Showing 17 results

Authority record
South Peace Regional Archives Family

A.J. Watt family

  • SPRA-0144
  • Family

A.J. Watt was born Albert Edward Watts in Suderland, Ontario on December 23, 1873 to Samuel and Bridgit Watts. On December 29, 1897, in the Diocese of Toronto, he married Mary Frances Purvis, of the Township of Brock. The couple had two children: Ernest Russell born Feb. 19, 1899, and Earl Edward born August 26, 1903.
In 1906 the family moved to Dundurn, Saskatchewan, and in 1914 to the Grande Prairie area, coming in over the Edson Trail, a month-long trip. They filed on three homesteads in the Flying Shot area, the home place being SW 3-71-6-W6. Ernie and Earl completed their schooling at Flying Shot Lake School and supplimented the family income by trapping – mostly coyotes.
By 1924, Albert Edward Watts was going by the name Arthur James Watt. In 1951, when the Old Age Security Act was passed, he applied to the federal government for a birth certificate under that name in order to prove that he qualified for the pension; the reply stated that there was no record of his birth. He then re-applied under the name Albert Edward Watts. No explanation is available for the change of name, but all income tax, correspondence and family stories in the Along the Wapiti history book are recorded under the name Arthur James Watt.
Ernie took out his own homestead, SE 31-70-6-W6, and he and A.J. farmed together. During the 1930s Ernie and Earl worked in the Globe coal mine.
Mary Frances Watt passed away in 1944, and A.J. Watt in 1957. Earl married Olive Ethel Mutch and lived first in High Prairie and then Grande Prairie. He passed away in 1978. Ernie continued to farm the three homesteads as well as Dr. Little’s homestead. In later life he resided in Wild Rose Manor and then Mackenzie Place. He died in 1998 at age 99.

Pivert, Andre & Jeanne

  • SPRA-0528
  • Family
  • unknown

Andre Pivert was born in France in 1895, and after his mother died, came to live with an uncle in Big Valley, Alberta, in 1907. In 1928 her married Jeanne Marcil, who was born in 1906 in Quebec but raised in Castor, AB, and met Andre at a community gathering there. Their first two children, Roland and Suzanne, were born in Big Valley. Andre's brothers, Maurice and Joe, told them about the Peace country and they moved there in 1934. Yvonne was born in 1935. At first they lived in Grande Prairie while Andre worked as a mechanic, but in 1939 moved to the farm in the Flying Shot district (north half section 36-7-7-W6, south west of Grande Prairie) that Andre’s cousin, Gaby Basly, was renting. They built on to the existing house to accommodate their growing family. In the summer of 1943 their twins, Paul and Paulette, were born. Roland, Suzanne and Yvonne attended Flying Shot Lake School, which was three miles northwest of their home. Lucky Tree School opened in time for Paul and Paulette. In 1950 the family bought a farm in the Millarston district (four miles south of Dimsdale), the north half of 21-70-7-W6, with a log house on it. That fall Suzanne married Bill Carll and Roland joined the Armed Forces, later spending 15 months serving in the Korean War. Yvonne married Walter MacAlister in 1951. In 1963, Paulette married Colin Hrychiw from the Lake Saskatoon district and they made their home in Grande Prairie. They have four daughters, Colleen (1964), twins Karen and Glenda (1965), and Lynette (1971). Paul was a well-known community photographer and owner of Panda Camera. He also lives in Grande Prairie.

The sub-series consists of photographs and documents related to the marriage of Andre Pivert and Jeanne Marcil, who were married October 30, 1928 at "Our Lady of Grace" Catholic Church in Castor, Alberta. The documents include copies of the marriage certificate (church and vital statistics), a congratulatory letter to Jeanne from "The Children of Mary"; and a transcript of the newspaper article about the wedding from the Castor Advance. The photographs are of the couple and the families.

Postman family

  • SPRA-0515
  • Family
  • Unknown

John Postman Sr. was born in 1872 on a farm near Den Ham, Overijsel, Holland. He married Janna Landeweerd in 1894. On March 12, 1904, John and Janna and their family of seven boys and two girls left their farm in Holland and journeyed to Alberta, arriving April 3 in Fort Macleod. John found work and filed on a homestead in the Monarch area. Eight more children were born to the Postmans, three of whom survived. In 1913, with homestead land becoming scarce in southern Alberta, John moved his family north to the Peace River Country via the Edson Trail and obtained land by South African Scrip in the La Glace area (N 19-74-8 W6th, 30-74-8 W6th, S 31-74-8 W6th). Since John had also kept his land in the south, Janna returned to the Monarch area for awhile until the Northfield School was built, and many of the Postman children ended up settling in the Monarch-Nobleford area. John Postman died December 15, 1943, followed by Janna on August 25, 1950.

