A Rosebud family with deep roots is celebrating its more than 100 years connection to the community this weekend.
The Comstock family is celebrating it family farm centennial. While the family has had a presence in the community since 1909, they are marking this with an open house at the Rosebud Community Hall.
Surprisingly after 100 years it is only the second generation living on the land.
George Comstock tells The Mail, his uncle did well on the Winnipeg Grain Exchange and contacted George’s father Lester, convincing him to come up from Norwalk, Connecticut and buy some land.
“Up until that time my father never really knew anything about farming. He bought several sections of land, became a member of the community and a Canadian Citizen," said George.
Yet he managed as a bachelor setting up the farm, at only 24 years old.
He worked hard and never married until 1929 at 44 years of age when he and Margie were hitched. They had three children; George, born in 1930, Catherine in 1932 and Robert, born in 1934.
George was married to Jewel Evelyn Marshall in 1950 and began to get involved with the family farming. Their children include Pamela, Gayle, Yvonne, Vera Lynne, Debby and Craig.
Lester passed away in 1956 at 70 years of age, and Margie moved to Drumheller and then Calgary.
A lot has changed in those years.
“Back in the beginning of course with all the farms we had everything. We had chickens and sold eggs, we milked cows and sold cream. We had beef cattle, pigs and turkeys, the whole bit,” said George. “The last few years we have been just grains; canola, peas and wheat mainly.”
George at 84 still resides on the farm but crop shares much of the land out.
“We have a quarter section I still play around with and sell some hay,” he said.
He explains while the family has had a presence in Rosebud that predates 1914, they have now completed the process to be recognized as a Centennial Family Farm and received plaques to mark the occasion.
Reeve of Wheatland County Glenn Koester and Strathmore-Brooks MLA Jason Hale are expected to be in attendance to make presentations to the family.
