Force: Army, Air Force
Robert Given’s parents were William George Given and Elizabeth Walker, both from Ireland. His father came to Canada in 1911, then served overseas in WW I before marrying Elizabeth. They moved to Calgary in 1919. There, four children were born: Robert “Bob”, Lily, Georgina, and Edward “Eddie”. Robert was born on January 19, 1922. In 1929 (another source states 1927) the whole family moved north to the Peace Country to homestead in DeBolt. They shipped their new car with all their belongings by rail to Grande Prairie, arriving May 24, 1929. After 4 days of rain, the drive to DeBolt in their car was slippery and dangerous. Once settled, Bob went to a log school, walking a long way along the Edson Trail. Soon, Bob was able to ride a horse to school; his very first time on a horse. During WW II, Bob served both at home and overseas. First, he joined the Army, then transferred to the Air Force. In 1942, Bob passed his L.A.C. (Leading Air-craft man) exam with the highest marks of his class. After his discharge in 1945, Bob took over his family farm, farming for 28 years. On October 23, 1947 he married Florence Gitzel in DeBolt. They had 3 children: Cathy in 1949, Brian in 1951, and David in 1955. In the early 1950’s, Bob worked for oil rigs, then he was a salesman for United Tractor. In 1959, Bob began a dairy farm, having the most modern equipment in the area, and high-quality dairy cows. One disaster was when lighting struck, killing one cow and severely wounding another. To keep the fire from spreading, the family carried buckets of water from the dugout. Bob retired from farming in 1972 while Brian the son took over the family farm. Bob and Florence moved to Grande Prairie where, Bob worked in the plumbing business. He fully retired in 1988. As a hobby, Bob did woodworking, making beautiful heirloom furniture. After a brief illness with cancer, Bob died on August 15, 1998 in Grande Prairie at age 76. His memorial was at the Debolt United Church on August 19. Florence contined living in their home, and she died in 2009.
Source: Across the Smoky p. 347 – name in list of veterans – Roll of Honour
pp. 100-102 family history of parents; Photos p.101 siblings, and friends; p. 102 family members
Bridges from the Past pp. 252-253 Robert and Florence family story