Regiment: Edmonton Regiment
Force: Army
Rowland Butterwick, born in in 1903, moved to Canada from England at age 2. He was raised and educated in Brownfield AB where his father took a homestead. Leaving school at age 15, Rowland worked on the family farm until age 21. In partnership with Sam Lee, he moved to Pincher Creek AB to ranch for four years. Then he followed the rush to the Peace Country in spring of 1927, and filed for a homestead in Wanham. ( NE ¼ 16-76-3-W6, and later a Hudson Bay ¼ NE 16 10-76-3-W6) After filing, he returned to Pincher Creek and married Esther Alida Noren in December 1927. In spring 1928 he moved to his land, built a house, and Esther joined him in June. He farmed, and in 1930 he also had a job as a local foreman on roads in Grande Prairie until he joined the armed forces. Rowland was one of 50 recruits from Grande Prairie who enlisted with the Edmonton Regiment on April 2 -3, 1940. When he was discharged in 1945, he continued farming for 2 more years before selling his land and starting construction, building houses, schools, and grain elevators. Finally he built his own business in September 1960, the Green Lantern Café and General Store in Brownfield. Esther died in 1982.
Source: Grooming the Grizzly pp. 285-286 (photos p. 285)
Grande Prairie Herald Tribune – April 4, 1940 p. 1 c. 1 and 2
Nov. 8, 1982 – Obituary