Harold Peebles fonds. — 1915-1949. — 2 cm of textual records, 2 postcards.
Biographical Sketch
Harold Peebles was born in Tweed, Ontario in 1899, and came to the Peace country over the Edson trail with his parents, Mr. & Mrs. George Perry Peebles, in 1912, settling on a farm near Bear Lake.
At age seventeen, Harold served in the Bulger Corps during WW1, and at the end of the war, came home with his bride, Emmie David, from Birmingham, England. They settled on a homestead in Heart Valley, where they raised their children: George, Henry, Ruth and Alton.
During WWII, Harold operated a canteen for the Legion and later operated an unusual taxi/ambulance service using a type of snow plane on skiis which worked very well in winter when few roads were ploughed. Their oldest son, George, joined the army in WWII and spent five years overseas; the second son, Henry, joined the air force and was killed in France.
Harold and Emmie moved to Wanham in 1950 where Harold managed the Frontier Lumber Co. until his death in 1960. Emmie then moved to Grande Prairie and operated a rooming house until 1978 when she moved to Swanhaven Nursing Home.
Custodial History
The records were donated to the Grande Prairie Museum in 1985 by Alton Peebles from his father’s estate. In 2002, responsibility for the collection was transferred to the Grande Prairie Regional Archives.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of WWI records: a Tally Book (1917), a Pay Book ; WWII records: a ration book, a pupil’s war savings pass book belonging to his son Alton, and a letter from his son Henry, from France before he was killed; a farm record and reference guide (1939-40), a Remembrance Day Service program, a Masonic Lodge ballot, licences and certificates, bills and receipts, insurance policy, postcards, tickets, and miscellaneous correspondence.