Croken-Tomshak Family fonds. — [ca. 1920] -1986. — 28 cm of textual records. — 48 photographs.
Biographical Sketch
Patrick Vincent (Patty) and Gregory Rudoph (Rudy) Croken were born in Emerald, Prince Edward Island. In 1916 they made their first trip into the Peace Country, bringing cattle and machinery up to Bezanson, where they hoped to farm.
Patrick bought his first store in the Bezanson town site from Peterson and McDonald—a big two-storey building with 12 rooms upstairs and a store downstairs. It was the beginning of a long career in the store and hotel business.
When the railway went to Peace River instead of through Bezanson, Patrick and Rudolph sold the store and their cattle and moved back to Winnipeg. Patty married Rose Desiree Fromont of Belgium in Grande Prairie in 1919. In 1923, Patty and Rose (known as Daisy) returned to the Peace River Country and rented a store in Grande Prairie, calling it the P.V. Croken General Store. Rudy Croken also returned to work as a U.G.G. grain elevator agent in Clairmont. He married Jennie Tomshak in 1936. The Tomshak family had immigrated from Poland, arriving in the Grande Prairie area over the Edson Trail in 1911. Rudy & Jennie lived in Clairmont for 18 years before moving to Grande Prairie in 1954. Jennie worked at the Post Office, both in Clairmont and Grande Prairie.
Patrick and Daisy had one son, also named Patrick, who received his education in Grande Prairie, and worked as a draftsman in Edmonton. Rudy and Jennie had three sons, Eugene, Dennis and John and one daughter, Betty. Jennie Croken died in Grande Prairie on May 16, 2015.
Custodial History
The P.V. Croken records were donated to Grande Prairie Regional Archives in 2002 by John Croken. The Rudy & Jennie Croken series photographs were donated by Jennie Croken in 2011, and a further accural made by Jennie in 2014 when she wrote her memoirs.
Scope and Content
The records consist of photographs and personal records from Patty and Rudy Croken and Jennie (Tomshak) Croken. They include P.V. Croken financial records from the P.V Croken Store; Patty’s correspondence from 1956-1973; personal income tax returns for Rudy & Jennie Croken from 1953-1958, and for Patty & Daisy Croken from 1958-1966; farm accounts and wheat board certificates; the papers for building Rudy & Jennie’s home in 1954; and two stories about living in Clairmont, and working in the Grande Prairie Post Office, written by Jennie Croken in 2014. The photographs are a wide assortment of subjects from the Peace Celebration in Grande Prairie in 1919, to Jennie on her travels in 1986.
Notes
Title based on the contents of the fonds.
Accession Numbers: 2002.06, 2002.07
Table of Contents
| Series 112.01 | P.V. Croken |
| Series 112.02 | Rudy and Jenny Croken |
| Series 112.01 | P.V. Croken. — 1944-1966. — 27 cm of textual records.In 1926 Patty and Daisy built their own store and stocked it with men’s, women’s, and children’s wear as well as groceries. In 1958, Patty sold the store to the Hudson’s Bay Company and retired to their home on 98th Street and Richmond Avenue in Grande Prairie. This home was later used as a Women’s Shelter and named Croken House. P V Croken had many investments besides the store. He retained an interest in three farms: one co-owned with the Crummy family, one known as the Field farm, and the original homestead at Bezanson. He held mortgages on Hotels and other businesses in Grande Prairie and had a good number of rental properties. He also made personal loans to local entrepreneurs, supported the community through bursaries for high school students going on to post-secondary education, handicapped children needing educational support, Senior Citizens in need, and students interested in the Catholic priesthood.The series consists of financial records, general store records and correspondence, including two counter books with records of sales from 1944-1966. Interleaved within the counter book is correspondence regarding payment of accounts. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SubSeries 112.01.01 | Financial Records. — 1944-1973. — 12 cm of textual records.The sub-series consists of a general ledger from 1944-1957, showing both personal and business accounts including expenses, revenue, inventories, debts, wages and loans; income tax records from 1958-1966 consisting of nine Individual Income Tax Return forms for Patrick Vincent Croken and his wife Rose Desiree Croken as well as summaries of store, rental and farm income, schedules of Capital Cost Allowance, notices of assessment, statements of investment income and dividend receipts, lists of assets, summaries of charitable donations, documentation of his investment in the Park Hotel in Grande Prairie and the Grand Park Hotel in Dawson Creek, and correspondence with the Department of National Revenue; farm accounts from 1957-1962; medical records from1961-1973; home and travel receipts from 1957-1973; and building receipts from 1959-1972. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SubSeries 112.01.02 | P. V. Croken General Store. — 1958-1966. — 14 cm of textual records.The investments held by P.V. Croken were many and varied. The sub-series consists of customer accounts including 4 counter receipt books from 1948-1957 and a Customer Accounts Ledger from 1953-1957, listing charges incurred and containing letters from customers regarding ability to pay; and a payroll ledger from 1954 to 1957 with a few inserts from Workman’s Compensation and the Department of National Revenue. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SubSeries 112.01.03 | Correspondence. — 1956-1973. — 1 cm of textual records.The sub-series consists of letters from lawyers, accountants, Chamber of Commerce, County of Grande Prairie, various charitable organizations and miscellaneous correspondence. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series 112.02 | Rudy and Jenny Croken. — [ca. 1920] – 1986. — 48 photographs.Rudy Croken worked as a United Grain Growers elevator agent in Clairmont. He married Jennie Tomshak, and in 1954 the couple built a home on 105 Avenue in Grande Prairie. Jennie Tomshak was born to Joseph and Nellie Tomshak who homesteaded near what became Sexsmith. Joseph had immigrated to Canada from Poland in 1887 and worked on the building of the Edson Trail in 1910-1911. Nellie’s parents, Andrew and Victoria Kozina came from Poland to the Peace country in 1914 with four of their six children, Joseph, Nellie, Tillie and Peter and settled near Sexsmith as well. Nellie married Joseph Tomshak in 1915. She was a talented seamstress and became the mother to eight children: Jennie, Helen, Mary, Frank, Tony, Joe, Albert and Edward. Affter Nellie died, Joseph and his second wife retired to Grande Prairie.The series consists of 48 photographs of family and community life in the Clairmont and Grande Prairie area (ca. 1920-1960), paper work detailing the costs of building their home in Grande Prairie and the process required to do so, and income tax returns. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SubSeries 112.02.01 | Tomshak-Croken Family Photographs. — [ca. 1920] – 1986. — 48 photographs.The sub-series consists of 48 photographs of the Tomshak and Croken families and community life in the Clairmont and Grande Prairie area. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SubSeries 112.02.02 | Home Building Records. — 1954-1959.The sub-series consists of personal records from 1954-1959 including statements and correspondence from L.D.Moore Lumber Co., Bill’s Plumbing and Heating, a telegram, miscellanious receipts and permits; and income tax returns from 1951-1958. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SubSeries 112.02.03 | Income Tax Returns. — 1951-1958.The sub-series consists of income tax returns for Jennie and Rudy Croken, with supporting documentation. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SubSeries 112.02.04 | Jennie’s Memoirs. — 2014.The sub-series consists of two stories written by Jennie Croken, one about her early life in Clairmont, and the other about working for the post office. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||