Obituary of Douglas Andrew Davis

We have gathered here today to celebrate the life of Doug Davis, a father, grandfather, great and great-great grandfather, uncle, cousin, and friend. Dough was born in Berwyn, Alberta on December 8, 1924 to Donald Andrew Davis and Eva Mae Banks. Doug passed away August 29, 2016 in Dawson Creek at the age of 91. He had one brother, Lloyd Wesley Davis, born December 25, 1926 and passed away in 1999 at the age of 73. Doug also had a sister, Beth Francis Nelson, born July 16, 1930 and passed away September 17, 1986 at the age of 56. Doug moved to Whitelaw, Alberta in 1925 where the family homesteaded until moving to Youbou ten years later. It was there that Doug's dad got a job in the local mill working for 50 cents an hour to support his family. While living in Youbou, Doug attended school. He got good grades, especially in math. He would always tell everyone that they would have to burn the school down just to get him out of grade 8. Dough didn't take any crap from the other kids or piers. He always looked out for his younger brother Lloyd, you mess with Lloyd, and you dealt with Doug! Doug played softball on a men's team as well as joined a boxing group which brought in a number of local tough guys. He quit school in 1940 and moved to Victoria. He joined the army at the age of 17, just to find out 3 months later he had to be discharged because he was too young. That didn't stop Doug, he decided to join the navy, and he didn't' last too long there either, only this time it was because he met the love of his life, Jean Steward. They were married and shortly after, son Dave (known to most as Sonny) along with Doug's mother Eva, lived in a large rental house in Duncan. Doug worked in the local mill trying to make ends meet for his family. It was there that he took the top of his ear off with a sliver from a piece of lumber being cut with a large saw. Missed going through the middle of his head by inches. He should have gone and purchased a lottery ticket that day. They took in a boarder named Bill Cyr. It was he who taught Doug to play the guitar and the rest is history. While living in Duncan, one morning Jean and Doug's mother Eva were discussing what a person could do with knots. Doug said I bet I can tie each of you p with a string 8 inches long and you won't be able to move. The women said there is no way you can. So two strings 8 inches long were cut, he got Jean and Eva to put their hands behind their backs. He tied the thumbs of each together. Getting them to lie down on the floor, he took one foot and placed it up in behind the tied thumbs. He then went uptown leaving the pair of them face down on the floor. A few minutes later, a neighbour heard yelling and came over, looked through the window and saw them on the floor and came inside letting them go free. Only Doug could get away with that stunt. In 1946, the family moved to Hope where Doug worked in the logging industry. Jean looked after Sonny and helped a Swedish carpenter build their first home. Buying a one-ton truck, Doug got his license to deliver freight from Chilliwack to Yale. They sold the house in Hope and moved up to Quesnel in 1950, where he got a job with a garbage pick-up service. This is when he met a little native fella named Jean Louie (known as Jiggy). Jiggy ended up living and working for Doug guiding. He became part of the family. Some of the musicians Doug played with in Hope also moved to Quesnel. They formed a small band playing for the odd dance. Selling vehicles for Beath Motors for the next 5 years was his next adventure. During this time, Doug and Jean enjoyed the great outdoors. Whenever possible, they would go out hunting and fishing with friends. Doug was so proud of Jean when she shot her first moose. This was probably when the seed got planted for the possibility of hunting as their livelihood. 1951 was the year another major change took place in their lives: daughter Gaylene was born. This completed their family until grandchildren and great-grandchildren came along. The latter part of 1955 was when Doug moved over to the GMC dealership, working for Len Sullivan, still enjoying time off for hunting and fishing. Doug's dance band took on a new look; band members now consisted of Art Nelson, Beth Nelson, Archie Pinchbeck, George Powell, Roy Lonsdale, and of course, Doug. Gill McCall hosted a local radio show for Doug and his band. They recorded records and played for dances from Prince George to as far south as Kamloops. We still run into people that say, "Doug Davis and the Devil Dreamers, we used to go to all of their dances at the 6 Mile Hall." In the mid-50's the family lived along the banks of the Fraser River in West Quesnel. Doug enjoyed putting a big garden, had a few chickens, and began to buy a few horses which brings to mind a funny story. A meeting of government officials was being held in the Legion hall one afternoon. A couple of Doug's buddies dared him to ride his horse up the 8 stairs into the hall and up in front of the head table. Of course Doug being Doug, he took the dare. He rode his horse to the front of the Legion, up the stairs into the hall, and up to the head table. There was one thing that Doug didn't count on and that was his horse lifting her tail and leaving a deposit. Needless to say, this was perfect time to make an exit. There is a newspaper clipping of the event that you can view later. It was 1957 when Doug and Jean purchased a guiding area in the Bazeko. Doug took his apprenticeship for assistant guide under the direction of native, Louie Laurent. Building up their area, record moose, black bear and grizzly were harvested. They had many repeat hunters. Sonny enjoyed spending time out there. When not in school he would be wrangling horses with his dad and helping out wherever needed. Now 1958 was Centennial year in Quesnel. In