John and Janna’s sons, Gerrit, Albert, Henry, George, and Johan all filed on homesteads in the La Glace area. Gerrit homesteaded NW 17-74-8 W6th and Johan homesteaded SW 20-74-8 W6th. Albert, Henry, and George lived together for a number of years and at one time their collective holdings totaled 18 quarters.

Albert homesteaded NW 13-74-9 W6th, farmed other quarters, and never married. He moved to Nobleford in 1972-73 and died on June 22, 1977 at the age of 82.

Henry was born September 19, 1896. He homesteaded NE 13-74-9 W6th. Henry was drafted into the First Depot Battalion of the Alberta Regiment in Calgary in 1918, Regimental No. 3213508. He married Ina Scheffer in 1953 and moved to the Sigurd Sandboe land in 1954. Henry died March 13, 1966 at the age of 71.

George was born August 30, 1897. He homesteaded SE 24-74-9 W6th. George was drafted into the First Depot Battalion of the Alberta Regiment in Calgary in 1918, Regimental No. 3213470. He married Pauline DeWitt July 14, 1943 and they had five children: Janeen, Marlys, Calvin, Delwyn, and Georalyn. George died January 16, 1978 at the age of 79. Pauline remarried, to Bill Pol, and died at the age of 83 in 2002. Janeen Vanden Berg moved to British Columbia and has two children. Marlys married Frank Zee. They have two children and farm west of La Glace. Calvin (Calville) contracted polio and died at the age of 3. Georalyn married Paul Saunders and moved to Grande Prairie.

The Postman land remained in the family when Delwyn, born July 31, 1952, began farming full-time after high school. He purchased NW 24-74-9 W6th from Albert in 1972 and also rented two quarters from his parents. Delwyn married Janis Lunde in November 1975. After George’s death, they bought his farm and when Pauline remarried, they moved into her house. Delwyn and Janis had five children: Arlyn George (born 1978), Auralee (born 1979), Danita, Terraina, and Kelsey. Two year old Arlyn died April 30, 1981, following a tractor accident. Delwyn was a member of LaGlace Christian Reformed Church, Vahalla 4-H Beef Club leader, member of the La Glace Agricultural Society executive, assisted in founding the La Glace Historical Society, and dreamed of having a museum at the Postman homestead. Delwyn Postman died November 21, 1992, at the age of 40, as a result of a car accident.

Sources: "La Glace: Yesterday and Today", "Buffalo Trails: Tales of the Pioneers," homestead records, Canadian Expeditionary Force records, obituaries and in memoriam announcements for Albert, Henry, George, Arlyn, Delwyn and Pauline Postman.

Raison/Reynolds

  • SPRA-0498
  • Family
  • Unknown

In the fall of 1920, Charles Raison (originally from Ontario but living in Detroit, Michigan at the time) made a trip to the Canadian west. He returned with the news that he had purchased a section of land in the Clairmont district near Grande Prairie, Alberta. The land had originally belonged to Dr. Albert Sproule, the traveling dentist. Charles’ family—consisting of wife Orilla, sons Oscar, Clarence and Thomas, and daughter Freda—moved up in the spring of 1921. Mr. & Mrs. Raison stayed on the farm for over 20 years, until they retired in 1943, and Clarence settled in the south Peace; but Oscar and Thomas returned to Detroit, and Freda moved to Ontario with her husband Reginald Reynolds after the Second World War.

The Reynolds family arrived in the Clairmont district in 1918 with their only son, Reginald. He married Freda Raison in 1928, and after the Depression began, both couples homesteaded in the Clarkson Valley School District east of the Smoky River. Reg and Freda returned to Grande Prairie in 1938 when their children came of school age, then moved on to London, Ontario after the war, in 1945.

