Fonds 198 Ward-Marcy family fonds

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Summary information

Repository: South Peace Regional Archives
Title: Ward-Marcy family fonds
Reference code: 0198
Date: 1924-1972 (date of creation)
Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

29 photographs

11 video recordings

Dates of creation, revision and deletion: Processed by Karen Burgess, June 2007
Added to new database July 2025 – TD

Administrative history / Biographical sketch

Marion Ward, daughter of Alfred and Anne Ward was born at Johanna Haakstad’s maternity home in Sexsmith. She and her brothers Lewis, Walter, and David grew up on a farm 1 1/2 miles west and 1 mile south of Sexsmith. Marion attended school in Sexsmith where there were two separate schools. Each had two classrooms each with a teacher and three grades. In high school she worked in the summer as a hired girl to earn money for clothes that she ordered from Eaton’s catalogue. In 1942-43 she worked at the hospital as a ward aide with many other friends. She stayed in the nurses’ residence and paid room and board. On weekends she would go down to the Jitney Dance held in a hall on main street. The girls had lots of dancing partners including US and Canadian soldiers. In 1944 she worked at a Sash and Door Factory and saved enough money to attend Vermillion School of Agriculture. In 1946 she married Miles Marcy.

Miles Marcy was born in Grande Prairie in 1922 and spent his early years helping his dad on the farm and attending Crystal Creek School. He moved into town in 1942 and worked for Mackey’s Concrete Works. Marion and Miles were married on December 17, 1946. Miles found he loved the trucking business so soon had a gravel truck, loader, cat, and sand screener. He owned two quarters near Kleskun Lake which contained sand pits so he hauled gravel and worked for Jack Mackie’s concrete business as well. Jack Mackie and Miles sponsored a car in the stock car races. In the winter Miles hauled lumber.

Miles and Marion raised five children in their Avondale home: Ken, Marilynne (Turner), Greg, Kevin, and Colleen.

Ken spent much of his life in the gardening business: Marcy’s Flowers and Garden World. He married and had one daughter, Marie. He died in 2006.

Marilynne became a Certified Nursing Assistant and has worked 38 years in the Grande Prairie Hospital. She married Mike Turner in 1970 and they raised 3 children: Lisa, Marcy, and Erin.

Greg became a teacher, married Laurie McLeod, and they have two children: Geoff and Jennifer. Kevin has always worked in the music industry, starting as a drummer and touring with many well known musicians.

Colleen was a skating instructor, then trained as an LPN and in 1978 married Trevor Chomik and added scuba diving to her list of sports. In 1991 she remarried Alan Minty. They have two children: Alison and Ward.

Miles and Marion made several trips with friends into the Monkman Pass and Kinuseo Falls in the 1960s. They trucked the horses into Stoney Lakes and then rode into the falls. Their children, Marilynne and Kenny, and Tiny and Alvina Peterson accompanied them on one trip. Miles passed away in 2000. Marion married John Yurychuk in 2005.

Custodial history

The records were donated to the South Peace Regional Archives by Greg Marcy in 2004 and Marion Marcy Yurychuk in 2008. An additional photograph was donated by Greg Marcy in 2011.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of 29 family photographs, 16 pages of family history, and 10-8mm film reels containing a record of the Marcy family activities including home and family, camping and boating, a group picnic at Kleskun Hills, a trip to the Bennett Dam under construction and Kinuseo Falls, an Elks Club convention, the Teepee Creek Stampede, and loading lumber at the lumber mill. A VHS recording shows clips from the 8 mm films.

Notes

Title notes

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

Conditions governing use

No commercial use of videos is permitted.

Access points

  • Textual record (documentary form)
  • Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)
  • Moving images (documentary form)
  • Family and personal life (subject)
  • Sports, recreation and leisure (subject)

Table of contents

0198.01, Marcy family photographs, 1924-1972

0198.02, Film Recordings and Video, 1955-1964

Series descriptions

Series 0198.01: Marcy family photographs

Date: 1924-1972 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 29 family photographs. There are also 16 pages of family history.

Physical description: 0.5 cm textual records

29 photographs

Access points:

•                Graphic material – photograph (documentary form)

•                Textual record (documentary form)

Conditions governing use:

28 of the photographs were donated as digital copies and are not suitable for large-format reproductions.

Publication status:

Published

File / item list
Reference code Title Dates Physical description
0198.01.01 Item – Sexsmith  n.d. 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Main Street of Sexsmith showing a decorated sign, “Welcome to Sexsmith”.

