Guido was born in Calgary on September 14, 1913, to Andrea and Bernardina Blasetti. In the spring of 1914, baby Guido and his mother, Bernardina, arrived in Nordegg on the train, in a boxcar full of men looking for work at the Brazeau coal mines. One man, Jim Rizzutti, spoke Italian and English, and he helped Bernardina. Andrea, Bernardina, and Guido lived in a tent for several months before getting a house. Guido grew up in Nordegg with his three brothers, Ernesto, Evo, and Frank, and two sisters Mary and Mafalda. In 1919/1920, Guido began school in Nordegg. From 1927 until 1931, Guido and his brother, Ernesto, went to the convent in Lac La Biche. In 1932, Guido went to College St. Jean in Edmonton, then taught school in Lac La Biche for a short time, before returning to Nordegg. After he returned to Nordegg, he became one of the "driving forces" behind having a Catholic church constructed there. By 1937/1938 Guido was 25 years old and dating a few of the Nordegg girls but a tiny, 4 foot 10 inches, 96 pound Italian girl caught his eye-Julia Poscente. However, Julia's father, Filippo, was not in favour of Guido Guy Blasetti, Guido and Julia's son. Photo courtesy of the family. courting his daughter. So, on May 17, 1941, the two young people eloped to Edmonton, where they were married in St. Joseph's Cathedral. Guido booked rooms for all the wedding party but the maid of honour, Maggie D'Amico (Morris), was away from home overnight for the first time and, being only 19 years old, she got scared. She knocked on the door of Guido and Julia's room, where she spent the rest of the night with the honeymooners. Guido and Julia had nine children: Guy (Terry); Raymond; Frances (Joe Manna); Andrew (Connie Suto); Patricia (Steven Kiss); Laura (Bert Tysowski); Ernest (Bev); Philip (Linda); and Mark. Early ventures of Guido and Julia:
- managed the service station, Bighorn Motors, in Nordegg
- managed the bake shop and restaurant
- for a short time, leased the butcher shop and the boarding house
- had a milk and grocery delivery with a horse and wagon, with Cyril Phillips and Vince Fitzsimmons
- sold insurance policies and savings for Crown Life Insurance
- sold men's suits in Nordegg for Lafleche Brothers' Men's Wear, Edmonton
- sold cars, fridges, stoves, washing machines, dryers
- ran a bus transportation service for the miners, for baseball, hockey, and curling
teams, and the boy scouts
Then, in 1946, Guido bought a 3-ton truck for $3,000.00, to haul coal for the mines. But that didn't happen, so he got into hauling mail, groceries, and beer, etc. from Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer to Nordegg. By 1947 Guido had settled on keeping the garage, bake shop and restaurant, and the bus and truck service. The trucking outfit was named Big Horn Transport Ltd. Julia ran the bake shop and restaurant, as well as the family, so she also was a very busy person. As Nordegg started to slow down in the early 1950s, Guido made plans to move to Red Deer. He kept Big Horn Transport Ltd, selling the other businesses in Nordegg by 1953. Guido bought more trucks, and put them to work, contracting with the Chrysler plant in Red Deer, and other mail runs that he acquired. In 1957, Guido, Julia, and family, relocated Big Horn Transport to Calgary. For many years, Guido ran the company by himself, handling all the mail and freight contracts. In 1965, Andrew and Philip joined forces with their dad to help run Big Horn Transport. By 1976, Guy, Raymond, and Ernie also had joined the business. Guido gave his sons tremendous experience and background. He always said money in the bank is no good, so he bought many trucks and trailers; the boys had no choice but to put them to work. Before long, there were 300 trailers and 90 trucks, (and that number has almost doubled since that time). It wasn't until 1984 that the youngest son, Mark, came on-stream. Guido spread the boys out from Calgary's head office of Big Horn Transport Ltd., with Ernest and Mark managing the Edmonton branch, and Andrew managing Lethbridge branch and the U.S.A. account. In 1990 Big Horn Transport Ltd. formed an office and yard in Regina. The company operates in Western Canada and Western United States from Alaska to Texas. Guido was an entrepreneur who saw his company grow along with his family and, with his wife, Julia, he saw it stretch beyond the 50 year mark, extending opportunities to the third generation. In 1993, at age 81, Guido was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On June 20, 2001, Guido passed away from pneumonia.
