Showing 114 results

Authority record

Williams, Jack

  • Person
  • 25 Oct. 1923 - 27 Feb. 2013

Jack Leland Redavats (Riudavets) Williams, born on October 25, 1923 in Edmonton, Alberta as the only son of cattleman, Lee Williams. Between 1946-1949. he graduated with an honours degree in chemistry from the University of Alberta, a doctorate degree in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois, and a DuPont PhD fellowship from the University of Wisconsin. He worked in the Chemical Division at Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories for many years, eventually achieving Senior Division Head in Rochester, New York. On October 7, 1952, he married Helen Mary Quigley and had 5 children, Leland, Mark, Jack, Julie, and Janet. After separating from his wife in 1982, and a brief relationship with Ursula Krauch of Heidelberg, Germany, he spent his remaining years with life partner, Leona Pritchard from 1997 until his death on February 27, 2013 in St. Albert, Alberta.

Williams, Marion

  • Person
  • 1894 - 14 Sep. 1969

Marion Letitia Williams, nee Peacock, was born at Blackburn in Lancashire, England in 1894. She was mostly known as the wife of cattleman, Lee Williams, who she married on December 20, 1919, and had one son, Jack Leland Redavats Williams. After a long battle with cancer, she died on September 14, 1969 in Edmonton, Alberta.

Pratt, Edmond

  • Person

Joseph Edmond Pratt was born in St. Vincent de Paul, Quebec in 1890. He studied in Ottawa at Sacré-Coeur Juniorat and continued his studies at St. Joseph's, Edmonton in 1917. In May 1918 at St. Joachim in Edmonton, Edmond Pratt was ordained a Roman Catholic priest for the order of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. Father Pratt taught at the St. Jean Juniorat in Edmonton, AB (1918-1919), then served as a missionary in Fort Resolution, NWT (1919-1920) and was a teacher again at St. Jean Juniorat (1920-1922). He worked as a missionary in North Battleford, SK (1922), Saddle Lake, AB (1922-1929), Onion Lake, SK (1929-1930) and Le Goff, Cold Lake, AB (1930-1934). Father Pratt was principal of Onion Lake's residential school, St.Anthony's, (1934-1938) and Hobbema's residential school (1938-1939). He was treasurer of the Blue Quills residential school in St. Paul, AB (1939-1941) and returned to North Battleford (1941-1942). From 1942-1970 he was priest at Rivière-qui-Barre also known as St. Alexander Mission. During this time, he also was the chaplain of the jail in Fort Saskatchewan. Father Pratt died in 1970 and is buried at the oblate cemetery in St. Albert, AB.

Brutinel, Raymond, Brigadier-General

  • 2014.22
  • Person
  • 6 May 1882 - 21 September 1964

Brigadier-General Raymond Pierre Marc Brutinel was born May 6, 1882 in Alet-les-Bains, Aude, France. His father was Louis Brutinel and his mother was Louise Maury. In 1903, Brutinel married Marie Calamun (1882-1952). They divorced in 1907 but continued to live together. Brutinel had a daughter, Raymonde (b. 1905) and two sons, Roger (b. 1904) and Pierre (b. 1909).

In 1904, Brutinel and his family moved to Canada. They settled in Edmonton, Alberta but Brutinel also bought property in St. Albert. During his time in Alberta, Brutinel served as editor for Le Courrier de L’Ouest, Alberta’s first French language newspaper. He also surveyed routes and resources for the development of the Grand Trunk Railway. He discovered the coal-rich region around Pembina and is considered the founder of the area known as the Coal Branch. Brutinel was also instrumental in building the Interurban Railway between Edmonton and St. Albert, which ran until 1914.

In 1913, Brutinel and his family moved to Westmount, Montreal. At the start of World War I, Brutinel joined the Canadian army and pioneered the formation of a mobile motorized machine gun unit, financing it himself and soliciting donations from other wealthy citizens in Montreal, Ottawa, and Winnipeg. In August 24, 1914, Brutinel enrolled the first recruits for the Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade, which was the first fully mechanized unit of the British Empire. The Motor Machine Gun Brigade played a significant role in many battles, including Vimy, Canal de Nord, and Somme.

At the end of World War I, in 1919, Brutinel returned to Westmount, Montreal, only to discover that his lawyer had lost all of his assets. Brutinel moved to France in the same year where he worked and invested in different businesses including the Schneider-Creusot Company and the Banque Adam, and purchased several properties and vineyards. Between 1939-1945, during World War II, Brutinel worked with the French Resistance and developed an underground network to aid escaped prisoners of war and downed airmen, as well as send messages.

Brutinel won many military awards, including the Distinguished Service Order (1916), Officier de la Legion d’Honneur (1918), Order of St Michael and St George (1918), Order of the Bath (1919), Croix de Guerre with stars and palm (1919), Commandeur de la Legion d’Honneur (1926). He earned seven citations to the Order of the British Army between 1916-1919, two citations to the Order of the French Army (1918), and a citation to the Order of the 42nd D.I. delivered by General Deville (1918). Brutinel was a naturalized Canadian citizen. He died on September 21, 1964 in his Chateau near Couloume-Mondebat, Gares, in France.

Main source for biographical note from: Baylaucq, Dominique, and Jacques Baylaucq. Brutinel: The Extraordinary Story of a French Citizen Brigadier-General in the Canadian Army. Trans. Shelley Pomerance. St Albert: Arts and Heritage Foundation of St. Albert, 2014.

