Thomas H. Brinsmead was born in St. Mary's, Ontario. He grew up and entered the publishing business as a boy in his teens. He and brother John went to Toronto in their early twenties. Thomas found employment, and at the age of twenty-four he married Matilda McMaster whose home was Orangeville, Ontario. They lived in Toronto for many years.
Matilda was born on July 25th, 1858, in Orangeville, Ontario, the daughter of David McMaster and Jane Carson.
Gertrude Estelle died on April 29th, 1893, at four years and ten months old. A card was printed in her memory.
Their seven children were born there, and finished school there as well. Thomas the eldest was a twin but the twin did not live long. Estelle died at an early age, Percy and his wife, Fern Ellis, of Empress never lived at Loverna. They had three children and are now retired and living in Edmonton. Horace joined the 58th Battalion and was killed at Amiens on August 8, 1918. Florence Brinsmead and daughter Wendy, visited his grave in France a few years ago. Horace was just 25 and his name is on the Loverna cenotaph.
Isabel married Herb Parry who farmed just out of Loverna. Herb played the organ in the United Church in Loverna during the First War and Isabel taught at Antelope Park for a short while. They moved to Detroit and later to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. They had one son, Thomas Herbert, who is a teacher in a college in Clemson, South Carolina. Isabel is a widow in a nursing home in Clemson. Bert joined the Royal Flying Corps, later the RAF. He and Bobs Caldwell enlisted at the same time. His group was stationed at Salisbury Plain where he flew Sopwith Camels. As there were no parachutes in those days, casualties were high. Bobs was killed in a crash. After the war Bert took over the jewellery store in Loverna. He sang in the choir and played baseball, tennis and golf. He was an Oddfellow, also a member of Toc H. and enjoyed meeting the Famous "Tubby" Clayton when he came to Loverna in 1926.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Brinsmead and Tom Jr, Horace, Bert, and Isabel all came to Loverna in the early summer of 1914. Thomas Sr. and Thomas Jr. built the premises which became the family home and office of the Loverna Borderline Budget. The 1916 census lists Thomas Snr. (54) as a publisher and Thomas McMaster (28) as a printer. Robert is listed as a jeweler. Matilda and Isabele are also listed. Brother William is listed in the household, although there is a second listing for him living just outside Medicine Hat as well. He is shown as an Optomotrist. Horace, by then signed up in the army, is shown as living at Camp Hughes.
A jewellery store was also part of the establishment, owned first by Will Brinsmead and later by Bert. The two Toms ran their paper and served their community with warm friendliness and integrity for many years. Mr. Brinsmead Sr. was a Notary Public and helped many farmers file their claims. Later he was the local Magistrate, a position he held for many years. He was also active in the Masonic Lodge and curled when he was younger.
In 1935 Thomas Brinsmead Sr. retired and he and his wife bought a little house in Camrose close to Bert's family, who had moved there several years before. The old couple lived there until their deaths in 1939, which occurred just six days apart, Mr. Brinsmead died first, followed by his wife just six days later.
