William Joseph Bill French was born on February 21, 1929 in Galt, ON, the third, but first surviving child of Michael and Marjorie (nee Hodgson) French. He was raised on the family farm in the Township of Puslinch, County of Wellington in Ontario. Bill attended Killean School, continuing on to Grade 9 and 10 in Hespeler School where he rode the five and half miles on bicycle to attend school. In 1943, at the age of 14 years, he began working on the family farm while his father continued to work in Dominion Woolens and Worsted in Hespeler. In 1947 his father returned to running the farm and Bill worked for two years in the Woolen Mill. In 1949, Bill began an auto mechanics apprenticeship with Alvin W. Gingrich in Hespeler. Bill obtained his Ontario Auto Mechanics Journeyman s Certificate in 1954. In April of 1955 he came west to Brandon, MB and obtained employment at Victoria Motors in Brandon, MB. In January of 1957 he became manager of the Automotive Service Department for Carndu