0198.01.02 Item – The Ward Farm  ca. 1945 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Aerial view of the Ward farm, showing the blacksmith shop, granary, and Virginia Creepers covering the house.

0198.01.03 Item – Sexsmith High School  1941 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

The Sexsmith High School with students and teacher grouped in front.

0198.01.04 Item – Sexsmith Junior High School  1941 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

The Sexsmith Junior High School students. Back row surnames: Skarberg, Skarberg, Phees, Hovdebo, Houseman, Anderson, Smith, Skarberg. Middle row surnames: Swenson, Spacil, Pazkowski, MacMillan, Brown, Menzies, Warren. Front row surnames: Ross, Obniawka, Barrett, Wold, Miss Lammle.

0198.01.05 Item – Sexsmith Grades 1-3  n.d. 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

The Sexsmith Primary grades class photograph taken in front of their school.

0198.01.06 Item – Marcys’ New House  1958 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles and Marion Marcy’s new house on 109 Ave in the Avondale district, July 1958. Children are seen playing in the water in front of the new houses along the street.

0198.01.07 Item – Picnicking at Pitman’s Point  ca. 1950 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Pitman’s Point on Bear Lake was a favorite place to picnic and go boating.

0198.01.08 Item – Mr. Bode’s Boat on Bear Lake  ca. 1950 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Mr. Bode launches his boat as other help him.

0198.01.09 Item – Lewis and Marion Ward  ca. 1930 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Marion Ward with her brother Lewis on their farm.

0198.01.10 Item – Marion Beside Miles’ First Truck  1949 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Marion Marcy stands beside her husband’s first commercial truck.

0198.01.11 Item – Miles Marcy and Marion Ward are Engaged  1946 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Marion Ward and Miles Marcy as an engaged couple.

0198.01.12 Item – Baseball Team  1943 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Back Row: Pete Wright, Marion Ward, Jean Turner, Gabey Devost, Agnes Wright, Ann Troyer, Bob Kelly. Front Row: Mona Walker, Helen Rhone, Vivian Nelson, Marie Wright.

0198.01.13 Item – Curling Team  n.d. 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Order of the Royal Purple Curing team: Evelyn Durda, Marion Marcy, Joyce Scott, Diane Hanson.

0198.01.14 Item – Miles Marcy  ca. 1924 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Portrait of Miles Marcy as a child.

0198.01.15 Item – Marcy’s Trucking  1958 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s Trucking with a load of culverts.

0198.01.16 Item – Marcy’s Loading Cement Culverts  ca. 1958 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s Trucking with a load chained on the back of the truck.

0198.01.17 Item – Miles Marcy Standing by his Load  ca. 1958 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy standing by his truck loaded with concrete culverts, with the cement plant in the background.

0198.01.18-19 Item – Marcy’s Gravel Crusher  ca. 1960 2 TIFFs : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s gravel crusher.

0198.01.20 Item – Marcy’s Truck and Caterpillar  ca. 1960 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s truck loaded with a caterpillar tractor.

0198.01.21 Item – Marcy’s Truck Loading From the Sand Pit  ca. 1960 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s truck loading from his sand pit.

0198.01.22 Item – Marcy’s Truck Hauling Lumber  ca. 1959 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s truck in the winter loaded with lumber.

0198.01.23 Item – Gravel Pit Operation  ca. 1959 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Miles Marcy’s gravel pit operation showing the gravel crusher and loader.

0198.01.24 Item – Marion Ward and Miles Marcy Wedding  1946 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Wedding portrait of Miles Marcy and Marion Ward.

0198.01.25 Item – The Marcy Children  ca. 1958 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Marcy children: Greg, Ken, Colleen, Marilynne, Kevin.

0198.01.26 Item – Four Generations in the Marcy Family  ca. 1972 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Four generations: Grandparents Alfred and Anne Ward, Marion Marcy, Marilynne Turner, and Lisa Turner.

0198.01.27 Item – The Ward Family  ca. 1945 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

The Ward family. Back row: David and his wife Margaret Stewart, Marion, Walter. Front row: Alfred and Anne Ward, parents. Their eldest child, Lewis, was killed in an airplane crash in South America in 1932.

0198.01.28 Item – Ward Children on a Binder  ca. 1932 1 TIFF : b&w
Scope and content:

Two of the Ward children pose standing on the back of the binder pulled by a team of four horses.

