trucking needs for customers in the area.
Don Primrose worked for the M.D. (now County) of Starland for 47 years until his passing in 2009, and wife Irene finished out the contract for the County, recently officially retiring from County work.
Three miles out of Rumsey is the family farm, where the Primose’s house their company, having moved out from the town around 27 years ago.
Don was the driver in the family and Irene kept the company books while they raised their children, two girls and two boys.
The kids and their families live close by, with daughter Connie in Trochu, and daughter Shelley and the two sons living in Rumsey.
Irene and Don Primrose of Rumsey celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in 2005. They founded their family business of Primrose Trucking in the 1960s.
The sons, Brad and Greg, went into the family business, driving truck as soon as they were old enough to get their licenses, said Irene.
“When Donny ran the loader for a few years loading gravel for the County, our son Brad drove our truck, hauled for us then” said Irene.
Irene said since then, Brad purchased a truck and has branched off on his own, still staying in the trucking business, and helping out the family business when needed.
Irene said she’ll carry on with the trucking business until son Greg takes it over.
When Greg got his Class One, he started looking after the general trucking for the family firm, including cattle, grain and hay hauling, and has been doing that for 34 years now; but he started learning the family business even earlier.
He recalls as a kid, making trips to haul cattle down to the Ogden stockyards, usually around supper time, and getting back home about midnight.
The stockyards were moved to Strathmore, and the passage of time has seen larger, new and improved vehicles, but Greg said one of his favourite things is still hauling cattle, especially on the longer trips to places such as Lodgepole or Taber, which lets him see more of the countryside.
As for her slice of the countryside, Irene will be tending to her 27 cows on the farm, in addition to working on gardening, baking, crocheting, and keeping her 14 grandkids and four great-grandkids busy.
And even though Don has passed, his memory carries on through his family and the trucking business he started.
