County of Ponoka GenWeb Project Pioneer Biographies Pg 1

SE 33 - Grand Meadow amd NW36-43-26-W4th - Hazel Hill

Article 1: They moved to SE 33 in the Grand Meadow district from River Sioux, Iowa in 1901. They had three children Emily Blanche and Steven. David was born in Canada. In 1905 they moved back to Iowa where Lois and Leola were born. Returning to Canada 6 years later they moved to the Hazel Hill district.

Article 2: Will and Minnie arrived in Ponoka, Alberta, from Kansas, USA in 1901, with three small children, Emily, Blanche and Stephen. They purchased the SE 1/2 of Sec. 33 in the Grand Meadow district, just south of the Battle River. At this time they also filed and proved up on a homestead in the Hazel Hill area, - the NW 1/4 of Sec. 36-43-26-W4. They lived, however, in Grand Meadow for four years. Their eldest daughter recalls one spring when the river was flooded from hill to hill, over the horseshoe, as it was called. They used to row across in a boat, and walk up to their Uncle Walter Gee's; get a team and go to town for groceries, returning back across the river. Her father carried the heavy things, and she would be beside him with her arms full too, carrying the supplies up the hill to home. When they had mail, Mrs. Walter Gee would come again to the river. She would tie the mail with a string attached, and sling it across to Minnie, - sometimes it would get a little wet. They also carried their water from a spring across the road before their well was dug. They owned four mules who really objected to crossing the river before the bridge was built. Will built the first bridge across the Battle River at that point. Will also had the first threshing machine in the district. It was a 32 Case, hand feed and straw carrier, a Horse Power using 14 horses for power. Their son DAVID was born here. Mrs. Frank CRAWFORD looked after Minnie at this time. In 1905, the family moved back to the States, settling at River Sioux, Iowa. LEOLA and LOIS were born there. The older children attended school in Iowa. Six years later in 1911, they felt the urge to come back to Alberta. Staying a short time in Grand Meadow, they built a one-room log cabin on the homestead. They lived in this home one summer until Will, bought the NELSON place in 1911, just south of the homestead. The schoolhouse still stands on the SW corner of the place now belonging to REIDs. Mr. BERRY was their teacher. He lived in the teacherage on the school grounds. He had a little pony, no saddle, and when the Gee family unloaded their furniture, - he was so pleased that they had a piano - he played for such a long time - or so it seemed to the girls. In those days they made their own amusements, had many picnics and neighbours for quite a distance would come with their lunches. They played ball while some just visited. In the winter there were skating parties, also dances in various homes and new barns. Sometimes it was hard to get the horses through the muskegs. They often went to FINKs. Josephine played the organ for many a singsong. Their first crop in Hazel Hill was snowed down, having to cut it all one way. Later being threshed it heated from dampness. The next year Will bought back his former horse-powered threshing machine - this time using but twelve horses. Both Will and Minnie served terms on the local school board. They belonged to the UFA and the UFWA. Will for several years was councilor of the Fertile Valley MD. He also operated a sawmill outfit for a few years with a steam engine. He also had a steam-threshing rig. A number of schoolteachers boarded with the Gee family. Will and Minnie made all callers and visitors welcome. In 1938 they sold the farm, moving to town, where Will passed away in 1939. Minnie passed away at the home of her daughter, Lois BERDINE, in 1949.

The children ...

Emily married Frank MORRIS in 1915, at home on the Will Gee place. She recalls having rhubarb wine and beans for dinner. It rained all day. They lived a mile west of the Gee's on Mary Anne MORRIS' place. They lived in this district until Frank's mother sold the place in 1920, when they moved about eight miles north. They had a sale in 1921 and went to Utica, New York. They later came back to Alberta and then to B.C. where they operated a dairy, and later a store before moving to Calgary. They had two sons and two daughters.

