Uncle Roy

Uncle Roy as a boy

My Uncle Roy Torgny Berg was the sixth in a family of eight boys.

And one girl.

He was born on April 8, 1927

He died last night, May 8, 2012.

Today, my mind is filled with memories.

Uncle Roy was just over three years my mom’s junior.

As youngsters, they played together.

On one fateful afternoon, documented here, he even allowed himself to briefly stand in for the little sister she didn’t have.

Wearing the dress and bonnet she happily bestowed on him.

Until someone drove into the yard.

In later years, they worked alongside each other on the family farm, near Brooks, Alberta.

And competed against each other in 4-H shows and sporting events.

Living quite a distance apart, our families only got together at reunions, so, for many years, Uncle Roy was a shadowy figure, known mostly as the father of some of my favourite cousins.

Things changed when I was a teenager.

For a brief, wonderful week, I got to stay with my cousin, Paula, in Edmonton.

Uncle Roy’s daughter.

And that’s when the Friendly Feud started.

Highly intelligent, Uncle Roy was a professor in the Agriculture Department at the U of A. Eventually working his way to the head of that department.

Distinguishing himself through many academic achievements, he was one of the major proponents of importing exotic breeds of cattle from around the world to improve Canada/The World’s beef industry.

My Dad raised Polled Herefords.

Purebred Polled Herefords.

The Feud was on.

Uncle Roy gave me a copy of his book, New Concepts of Cattle Growth.

As I remember him best . . .

It had Herefords on the cover.

“That,” he pointed to the cover, “is the only place you will find Herefords in this book.”

To which I shot back, “Must be pretty boring reading, then.”

And it went downhill from there.

Finally culminating in my designing and cross-stitching two silly pictures for him.

One of a cow.

The other of a bull.

And both Herefords.

Because every house needs Herefords.

His book stands in my bookcase.

My pictures hang on his wall.

Uncle Roy.

I will miss him.