Interview with Jack Wertz

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https://search.bvmuseum.org/link/descriptions11956

Date Range: March 29 2021

Collection: BVM Oral History collection

Description Level: File

GMD: sound recording; electronic record

Scope and Content: Interview with wilderness guide Jack Wertz, recorded March 8 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Paulie Threlkeld. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, photo from day of interview, and .csv file of subject indexing.

1 audio

Collection: BVM Oral History collection

Description Level: File

GMD: sound recording; electronic record

Creator: Paulie Haines

Fonds No.: C5

Item No.: 2021.21.18

Accession No.: 2021.21

Physical Description: 2.20 GB of digital records

Date Range: March 29 2021

Scope and Content: Interview with wilderness guide Jack Wertz, recorded March 8 2021 at the Old Church in Smithers by Paulie Threlkeld. Includes raw and edited .WAV files, MP3 access file, photo from day of interview, and .csv file of subject indexing.

Type of Record: Archival Description

Audio Tracks

Interview with Jack Wertz - March 29, 2021

https://search.bvmuseum.org/media/Digital%20Fonds%20and%20Collections/C5%20BVM%20Oral%20History%20collection/2021.21.18_Wertz,%20Jack/Wertz,%20Jack%202021_03_29.ACCESS.mp3

How Wertz's life was like living in a state orphanage with his sister in Tuscon, Arizona.

keywords

1934; family; hugs; Mastoid infection; Mexican; nurses; orphanage; penicillin; Tuscon, Arizona

subjects

childhood; family; orphanage

Moved with his father and new step mother to a ranch house after the father had been stationed at an Italian war camp.

keywords

animals; army base; date; flag staff; Italian prisoner of war camp; ranch house; safety engineer; street kids

subjects

animals; marriage; military

Leaving home because his step-grandmother was cruel to him. Going to college with one of the first women allowed to go there.

keywords

dirty jokes; Dr. Tuller; Eagle Rock; girls; grandmother; Jewish; racism; runaway; uncle; white; zoology

subjects

family; leaving home

What life was like during the Korean War and how some of the Americans were brought up.

keywords

conscription; draft; filler troops; Kentucky; Korean War; murders; tank department

subjects

America; war

Wertz meeting his old friend and co-worker in the army and him becoming Wertz's commander.

keywords

commander; company; Edward Fender; friend; saddle; tank training

subjects

commander; friendship; war

The career paths that Wertz took in his youth to support his family and get through school once the war was over.

keywords

boxing; children; cook; golfing; grades; waitress

subjects

career; children; family; marriage; school

When Jack moved to Los Angeles he found a love of surfing and centered his life around it for around two years.

keywords

appraisals; assessment; Los Angeles Times; surfing; taxes

subjects

appraisals; family; recreation; sports; surfing

Trying to learn manners to impress that girl of his dreams and marry her.

keywords

dance; dinner; education; listener; love; manners; marriage; professor; relationships; women

subjects

love; manners; marriage

Going on vacation to Smithers and realizing that he wanted to move to Smithers and start a home.

keywords

alfalfa; board walk; cousin; fishing; post office; ranch; rent; Smithers; snow; vacation; veterans

subjects

fishing; moving; Smithers

Wertz was approached by another gentlemen about appraising land in Kitimat and that was the first step on building his North Country business in Smithers.

keywords

honesty; Kitimat; North Country; real estate; Remex; salesmen

subjects

business; real Estate

The time Wertz met Marge Calhoun, the women's surfing champion.

keywords

1950s; California; Dale Velzy; lessons; Marge Calhoun; sporting goods; surfboard; surfing; teaching

subjects

surfing

What life was like in Canada with an new life and wife, guiding, fishing, ranching.

keywords

bears; bookkeeper; camp; cattle ranch; divorce; First Nations; fishing guide; grizzly; guide; Hilltop; hunting; Lefty Gardiner; lightning blot; lodge; moose; O'Neill; rancher; remarriage

subjects

divorce; guiding tours; marriage

This part is about how Wertz bid on property in court and won the bit. Later Wertz goes on about how he ran the lodge. Rafting Business is also brought up as a brief hobby/job.

keywords

bankruptcy; Bear Scat; Bear Scat Water Adventures; doctor; Don Golder; fishing; fishing rights; health; law; music festival; raft; rafting company; ranch; Smithers; steelhead fishing; training film; worker

subjects

law; lodge; rafting; Sportsman Lodge