Shuler Family
Hy and Rita Shuler
Kissin’ Cousins- This ‘shiddach’ (match) marks the third ‘first cousin’ marriage union between the Shapiro and Shuler families in their ancestral history. The first being great grandfather, Zeida Avrahom Altshuler to grandmother, Boba Chana Shapiro, sister to Yale and Velye Shapiro, the second being grandfather Zeida Harry Shuler to grandmother, Boba Sarah, ‘Sorah’ Shapiro, and lastly, father, Hy Shuler to mother, Rita Shapiro.
Rita Shapiro arrived in Calgary, via Halifax and Liverpool, from Suraj, Russia in 1925 with her parents, Sonia and Solomon (Schleimeh) Shapiro and then two siblings, Albert and Bessie at the age of 10. Rita was born in 1914. Hy (Sam) Shuler, Rita’s first cousin was born in Calgary Alberta in 1915. By the time the Shapiro family arrived, Harry Shuler had already established Shuler’s grocery Store in east Calgary, unique in that it was a Kosher grocery store, one of a kind with pickle barrels and Passover foods. The entire family worked in the grocery store at one time or another.
When Rita Shapiro came off the train with the rest of her family at the CPR station in Calgary she was greeted by the Shuler family where she met her first cousin Hy for the first time. Not speaking a word of English, she knew even as a little girl that Hy was special, he stood out among the rest.
Most of the Shapiro family (including patriarch/matriarch-Yale and Leah Shapiro and 13 children) arrived prior to Solomon and Sonia’s family. Upon arrival, Rita’s parents opened up a small grocery store called Harvard Grocery and lived in the back of the store until they could afford a larger home on 5th Avenue S.W. on the same street as Sheldon Chumir’s family. It was a wonderful grocery store with a soda fountain and people could buy groceries on relief tickets and shop for long hours from 9 AM in the morning until 11 PM at night. The whole family worked in the store. Rita went to McDougall school, and quit school at age 14 to become a telegrapher lying about her age for the CNR railway.
Both sets of grandparents, the Shulers and Shapiros were heavily involved the Jewish community, especially in the House of Jacob, and the matriarchs in Pioneer Women. They both ran kosher homes and were among the early builders of Calgary’s Jewish community. Hy and Rita followed suit, involved in Young Judea in many dramatic and musical reviews, enjoying a vibrant Jewish life while growing up. When Hy didn’t have a date for local dances he would ask his cousin Rita to go with him, and she was simply overjoyed to accompany him as she carried a torch for him since the minute she met him. One day at Bowness Park, on the Bow River, Hy looked at Rita differently for the very first time and the rest is history. Both sets of parents were not pleased that Hy and Rita wanted to marry and attempted to discourage this marriage yet were unsuccessful.
Hy and Rita married, he worked for United News Wholesalers, owned by the Busheikin and Paperny families, and moved to Trail B.C. for the early part of their marriage. Moving back to Calgary, they gave birth to their first born son, Allan Martin Shuler in 1941. Shortly thereafter, they moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, where Hy opened a men’s wear haberdashery called ‘Hy’s Towne Hall Shop’ which was a family run business, where Rita and then two children, Allan and (first daughter Francine Anne –born 1944) worked when they were old enough. Hy and Rita were very involved in Shul life establishing the House of Israel synagogue in Lethbridge, Hy was the first Jewish person to become a member of the Elks Club and he became the first Jewish president of the curling club which was a big deal. Rita was heavily involved in Hadassah and the Council of Jewish Women, they led a very full spiritual and secular life in the small city of Lethbridge, until the store burned down, on Hull Block, (where the store was situated) being the biggest fire Lethbridge ever had at the time. By this time, Hy and Rita’s third child, another daughter, Laura-Lee had been born, and was 10 years old. The family then moved to Calgary and some years later, Hy Shuler with his brother Mackie Shuler bought the Calgary Shoe Hospital from their Uncle Joe Shapiro who had built that business up from 1935 to 1974 to keep that legacy alive.
Al Shuler married a Torontonian by the name of Roslyn Wysblatt and they had two children, Stephanie and Jordan. Fran Shuler married a Winnipegger by the name of Gerald (Jerry) Snukal and subsequently had three children, Adam, Jennifer and Rebecca.
All three of Rita and Hy’s children became educators, which like their surname mean teacher/student; it was ordained by Hashem that this be their calling. Al later joined his father Hy and became a partner in the Calgary Shoe hospital.
Fran and Jerry, like Al and Roz lived in Calgary with their children until their children grew up. Two of Fran z”l and Jerry’s children now live in Israel and both of Al z”l and Roz, including Roz now live in Toronto.
Laura lives in Calgary and has a grown up daughter living in Toronto. Laura is very involved with the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta, the Chevra Kadisha and Chai Life Productions reprising Jewish Theatre in Calgary.
Hy Shuler passed away at the age of 68, in 1982. His wife Rita passed away six years later, at the age of 74 in 1988. Laura’s siblings, Fran Shuler Snukal and Al Shuler both lost their lives to cancer in 2006 merely six weeks apart from each other. Laura is the remaining survivor of the Hy and Rita Shuler branch of the family.
