Fonds 112 Croken-Tomshak Family fonds

48 photographs

Date: 1944-1973 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of financial records, general store records, and correspondence, including two counter books with records of sales from 1944-1966. Interleaved within the counter book is correspondence regarding payment of accounts.

Physical description: 27 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: 1944-1973 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of a general ledger from 1944-1957, showing both personal and business accounts including expenses, revenue, inventories, debts, wages, and loans; income tax records from 1958-1966 consisting of nine Individual Income Tax Return forms for Patrick Vincent Croken and his wife Rose Desiree Croken as well as summaries of store, rental, and farm income, schedules of Capital Cost Allowance, notices of assessment, statements of investment income and dividend receipts, lists of assets, summaries of charitable donations, documentation of his investment in the Park Hotel in Grande Prairie and the Grand Park Hotel in Dawson Creek, and correspondence with the Department of National Revenue; farm accounts from 1957-1962; medical records from1961-1973; home and travel receipts from 1957-1973; and building receipts from 1959-1972.

Physical description: 12 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: 1958-1966 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The investments held by P.V. Croken were many and varied. The subseries consists of customer accounts including 4 counter receipt books from 1948-1957 and a Customer Accounts Ledger from 1953-1957, listing charges incurred and containing letters from customers regarding ability to pay; and a payroll ledger from 1954 to 1957 with a few inserts from Workman’s Compensation and the Department of National Revenue.

Physical description: 14 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: 1956-1973 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of letters from lawyers, accountants, Chamber of Commerce, County of Grande Prairie, various charitable organizations, and miscellaneous correspondence.

Physical description: 1 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: [ca. 1920]-2014 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 48 photographs of family and community life in the Clairmont and Grande Prairie area (ca. 1920-1960), paperwork detailing the costs of building their home in Grande Prairie and the process required to do so, and income tax returns. There are also two autobiographical stories written by Jennie Croken.

Physical description: 1.5 cm textual records

48 photographs

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: [ca. 1920] – 1995 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of 48 photographs of the Tomshak and Croken families and community life in the Clairmont and Grande Prairie area.

Physical description: 48 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

A float for a parade featuring a large group of people on a flat deck trailer and titled, “Recreation for All”.

Rudy Croken seated on a Kinsmen train engine parade float. The Hudson’s Bay Store is in the background. Rudy Croken worked for the railroad.

A team of two horses pull a wagon loaded with hay.

Jenny and Rudy’s wedding at the farm.

The old North Star Warehouse showing Rudy Croken in the doorway.

Two binders pulled by teams of horses work a field at the Tomshak farm.

The town of Clairmont taken from the field to the east and featuring three elevators. The UGG elevator is in the middle.

Joe Tomshak and friend from Webster sitting on the fenders of a steel wheeled tractor.

Jenny Tomshak sitting at the wheel of a steel wheeled tractor with her father and others standing beside and on the fenders.

A parade down Richmond Avenue featuring military servicemen. The parade is passing in front of J.B. Oliver’s store.

A parade down Richmond Avenue featuring military servicemen who are passing in front of the Imperial Bank of Canada.

Rudy Croken and other railroad workers standing in front of a Canadian Pacific rail car.

Joe Tomshak and Billy McNeil sitting on the fenders of the tractor running the threshing machine. Billy ran the Clairmont Garage.

Hudson’s Bay Company with a family posing at the corner of the building.

Grande Prairie crowd awaits the arrival of Lord and Lady Tweedsmuir, Canada’s Governor General and his wife. A group of CGIT girls stand on the right.

Trumpeter Swans swim on a pond while a chicken appears to watch them.

Trumpeter Swans are being fed by Joe Tomshak, children, and Gertrude Charters.

Clairmont crowd awaits the arrival of Earl and Countess Bessborough, Canada’s Governor General and his wife. A group of small girls dressed in white stand in a group behind a young man holding the pole flying the British flag.

“Domesticated Trumpeter Swans on the backdoor step of Joe Tomshak farm near Grande Prairie. This is the second winter these rare beautiful birds have spent on the farm where they were brought as small cygnets in June 1947.”

St. Joseph’s Rectory in Grande Prairie.

Clairmont main street in the spring showing three elevators in the background.

Postcard showing a people gathering at Bear Lake for a picnic in honor of the Great War Veterans.

Horses pulling bundle wagons line up beside the threshing machine. A huge straw stack is in the background.

Main Street Grande Prairie, featuring a parade with a large crowd of onlookers, July 19, in celebration of the declaration of peace after World War I. Morrison’s Store, Turner’s Store for Men, a café, a confectionary, and the Grande Prairie Hotel are in view.

Old Home Week Gold Cup Parade featuring the Grande Prairie Marching Band marching down a residential street in Grande Prairie.

“Domesticated Trumpeter Swans on the snow with the Tomshak children. This is the second winter these rare beautiful birds have spent on the farm where they were brought as small cygnets in June 1947.”

Business and Professional Women of Grande Prairie include members Jennie Croken, Jean O’Brien, Cass Remple, Mrs. Repka, and Grace Wishart.

Tomshak family at the homestead. From left to right: Frank, Joe, Tony, Jennie (9 years), Albert, and mother Nellie.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

Rudy Croken with son Gene on the road beside their Clairmont home, where they kept a cow, a sheep, and chickens.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

Rudy and Jennie Croken’s home in Clairmont with Gene, Betty, and Sport the dog. The dog pulled Gene and Betty on the sled and John A. on skates.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

Getting the garden ready for planting are children Gene Croken, Jean Trout, and Jennifer Croken with Betty and Sport. Men are Trout and Moore.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

Highland Dance Troupe, from left to right: John A. Croken, Denis Croken, Mary Marwchuck (from the Edmonton Orphanage), Mary Rathwell, and Betty Croken.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

The 1937 Clairmont hockey team: Allan Clark, Reg Ireland, Dave Turner, Gordon Forbes, Marion Fisher, Lachlan MacDonald (coach), Howard Anderson, Frank Durda, and Bud Ireland.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

Grande Prairie baseball team with Rudy Croken as manager and coach.

Conditions governing use:

Restricted for individual use and private study. May be used for private reproductions. Do not have copyright to republish.

Rudy Croken as a member of the NAR Railway crew, with speeder.

Class of Avondale School children.

Jennie Croken dressed up for Frontier Days.

Edward Croken sorting mail in the Grande Prairie Post Office on the corner of 101 Avenue and 100 Street.

Edward Croken and an unidentified woman, drivers of the Grande Prairie Post Office mail vans.

Jennie Croken sorting mail in her Ukrainian dress

Jennie Croken’s last day at the post office.

Jennie Croken’s last day at the post office.

Jennie Croken’s last day at the post office.

Edward Croken presents a photograph of Jennie’s farewell party.

Rosie and Jennie Croken with gifts given to her at the door of their home in the Philippines. As of 2006, “This Rosie is in Canada working for Beth Sheehan,” who sponsored her.

In the Philippines. “Beth Sheehan’s foster child Rosie and me.” As of 2006, Rose was in Canada, at Beth Sheehan’s, married and working in Grande Prairie.

Date: 1954-1959 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of personal records from 1954-1959 including statements and correspondence from L.D Moore Lumber Co., Bill’s Plumbing and Heating, a telegram, and miscellaneous receipts and permits.

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: 1951-1958 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of income tax returns for Jennie and Rudy Croken, with supporting documentation.

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

Date: 2014 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The subseries consists of two stories written by Jennie Croken, one about her early life in Clairmont, and the other about working for the post office.

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

Access points:

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published