MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
Bill Blance and
Alice Emily (Tarry) Blance
Alice Emily (Tarry) Blance
Spring Coulee and District page 219 - 220
by June Hearne Smith
William Smith Blance 'Bill' was born in Coldback,
North Delling, Shetland Islands on May 15, 1874.
He died in Victoria January 1968.
He was a sailor and when his ship was wrecked
off the east coast of Canada he gave up sailing
and eventually made his way to Lethbridge. The
high level bridge in Lethbridge was built between
1906 and 1909 and Bill worked on this bridge so he
was in Lethbridge at this time. Smith and Over
bought their ranch in Spring Coulee about 1910 and
Bill may have been the first manager of this ranch.
Alice Emily Tarry later Orrock, later Blance "Tot"
was born November 11, 1883 in London England.
In 1908 she married Robert William Orrock "Bob"
and 1911 Tot and Bob left England for Canada
where they joined Tot's parent, the Tarrys in
Vancouver. Just four months after arriving in
Vancouver, Bob Orrock died of typhoid fever.
The Tarry family with Tot then moved from
Vancouver to Lethbridge about 1915. It was here
she met Bill Blance who was managing a ranch at
Spring Coulee for Smith and Over. Tot worked at
the ranch keeping house and cooking for the men,
and eventually married Bill.
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