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Albert Deans was born February 19, 1848, in Ontario. As a boy he went to school in Wellington County, and subsequently worked as a surveyor. In 1868 Albert moved to Pennsylvania for a number of years, where he managed a lumber company. Here he married Elizabeth McColm in February 1873. Later that year they had a son, Charles Burnett, and in 1877, after they'd moved back to Ontario, a daughter named Nelly followed. Elizabeth died in Ontario, and Albert moved with his children and father-in-law, Charles McColm, to B.C. Shortly before 1891 Albert settled on homesteaded land just 1.25 miles south of the Otter post office. In the 1891 census, Albert is listed as a Presbyterian and a farmer. He used his skills as a surveyor to subdivide his land and by 1892 he was show in the Directory to be living in both Langley and Otter. On January 9, 1893, Albert married Barbara McKay. After 1897 they moved to Old Yale Road in Murrayville and were known for hosting church picnics on their property, which acquired the name "Deans' Grove;" this is now part of Newlands Golf Course. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Albert built up a multifaceted career in Langley. He was an Assessor in 1892, and also served as a School Trustee, Councillor and the first magistrate of Langley, a post he held for 26 years. It appears that Albert and Barbara Deans moved to the U.S.A., apparently California, and they died and were buried there.
Term Source: HPC Record (HPC-362/1131), 1901 Census, and "The Place Between"

Charles Barnett was born in Pennsylvania in 1873, the son of Albert and Elizabeth Deans (nee McColm). The family moved back to Ontario when he was quite young, and after the death of his mother, Charles moved with his father, sister, and maternal grandfather to B.C. Charles became a clerk at Robert Shortreed's General Store in 1895 (according to the directory). He married local school teacher Christina Shortreed on November 30, 1898. Charles became a general merchant, and by 1906 he had stores in Ashcroft, Clinton, and New Westminster. The couple had six children: Albert (1900), Margaret (1901), Robert (1905), Stanley (1906), Stuart (1908) and Nell (1911). In New Westminster on April 9, 1913, Charles, age 39, died of tuberculosis.

Christina Deans (nee Shortreed) was the daughter of Robert and Margaret Shortreed, sister of James F. and John Shortreed. She married Charles Barnett Deans on November 30, 1898 (he had worked as a clerk at her father's store). Before their marriage, Christina had been a school teacher at Aldergrove South School, and had been the first teacher at Beaver School and at Patricia School. Charles became a general merchant, and by 1906 he had stores in Ashcroft, Clinton, and New Westminster, so the family travelled a bit. The couple had six children: Albert (1900), Margaret (1901), Robert (1905), Stanley (1906), Stuart (1908) and Nell (1911). In New Westminster on April 9, 1913, Charles died of tuberculosis. In 1916 Christina and her kids moved in with her family, just south of Aldergrove. She was given 15 acres from her father's homesteaded land, and she lived in the old house on the property until 1921. In that year she moved in and kept house for her father-in-law, Albert Deans, for two years until he moved to the U.S.A.. When Christina's brother Jim decided to build a new home on their homestead site, Christina had the old house moved 500 feet north for her and her family. The move took three days, as there was only one horse moving the house. After the move, Christina kept a garden and some livestock, and was offered a widow's pension by the Knights of Pythias, which she refused. Her brother Duncan lived in the house with her for a time. Also, thanks to changes in medicine, Christina was able to control her diabetes with newly-invented insulin. Christina died March 31, 1947, at the age of 74, and is buried in the Aberdeen Cemetery. Shortreed Elementary School was named for her.
Term Source: HPC Records (HPC-282/1079, HPC-283/1080); "The Place Between"

Nellie Shortreed Deans was born in New Westminster on June 23, 1911, to Charles Barnet and Christina Deans, nee Shortreed. Nell was raised in Aldergrove until she graduated, when she went into nursing training in Vancouver. She worked as a nurse for 3 years, until she married Neville Hall (September 27, 1913-February 4, 1997). They lived in Vancouver for 12 years until he was transferred to Chilliwack and the family moved to Aldergrove in 1951. Nell died on February 15, 1998.

The Robert Shortreed family were farmers at Aldergrove, B.C. Robert (Bob) Shortreed Jr. established a general store at the corner of Yale Road (Fraser Highway) and County Line (264th) about 1889. He opened a Post Office in the store in 1891 and introduced telegraph service two years later. The corner was known as "Shortreed's Corner".
See Also: Robert (Bob) Shortreed Jr.

James F. Shortreed, Sr, was born on December 27th, 1870 to Robert Shortreed Sr. and Margaret Shortreed (nee McCallum) in Halton County, Ontario. He was a lumberman for 30 years, until 1925. He married Laura Eugenia Perry on September 22nd, 1903, when she was 29 and he was 32, in Abbotsford. He was Presbyterian and she was Methodist. The couple had built a one and a half story wood house in Aldergrove on 26B Avenue. They had several children together, including James Shortreed Jr. James F. Shortreed died in Surrey, B.C. on January 24th, 1958 when he was 87 years old.

Son of Robert and Margaret Shortreed. Brother of James F. Shortreed and Christina Deans (nee Shortreed).
Term Source: HPC Records (HPC-281/1078)

Margaret was born in 1833 in Perthshire, Scotland. Her family moved in 1833 from Scotland to Milton, Halton County, Ontario. She married Robert Shortreed, and they had 8 children: Robert Jr., Thomas, James F. (Jim), John, Duncan, Findlay , Mrs. Alex Richardson and Christina Deans (nee Shortreed). She moved with her husband and children in approximately 1885 to Aldergrove, where they purchased land. Margaret died in Aldergrove in 1916.
Term Source: HPC Records (HPC-279/1076)