Claude Fitzpatrick, the son of John (Jack) Thomas and Mable Annie Leigh Fitzpatrick, was born in Grande Prairie AB on June 6, 1917. As a young man, Claude worked with his father in a sawmill. In June 1940, he joined the Air Force, and in December that year he married Barbara (“Olive”) Thompson (who was from Manitoba). Joining the RCAF 405 Squadron in 1942, Claude went overseas to England until 1945. He returned to Fort St. John BC, and worked for a year at Canadian Utilities. In 1947 he became a partner with his father in the sawmill in Gordondale. Claude and Olive built their first house from the lumber of the sawmill. For the next 3 years, Claude sawed and delivered lumber to Park Brothers of Spirit River, before he had a contract with NAR to build and deliver grain doors, which were used all over the Peace River area. When Canada Fina moved to Gordondale in 1952/53, Claude worked for them with his D6 and D7 cats. For several winters, he lived in the North West Territories, Northern Alberta, and BC cutting lines for Texaco and Standard Oil. Claude also became a heavy duty mechanic working in Dawson Creek and Grimshaw. Olive and Claude had 4 children: Mary, Murray, Danny, and Darcy. In 1964 the whole family moved to Fourth Creek AB, where Claude filed on 3 quarters for a homestead in 1969. Eventually he acquired more land for his farm, also owning horses and other small livestock. Retiring in 1987, Olive and Claude moved to Spirit River, and enjoyed camping, fishing, and travelling in their motorhome. Olive died in 1993, and Claude moved into the Spirit River Lodge. In the last 3 years of his life, Claude lived with his son, Dan, in Victoria BC, where he died peacefully at home on March 14, 2008.
Source: Homesteaders Heritage p. 368 (photo of Claude and Olive)
The Big Bend pp 117-118
Surname File – Obituary
Notes: NW13-81-8-W6, 2-1-59, VH