Robert W. Service

He fell in love with Constance MacLean at a dance in Duncan B.C. while living in Yukon. However, since MacLean was looking for an educated and financially well-off partner, she did not pay heed to his emotions.

Upon achieving academic success, he vowed his love to Constance MacLean again. Though it is reported that she agreed to get engaged to him, not much is known as to what happened between them which led to her marrying Leroy Grant.

Subsequently, he married a French woman, Germaine Bougeoin in 1913. The couple lived in Lancieux, C�tes-d'Armor, in the Brittany region of France.

Robert William Service was the eldest of the ten children born to Robert Service in Preston, Lancashire, England. His father, originally from Kilwinning, Scotland, was a banker by profession.

When young Service turned five, he moved to Kilwinning, Scotland, to live with his paternal grandfather and maiden aunts. On his sixth birthday, he penned his first ever verse, which was basically a grace.

His parents shifted base to Glasglow, Scotland, when he was nine years old. Academically proficient, he attended some of the finest schools in Glasglow. He graduated from Glasgow's Hillhead High School.

It was during his years at school that he developed a lifelong interest in books and poetry. Reading exposed him to adventure and fun and inspired him to go out and explore the world to extinguish his desires and curiosities.

He took up various odd jobs, starting with working at a shipping office that soon closed down and later on following his dad for a position at a suburban branch of the Commercial Bank of Scotland.

To fulfil his long-drawn wish to dig into his self and bring out his true identity, he set sail to Western Canada in 1895 to become a cowboy. A suitcase with clothes, a letter of reference from a bank and some savings was all that he had taken with him on his voyage to Montreal.

Upon reaching Montreal, he took a train to Vancouver Island. It was there that he realised his dream of becoming a cowboy. The experience called for working in the ranch and meeting colourful personalities all along.

He moved towards North America, wandering from California to British Columbia. All through the journey, he took up various jobs.

In 1899, during his stay in Cowichan Bay, British Columbia, he worked as a store clerk. Coincidently, his passion for writing poetry got six of his works published in the Victoria Daily Colonist by July 1900

The positive response for his printed verses encouraged him to write further. In the following two years, more of his works were printed in the Colonist, including ‘Music in the Bush’ and ‘The Little Old Log Cabin’.

For his war engagements and contributions, he was presented with three medals, including 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.