Robinson (family)

  • SPRA-0299
  • Family
  • Unknown

Stephen Robinson sold out his holdings in Ontario in 1918 and traveled to the Peace country where he picked the quarter N 22-74-8-W6 in the La Glace district for settlement. On May 6,1919, he and his son, Roy, loaded settler's effects on the train, and enroute westward pickined up a carload of Angus cattle he had purchased in Manitoba. They arrived in Sexsmith May 31, 1919, unloaded the cattle and drove them to the farm in La Glace. His wife and two other children, May and Jack arrived several days later. They were late for spring seeding and their first crop of feed oats was unstacked when winter came so the first winter was long and difficult, shovelling snow to get at bundles for the cattle. Stephen later bought E. 20-74-8 W6 and later the SW 22-74-8-W6. He bought the grasslands on the east side of Rat Lake for pasture and hay. In the winter of 1919-1920, his wife and daughter May lived in Grande Prairie so May could finish high school. In 1929, May went to Normal School and received her teaching certiifcation and taught in the district for several years. While at Slave Lake, she met and married Bert Watkins. They moved to Kamloops where Bert passed away. They had no children. Roy married Cecil Webber in 1933, and they had four children: Elroy, Bryce, Wayne, and Cheryl. Cecil died in 1976. Jack married Louise Enns in 1940 and they had three children: Phyllis, Bob, and Sharon. Bryce bought the home place in 1974. He and his family, (children: Judy, Tracy and Ryan) own the original Robinson land. Elroy and Doreen (Sandboe) live in La Glace where Elroy has a trucking business. They have three boys: Dwayne and wife Cheryl (Sawchuck), Keven and wife Penny (Hennigar), and Wayne and wife Fay (Olson).

Rorem (family)

  • SPRA-0355
  • Family
  • Unknown

Lyman Rorem, an American by birth, came to the Bardo district in Alberta with his parents. In 1915, he came to the Peace country to homestead and in 1916 filed on SW-10-74-9 W6 in the Valhalla district. He stayed with his uncle, Halvor Ronning the first winter while he got logs out for his house. There was an active community and Lyman fit in well, taking part in the Young People's Society, helping to teach school, taking part in a band and a choirand ,and many outdoor activites. In 1929, Hilda Solheim, his future wife, came from Nordfjord, Norway to stay with her aunt, Inga Fimrite. She and Lyman were married in 1930. Lyman was the butter maker and manager at the Valhalla Creamery at the time. Hilda was disappointed at having to give up her membership in the "Helping Hands " girls club when she married. In 1931, their first son, Torgrim (Ted), was born and in 1933, Marvin was born. Hilda was an excellent cook and operated the Valhalla coffee shop. In 1941, the family moved to Peace River town for a time so Lyman could help in the creamery there. The boys tookl their schooling in Valhalla and Marvin attended Grande Prairie High School for his grade 11-12. Ted married Kristine MacEachern, a nursing aid from Nova Scotia and they have three children: Janet Mooney, Margaret Drysdale, and Lyman (Thomas). Marvin married a school teacher, Muriel Stewart, and they have five children: Reed, Marnee Durward, Lane, Robin and Joel.

Sargent family

  • spra-0570
  • Family
  • 1912-present

Bill Sargent was born in Scotland in 1912, and came to Canada in 1925. He settled first at Champion, Alberta, but in the fall of 1931 arrived in the Peace River Country. He filed on a homestead at Harper Creek, east of DeBolt. In 1939 he married Clara Enns , from Crooked Creek, and the couple raised four children: Fay, Ken, Jean and Randy.
In the late 1930s, Bill had hired on as a mail hauler for Bill Trottier, who had the mail run from Grande Prairie to Calais (Sturgeon Lake). At that time, the heavy sacks of mail had to be transported over the Smoky River by the aerial ferry during spring break-up and fall freeze-up, a job for a much younger man than Bill Trottier. Besides helping with the mail, Bill Sargent also drove truck for Morrison’s Cash Store in DeBolt hauling wheat, livestock and freight.
In 1940 Ivan Morrison and Bill Sargent formed a firm named “Morrison and Sargent” and got the mail contract. Because of the poor conditions of the roads, the complete mail run took up most of the week. According to Bill Sargent's story on pages 194-202 in Across the Smoky, "The mail schedule called for leaving DeBolt Monday morning for Grande Prairie and leaving from there for DeBolt Tuesday morning. On Thursday morning it left Calais for Grande Prairie and the return trip left for Calais on Saturday morning."
The story goes on to tell us that, “As times began to get better, more and more homesteaders and their wives started going to Grande Prairie. The times weren’t good enough for people to afford cars so the mail truck provided their means of transportation.”
In fact, so many people were using the mail truck that Bill Sargent proposed that Morrison and Sargent start a bus service between Valleyview and Grande Prairie. They applied to the Highway Traffic Board in Edmonton and were granted the franchise, the first bus operation in the Peace River Country. They purchased a 1940 Ford, 29 passenger bus. It was an immediate success. Meanwhile, they were also operating “three International trucks hauling mail, express, groceries, hardware, grain, livestock, lumber, logs, and anything else that needed moving.”
In 1946, the Morrison and Sargent Bus Service was sold to Canadian Coachways Ltd. The Sargent family then built the “Sargent Sales & Service” garage on the corner of 99th Avenue and 100th Street in Grande Prairie. In 1952 it became a General Motors franchise which was sold to Ken Sargent and Jim Hanson in 1969. During this time, Bill served as an alderman for the City of Grande Prairie, and was active in the Rotary as well as the River Rats Club.
After Bill retired in 1969, he and Clara returned to the DeBolt area and built a home on an acreage along the Smoky River near DeBolt. He passed away in 1988 and Clara in 1993. They are interred in the Grande Prairie Cemetery.

