Fonds 376 Charlie and Winnie Moore fonds

Back to Finding Aids

Summary information

Administrative history / Biographical sketch

Charlie Moore was born in 1912. In November of 1930, he came to the DeBolt area. His brother Tom had homesteaded there earlier and after Tom had convinced Charlie to file on a homestead too, the two of them built a shack for the winter on Tom’s homestead. The first year they cleared and broke eight acres on Charlie’s and eighteen on Tom’s, all with a four horse team and homemade breaking plow. In 1932 the ground was ready for seed but they had no money. Luckily they met Robert Cochrane, a Grande Prairie seed grower who advanced them seed in order to get crops in. This was the beginning of a life of a seed grower east of the Smoky River. Charlie became interested in trying new varieties of cereals, legumes, and grasses and built a seed cleaning plant in 1964.

In 1920, Laura DeBolt followed husband Elbert and brother-in-law George from Adrian, Washington to the Peace country bringing children Winnie (7), Dorothy (5), and Dale (7 weeks). In 1921 the family moved to their homestead, now the hamlet of DeBolt. From 1922 on the DeBolts operated a post office and store in their home until they built a new home in 1933. Four more children were born: Jack, Clifford, Frances, and Georgia. Elbert worked as a land agent and a blacksmith. The two DeBolt families were active in community organizations. As their homestead became a hamlet, they leased land to a store, a hall, a sawmill, and a church. In 1941 the Elbert DeBolt family, with the exception of Winnie, moved to Spirit River. Elbert worked as a land assessor and then was an MLA for the Spirit River area for 12 years.

Charlie married Winnie DeBolt in 1935 and they raised six children: Maurice, Marvin, Norman, Lynda, Vernon, and Brian. Maurice and Marvin both graduated from Grande Prairie High School and Norman from Ridgevalley. Norman went on to university and taught for a few years before going into business. Lynda, Vernon, and Brian graduated from Ridgevalley and Vernon studied Business Administration at the Grande Prairie Regional College.

Charlie was active in the Alberta Seed Growers Association, was a 4-H leader, and was active in church affairs. Winnie was an executive member of the United Church Women, Sunday School Superintendent, and Social Service Convenor. In 1964 the Moore family received the Master Farm Family Award. Moore Seeds became a viable business with son Maurice and the younger boys working with Charlie.

The family built a new home in 1970. Charlie and Winnie retired from active farming in 1980. Winnie was instrumental in the founding of the DeBolt and District Pioneer Museum, and the publishing of three books for the society, as well helping preserve the history of the DeBolt United Church. Vernon and Brian took over the management of the Moore farm and Moore Seeds in 1980. In 1993 Winnie was helping with the sequel to “Across the Smoky” when she became ill and passed away at 80 years of age. Charlie died in 1996.

Custodial history

The records were donated to the DeBolt & District Pioneer Museum and subsequently were transferred to the South Peace Regional Archives by Fran Moore in 2006.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of records belonging to Charlie Moore and his wife Winnie (DeBolt) Moore who homesteaded the land that the hamlet of DeBolt occupies and contributed to the establishment of the community.

Notes

Title notes

• Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.

Access points

• Textual record (documentary form)
• Family and personal life (subject)
• Sports, recreation and leisure (subject)
• Organizations (subject)

Table of contents

0376.01, Charlie Moore, 1947-1975

0376.02, Winnie Moore, 1920-1986

Series descriptions