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Died: 1923 Bow Island, Alberta, Canada
Married: March 29, 1890 Hancock, WI, Waushara County
Grace I. Walker - Born: February 22, 1867, Town of Leola, Hancock, WI
Died: December 12, 1946
Parents: Ansel Walker and Annie Mae (Smith) Walker, Town of Leola
Written by Harry Gragg
Source: Alberta, Canada
Alberta Local History
Book: Silver Sage Bow Island 1900-1920
County: Forty Mile
Almon E Gragg and Grace I Gragg were born, raised and married in Wisconsin and came to Bow Island with their three children Blanche, Mabel, and I, Harry, in 1908, homesteading the n>W. 1/4 Sec. 10-10-10 W4 M. Almon Gragg farmed this land until his death in 1923.
When we arrived in Bow Island there was a box car for a railway depot, a wooden water tank for the trains and Carlson's "Bow Island Hotel" as well as a few other buildings and tents. The Ancion and Gragg homestead shacks were the first southeast of Bow Island and my dad helped many others locate their land as they came later.
Almon Gragg was on the council of the Municipal District of Bow Island No. 94 from 1914 to 1921. He was trustee of Cherry Coulee school district from 1910 to 1918. My father and mother also made their homestead shack a welcome place for all visitors and neighbors from far and near, having many parties and dances. Dances were held in the loft of a new barn which was built in later years. Many long winter evenings were whiled away playing whist with visiting neighbors and my mother read the serial story in "The Family Herald" aloud to us each week. Then there was her good cooking too, which all enjoyed.
Dad also enjoyed hunting. For my first hunting trip he took me to Pakowki Lake. It took us all one day to drive there with a team and wagon. We hunted one day and came home on the third day. We came home with lots of game as pintail grouse were plentiful. I still enjoy hunting.
My sister Blance was married to Joseph Ancion and Mabel to Oscar Westlind. Blanche died early in life, leaving a family of five girls and one boy. Mabel and Oscar farmed southeast of Bow Island until moving to Vauxhall. They had three children, Esther, Lawrence and Margaret. Now a widow, Mabel lives in Lethbridge.
I farmed at home with my mother after my father's death and served as councillor for the M.D. of Bow Island from 1935 to 1944. In 1942 Eileen Jenkins and I were married and we have one son Vernon. We sold the farm to the Caspers in 1953 and Mary (Casper) Wudrich and husband Rudy now live there. Eileen and I live in Calgary.
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