Albert Frederick Hans Oeming (April 9, 1925 – March 17, 2014) was a Canadian wildlife conservationist, zoologist, professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. Oeming co-founded the professional wrestling promotion

Stampede Wrestling Stampede Wrestling was a Canadian professional wrestling promotion based in Calgary, Alberta. For nearly 50 years, it was one of the main promotions in western Canada and the Canadian Prairies. Originally established by Stu Hart in 1948, the prom ...

and owned the largest game farm in North America.

Early life

Oeming was born on April 9, 1925, in

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

, Alberta, Canada to Albert and Elspeth Oeming, who had immigrated to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

from

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Professional wrestling career

Oeming wrestled for the

Capitol Wrestling Corporation Capitol Wrestling Corporation (CWC) was an American sports promotion company. Run by Vincent J. McMahon from the 1950s until the 1980s, the company was originally a professional wrestling and boxing promotion and later became the holding company ...

in the 1940s on the urging of his boyhood neighbor

Stu Hart Stewart Edward Hart (May 3, 1915 – October 16, 2003) was a Canadian sport wrestling, amateur and professional wrestling, professional wrestler, wrestling Booker (professional wrestling), booker, professional wrestling promotion, promoter, and ...

whom he also served in the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

together with during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He later co-founded the

promotion with Hart in 1948.

Nature activism

Oeming was the Edmonton Zoological Society's inaugural president. He sought and rescued rare and endangered wild animals, particularly in northern and

western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West, or Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

. Oeming toured the country attending schools with his tame cheetah Tawana to educate children about wildlife. In the 1980s Oeming starred in the television mini-series '' Al Oeming – Man of the North''. Oeming sometimes also loaned out some of his animals to the Disney company to use in their nature films.

Personal life

Oeming was married twice, first to May Dorothy Dennistoun in 1950 and then to Gina Mrklas in 1978.

Championships and accomplishments

* Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame **Class of 2014

Works published

Novels

* ''A Visit to Al Oeming's Alberta Game Farm'' (Commercial Printers Limited, Edmonton, 1963).

Articles

* Notes on the barred owl and snowy owl in Alberta (Nature Saskatchewan BlueJay Journal, Vol. 15 No. 4 - December 1, 1957). * Goshawk Trapping in Alberta (Nature Saskatchewan BlueJay Journal, Vol. 16 No. 1 - March 1958) * A Herd Of Musk-Oxen, ''Ovibos moschatus'', in captivity (International Zoo Yearbook, Vol. 5 Issue 1 - January 1965). * A Further Note On The Herd Of Musk-Oxen ''Ovibos moschatus'' at Alberta Game Farm (International Zoo Yearbook, Vol. 6 Issue 1 - January 1966) * Notes On The Care and Nutrition of North American Sheep in Captivity (International Zoo Yearbook, Vol. 6 Issue 1 - January 1966).

References

External links

* Al Oeming's profiles at
Cagematch.net
an
Wrestlingdata.com
*
Obituary
at Legacy.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Oeming, Al 1925 births 2014 deaths Canadian male professional wrestlers Wildlife conservation in Canada Canadian people of German descent Stampede Wrestling alumni Professional wrestling promoters Royal Canadian Navy personnel of World War II Canadian military personnel from Alberta 20th-century Canadian sportsmen