Ole Tweten
(We spoke to Ev Tweten, wife
of the late Ole Tweten).
Ole Tweten was born in Norway on May 28th, 1917.
At the age of three he came to Canada with his family and they settled at Unwin,
Saskatchewan. In 1926, Ole began his education. He spoke very little English
before attending school. He spent much of his time helping his parents with the
farm but stayed in school until he turned 14.
Ole purchased land from the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1935.
Ev came to the area as a schoolteacher in 1938 and her sight was fixed on Ole.
At the onset of the Second World War, the Norwegian Air Force requested his
co-operation in completing a physical to determine whether he could serve in the
Military. His eyesight kept him at home while many around him were taken
overseas. During this time Ole hauled grain and worked the land for men who had
gone to fight in the war. Ole and Ev were married in 1939.
Ole started hauling oil field equipment in 1945. There
were many challenges involved in this shift from grain to heavy crude. The main
problem was fairly consistent — how to haul increasingly larger loads with small
trucks. In 1956, he formed a company called Tweten Truck Service. This was
mostly a formality of putting a name to an operation that was already in place.
Ole built up a fleet of six trucks that hauled many drilling and service rigs
and other loads for various oilfield companies. His first truck, “the old
sterling,” became something of a legend around Lloydminster for being able to
haul most anything that could be loaded onto it. He gave many men a start in
the trucking business. Ron MacDonald
drove for Ole for a while in the late 1950’s.
Ole passed away in November of 1991. Ev currently resides
in the Dr. James Hemstock Assisted Living Residence.
Recollections:
Ole had a passion for collecting all kinds of antique
materials. He collected old newspapers, furniture and boasted possession of 500
wagon wheels. Ev remembers that Ole enjoyed wildlife and had numerous
unconventional pets. He had favourite gophers, a one-legged crow, and a badger
that could count on an easy meal in Ole’s yard. Ev recalls that when
people were sick, Ole liked to send a bouquet of red roses to them.
Ole had a reputation of being ‘in-the-know’ regarding
antiques and many people would come to him to seek advice regarding age and
worth of materials. Whether he actually knew anything of the sort, is pure
speculation according to Ev. She remembers that he took a lot of pleasure from
it.
Ev remembers the changes in oil storage tanks over the
years. The first she remembers were the “Maloney-Crawford” tanks. These were
metal bolted tanks that stood on wooden stands. Then came the two-tier
500-barrel tanks then the 750-barrel tanks.
Ev remembers going to the
Dina refinery to pick up tractor
fuel.
According to Ev, Ole wasn’t one to dress up but when the
Petroleum Club started in Edmonton, ties were required. As a joke, Ole’s
friends presented him with a tie with an oil derrick printed on it so he could
get into the club.
Numerous names come to mind when Ev looks back over the
years that Ole was involved in the oil business. In Forgotten Echoes – A
History of Blackfoot and the Surrounding Area, Chapter Eight is dedicated to
the discussion of people in the area who were involved.
