January 26, 2021

Image: The third Spirit City School was built in 1929 (SPRA 394.05)

Force: Royal Canadian Air Force

Edith Brownlee, the daughter of George Brownlee and Mary Renton Aitchison, was born on September 23, 1920 in Grande Prairie, AB. Edith and her older sister, Edna, started school in Spirit River, then moved to Beaverlodge in Grade 3. The family moved to a homestead in Bridgeview in 1929. Edith joined the RCAF in 1942. Sadly she was killed by a hit and run driver in Brantford, ON in October 1943. She is buried in the Spirit River Cemetery.

Source:
Memories and Moments p. 176 – photo of Edith in uniform
pp. 233-235
Chepi Sepe (Spirit River) p. 301 – photo of Edith and Edna as children
Herald Tribune Oct. 14, 1943 p.7 c.4
Herald Tribune Oct. 21, 1943 p.6 c. 3

Soldier Spotlight highlights veterans from the Archives’ online Soldiers’ Memorial. Each week, our volunteers select a remarkable individual to showcase in this 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.

 

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