NEWS PHOTO GILLIAN SLADE Barbara King pages through her collection of newspaper cuttings about her former home becoming a Ronald McDonald House.
gslade@medicinehatnews.com@MHNGillianSlade
The former owner of Medicine Hat’s new Ronald McDonald House says she could not be happier that her marital home and that of her husband’s family will now be a special place for children.
“I am deeply honoured for Alf’s family and myself that that is what became of it,” said Barbara King.
It is particularly gratifying says Barbara because she and her husband had no children of their own.
“I really love children,” said Barbara, who discovered her former home was to become the Ronald McDonald House when the announcement was revealed in the News last April.
“My girlfriends kept saying ‘that’s your house’,” said Barbara. “I was just thrilled. Alf would be thrilled.”
Her in-laws had the home built at 569 Fourth St. SW and lived there happily with Alfred and their daughter Audrey. Audrey never married and all of Alfred’s family had already passed away when the two met.
Alfred, 52 at the time, never having married, was introduced to Barbara, 42 at the time, through friends at St. Barnabas Church. They married in 1982 and lived in the Fourth Street family home.
Many Hatters may remember Alfred from his iconic King’s Barber Ship on Third Street downtown – where he first began working in 1955. He later owned the business.
“He was busy, he was popular,” said Barbara, revealing the many newspaper stories about him.
At one time there were three or four barbers employed there but in the end Alfred was on his own, she explained.
“He got sick. He got dementia,” said Barbara.
He lived in a care home for some time and passed away in 2010.
Barbara remembers arranging the closing of the shop and having the iconic equipment auctioned off.
When the home on Fourth Street became too much for Barbara she cleared out all the family’s belongings and ultimately sold the house to a young couple. She later became aware that the house had been sold again and then stood empty for a few years.
Barbara flips through all the newspaper cuttings about the Medicine Hat Ronald McDonald House and is amazed at the transformation taking place. There used to be two bedrooms upstairs and one in the basement when she and Alfred lived there. Now there are six family suites plus an office, laundry, kitchen, dining and living room area for a total of 4,100 square feet.
“I’m anxious to see it when it opens next year,” said Barbara. “It’s such a marvellous idea for Medicine Hat – thanks to the Yuill family.”
The Ronald McDonald House will be a place for sick children to stay along with their family when receiving medical care and treatment at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital.
The official opening is expected to take place in March 2020 but there is an event outside the house on Thursday evening at 6 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.
The Christmas lights on the exterior of the home, near the intersection of Fourth Street SW and Sixth Avenue, will be illuminated. There will be speeches, the serving of hot chocolate and the singing of Christmas carols.
Medicine Hat Ronald McDonald House was made possible by a donation of $800,000 from the Yuill Family Foundation to cover construction costs. It is the fourth Ronald McDonald House to be built in Alberta after Edmonton, Calgary and Red Deer.
