Image: Grande Prairie, ca. 1960 (SPRA 032.08.08.1066)
Frank married Mary Mable Pantel on January 20, 1941 and they had two daughters and a son.
Frank enlisted in the King’s Own Rifles Regiment on October 11, 1942. He took basic training at Camrose and Moose Jaw. He was then sent to Debert, Nova Scotia but was not sent overseas. Someone in his barracks got the mumps so everyone was isolated for 21 days. Another soldier also came down with the mumps so the isolation lasted longer.
In May, 1945, Frank and others from Debert were sent to Halifax to help suppress the VE Day riots.
After the war, Frank moved his family first to Gundy and then to the Slave Lake/Kinuso area where they lived until moving to Grande Prairie in 1961.
Frank passed away on November 4, 2009 and Mary on April 1, 2014.
Sources: From Tears to Triumph: The Pioneers’ Journey (p.22)
Interview with Margaret Heath. February 10. 1991
Obituaries, Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune
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.