Beda Feuz’s father, Klaus Edwin Jacobson, had already sailed halfway around the world before he arrived in Golden in 1910. Born in Sweden in 1879, he first went to Lapland as a very young man to work on building a railway. Next, he signed on as crew and sailed around Cape Horn to New Zealand where he worked on building a railway tunnel. One more stop to Australia and work on the railway there before booking passage on a steamer through the South Seas to Vancouver – and Golden.

Beda’s mother, Margaret (nee Jones),

arrived in Golden in 1913 from Wales via North Dakota to join her brother who was homesteading at Forde station in the Blaeberry. She arrived just in time to join the party for the last run of the paddle wheeler Klahowya on the Columbia.

The image of the Russell Hotel (on the site of the present Civic Centre) was taken by William Wenman circa 1916-1921. Upon arriving in Golden, Klaus bought an interest in the 12-room hotel and courted Margaret when she came to work as a chambermaid. Together they ran the Russell Hotel and

then built and managed their own Hotel Fridhem (Cox & Co.) until their retirement in 1946. Klaus is standing on the boardwalk.

Built as the only hotel on the south side – and right next door to A. C. Hamilton’s Livery Stable and the Kootenay Central Railway line – the Russell was perfectly situated to welcome guests travelling from down the valley.

Beda is holding a family photo of brother Ted, herself, mother Margaret and father Klaus Edwin circa 1937-38.