Williams, Leland

  • Person
  • 14 May 1892 - 27 Sep. 1982

Leland "Lee" Stanford Williams was born on May 14, 1982 at Washington in Dutchess, New York. He is most known as the co-founder and principal of Weiller & Williams Co. Ltd. from December 11, 1925 up until his death on September 27, 1982 in Edmonton, Alberta. He married once to Marion Letitia Peacock on December 20, 1919, with whom he had one son, Jack Leland Redavats Williams.

Sisters of Charity of Montreal

  • Corporate body
  • 1863 -

The Sisters of Charity of Montreal, more commonly known as the Grey Nuns, were founded in 1737 by Marie-Marguerite d'Youville in Montreal. Focusing on social services such as education and health, the Sisters plead an important role in many communities. The Sisters established themselves in St. Boniface in 1844, moving into Alberta at Lac Ste. Anne in 1851. On March 23, 1863, the three Sisters from Lac Ste. Anne, along with seven Native or Métis girls, moved to St. Albert where the Sisters set up much of the settlement's social infrastructure. As social services in Alberta and the rest of the country became more secularized, the role of the Sisters has evolved into more specialized areas such as taking care of the elderly.
On Oct. 4, 2000, a ceremony was held which signified the transfer of the Youville Home from the Sisters of Charity to the Caritas Health Group. On April 27, 2007, the grand opening of the new Youville Home was held.

McDonald family

  • Family
  • 1917 - 2011

Alexander McDonald was born on May 2, 1869 in Ontario. His father was Angus McDonald and his mother was Catherine McPherson. He married Sarah McDonald on July 1, 1984. In 1895, Alexander McDonald purchased River Lot 8 in St. Albert, where he built the family house and barn. Alexander’s brother, Duncan George McDonald, also moved to St. Albert and purchased River Lot 9. Alexander and Sarah McDonald had four children: Christina (Tena) Catherine, Romeo (Romey) Alexander, Jeannette Anne, and Angus. Alexander McDonald passed away on December 28, 1940 and Sarah McDonald passed away on March 24, 1945—both are buried in the St. Albert Cemetery.

Christina (Tena) McDonald was born on July 18, 1896. She worked as a nurse at the Innisfail Hospital in the 1940’s and worked as a nurse’s aide at the St. Albert Youville Home in the 1950’s. She also worked for a short time for the Sisters of the Assumption in Battleford, Saskatchewan. She retired to the Youville Home in 1979, and passed away on October 1, 1983.

Romeo (Romey) McDonald was born May 8, 1898. On July 11, 1934, he married Kathleen McDaniel, born on July 2, 1907 in Belfast, Ireland, to Patrick and Bridget McDaniel. They had eight children: Patrick Alexander (b. 1935), Brian Donald (b. 1936), Desmond Joseph (b. 1938), Frank Anthony (b. 1939), Jeannette Bridget (b. 1942), Kevin Emmet (b. 1944), Sarah Alexandra (b. 1946), and John Gerald (1947). The family lived on River Lot 8. Romeo McDonald passed away on February 17, 1982 and Kathleen McDaniel passed away on April 11, 1983.

Sister Jeannette McDonald was born August 31, 1902. In 1923, she entered the novitiate of the Sisters of the Assumption at Nicolet, Quebec, and became known as Sister Marguerite d’Ecosse. She taught in in schools around Alberta and Saskatchewan from 1926 to 1968. In 1977, Sister Jeannette retired to the convent in St. Paul, but entered the Youville Home in St. Albert following a stroke. She passed away on March 2, 1983.

Angus James McDonald James was born June 7, 1905. He married Cecile Veness in February 1938 and they had two children, Joan and Donald. Cecile Veness was born on July 13, 1909 to Walter Veness and Rose Anna Leonard. Both were involved in the St. Albert community. Angus McDonald was a member of the Lions Club and the Knights of Columbus. Starting in 1958, he also served as a trustee for the St. Albert School District No. 3, and he later became chairman of the Board of Trustees until 1961. Cecile Veness belonged to the Women’s Institute, the Altar Society, the Catholic Women’s League, and the St. Albert 4-H Clothing Club.

Harnois, Gerard

  • Person
  • Sept. 7, 1924 - May 27, 1992

Gerard Joseph Harnois was born in Sept. 7, 1924 to Antoine Harnois and Elizabeth Prince. He is the great-grandnephew of Father Albert Lacombe. Gerard Harnois' grandmother was Father Lacombe's sister, Christine. Harnois joined the Canadian army on Jan. 21, 1944 to serve in the Second World War. He later re-enlisted in Jan. 23, 1948 to fight in the Korean War and served with Lord Strathcona's Horse, and he was a peacekeeper during the Suez Crisis in Egypt. He retired as a Chief Warrant Officer on May 31, 1969. Harnois received a number of military decorations including the France and Germany Star, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, the 1939-1945 Medal, the Korean Medal, and the UN Service Medal, among others. Harnois lived in Calgary but moved back to St. Albert in 1982. He worked at the Vital Grandin Centre doing maintenance work as well as a part-time curator, giving tours of public displays at the centre. Gerard Harnois married Doris Evelyn Brault, daughter of Eugene Brault and Maria Dubuc, on Nov. 10, 1948. He had one daughter, Louise, and one son, Philip.

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