SUSAN BELL (HUMPHRIES)

So it seems I must catch you up on 40 years in the life of Susan Humphreys! After Grades 5 and 6 at Queenston School (which was also my Dad’s elementary school) I attended J.B. Mitchell Junior High, then Kelvin. I spent the next four years at U. of Manitoba perusing my B.Sc. in Agriculture and running into Kelvinites off and on. As far as I know I was the only Kelvinite in Agriculture, so I made a lot of new friends. There I also met my future husband, an Ag. Economics major. I graduated in 1973 and travelled in Europe with a fellow Ag. grad. On my return I trained and travelled with an Agriculture Canada programme and subsequently took a job in Calgary a year, working in the area of pesticide and livestock feed inspections. Skiing was great, the job was lousy. I transferred to Winnipeg and got an Ag Canada job working for the potato specialist here, doing field inspections and virus testing. In 1975 I married Alan Bell, also a Winnipegger, and resigned from my job when the babies started coming. It turned out to be a 19-year maternity leave (I’m sure Anne Phillips would be appalled) and devoted myself to raising good, happy, responsible kids. The jury is still out. I’ve been active in our community, church and schools with the usual gamut of committees, boards etc. Volunteering in elementary and junior high got me interested in teaching, and I’m now a teaching assistant and have worked with Grades 4 to 9 students for the last 5 years.

Alan and I have four children: Carolyn, 23, Lindsay, 22, Brian, 19 and Kevin, 16, hockey players all. None have left the nest, which is just north of Winnipeg. Alan owns a business, Superior Agri-Systems, which designs, installs and services automated livestock feed systems and grain handling systems, and keeps him busy about 17 hours a day. Our family has enjoyed summer holidays at Victoria Beach and Kenora, winter ski trips, hundreds of hockey and soccer games and tournaments in six provinces, and frequent extended family gatherings. I’ve been a runner for about 12 years but never anything serious until last year. Thanks to Grant Mitchell and his 50th birthday marathon idea, I ran my first half marathon, then limped for two weeks. I loved it. I also ski, play ringette and hockey in the winter and enjoy roller-blading, hiking and camping in the summer. If Alan ever retires (or even if he never does) I would love to travel and perhaps get involved in third world development or literacy projects.

Here’s to a wonderful reunion, with many thanks to Grant and Nancy for all their determination and hard work!