No, I don't know any actual cheese makers. No, you're not original with whatever joke just popped into your head. Yes, I love cheese — the real stuff, not the processed plastic.
Read the full Cheesman story — the chosen line, Turner Valley to the Peace Country →
We became Cheesmans on July 20, 1991, when my mom Maryanne (Elizabeth) Docherty married Brian Cheesman. It was a double wedding — same day, same ceremony as Brian's older brother Dave (born July 1967) and his bride Kelly. Brian was 20 at the time. The two couples stood up together and walked out as two new families in one afternoon.
Amber, Dave and Kelly's oldest, had already been born earlier that January. Their other two daughters, Marla and Clarisa, came later. Marla went on to marry Ryan Linson.
The grandparents on this side were John and Sandra Cheesman. John passed away from cancer. Sandy is still with us, though pain and limited mobility keep her close to home. The Cheesmans tend to keep a tight circle — for years it was really just John, Sandy, the two boys, and Sandy's mother. It must be a Cheesman thing.
Brian is my stepfather. My biological father is Martin Lakeman, which is its own family line further down the hub. Both men are part of how I got here. The Cheesman name is the one I carry, and the one my kids carry now.
For a long stretch — roughly 1990 to 2013 — the Cheesman side stayed small and close. Mostly just my immediate family and a handful of relatives. I'd love more group photos of the cousins and their families.
