MARY'S GENEALOGY TREASURES
The family moved to the White School District (two miles
southeast of Lethbridge - now known as McNally) from
the Writing-On-Stone area in 1920 and lived there until
1928. They rented eighty acres of land just south of the
Stewart Beet Dump and across the road from the Andrew
Grahams. Later they moved to the Zettle place, across
the road from the Marshall place.
Will and Lulu had five sons when they came to the district;
Leland and Ned are deceased. They were immediately
involved in school and community organizations. The
Alberta Wheat pool was just starting up, so Will and
Lulu became active in that organization as charter
members. The older boys had to be boarded with families
in Lethbridge in order to attend high school. Ned and his
younger brothers attended White School.
The family increased in size by three members, two girls
and one boy, while they lived in the area. The first daughter
was born August 25, 1921, and she was followed by Daisy
in 1922. Daisy was not very old when the doctors determined
that she had water-on-the-brain, a life threatening condition,
and she only lived about nine months. The death of Daisy
was very hard on Lulu - she had been so excited to have
another little girl. The sixth son arrived on October 10, 1925.
Will and Lulu endured other personal hardships through
these years. Lulu had developed severe asthma on the
Masinasin homestead and it continued to plague her.
Then, in 1927, Will was forced to file for bankruptcy to
clear the outstanding debt that continued to hang over
them.
A break came late in 1927 when the farm they were renting
was sold. They bought a half section (320 acres) of
irrigated land near the small community of Diamond City,
north of Lethbridge, in the Plain Butte School District.
The property cost $65 an acre - $10 per acre for the land
and the remaining $55 for the water rights. Here two more
children were born. Will and Lulu retired to White Rock,
B.C. in 1946.