Summary information
| Repository: | South Peace Regional Archives |
| Title: | Ray Stewart fonds |
| Reference code: | 0552 |
| Date: | 1891-1996 (date of creation) |
| Physical description: | 2 pp.
25 photographs |
| Dates of creation, revision and deletion: | Added to new database August 2023 – TD |
Administrative history / Biographical sketch
James ‘Ray’ Stewart was born in Eden Valley, Minnesota to parents David Stewart and Bridget McMahon, shortly after his birth moved with his family to a farm in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Ray and his siblings Joseph, David, Sarah, Della, Mary Florence and younger sister Violet all grew up in the Yorkton area. In 1927 Ray left his family hoping to settle on a homestead in the Peace region. He arrived in Beaverlodge, having his equipment and horses shipped from Yorkton and using his horse trading knowledge got to know the people in the area.
Wilma Harrop, his future bride was from Balcarres, Saskatchewan and was living at her Uncle Edward Harrop’s home in Halcourt. Wilma kept busy in the area as a horse jockey in local races like the Rio Grande Rodeo. It is probable that their mutual love of horses is what sparked their interest in each other, in 1937 they were married in Grande Prairie.
The Stewart’s first settled North of Beaverlodge but later made their home in the Albright area. In November 1955 the Stewart’s home caught fire, and everything was lost. According to the newspaper a shower was held by the Catholic Women’s League in Beaverlodge and later a dance to raise funds for the family. There were seven Stewart children Joe, Dorothy, Mary, Margaret, Joan and Cecilia who all grew up in the Albright area and attended Gimle School, a daughter Katherine died in 1947 as an infant and is buried in the Rio Grande Cemetery.
Ray was a horse trader, but later worked in the oil field to support the family farm. Ray and Wilma moved off the farm in the 1970’s, settling in Amisk Court in Beaverlodge. Ray and Wilma are both buried in the Albright Cemetery, next door to where they had farmed for many years.
Custodial history
Records were deposited at South Peace Regional Archives by Mary Dever, the daughter of Ray Stewart, in 2013.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of a birth certificate of James ‘Ray’ Stewart from Manannah, Minnesota 1900 and a Fourth Class Engineer’s Certificate 1956. 15 photographs of their children and their home in the Albright area as well as 10 photographs of his siblings in Saskatchewan.
Notes
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Conditions governing use
Photographs identified as copies may not be suitable for high resolution reproductions.
Access points
- Textual record (documentary form)
- Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)
- Family and personal life* (subject)
Series descriptions
| Reference code | Title | Dates | Physical description |
| 0552.01 | Item – Joseph Stewart | 1891 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a portrait of Joseph Stewart as an infant. |
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| 0552.02 | Item – James “Raymond” Stewart | 1918 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a portrait of James Raymond Stewart. |
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| 0552.03 | Item – Stewart sisters | ca. 1918 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a portrait of the four Stewart sisters – Florence, Della, Violet and May. |
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| 0552.04 | Item – Florence Stewart | ca. 1925 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a portrait of Florence Stewart. |
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| 0552.05 | Item – Joe & Alice (Brown) Stewart wedding picture | November 29, 1922 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a portrait of Florence, Ray, Alice (Brown) and Joseph Stewart. Florence and Ray their best man and bridesmaid. |
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| 0552.06 | Item – Knights of Columbus group photo | ca. 1925 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 10 x 4 in. |
| Scope and content:
Portrait of the Knights of Columbus in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. Joseph Stewart is seated in the front row 8th person from the right. |
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| 0552.07 | Item – Florence and Della Stewart | ca. 1925 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a portrait of Florence and Della Stewart. |
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| 0552.08 | Item – Joe Stewart working the Field | ca. 1925 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing Joe Stewart working the family farm in Yorkton, Saskatchewan ca. 1920’s |
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| 0552.09 | Item – Joe Stewart | ca. 1925 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing Joe Stewart leaned against a car on the family farm in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. |
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| 0552.10 | Item – Wilma Harrop riding a horse | ca. 1930 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing Wilma Harrop astride a horse on her in Balcarres, Saskatchewan. |
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| 0552.11 | Item – Edith, Alice, David & Florence Stewart | ca. 1931 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing Alice Stewart holding Edith and posing with David and Florence outside in Yorkton, Saskatchewan. |
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| 0552.12 | Item – Wilma Harrop cooking | ca. 1955 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 2.5 x 3 in. |
| Scope and content:
Wilma Harrop cooking in her kitchen. |
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| 0552.13 | Item – Stewart girls | ca. 1955 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 3 x 3 in. |
| Scope and content:
The Stewart girls all in row – Mary, Margaret, Joan and Cecilia. |
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| 0552.14 | Item – Ray and son Joe Stewart | ca. 1956 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing Ray Stewart with son Joseph. |
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| 0552.15 | Item – Cecilia Stewart | ca. 1956 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing Cecilia Stewart sitting behind her horse with a neighbor friend at the family farm. |
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| 0552.16 | Item – The Stewart House | 1957 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.5 x 3.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
The Stewart house at Albright. |
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| 0552.17 | Item – The Ray Stewart family | ca. 1956 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 5 x 4.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph showing the Stewart family. Back row: Cecelia, Ray, Wilma, & Joe. Front row: Margaret, Joan, and Mary. |
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| 0552.18 | Item – Mary Stewart | ca. 1956 | 1 photograph : b&w; 3.5 x 3.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Mary Stewart in the kitchen. |
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| 0552.19 | Item – 3 Stewart girls | ca. 1956 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 3 in. |
| Scope and content:
Joan, Margaret and Mary Stewart at the farm in Albright. |
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| 0552.20 | Item – Cecilia Stewart | ca. 1956 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 3.5 x 2.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Portrait of Cecilia Stewart |
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| 0552.21 | Item – Joe and Alice Stewart | ca. 1965 | 1 photograph : b&w ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
Copy of a photograph of Joe and Alice Stewart. |
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| 0552.22 | Item – 3 Generations of Stewart Men | ca. 1970 | 1 photograph : colour ; 3.5 x 3.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
Ray, with son Joe and grandson Terry Stewart. |
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| 0552.23 | Item – Ray Stewart and Siblings | ca. 1970 | 1 photograph : colour ; 3.5 x 3.5 in. |
| Scope and content:
L-R Ray Stewart, Florence McLeod (Stewart), Florence Stewart, Alice Stewart & Jimmie Stewart. April 1975, 76 Darlington E, Yorkton, Saskatchewan. |
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| 0552.24 | Item – Ray & Wilma Stewart | ca. 1980 | 1 photograph : colour ; 3.5 x 4 in. |
| Scope and content:
Ray and Wilma Stewart in their home at Amisk Court in Beaverlodge. |
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| 0552.25 | Item – Stewart children | 1996 | 1 photograph : colour ; 4 x 6 in. |
| Scope and content:
The children of Ray & Wilma Stewart. L-R Joe, Mary, Margaret, Joan and Cecilia. Taken at the yard of Joan’s home in Sexsmith, Alberta. |
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