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THANKS
& ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
In the book “Interred with Their
Bones, Bill Miner in Canada, 1903 to 1907,” and for the
benefit of the general reader, the author did not include a
comprehensive list of all those who contributed to this
history, or who had helped to ensure its eventual publication
in so many ways. This web-based document is an attempt to do
just that, and it will be added to as time progresses. For
those of you that I have inadvertently missed, please accept
my heartfelt apologies. My only excuse is that it is because
there are so many of you out there that deserve to be
recognized, and my record keeping has been so inadequate over
the past six years, that I missed anyone.
All of the following people and
organizations contributed to any of the success this book
might realize.
David DiFrancesco exerted
extraordinary effort and patience in providing his excellent
book and graphic design expertise and in his education of a
novice.
Kirsten Grauer, my daughter, effectively applied her
formidable graphics and production skills, and passed on
encouragement and smiles.
Sue Elliott willingly gave of her time and of her
excellent proof-reading and editing skills. She was the first
person to read the book, front to back, and her comments
reaffirmed my belief in the project. Her husband Bryan
Elliott straightened out this confused author’s compass
directions and contributed to the Miner story from his
knowledge of Westwold history.
Larry Tyssen, for his drafting skills, enthusiasm for
local history and for being an old friend,
Don Klancher, for his RCMP technical advice and source
material,
Sandi and Val Pringle, for their contagious excitement
in the chase for the identity of Paul Stevens, and for their
research and help in pursuing the Westwold connection,
Ken Davis, for being a friend, and for his artistic
skills and professional RCMP knowledge,
Wilfred Wright of Lac La Hache, for his artistic skills
in bringing alive the mystery and the memories of Shorty
Dunn’s Meadow and his cabin under moonlit Cariboo skies,
And to our special friend Fiona Osborne, for her
critical research in City of Vancouver Archives.
My aunt, June English of
Revelstoke, was always ready to listen to my unending stories
of my progress to completion of this book, and believed in
“her sister’s boy.”
My wife Karen was my rock
of support and unswerving supporter. Her patience and
selflessness made sure that this book was eventually completed
despite periods of trial and uncertainty.
Some private individuals in our
western province provide historical services to all who might
be interested at no advantage to themselves other than knowing
that they have provided a service to the collective history of
our society. They do it for the sheer joy, and are rewarded
when their service is used by writers and family historians.
Hugh Armstrong provided personal assistance to me about
Sessional Papers and Shorty Dunn indexes at the City of
Victoria Archives, even though he had no idea who I was. It
was just a generosity of spirit on his part. Some of his work
can be seen at
http://www.rootsweb.com/~canbc/index.htm. The web site of
Dave Mattison of Victoria demands recognition also. It
provides access to all the information sites, concentrating on
B.C., any researcher or family historian could wish for and
can be accessed at
http://victoria.tc.ca/Resources/bchistory.html. Finally,
Gwen Szychter and her “History Helps” web magazine at
http://www.ladnerslanding.com/home.html
provided a forum for posting questions and receiving
answers from her many readers.
The Kamloops Target and Sport Association provided me
with the valued technical characteristics of the historical
firearms used by the police forces and train robbers in this
book.
I also want to thank and
recognize the contributions made by the following people and
organizations in helping to take this project to completion:
Kenny English, the second
person to read the final drafts of the book, and for his
remarks that confirmed that I was on the right track and that
my writing style was adequate,
Kenny and his wife Cathy, the Curator of the Revelstoke
Museum, for patiently listening to my never-ending stories
over the years on the progress of my research and the false
trails that I pursued,
Jo Anne Portman for her assistance in the quest for
Paul Stevens, and the discovery of the photo,
My sister-in-law Leslie Grauer for opening her home to
us in a time of trial,
Tim Bell for his generous support throughout and for
his transportation skills during a period of trial and after,
My Revelstoke High School classmates Kip and Jill Holloway,
Wally and Cathy Cocoroch, Emmett and Jo Anne
Anderson, Andy and Barb Jamieson, Kimi and the
late Charlie Bruce, Heather Kline, Johnny
D’Arcangelo and Terry Staten, who supported Karen
and I through a period of trying adversity, and who provided
me with the spur needed to continue with my project,
Terry and Diane King for pointing me towards Shorty
Dunn’s Meadow,
Gerry and Cherie Judge for their help and
encouragement,
Lloyd and Jo Anne Whittaker for their friendship,
contributions to my research and their welcome visits,
Diane and Dick Forde for their friendship and concern,
and invaluable and helpful listening and transporting skills
during that time of trial,
Dale Karst, Neil Ramsay, Trish Schwarz and the staff at
Civic Engineering for tolerating that reclusive
intruder in their basement,
Rob and Randy Schwarz and their staff for their
commitment to excellence at Universal Reproductions in
(Bill Miners?) old liquor store,
The staff and investors of the Aberdeen Highlands
housing development for their support,
Cindy Hanghofer-Quigley and the staff at On Call
Internet Systems for their commitment to Kamloops history
and for sponsoring the Bill Miner web site,
Pat DiFrancesco of Second Glance Books, who
provided encouragement, task re-focusing and a place to vent,
and for championing the Kamloops writing community,
Partners In Publishing for their guidance and belief in
the book, and for tolerating our unorthodox approach to
publishing,
Theresa Kishkan for describing the Nicola Valley,
Kamloops and the ghosts of Bill Miner’s world through a poet’s
eyes in “Sisters of Grass,”
Ann Thompson at the Douglas Lake Cattle Company
for her hospitality,
Nick Sardi of Williams Lake for his Westbank photos of
the Allison homestead,
Bill and Connie Millar, for their hospitality and
memories of Princeton,
Peggy Wickstrom and Marilyn Strilchuk for
sharing their memories of Copper Mountain and Princeton, and
lending books to me for extended periods of time,
Bernice Mitchell for her diligence and generosity in
ferreting out rare and original research books on B.C.
history,
Clifford Frederick Schisler of Ontario, who shared his
family’s memories,
Tom Knowles, who told the story of Hedley as he
remembered it,
Sheila Hill of the Clifford Historical Society
in Ontario, who was there at the beginning,
The Kamloops Family History group for their documenting
and publishing of cemetery and funeral home records detailing
the critical life and death events of early Kamloops and
regional pioneers and citizens,
The Kamloops Coffee Club (started in the 1930s) for
their support and interest in early regional history, and
their patience,
Helen Morrison for the Percy Cotton and Duck Family
photos and histories,
Peggy deRoaldes, for sharing her intimate knowledge of
Westwold and the Clemitsons,
Bill Anderson for sharing his many years of experience
in the Monte Hills,
The late J.W. (Jack) Montieth and Don Keizer of
Powell River, for sharing the video and audio tapes of their
fascinating quest in search of the real Bill Miner, and for
being so perceptive as to capture the memories of Albert McKay
before he passed away at the age of 100 years,
Kevin Cairns for giving me access to his invaluable map
collection,
Dale Kaiser for his scanning skills,
Lynn Stonier-Newman for good conversation and her
insight into the world of publishing.
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