a mock event involving a robbery of a stage coach on Carson Street, Doug and his gang were captured and taken over to the Old Fraser River Bridge on Front Street. A trial took place, Davis was found guilty to be hanged. The rope was thrown over a large limb of a tree, Doug was put on his horse, hands tied behind his back and a noose placed around his neck. When the horse was slapped out from underneath of him, the accused was left dangling from the rope. All of a sudden the rope broke and Doug fell to the ground. But what you really need to know is that there was a halter under Doug's shirt, which was attached to the rope. The halter had broken and he fell free. There is also a newspaper article on this event. Doug and Jean purchased a farm in Kersley where they raised cattle, quarter horses and appaloosas. He now has some good hayfields that grew great crops. A couple of years later Doug sold the Bazeko Hunting territory and purchased the Batnuni place from Buster Lavoie. The cattle were hauled out in liners while Doug and a crew would drive the horses from Kersley, through town requiring a police escort once in city limits and across the old Fraser River bridge and on to Batnuni, about a 4-5 day drive. We were to learn that Doug's name was given to a movie company that wanted to film a stagecoach holdup in an authentic part of the wilderness. What a better place than Robber's Roost on the Barkerville road? It was all set up and ready to roll. Dough and his gang came riding through the trees and down the banks onto the road towards the moving stage with bandanas and .30-.30's blazing! One of the masked bandits grabbed the strong box full of gold while Doug and the others grabbed up the women with long dresses on and threw them up behind their saddles riding off. Just another colourful event in Doug's life. Why let moss grow underfoot? Now Doug and Jean sold the Kersley farm and bought the Nazko store from Joe Spehar. Doug's mother and Jean ran the store and caf for about four years. The store was named "Frontier Trading Post". They now had to count on various meadows in the area to put up enough hay to feed the animals. Groceries were traded for furs with the people that traveled down by team and sleigh from up in the Kluskus area. He would bundle the pelts and ship them to a fur buyer. There was one memorable cold wintery day with about 4 inches of fresh snow. Doug got up early that morning to find that his 4x4 truck was missing. Luckily you could still see the tire tracks with the snow fall, so he got Jean and Lloyd a couple of jerry cans of gas and jumped into his mother's Fiat car and took off after the thieves. The trucks went north to Pelican Lake. Seeing the Nazko stage coming towards them, Doug stopped, got out and flagged the stage down. There were two guys inside, Doug proceeded to ask them some questions. It didn't take long to figure out that these were the two truck thieves. When Doug asked them where his truck was, the one guy said it's just back a bit down a side road out of gas. Lloyd and Jean set out with the gas in search of the truck. After some time, they returned just to say there was no truck to be found. While questioning the two men once again, the one guy spouted off saying we don't have to answer any of your questions. Well, you don't say this to Doug. He promptly pulled out his .357 pistol and whacked the stranger on the side of the head, shot into the air and asked once more, "Where is my truck?" Without hesitation, the guy blurted out it's down the road near the fence about 2 miles, flipped over onto its side. Doug took the culprits into Quesnel turning them over to the RCMP, who in turn shook his hand saying "Well done!" With a new hunting territory and one might add some great fishing, Doug wanted to invite singer/song writer Jim Reeves out to Batnuni for a fishing trip. Doug admired Jim's music, saying he had a voice like no other. So e began researching his plan. Not long after an announcement came over the news that a tragic plane crash had taken the life of Jim Reeves. That was a real let down. The eight songs that were played just before the service was all Jim's tunes. Around 1971, Doug took on the position of president for the BC Guides Association fulfilling a 2 year term. He also instructed a guiding course out of Prince George. Doug was the founder of the Quesnel Guides Association where he assumed the position of president for 9 years receiving numerous awards for his outstanding record breaking scores on the animals his clients bagged. His hunters loved Doug's bs, constant jokes and of course, poker evenings after a day in the saddle, not to mention Jean's delicious meals. They sold the Vanderhoof place in 1985, moving out to Batnuni full time. Doug also had a large trap line and was very successful in gathering up the various types of furs. Morris Boyd worked right alongside of Doug, having many a laugh. Morris also guided with Doug for a lot of years. Dad often mentioned what a great guide Morris was. Having a passion for horses, he got into breeding and raising paints. Selling them throughout BC, Alberta and the U.S. He took a lot of pride in his animals. Around this time, the new much more modern home was built out at the camp. Running water, hot showers, flush toilets, what could be better? Many events took place in the new home involving family, good friends, and lots of music. The coffee pot was always on. Doug and Jean planned and prepared for an annual May long weekend event. Enjoying this time so very much with family and friends you could expect to see upwards of 80 people. They purchased trophies to be awarded to the various winners of many events. Poker, of course, was one, skeet and .22 shooting another, the biggest trout, the funniest story told, horse shoe camp, and for the kids the most squaw fish caught. Finally the "horses ass award", self-explanatory I would think. Many musicians would attend this event, so needless to say the big log hunter's cabin was the venue every evening for dancing, socializing, games, and of course storytelling. Doug took some time for Jean and himself to do some traveling. They went down to the States to visit past hunters and to attend the hunting shows. Switzerland was another place they managed to visit, hooking up with a hunter of many years. They even went to Cuba to attend their eldest granddaughter, Amber's, wedding. In 2000, Doug and Jean bought a house on Joy Road, just off the highway south of Quesnel. Having a registered paint stud and selling paints made this an ideal location. But for various reasons, it turned out to be a negative instead of a positive. One year later the Batnuni place was sold and an acreage on Teofil Road was purchased. That spring Doug joined forces with Ron Moffat in a horse sale. Downsizing the herd was a must, not a desire. Each and every horse held a special spot in Doug's heart. They made many new and great friends. Doug and Jean, Gretta Wright, Kathy and Dennis Mathers formed a musical group and found great joy playing in various venues. I would phone my folks and ask dad what they had done during the day, his reply was "Oh, we went to play music for the old folks." Dad and Mom were in their 80's at this time. Doug had a couple of bouts of cancer a number of years ago and with Jean's persistence and good nursing, he beat the disease. "On the move again!" They bought a home in Westland trailer park in 2007. Each move allowed them to downsize considerable. Just ask me! Those of you that knew Mom would know this wasn't easy. This turned out to be a very special year for Doug, he added Quesnel Entertainer Hall of Fame to his musical accomplishments. He was selected to be the first inductee and received a nice plaque to commemorate the occasion. One evening in 2008, Dad called me and said, "You know honey, there's something I want to do before I leave this old world. I want to go to South Africa to go hunting and I want you to come." I can see why he wanted me to come, there was one hell of a lot of organizing to do to pull that trip off! At 83 years old, Doug withstood 20 hours of flying to get there. Up at 5am, hunting by 6:30am, sitting in a blind by 1pm because it was 38-42C. Needless to say he was a hunter and bagged 10 animals, had them mounted and shipped to Canada. I shot 6. It was a trip of a lifetime. Doug's love for life and family was huge. There was nothing Mom and Dad wouldn't tackle together. If there's a will, there's a way. After Jean's stroke, the role of caregiver changed hands. Doug was now having to do things that Jean always took care of. Great friends stepped up to the plate helping out a lot. Thanks to those wonderful people. Having been married 71 years, after Mom's passing, Dad felt like a lost soul. There were some tough decisions to be made. He himself needed more care and someone to help manage his needs. The only feasible solution for Dad was to move to Dawson Creek where he spent two years living with Roar and I. Leaving other family members and very dear friends was not easy. Roar and I brought Dad back to Quesnel on a few occasions to get some visits in. He looked forward to those trips. Two years in to his stay, Doug fractured a vertebrae which resulted in a 7 week hospitalization. His mobility decreased and care increased. June, 2015 Doug managed to land a really nice room with a great view in the care facility. He enjoyed the company from the people he met, looked forward to the musical entertainment and of course let's not forget teasing all the staff. Quite often you would find some of the staff hanging out in his room sitting, listening to his stories, looking at photo albums, taking in a good joke, oh, and let's not forget the Werther's candies. After Jean's passing Doug lost interest in playing music. Once in a while you may have found him out in the common room playing the piano for the other residents and staff. He said, "It's just not the same anymore without Mama." Dad kept pretty busy, going out for drives, having supper twice a week with Roar and I, off to visit friends and monthly haircuts at the barber. He knew most of the musicians that came in to play. They always had the time for a coffee and a visit. The hunting show and the boxing channel on TV was a big hit to pass time. One of the things he enjoyed so very much was visits from Brandi and great-grandchildren Traice and Saje and of course, beating Dusty in crib. He spent many moments on the phone talking to family members and all of his good friends. Dad was especially proud of his great-grandson Jord for taking up hunting. Things like this meant a lot to him. In fact, he was very proud of his family. The family would like to thank friends Dave and Lorna Tuck for their devoted friendship. To Mark, whom Doug looked to as a very dear friend. Mark sent me an email the other day and he said, "Doug was a wonderful friend and my captain" Mark had a boat while living in Juneau, Alaska. He but the name "Batnuni Bandit" on it. He told Dad, "You are the captain." Mark wrote, as Walt Whitman said: Oh Captain, My Captain, Our Fearful Trip is done The ship has weathered every rack The prize we sought is won Unfortunately, Mark couldn't attend today due to a very important work commitment, but is here in heart and soul. There are so many more stories of people and places that could be mentioned but time is of the essence. There were so many of you that stayed in touch with Dad, it never once went unnoticed. He loved each and every one of you. Dad was a man who just loved life. He will be forever missed and forever loved. Service 11:00 am Monday, October 24, 2016 Clayton's Funeral Directors 582 Front Street QUESNEL, British Columbia, Canada V2J 2K6