Vivian	their elder daughter was born at the home of her grandparents, the Will Gees. On completing her education, she was employed as a sales clerk in Calgary. She married Charles KENNER who is an engineer for the CPR. They had five children
Leonard	lost his life in a fire, which destroyed the house of his parents while living on the Morris place, as a small child.
Eva	was a stenographer. Her husband is an upholsterer in Calgary. They have three children
Leo	was born in Utica, NY. He became an accountant. He passed away at the age of 20 in BC in 1947.

David, spent a few years in Iowa with his parents and family,then came to the Hazel Hill district where he took his public education. He helped with farm duties as a young man, also he farmed the NE 1/4 of 26 one year with his brother-in-law Bob Kirkpatrick, later farming in the Grand Meadow district. In 1934, he married Chrissie GEE, a teacher, who had come from Scotland in 1926. She continued to teach school in Ponoka and various districts for thirty-six years, until completing her Bachelor of Education from the University of Alberta, after which she became the Vice-Principal of Ponoka Elementary School. Dave retired after twenty-eight years employment at the Alberta Hospital. David and Chrissie have two sons.

Wayne	graduated from Colorado State College and taught at Ponoka Junior High School.
Donald	graduated from West Texas State University and worked as a sociologist there.

LEONA went to school in Iowa, USA, and in the Hazel Hill district. She attended Camrose Normal School and later taught in the Bluffton distict. They had three sons, Patrick, who passed away before 1973, Joe, Charlie, as well as two daughters, - Doris and Joyce.

LOIS attended Camrose Normal School and taught in the Hazel Hill district in 1935. She married Earl BERDINE of Chain Lakes.

Stephen came, when a boy, to Grand Meadow district in 1901, later going back to Iowa with his parents. He and his two sisters went to school there. After coming back to Alberta, they finished their early education at Hazel Hill. Stephen helped his father on the farm. He liked sports, played hockey, and played on the ball team in the district. He and Helen FINK were married in August 1934 at the Ben Fink home with close relatives attending. A new two-roomed house was built on the Gee farm where they made their home until the fall of 1938. While living here two girls, Jeanette and Elaine were born. Having bought the NE 1/4 of 26 in 1938 they farmed this and rented land until 1947. Two more children were born Evelyn and Billy. They decided to live in BC and lived at Canal Flats for two years coming back to farm west of Ponoka, where their younger son Mickey was born.

Jeanette	took education and taught school in Ponoka. She married and had eight children.
Elaine	taught school and later married Louis STUBERVOLL, a carpenter in Ponoka. They had five children.
Evelyn	was employed at Alberta Hospital. She married Marvin MORROW worked at "Sheet Metal" in Ponoka. They had two boys.
Bill	was in the Services and in the mid 1970's was stationed in Montreal.
Mickey	was attending school in Ponoka in the mid 1970's

Blanche married Bob KIRKPATRICK in 1916. They lived a few years in the Anthony Hill district, later moving to the Hazel Hill district where they farmed the NE 1/4 of Sec. 26. In 1938, they moved to Onalaska, Washington, USA. They had five children.

Fred	worked for the Maintenance Dept of the School County in Little Rock (Olympia), Washington, USA. He married Pearl NICHOLAS. They had three children.
Jean	attended high school in Ponoka, completing her education in the United States. She married Henry PARNEL of Onalaska, USA. They had four children of which the eldest, a daughter was deceased by 1973.
Ronnie	married Eulah CHAPMAN. They had six children. Ronnie operated a trucking business, hauling logs to various mills. They lived in Chiloquin, Oregon, USA.
Dorothy	married Call CHAPMAN of Little Rock (Olympia), Washington, USA. They had two children.
Ted	married Carol SHARPE. They had three children, and lived at Chiloquin, Oregon, USA. He worked with Ronnie in the trucking business.

Based on excerpt from:		Ponoka Panorama (1973)
GEE Family RESEARCHER:		Cathy Willis Wall
GEE Family WEB SITE :		It's Judy.com!