- From "Nordegg Italian Pioneers"
*Thanks to Susan for the grave photo
- managed the service station, Bighorn Motors, in Nordegg
- managed the bake shop and restaurant
- for a short time, leased the butcher shop and the boarding house
- had a milk and grocery delivery with a horse and wagon, with Cyril Phillips and Vince Fitzsimmons
- sold insurance policies and savings for Crown Life Insurance
- sold men's suits in Nordegg for Lafleche Brothers' Men's Wear, Edmonton
- sold cars, fridges, stoves, washing machines, dryers
- ran a bus transportation service for the miners, for baseball, hockey, and curling
teams, and the boy scouts
Then, in 1946, Guido bought a 3-ton truck for $3,000.00, to haul coal for the mines. But that didn't happen, so he got into hauling mail, groceries, and beer, etc. from Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer to Nordegg. By 1947 Guido had settled on keeping the garage, bake shop and restaurant, and the bus and truck service. The trucking outfit was named Big Horn Transport Ltd. Julia ran the bake shop and restaurant, as well as the family, so she also was a very busy person. As Nordegg started to slow down in the early 1950s, Guido made plans to move to Red Deer. He kept Big Horn Transport Ltd, selling the other businesses in Nordegg by 1953. Guido bought more trucks, and put them to work, contracting with the Chrysler plant in Red Deer, and other mail runs that he acquired. In 1957, Guido, Julia, and family, relocated Big Horn Transport to Calgary. For many years, Guido ran the company by himself, handling all the mail and freight contracts. In 1965, Andrew and Philip joined forces with their dad to help run Big Horn Transport. By 1976, Guy, Raymond, and Ernie also had joined the business. Guido gave his sons tremendous experience and background. He always said money in the bank is no good, so he bought many trucks and trailers; the boys had no choice but to put them to work. Before long, there were 300 trailers and 90 trucks, (and that number has almost doubled since that time). It wasn't until 1984 that the youngest son, Mark, came on-stream. Guido spread the boys out from Calgary's head office of Big Horn Transport Ltd., with Ernest and Mark managing the Edmonton branch, and Andrew managing Lethbridge branch and the U.S.A. account. In 1990 Big Horn Transport Ltd. formed an office and yard in Regina. The company operates in Western Canada and Western United States from Alaska to Texas. Guido was an entrepreneur who saw his company grow along with his family and, with his wife, Julia, he saw it stretch beyond the 50 year mark, extending opportunities to the third generation. In 1993, at age 81, Guido was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On June 20, 2001, Guido passed away from pneumonia.
- From "Nordegg Italian Pioneers"
*Thanks to Susan for the grave photo
Guido was born in Calgary on September 14, 1913, to Andrea and Bernardina Blasetti. In the spring of 1914, baby Guido and his mother, Bernardina, arrived in Nordegg on the train, in a boxcar full of men looking for work at the Brazeau coal mines. One man, Jim Rizzutti, spoke Italian and English, and he helped Bernardina. Andrea, Bernardina, and Guido lived in a tent for several months before getting a house. Guido grew up in Nordegg with his three brothers, Ernesto, Evo, and Frank, and two sisters Mary and Mafalda. In 1919/1920, Guido began school in Nordegg. From 1927 until 1931, Guido and his brother, Ernesto, went to the convent in Lac La Biche. In 1932, Guido went to College St. Jean in Edmonton, then taught school in Lac La Biche for a short time, before returning to Nordegg. After he returned to Nordegg, he became one of the "driving forces" behind having a Catholic church constructed there. By 1937/1938 Guido was 25 years old and dating a few of the Nordegg girls but a tiny, 4 foot 10 inches, 96 pound Italian girl caught his eye-Julia Poscente. However, Julia's father, Filippo, was not in favour of Guido Guy Blasetti, Guido and Julia's son. Photo courtesy of the family. courting his daughter. So, on May 17, 1941, the two young people eloped to Edmonton, where they were married in St. Joseph's Cathedral. Guido booked rooms for all the wedding party but the maid of honour, Maggie D'Amico (Morris), was away from home overnight for the first time and, being only 19 years old, she got scared. She knocked on the door of Guido and Julia's room, where she spent the rest of the night with the honeymooners. Guido and Julia had nine children: Guy (Terry); Raymond; Frances (Joe Manna); Andrew (Connie Suto); Patricia (Steven Kiss); Laura (Bert Tysowski); Ernest (Bev); Philip (Linda); and Mark. Early ventures of Guido and Julia:
- managed the service station, Bighorn Motors, in Nordegg
- managed the bake shop and restaurant
- for a short time, leased the butcher shop and the boarding house
- had a milk and grocery delivery with a horse and wagon, with Cyril Phillips and Vince Fitzsimmons
- sold insurance policies and savings for Crown Life Insurance
- sold men's suits in Nordegg for Lafleche Brothers' Men's Wear, Edmonton
- sold cars, fridges, stoves, washing machines, dryers
