The Story of Kenneth Tutte

Listen up, Soldier!

When you meet Val , you know right away what kind of a person she is. Easy to smile, happy to laugh – making sure you feel welcome and loved. She volunteered her entire life, serving and caring and helping wherever she could.

Val tied her apron string to a Canadian defender and sent him off with a prayer more than once. Their daughters all served in uniform in some way and are proud of their parents and country. Ken Tutte, “The broken-down motorboat”, as several people said, “tut tut tut…” was a brave but ordinary soul who did his duty with focus and commitment so that others may live better, survive.

Kenneth-Tutte-Velma-framedAnd that’s how Val approached this book. “I want to tell the story of Ken in the PPCLI – Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. They were amazing people.”

She allowed access to “The Military Room”, the converted bedroom at the end of the hall. Then she gave a concise briefing about a young corporal she’d met 64 years ago. Ken passed away in 2006. ” Val said, “I want you to make me a book about our life.”

“Listen up, soldier”, is what Master Warrant Officer Kenneth Gordon Tutte would have said, gently but firmly.

The process of any personal history project, whether a book or a film, is to: 

  1. Gather the story with interviews and research
  2. Digitize the old photos, films, newspaper clippings and visuals
  3. Organize the information
  4. Write the narrative
  5. Design an appealing treatment, either for print or video, or both
  6. Get it printed or mass duplicated and uploaded to the web
  7. Give everyone in your family the most amazing gift ever!

Cory-and-Velma-Heirloom-Films-272x270You can either do-it-yourself with our easy to use online interface or you can hire Personal Historian Cory Bretz to produce your book for you.

Val showed him her vast collection of photos, articles, and mementos. He did a series of interviews and also did some research. In a single day, they scanned her entire room of photos using a high speed scanner. After Cory wrote the narrative and had it approved by Val, he designed the book layout and sent it to press.

Val’s book was printed in full colour on acid-free paper and properly bound inside a hard cover with a layer of matte lamination to protect it from coffee cups and fingerprints forever. She’s giving a copy of the book to each of her children and grandchildren. The book has been designed in short chapters that can be read on at a time as bedtime stories for her great grandchildren.

Does your family have a book or video about your history and people?

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