Schenk family

  • SPRA-0256
  • Family
  • Unknown

Francis W. Schenk was born in Sauk Center, Minnesota, on October 25,1899. In 1906 his family moved to Wetaskiwin, and in 1909 his father passed away, leaving a wife and five children of which Francis was the youngest. The Schenks moved to Edmonton where Francis finished his schooling at the Queen Alexandria School. In the spring of 1916, Francis and his mother came to Grande Prairie where she married Herman Ellert, whom she had known in Sauk Centre. He had walked into Grande Prairie over the edson Trail in 1911 and homesteaded one mile straight east of Grande Prairie. Francis Schenk proved up a homestead four miles east and one mile south of Grande Prairie and sold it for $1000 after he started to work for the railway. When he had a job that paid twice a month, he decided it was better than land. He hired on with the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway in 1923, and in November 1924 locomotive foreman Bill (Sledgehammer) Henderson, Billy Bates and Francis Schenk moved the equipment to the new engine house at Wembley. The town had built up during the summer. Francis was married to Christine Dolemo on December 19, 1925 in a double wedding with Jack Mantle and Anna Dolemo at the Dolemo home. Christine Dolemo was born in Anndal, Norway on November 7, 1900. In 1907 her family emigrated and settled in Erie, Minnesota where they homesteaded. In 1917 they arrived in Grande Prairie and settled in the Valhalla district. Francis was promoted to locomotive forman and had to move to McLennon. In 1929 he was moved to Rycroft and became the first locomotive foreman there, and in 1957 he transferred to Dawson Creek and was the last locomotive fireman there. He retired November 1, 1964. Francis and Christine's first son, Francis "Junior", was born at Wembley in 1926. He married Ella Olson from Wanham and lived in Rycroft until 1961, where he was employed as a locomotive fireman and engineer. Shortly after he began working for the Alberta Forest Service in Rycroft, he was promoted to District Ranger at New Fish Creek and later to Valleyview. He passed away as the result of a shooting accident at the age of fourty-three. They have seven children: Miles, Linda, Wade, Sandra, Jay, Brenda and Christine. Francis and Christine's second son, David Edson, was born in Grande Prairie and worked on the Northern Alberta Railway as a watchman and locomotive fireman, living at home until 1956. In April of that year, David moved to Grande Prairie where he was employed with the Alberta Forest Service as Assistant Ranger working throughout the entire Grande Prairie forest. In the summer of 1957 he was promoted to District Ranger at Woking, and in December 1958 he transferred to the South Wapiti District. He married Melba (Bunny) Day on November 5, 1960 and they have three children: Carlin (1960), Glenda (1964), and Laura (1968). In July 1977 David moved his family to Edson where he worked for the Land Management Dept. of the Alberta Forest Service. Dave retired in 1987 and the family moved back to the Grovedale area. Francis and Christine's third child, daughter Celia-Marie, was born in Grande Prairie and took all her schooling at Rycroft. She worked for several years as a stenographer for Inter-Provincial Precast Concrete in Edmonton and Calgary which took her throughout the province, including local projects such as bridges at Burnt River, Watino and Beaton River. She married Chris Raaen at Dawson Creek and they have three children: Cheryl, Caryn and Curtis. She passed away at the age of fourty-three years.

Shields family

  • SPRA-0627
  • Family
  • Unknown

Clarence W. Shields was born February 19, 1904 in Okotoks, Alberta to parents John Andrew and Elizabeth (Bourque) Shields. He grew up on the family farm making his way to Grande Prairie, Alberta when he was twenty-four years old.

