COCHRANE— Well hello there, June. Fancy meeting you here. Summer is upon us, Cochrane. I hope everyone is doing well and slowly getting back to some type of normal. Thursday is finally gracing us with its presence and that means its time for another Thursday Tack and Tale from Stockmen's Memorial Foundation ready to go.
This week some background on James (Jim) Duncan Kerfoot.
Jim Kerfoot was born in 1916. His grandfather was the very well known William Duncan Kerfoot who in 1882 was hired to be the manager of the Cochrane Ranche. As skilled as he was on a horse, a tragic event at a 1908 Calgary Stampede parade saw William being thrown from his horse and later died from his injuries.
Like his father and grandfather, Jim was actively involved in the Army. From 1933 to 1937, he attended the Royal Military College in Kingston, Ont. walking away with a Bachelor of Military Science. Shortly after he would receive his commission in the Indian Army and serve with the Royal Garhwal Rifles in Lansdowne, India from 1937 to 1946 as a dedicated career-track officer.
In 1944 Jim would suffer from severe battle wounds while on the Burma front during the Second World War. He would be removed from active service and sent back to Britain where little did he know, he would meet his soon to be better half, Margaret McNaughton. After the Second World War broke out, Margaret volunteered as a Red Cross nurse being stationed at the Killearn Emergency Hospital in Britain. She tended to the Canadian Captain and the rest was history as the pair were married in Glasgow, Scotland on October 12, 1945.
Jim's mother and father spent most of their life in the Grand Valley area on the property known as the Providence Ranch. His father was an avid rancher and keen horseman. Following Jim and Margaret's marriage, the newlyweds made their way to Cochrane and took over management of the family ranch, beginning their new-found career journey together. Jim's father passed away later that year.
For many years, Jim kept the ranch running smoothly. He raised purebred Hereford cattle for roughly 25 years and would sell his bred heifers to various countries, including the Soviet Union.
Jim's son, Hamish Kerfoot took over the family ranch when his parents decided to call it quits in 1988. His registered cattle brand is read Cactus Monogram Inverted Cactus and is placed on either the left hip or left rib.
After Jim and Margaret retired they moved to Cochrane and spent nearly 10 years in the area before moving to Calgary. Throughout their retirement they became worldly travellers, visiting Margaret's native land of Scotland on several occasions and other wonders like Hong Kong, South Africa, Australia and Hawaii.
Jim and Margaret raised five children together. It is said one of Jim's greatest joys was supporting his children in all of their endeavours, especially when it came to the equestrian side of things. The Kerfoot men were always known as skilled horsemen and always carried fond memories involving a saddle.
