Regimental Number: W309342
Rank: Leading Aircraft Woman
Emily, born on October 25, 1922 at Sexsmith, was the 2nd oldest of John and Tillie Marek’s six children; Rudolph, Emily, Robert, John Jr., Marjorie and Bette. The Marek family moved to the Twilight District in 1928 where Emily and her siblings attended the Twilight One-Room School. After completing Grade 9, Emily attended St. Joseph’s High School in Grande Prairie. She loved sports and played on the Twilight Ladies Softball Team.
On January 5, 1943, Emily enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force (Women’s Division) and was stationed at Ottawa, Ontario; Trenton, Ontario, Comox, BC and Vancouver, BC. She handled shipments of airplane parts for repair. Emily earned the prestigious position of back-catcher on the Jeracho Flyers Ball Team. The team would fly to Vancouver Island and various places in the US to play. On leave in 1945 while on spring leave, Emily hitchhiked from Vancouver down the west coast of U.S.A. to Mexico and back up through Arizona, Nevada, Utah and eventually arrived at Calgary. She was discharged on August 13, 1945 in Calgary and returned to Grande Prairie. Leading Aircraft Woman Emilia Marek received the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal.
Once back in Grande Prairie, Emily implemented the first taxi business in Canada that was owned and operated by a woman. Her business, Marek’s Taxi, was even featured in the Service Magazine “The Maple Leaf” which was published in London. Emily, being very determined to succeed in her business, drove through snow and or mud covered roads but none of the conditions daunted her. During one of her call-outs, she picked up a young serviceman by the name of Roger LaValley whom she eventually married on July 21, 1948.
The young couple purchased a house in the Hythe area and moved it to NE 19-72-2-W6 (old Portier place) in the Bezanson area. Roger and Emily had eight children; Duane, Arne, Mona, Gregg and Grant, Rosalie, Judy and Mark. Roger and Emily subsequently purchased Lloyd Nellis’ property and lived in the log house on the property that was original built by the Calliou family in 1916. The farm expanded to include a large herd of beef cattle with the cattle being herded a distance of 55 miles to a lease across the Smoky and Puskwaskau Rivers – an endeavor that usually lasted three to four days.
After Roger passed away in 1974, Emily continued to reside on the farm until all the children had completed their education and moved out on their own. She then moved to Grande Prairie where she resided until she passed away on September 6, 2014 and was buried at the Grande Prairie Cemetery next to her husband Roger.
Contributed by Wanda Zenner
Sources:
Smoky River to Grande Prairie
Military section provided by Emily’s daughter, Rosalie (LaValley) Cissell
Service Record provided by Emily’s son, Duane LaValley