- ran a bus transportation service for the miners, for baseball, hockey, and curling
teams, and the boy scouts
Then, in 1946, Guido bought a 3-ton truck for $3,000.00, to haul coal for the mines. But that didn't happen, so he got into hauling mail, groceries, and beer, etc. from Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer to Nordegg. By 1947 Guido had settled on keeping the garage, bake shop and restaurant, and the bus and truck service. The trucking outfit was named Big Horn Transport Ltd. Julia ran the bake shop and restaurant, as well as the family, so she also was a very busy person. As Nordegg started to slow down in the early 1950s, Guido made plans to move to Red Deer. He kept Big Horn Transport Ltd, selling the other businesses in Nordegg by 1953. Guido bought more trucks, and put them to work, contracting with the Chrysler plant in Red Deer, and other mail runs that he acquired. In 1957, Guido, Julia, and family, relocated Big Horn Transport to Calgary. For many years, Guido ran the company by himself, handling all the mail and freight contracts. In 1965, Andrew and Philip joined forces with their dad to help run Big Horn Transport. By 1976, Guy, Raymond, and Ernie also had joined the business. Guido gave his sons tremendous experience and background. He always said money in the bank is no good, so he bought many trucks and trailers; the boys had no choice but to put them to work. Before long, there were 300 trailers and 90 trucks, (and that number has almost doubled since that time). It wasn't until 1984 that the youngest son, Mark, came on-stream. Guido spread the boys out from Calgary's head office of Big Horn Transport Ltd., with Ernest and Mark managing the Edmonton branch, and Andrew managing Lethbridge branch and the U.S.A. account. In 1990 Big Horn Transport Ltd. formed an office and yard in Regina. The company operates in Western Canada and Western United States from Alaska to Texas. Guido was an entrepreneur who saw his company grow along with his family and, with his wife, Julia, he saw it stretch beyond the 50 year mark, extending opportunities to the third generation. In 1993, at age 81, Guido was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On June 20, 2001, Guido passed away from pneumonia.
- From "Nordegg Italian Pioneers"
*Thanks to Susan for the grave photo
- managed the service station, Bighorn Motors, in Nordegg
- managed the bake shop and restaurant
- for a short time, leased the butcher shop and the boarding house
- had a milk and grocery delivery with a horse and wagon, with Cyril Phillips and Vince Fitzsimmons
- sold insurance policies and savings for Crown Life Insurance
- sold men's suits in Nordegg for Lafleche Brothers' Men's Wear, Edmonton
- sold cars, fridges, stoves, washing machines, dryers
- ran a bus transportation service for the miners, for baseball, hockey, and curling
teams, and the boy scouts
Then, in 1946, Guido bought a 3-ton truck for $3,000.00, to haul coal for the mines. But that didn't happen, so he got into hauling mail, groceries, and beer, etc. from Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer to Nordegg. By 1947 Guido had settled on keeping the garage, bake shop and restaurant, and the bus and truck service. The trucking outfit was named Big Horn Transport Ltd. Julia ran the bake shop and restaurant, as well as the family, so she also was a very busy person. As Nordegg started to slow down in the early 1950s, Guido made plans to move to Red Deer. He kept Big Horn Transport Ltd, selling the other businesses in Nordegg by 1953. Guido bought more trucks, and put them to work, contracting with the Chrysler plant in Red Deer, and other mail runs that he acquired. In 1957, Guido, Julia, and family, relocated Big Horn Transport to Calgary. For many years, Guido ran the company by himself, handling all the mail and freight contracts. In 1965, Andrew and Philip joined forces with their dad to help run Big Horn Transport. By 1976, Guy, Raymond, and Ernie also had joined the business. Guido gave his sons tremendous experience and background. He always said money in the bank is no good, so he bought many trucks and trailers; the boys had no choice but to put them to work. Before long, there were 300 trailers and 90 trucks, (and that number has almost doubled since that time). It wasn't until 1984 that the youngest son, Mark, came on-stream. Guido spread the boys out from Calgary's head office of Big Horn Transport Ltd., with Ernest and Mark managing the Edmonton branch, and Andrew managing Lethbridge branch and the U.S.A. account. In 1990 Big Horn Transport Ltd. formed an office and yard in Regina. The company operates in Western Canada and Western United States from Alaska to Texas. Guido was an entrepreneur who saw his company grow along with his family and, with his wife, Julia, he saw it stretch beyond the 50 year mark, extending opportunities to the third generation. In 1993, at age 81, Guido was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. On June 20, 2001, Guido passed away from pneumonia.
- From "Nordegg Italian Pioneers"
*Thanks to Susan for the grave photo
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