OLIVER AND AGNES
WINGROVE:
BY AGNES WINGROVE
What brought us to Sunniebend?
For several years
Oliver Wingrove
and his hunting companions passed through this area on their hunting trips and he
often remarked what a nice piece of farming land. We had been dairying for twenty-seven years and were
thinking of changing over to beef cattle. When Oliver saw an ad in the Edmonton Journal, he came to
Westlock to see the property, but the real estate man told him “That’s not the land you want. I’ll show
you what you want.” Roy Marshall and his mother had just listed their farm for sale and this is where we
are today, and have never regretted the move.
Somehow we feel like comparatively newcomers when we hear how so many have lived in this area so
many years. But Oliver can be classed as an old-timer, as he was born in St. Albert in
19xx (the 4th
generation born in Canada). That year, all the bridges across the Sturgeon River were washed out with
high water, except the one in St. Albert. Oliver’s father (William
Wingrove) came from Ontario in 1892.
He liked what he saw, so he returned to bring back his carload of settler’s effects in 1893. Hope the
accompanying receipt will be of interest.
He farmed in different localities, finally settling in the Colchester, Alberta area, in 1912. Oliver attended a
one-room school with 60 pupils and one teacher (no strikes then). He lived in Edmonton to get his high
school education, attending Strathcona High. His father passed away, so he returned to help his Mother
on the farm.
I, Agnes W., was born in England on Jan. 7, 19xx. The sign post at the end of our road read, eight and
three-quarter miles to London. My parents and family of seven children decided to come to Canada. So
March 25, 1914 we left on a ship called “The Royal George”, but my sister renamed it “Rolling Geo.”, as
we had a very rough voyage. One day it gave a terrific shudder, the dishes slid off the tables, with the
curiosity of a young child, I asked a steward what had happened? He said, “the wheel of the ship ran over
a stone in the bottom of the ocean.” Of course, I believed him. I expect the adults put their heads together
and decided we had just missed an iceberg by an eyelash. There were no more incidents and we arrived in
Edmonton by train on April 8, where our Uncle met us. We were to have gone on to his farm, but a
prairie fire had gone through just before we arrived and burned all the buildings. So we stayed with Uncle
a few days, and found a house into which we moved. We children attended school and high school, and I
went to Normal School.
When the First World War broke out in Aug. 1914, we were all very glad to be in Canada, as a family.
We were told later, that our house in England was the only one on the street left standing and the “Rolling
George” was sunk during the war.
Oliver and I were married on June 30, 19xx, took the old model T and drove to Calgary, Banff, Field and
Golden. At that time, the Calgary Trail wasn’t even graveled. We made our home on the old homestead
at Colchester. We milked cows and shipped whole milk to the Edmonton City Dairy for 27 years. A group
of 6 farmers took turns at picking up the 8-gallon cans and driving the team to Edmonton. After some
years, a truck picked up the cans, which made it easier for us.
Marion, Lorna, Agnes, Oliver, Lyle, Arden, Ross Wingrove
We had five children: Lyle, Arden, Maryon, Lorna and Ross. They were active in the Calf Club and the
girls in C.G.I.T. Arden and Arnold Briggs were chosen from their club to give a calf judging presentation,
being held in the Macdonald Hotel.
William Lyle WINGROVE went to work in Edmonton, later married Ina Kendel of Saskatoon, Sask. They have no children and
are living and working in Calgary.
Arden Wingrove attended Vermilion Agricultural School where he met Olga Shulhan of Cherhill. They were married
in 1953 and have two boys and four girls.
Maryon
Wingrove
trained as a nurse and received her R.N. from the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton. She
married Derek Stannard and they live in Edmonton, next door to Sherwood Park. They have three
children, two boys and one girl. Derek is employed in Edmonton.
Lorna
Wingrove
finished her high school in Westlock and then trained for a
registered Physical Occupational
Therapist at Toronto University. She married Alan Richardson, worked at University Hospital for
sometime and now lives in Delta, B.C. They have three boys, and are also grandparents.
Ross
Wingrove
finished high school in Westlock and is in banking and lives at Red Deer. He married
Linda Holmes of Calgary and they have three girls.
Oliver Wingrove receiving gold medallion from Honorable Frank
Appleby. Held at Auxiliary Hospital
We celebrated our 50th Anniversary in Pibroch Hall in 19xx. A large crowd came to greet us from our old
home area and the Sunniebend area. We have 15 grandchildren and 2 great-grandsons.
Oliver and Agnes
Wingrove - Golden Anniversary
- - - - -
Page
112 Ogden Whistle
James Holmes served an apprenticeship as a carman (CPR Ogden Shops)
He married a Ogden girl, Elsie Pruden. They have three children -
Linda May (Wingrove) Marylin Joy (Pilatzke) and Stephen Edward
Holmes.
-------------
§ 
