AHOF Members archive

David (Dave) Jeffries was born in Toronto, Ontario, in 1949. However, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, has been his home since his family moved there in 1959. Dave and his wife Judith (nee Abbors), whom he married in 1980, have three children: a daughter Dawn, currently living in Austin, Manitoba, and two sons, Ernie and Roland, both of Portage la Prairie. After taking the Diploma course in Agriculture at the University of Manitoba, Dave began farming in partnership with his brother Albert in 1968, under the name of Jeffries Brothers Vegetable Growers Inc. On their limited acreage they started growing carrots, potatoes, red beets and onions. Being new to vegetable growing, the brothers benefited from the advice and help of farming...

Susan Gertrude Jasper was born in Oak Ridges, Ontario in 1902 to Arthur and Elizabeth Robson. She moved with her family in 1911 to Deleau, Manitoba. In 1922, she married Norman Jasper and for 32 years, they lived on a mixed farm and raised three children, Wesley, Garfield and Bette. Mrs. Jasper served as secretary of the local United Farmers of Manitoba. As a western representative on the Canadian Federation of Agriculture for 9 years and also as a member of the provincial Council of Women, she lobbied federal and provincial cabinets to improve conditions for agriculture, women’s rights and educational facilities. In 1953, she attended a session of the United Nations as a delegate from the Canadian Federation of...

Esmond Jarvis was born in Gladstone, Manitoba in 1931, the son of Frederick and Dorothy Jarvis. He attended the Palestine Public School and Gladstone High School. In 1955 he graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Manitoba, and was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Gold Medal for General Proficiency. In 1960, he graduated from Michigan State University with a Masters Degree in Animal Husbandry. Esmond’s agriculture career began at an early age. As a student in the Faculty of Agriculture he served three years on the Faculty Council, four years in faculty sports and three years on the Faculty Winter Fair Board, completing his term as manager. During his working career, Esmond was awarded the Nuffield Travelling Fellowship and the...

Hugh Jameson was born and raised on the farm where he and his wife, Martha (Klopan), raised their four sons. Until recently, Hugh, Martha and three sons, Keith, Garth and Robert, ran a 50 cow dairy which was sold in January 2010 after 49 ½ years in operation. They continue to operate a 200 Angus beef herd, a 20,000 laying hen operation and 4,500 acres of grain, hay and pasture. The oldest son, Arnold, and his family operate their own farm at Alexander, MB. In his youth, Hugh was a very active 4-H member. He won a gold watch on rally day and showed a grand champion steer at the Brandon Winter Fair. He won first place for judging beef...

Edward Philip Hudek (P.Ag.)was born and raised on a farm at Hafford, Saskatchewan. He received his B.Sc. in Agriculture from the University of Saskatchewan in 1940. Ed married Christine Chamard in 1942 and together they raised three daughters and five sons. They have 19 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. After graduation, Ed taught short courses for the Extension Department of the University of BC and conducted lectures and laboratories in Agricultural Engineering at the University of Saskatchewan. From 1942-45 he assumed the operation and management of the family farm, a sub Research Station of the Federal Department of Agriculture. In 1945 while still farming, Ed began teaching in the Agricultural Engineering Department at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1956, Ed accepted...

 Robert (Bob) Hopley was born at Redvers, Saskatchewan, in 1933. Three years later the Hopley family moved to a farm near Manson, Manitoba. Then in 1946 they moved to a farm at Oak River, Manitoba, where Bob completed his formal education and started farming full time with his father. His agricultural education continued at the Manitoba Department of Agriculture’s Extension Centre in Brandon where he enrolled in numerous short courses such as welding and farm management. Bob and his wife, Lynne (nee Shanks), whom he married in 1964, have two sons (Glen and Allen) and two daughters (Leanne and Susan). The Hopleys farmed at Oak River until 1995 when they sold their operation and retired to Brandon. At the outset,...

Edward Wallace Hood was born on April 9, 1910 near Carberry, Manitoba. Wallace, the son of Edward and Margaret Hood, lived his whole life on the family farm in the Fairview district near Carberry. He married Grace Naylor in 1935 and they raised three boys, Barry, Gordon and Bruce. He was an innovative farmer, working first with his father and older brother Tom, operating a mixed farm. Later he farmed with his sons Barry and Bruce. Wallace was a pioneer in the development of the potato industry in the Carberry area. During his years as a councillor for the R.M. of North Cypress, he facilitated the purchase and rehabilitation of the airport site, which was subsequently sold to J.R. Simplot...

Heinrich Holtmann was born in 1902, in Diestedde, Westfalen, Germany and immigrated to Canada in March 1928. That fall he signed a purchase agreement on 400 acres in Rosser and enrolled in an agricultural short course at the University of Manitoba. The following spring he took possession of his farm and purchased purebred Holsteins from Sam Simms of Stonewall and the Agricultural College herd. Heine married Johanna Westerlemke in 1933. They had three daughters and five sons; Johanna, Theo, Helmut, Wilfried, Erika, Felix, Trudy and John. The quality of his herd was recognized in 1946 when fifty head of dairy cattle were exported to a Minnesota farmer searching for new genetics. In 1947 a milk contract was signed with Piggly...