Born on August 30, 1920, Alice Gardner was the second child of Tom and Florence (Plews) Gardner. Tom, from Ontario, came to Alberta in 1912 and settled on a homestead near Cessford (east of Calgary). There he married Florence, and they were parents to Archie, Alice, and Bill. In the 1930’s there was an extreme drought in southern Alberta. The government allowed the farmers to exchange their land for new homesteads in Little Smoky area. Taking advantage of this offer, the whole family (including livestock and belongings) moved in July 1934, by a special train, and arrived in Falher AB. In September, Alice attended high school in Falher. Father and Archie moved their animals to the Smoky River where they built a cabin and barn for the winter. Their new homestead (SE – ¼- 26-74—23 W5th), in the Whitemud area, was on the other side of the river, so it was quite a chore to move all their belongings across the water in spring. Alice, Bill, and their mother joined them in the summer. The family worked hard to clear land, cut hay, and plant a garden, as well as building a permanent house before winter. As there were no schools in Whitemud, Alice did her studies at home. She found it difficult to adjust to her new rural life after their comfortable home in Cessford. There were no roads, only dirt and muddy trails. During WW II, Tom passed away in 1940, and Alice and Archie joined the army. Stationed in Halifax NS, during her service, Alice moved to Quebec City after the war, working for the Department of National Defense. Alice married George Bryson on April 19, 1949. A son, Robert, was born in 1951, and they lived in Quebec for many years. George died in 1979.
Source: Guy p 631-632 Gardner Family History written by Alice