Person:Cecil Berry (4)

Cecil Berry: Rancher, Businessman, Radio Station Owner, Places of residence: Croydon, England, Payette, Idaho, Millet, Alberta, Edmonton, Grande Prairie see Northland Calling, Edmonton, Nov. 45, vol. 1, no. 7

Birth Certificate

Wandsworth, West Battersea, County of Surrey 1887 January 11th Ardrossan, Balham, Park Road Cecil Lawrence, Boy Father Berry Henry Berry, Merchant Mother Caroline Elizabeth Berry, formerly Lawrence

Cecil was educated at Croydon and was photographed there in a high white collar in June and photographed 2 months later on a very high horse on his ranch at Payette, Idaho fulfilling his dream of being a 'rootin' tootin' cowboy'.

Cecil was a fireman on U.S. trains before he took up farming in 1905 at 19 with his younger brother Douglas Berry in Payette, Idaho. They grew apples and potatoes. About 1911 Cecil, now 24, returned to England intending to marry a fiancee, the daughter of the manager of the Mazawatty Tea Firm in Newcastle. On the boat he met Constance Pollard also returning to England to gather a trousseau to marry a man in Kamloops where she was keeping house for her brother Billy Pollard, a railway engineer. Constance and Cecil married in Wimbledon where Cecil's mother lived.

Marriage certificate:

Married 28 January 1911

Certificate: Cecil (24 years) fruit grower Constance (21 years) residing at "Rutherford" Pampisford Road, Croydon married according to the rights of the Strict Baptists witnesses: Gladys L. Vinall, Caroline E. Berry, Hilda Parkin, Caroline L. Berry, Edith L. Vinall, Algernon L. Berry, Barbara L. Berry, Margaret Berry.

Cecil and Constance returned to Payette where Deryck and Sylvia were born. At the outbreak of WW I Cecil, Constance, Deryck and Sylvia returned to Croydon where Cecil joined the Warwickshire Yeomanry (1914-18). During the war Constance stayed in Croydon at "Hythe", Newkey, Cornwall and Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire. Her sister Bertha, friend Clara Catcheside and the J.B. Denleys met often during the war years.

Later because of the U.S. delay in joining the Allies, Douglas joined a cavalry regiment of the Fort Garry Horse in Winnipeg, Canada.

1918-21 After the war Cecil and Douglas Berry sold the Payette Ranch and moved to Alberta Canada onto Soldier Settlement Land - 168 acres seven miles from Millet (1918-21). W. Pollard and J Denley settled similarly close by. The Berry, Pollard and Denley farms were within half a mile of each other. Cecil's land had a two-storey house so all stayed there. Alice Mary Ellis, Clara Catcheside and Bertha Pollard visited: Alice married J.B.Denley; Bertha, Douglas Berry and Clara Catcheside, William Pollard.

Bertha had been a governess in England. Mr. O'Shea tutoured Deryck and Sylvia.

Cecil was a good farmer. His cream money kept them in food.

When the Berrys moved to Edmonton to Journey's End Cecil sold ploughs for the Cockshut Plough Company. Late 1920s.

1920s Connie ill w. septicaemia Sent home, nurse announced that she smelled rotting bones., extraordinary gutsy woman -bowl of vegetables. two crutches - orange curtains to cheer the place up.

1935/36-1945

1936-7 Cecil got involved with Rice Burroughs and decided to start a radio business in Grande Prairie. Cecil Berry and Tiny Elfick opened the first radio station in Alberta, CFGP at Grande Prairie, 'The Voice of the Mighty Peace'. Douglas drafted the design for Cecil's first radio building Cecil had a financial interest in it and a newspaper. He raised funds, during 1938 to help forge Monkman Pass Highway; gave free broadcast time to the Grande Prairie Night Hawks, who sent Christmas hampers to the needy; Goodwill Community programmes designed to boost towns throughout the Peace River Country; broadcast of educational programmes to rural school children; fostering, at all times, of local talent, particularly amongst the young and, more recently CFGP's popular "Meet and Greet the Boys" programme. He gave free broadcast time to ex-Servicemen striving to reestablish themselves in the business world.

Aside from business he found time for such activities as Board of Trade and local Dramatic Societies. On Sunday September 1945 he died after a heart attack two days earlier in Grande Prairie. The City laid a stone on Cecil's grave in the Edmonton cemetery.

Connie Victoria w. Clara. Telegraph Bay.

>Subject: Re: Lord Rodney's Farm >Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:48:44 -0700

>I realy know nothing about Lord Rodney's Farm called Cottesmore although I remember it often >being referred to. Believe it was located north-east of Edmonton near Fort >Saskatchewan. Cecil worked the farm for about 2 years mid 20s. Deryck looks about !4. Lovely picture in green photo albums. Sylvia probably remembers more about it than I do. I think a >friend and school mate of Terry and Kay Denley whom I knew well, Helen >McGregor, married Lord Rodney's son. I think he was a Rhodes Scholar - >anyway he became a Russian Language specialist. During the Cold War he >worked with the Canadian Government translating Russian newspapers etc.

Adrian Berry - and a bit from Cecil Berry