SAMUEL JOHN ALBERT BRANION.  

	Since 1914 Samuel John Albert Branion has engaged in the practice
of law at Prince Albert and he is one of the representative barristers at
the district and provincial bars. He was born in North Middlesex, On-
tario, on the 7th of October, 1874, a son of Robert and Mary J. (Lang-
ford) Branion, natives of Ontario. Three of his grandparents were also
Canadians by birth. For a number of years the father engaged in agri-
cultural pursuits in Ontario, in Middlesex county, and later for several
years he farmed in southern Manitoba.  He then retired and went to
Hagersville, Ontario, where he lived until his death in November, 1913.
Mrs. Branion died in 1894.
	In the pursuit of his early education Samuel John Albert Branion at-
tended the rural schools in Middlesex county and later was a student of
St. Mary's Collegiate Institute for three years.  Subsequently he be-
came a student in the Strathford Model School and then for three years
taught in his home school. He took further professional training in the
School of Pedagogy at Toronto, having Dr. McClellan for an instructor,
and he received a first-class professional certificate. In March, 1897, he
came west and located ten miles north of Moosomin, having a capital of
but fifteen cents. After teaching for one year in the Trafford School he
spent a like period of time teaching in an adjoining school district at
Orangeville.  The one-year periods of teaching were not consecutive,
however. In between those years he worked at threshing and also cooked
in woods camps. His third summer he taught at the McKay rural school,
north of Whitewood, and in 1901 and 1902 he taught school in Medicine
Hat. In January, 1903, he became principal of the Wolseley school and
was active in that capacity for three years.  During that time and the
period spent in Medicine Hat he was furthering his education by taking
an arts course at Queen's University and he resigned his position at
Wolseley to spend three months at Queen's University, from which insti-
tution he was graduated with the B. A. degree in 1907. In the summer
of 1907 he returned to Wolseley and resumed his duties as principal, con-
tinuing thus until the summer of the following year, when he was ap-
pointed Inspector of Schools and retained headquarters in Wolseley. In
May, 1911, he resigned and took up the study of law in the office of Thom-
son & Kennedy. In April, 1913, he came to Prince Albert and entered
the office of A. E. Doak, now judge of the District court. He was called
to the bar in July, 1914, and immediately opened offices in the Union Bank
building. He has since practiced here and handles much important litiga-
tion before the courts. While acting as Inspector of Schools Mr. Branion
did a good deal of work on the side in the way of the LL. B. extra-mural
course in law in Manitoba University. At the final examination he was
awarded a silver medal, which indicated that he had the highest stand-
ing in the class of that year.
	In December, 1904, Mr. Branion was married to Miss Dora Reeve, a
daughter of Charles and Ann (Hepworth) Reeve, natives of England,
where Mrs. Branion was born.  Mr. Reeve engaged in the mercantile
business in England and came to Canada in 1882, locating at Grenfell,
where he followed farming for the remainder of his life. Mrs. Reeve
was a woman of culture and refinement and for some time in the early
days before the organization of a school district she conducted a private
school in her home. Three girls have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Branion:
Dora Aileen, born on the 24th of February, 1906; Margaret Hepworth,
born on the 24th of July, 1909; and Edith Doreen, born on June 2, 1912.
	Mr. Branion has always given his political allegiance to the Conserva-
tive party and he maintains an active interest in civic affairs. He has
been a member of the city council for two years and was a member of
the school board from 1914 until 1923, and for the past four years was
chairman of the board. Along strictly professional lines he is affiliated
with the Saskatchewan and Prince Albert Bar Associations, and for the
past two years he has been a member of the executive committee of the
former association. Fraternally Mr. Branion is identified with the
Masons, holding membership in Prince Albert Lodge, No.63, and he is
a member of the Royal Templars of Temperance. He is vice president
of the Kiwanis Club and a shareholder in the Prince Albert Outing Club.
His religious faith is that of the Methodist church. Mr. Branion's life
has been one of great activity and he has been successful in everything
he has undertaken. His ambition and tireless energy have steadily driven
him forward and he is a citizen of whom any community would be proud.


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