0198.01.29 Item – Marcy and Wiens Grappler
Here’s Photography!
 
ca. 1968 1 photograph : colour ; 10 x 15 in.
Scope and content:

Marcy and Wiens log Grappler driven by Glen Larson.

Series 0198.02: Film Recordings and Video

Date: 1955-1964 (date of creation)

Scope and content:

The series consists of 10 8mm films and 1 VHS video recording (no sound) using images from the 10 films. Film examination forms including descriptions of each film are included in the accession file.

Physical description: 11 video recordings

Access points:

•                Moving images (documentary form)

Publication status:

Published

File / item list
Reference code Title Dates Physical description
0198.02.01 Item – Family Events
Miles Marcy
 
1958-1960 1 film reel (ca. 18:45 minutes ; 250 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

The 8mm film shows life on the family farm when the children, Colleen and Marilynne, were small and grandparents, Alf and Ann Ward, were alive. Events filmed include stock car races, Thanksgiving turkey supper in the field, Cub camp at Saskatoon Lake, building a driveway at their Avondale home, and camping at Dunvegan.

Digitized May 2011 to DigiBeta and DVD.

0198.02.02 Item – Kinuseo Falls, Parade, Water Skiing
Marcy family
 
[ca. 1960] 1 film reel (ca. 11:15 minutes ; 150 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

Most of the 8mm film shows a trip to Kinuseo Falls, then a Grande Prairie parade, then a water skiing outing.

Digitized May 2015. View a digitized copy of the film here.

0198.02.03 Item – Elks Convention, Miles and Children  1955-1960 1 film reel (ca. 11:15 minutes ; 150 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

Most of the 8mm film shows a convention of the Elks Club and Royal Purple at Elk Island Park, also a children’s picnic, Miles doing some clearing with a caterpillar tractor, the children rafting, a trip to Mount Rushmore, and a very short piece showing the building of the Elks Hall.

Digitized May 2011 to DigiBeta and DVD.

0198.02.04 Item – Camping, Scott’s Farm  1964 1 film reel (ca. 3:45 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

This film shows the family camping and boating and includes farm pictures of harvesting and getting bulls ready for a show (likely on Bob Scott’s farm) and a large group picnic.

Digitized May 2015. View a digitized copy of the film here.

0198.02.05 Item – Bennett Dam  [ca. 1960] 1 film reel (ca. 3:45 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

This film shows the family trip to see the Bennett Dam at Hudson’s Hope under construction.

Digitized May 2015. View a digitized copy here.

0198.02.06 Item – Teepee Creek Stampede  1963 1 film reel (ca. 3:45 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

This film shows Teepee Creek Stampede events (bucking broncos, steer wrestling, roping, and chuckwagons) and a waterskiing outing.

Digitized May 2011 to DigiBeta and DVD.

0198.02.07 Item – Lumber Mill Work  [ca. 1960] 1 film reel (ca. 3:45 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

The film shows a winter lumber mill including Miles Marcy’s truck being loaded with lumber.

Digitized May 2015. View a digitized copy of the film here.

0198.02.08 Item – Home and Lumber Mill  [ca. 1960] 1 film reel (ca. 3:45 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

The film shows a trip to the Alberta Game Farm, scenes of home and cars, a winter lumber mill including three Oilund Construction trucks being loaded with lumber and Miles Marcy operating a “Timber Toter” doing the unloading. Also shown is a Miles Marcy’s wrecked truck after it had rolled.

Digitized May 2015. View a digitized copy of the film here.

0198.02.09 Item – Farm and Vacation  [ca. 1960] 1 film reel (ca. 3:45 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; 8 mm
Scope and content:

The film shows children holding puppies, farm buildings, blonde child with a doll, a trip to the beach, and a visit to the Badlands and Dinosaur Park.

Digitized May 2015. View a digitized copy of the film here.

0198.02.10 Item – Picnic at Kleskun Hills  [ca. 1960] 1 film reel (ca. 3:20 minutes ; 50 feet) : acetate, reversal, colour ; Super 8 mm
Scope and content:

The film shows a group camping trip to Kleskun Hills, families around a campfire, playing horseshoes, kids races, and a potluck picnic.

Digitized May 2011 to DigiBeta and DVD.

0198.02.11 Item – Marcy Family Film  1955-1964 1 VHS cassette : 72 minutes
Scope and content:

A VHS copy of the Marcy family film collection (reels 0198.02.01 to 0198.02.10).