October 22, 2019

Photograph: William Adair in uniform walking along a city street and accompanied by a woman, ca. 1945 (SPRA 2008.102.01)

Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this new blog series. The Soldiers’ Memorial commemorates more than 1,100 WWI veterans and 2,300 WWII veterans from our region. Three dedicated volunteers have contributed over 1,200 hours to this project by researching and writing biographies. Our goal is to have all South Peace soldiers acknowledged for their service. If you know of someone who lived in the South Peace and should be listed on the Memorial, or would like to get involved by researching a local veteran, please contact the Archives.

William Adair was born in 1892 in Sussen, NB, and he graduated from Fredericton Normal School. He taught in Saskatchewan where his met and wife Nellie Mae Stewart. They married in Regina SK on Dec. 25, 1914. Then William served overseas in WW I. Upon returning, William had the urge to file on land in the Teepee Creek area in Alberta. In 1920 his wife and 2 year old daughter, Christine, moved out west to join him. The first school was built in 1920 and William taught there, as well as doing combine farming. He enlisted in the R.C.A. Medical Corps in WW II in 1941, letting his 17 year old son, Hudson, handle the farm. After William was discharged in 1944, he continued teaching and farming. He was also active in baseball. William died on April 25, 1966, the day of Nellie’s funeral.  Both were buried in the Grande Prairie Municipal Cemetery.

Source: Wagon Trails Grown Over p. 873
AGS website – Obituary Index

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