Force: Canadian Army Service Corps
Clarence was born to parents Hjalmar and Laura (Bolduc) Tansem.
Hjalmar was born in Manford, North Dakota in 1900 and came to the Wanham area in early 1918 with his father Olaf, step-mother Sarah, brother Clifford (married Mary Frances ‘Mollie’ Murphy on January 8, 1933), and sister Daphne (married Eddie Fortier in 1925). Laura was born January 15, 1910 in the Wanham area, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dave Bolduc who moved to the Belloy area (then known as Grizzly Bear) in 1916.
Hjalmar and Laura were married in Grande Prairie on November 26, 1921. They had a son born in 1922 who only lived a few hours. They moved to Dimsdale in the mid-twenties to find work. Hjalmar milked cows and Laura made and sold butter. They moved back to their homestead in the Wanham/Belloy area in 1931 where they had three children: David, Clarence, and Blanche. They farmed a half-section supplementing farm income with custom sowing and operating a threshing machine for George MacDonald.
A fifth child was born on July 12, 1939, but Marshall Bruce passed away when he was only 18 months old. After this, the family moved into Wanham and operated a Dray Line business for a few years. Gordon Clifford was born March 31, 1943 and the family moved back to the farm where they resided until Hjalmar’s death on April 21, 1951.
Laura married Sam Kenny and within the year, Sam was killed in a combine accident. Afterwards, Laura and Gordon moved back into Wanham where she had a small bake shop and team room. After a few years, they moved back to the farm where they resided until Laura passed away in October, 1955.
David served in the Canadian Air Force where he met his future wife, also serving in the Air Force. David and Jean Smailles were married in Edmonton on March 4, 1947. They moved to Wanham in that year where they farmed and raised their seven children: Robert, Bonnie, Garry, Brian, Dwayne, and twins Koreen and Karen.
Clarence was a member of the Canadian Army and he married Mary McDaid on February 10, 1950. They had five children: Audrey, Roy, Andy, Cathy, and Peggy Lynne.
Blanche married Victor Weigel on November 14, 1946, and had four children: Alvin, David, Marjorie, and Barry.
Gordon married Pearl Webb and had two children: Tammy and Chris.
Source: Community Book: Grooming the Grizzly – A History of Wanham and Area