Marie Albertine Nora Dionne was born January 8, 1907 in Pincher Creek, Alberta to parents Baptiste and Edith (Cyr) Dionne. Nora graduated from nursing school in Edmonton, and started working in Grande Prairie at the Kathryn Prittie Hospital in 1928.
Clarence and Nora were married in 1929 and settled back in Grande Prairie. Nora continued to work as a nurse and Clarence worked as a sales broker. Their children John Wendele (Jack), Elizabeth Helen (Betty), William Clarence (Bill) and Thomas Dionne (Tom) grew up in Grande Prairie. Clarence passed away in 1956 at the age of 48 years.

Nora spent many years involved in nursing in Grande Prairie starting with the Kathryn Prittie Hospital. Nora was an office nurse for Doctor Carlyle and in 1954 she returned full-time to working at the hospital. She was named assistant matron with the Grande Prairie City Hospital and later promoted to Matron. Nora’s also excelled at singing winning awards for her solo performances in local music festivals. Nora was also involved with organization such as the Catholic Women’s League, Alberta Registered Nurses Association and the United Commercial Travelers auxiliary. Nora passed away in 1966 at the age of 59 years.

Clarence and Nora’s oldest son Jack Shields, became involved in the military after WWII as a member of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, 1st Battalion. With the outbreak of the Korean War Jack joined the 2nd Battalion and did some training in the United States. Jack travelled to Korea aboard the ship Pte. Joe P. Matinez in 1950 and later fought in the battle at Kap’yong. Jack served for 18 months in Korea and attained the rank of Sergeant. Once home he was promoted to Warrant Officer and before retiring from the army. Jack went on to become Assistant Superintendent of School for Northern Alberta and became MP for Athabaska region. Jack was married to his wife Pat and had three sons. Jack died in 2004 and is buried in the Grande Prairie Cemetery.

Clarence and Nora’s youngest son Tom Shields was a student at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Grande Prairie, and continued his education in Edmonton becoming a teacher. Tom’s first job was in Banff, and after some years he came back to Grande Prairie in the position of Administration Consultant and then Director in the Regional Office, Department of Education. Tom also was very involved in real estate, building two successful brokerages. Tom served on many real estate boards as well, he was the founding member of the Real Estate Council of Alberta, the Grande Prairie Real Estate Board as well as the Alberta and Canadian Real Estate Association. Tom was also involved in the Grande Prairie Kinsmen, the board of Governors for the Grande Prairie Regional College, Stompede board, The Grande Prairie Public School Board, as well as many other boards and organizations in Alberta. Tom was married to Jan Shields and they had three sons. Tom passed away in 2010 and is buried in the Grande Prairie Cemetery.

Soars (family)

  • SPRA-0365
  • Family
  • unknown

Edward John (Jack) Soars was born July 9, 1916 in Peace River. His father was a lineman and his uncle a surveyor in the early 1900s when the land was being surveyed around the area. He recalled a carefree childhood roaming the banks of the Peace River. In 1939 Jack arrived in Grande Prairie to join the staff of CFGP Radio station which was two years old and the only radio station in the area. It was an era when radio personnel went out regularly to cover local events and the station was available for people to phone in announcements and local hockey games were broadcast by his brother-in-law, Fran Tanner. Jack joined the air force during WW II and when he returned to CFGP after the war he started on open line show where people phoned in from all over the Peace country, collect, and could express their views on any topic. He was very interested in the history of the area and invited pioneers to write down memories of their early days in the Peace country and submit them to him. He converted them to scripts and read them on his "Pioneering" program.
Vera Isabel Tanner was born in Mazenod, Saskatchewan on September 2, 1915, second child of Victor and Dorothy Tanner. Her siblings were Donald, Dorothy, and Francis (Fran). The family moved to Grande Prairie in the 1920s. Dorothy (Sr.) died at a young age and Vera was like a mother to Francis. Vera attended school in Grande Prairie Business School and received training in shorthand and typing.
She married Jack Soars in 1940 and they had four children: Diane, John, Gail and Margaret. As a young person, Vera played softball and skated and as an adult she was a member of the ladies bowling and curling clubs in Grande Prairie. She was also a member of I.O.D.E. and Christ Church Anglican Women's Auxiliary. She loved to bake and was always generous, sharing with the neighborhood families whenever she baked.
Vera died in Grande Prairie on Oct. 1,1995. Jack died in Grande Prairie on February 16, 2012.

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