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Charles
Nelson Pretty and Rowena Elizabeth Peters (known to her many friends
as Pete) were married October 10, 1917. Charles and Rowena had
4 children. Charles Watson born February 3,
Rowena Charlotte
born March 1,
James Ivan born June 12,
Elizabeth Anne
(known as Betty Anne) born March 19, .
After
they married Charles and Rowena shared a home in Vancouver with
Charles parents. They purchased a 160 acres parcel of land from
a widow, Mrs. Jackson. The property as it still is today has frontage
on the Chehalis and Harrison Rivers extending out under the river
for some distance. They would travel by train from Vancouver to
Harrison Mills and paddle by canoe to their home on the river,
staying a few days to renovate and to make alterations and extensions.
Charles
Nelson was in the Timber Brokerage business with his father, and
continued the business for many years after his father passed
away. He also turned the property into a dairy farm, purchasing
extra land across the river from the Indians. This land he made
into more fields. Charles Pretty developed a large silvertip fox
farm as well on the present property, where the guest cabins are
now located. He won cups for the top quality of furs. Many years
ago, the famous Miss Margaret of the Harrison Hot Springs Hotel,
had them on display in their lobby.
Charles Nelson designed a 52-foot pleasure yacht (picture by office).
It was named Voyager III. He and Rowena had the boat for many
years and had many fun filled days traveling up the river for
picnics, or on up to Harrison Lake. There was a dock in front
of the house where the boat could be moored during the summer
in high water season. They belonged to the Royal Vancouver Yacht
Club as well, where the family enjoyed many wonderful excursions.
Eventually it was sold to some men in Mission who restored it.
Unfortunately, after it's completion; caught fire and was destroyed.
Since
BC Hydro had not made its way out to the Fraser Valley yet, Charles
Pretty had a damn constructed to produce electricity for their
home and adjacent buildings. It is still in existence today, and
used for the Inn. The winter of 1947 and early 1948 was extremely
cold. One very early morning, about 2:00am, the barn and workshop
caught on fire. The flames spread quickly through to the hayloft
area. The loss was devastating for the family. The cattle died
quickly from the oxygen being sucked so quickly from the building.
Betty Anne remembers losing her beautiful Arabian horse called
"Zippy" and her cherished Irish setter named "Ginger".
The only building saved, other than the root house made of stone,
was the dairy walk in fridge and larger freezer room, which is
still in existence today but is not used as such. They felt the
cause of the blaze was due to the fact that there were too many
heaters on. Following this disastrous winter was the famous flood
of 1948, which mercifully, avoided the pretty property because
of the sloping land.
Rowena
Charlotte, eldest daughter, was tragically killed in a car accident
in April 1968. She was 45 years old and left behind her husband
Christopher Michael Foster Lepine and six children. Charles Watson
passed away five months later due to a massive heart attack. He
was forty-nine years old and left behind his wife Dorthea and
two children.
Charles
Nelson passed away in 1992 and it was decided by the remaining
siblings, Betty Anne and her brother Ivan, to turn their home
into an Inn. This allows others to have the enjoyment and entertainment
as they and their parents had through their many privileged years
of being in this area of enchantment. Along with the Inn, Ivan
had a dream to build a golf course surrounding the house, and
so it was implemented and is enjoyed by many golfers. The golf
course, named Sandpiper Golf Resort, is a beautiful 18-hole course.
The scenery that can be viewed while on the course, is as breath
taking as the course itself.
Betty Anne, who bought out Ivan's fifty percent after he passed
away in July of 2001, is now one hundred percent owner and lives
on property with her husband Doug Faulkner. They both play an
active role in the development and decision making of the entire
Pretty Estates.
Betty Anne's nephew, Christopher Lepine, is general manager and
has been active with the present day business since the Inn opened
in June of 1995.
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