Bill was one of 5 children born to James Weir Graham Sr. (born in 1881) and Marion Ford Graham of Scotland. James and Marion married in 1907. Their children, all born in Scotland, were: Jim Jr. (born 1908, married Ann Louise Skinner), Alex, Bill, Dave (also in WW II), and Marion. The parents, who were farmers, immigrated to Canada in 1927 under the Land Settlement Scheme, and began farming in Whitewood, SK. However, after 10 years of drought, they decided to move to the Peace Country in 1937. The oldest son, Jim Jr., had already moved to the Blueberry Mountain area (in AB) in 1934. The parents, (James and Marion), farmed at Blueberry Mt., and lived in a house that Jim had built. Bill moved by rail boxcar from Whitewood to Spirit River AB with a family friend, Angus MacDonald. He drove a democrat and a team of horses for the 30 mile trip to Blueberry. For a couple of years, Bill worked on the farm of Rod McDonald. Most of the work consisted of clearing land, by cutting bush with axe, and pulling out stumps with horses, and then breaking the land. In the summer of 1939, there was a forest fire. Bill and several other men fought the fire with round-headed shovels, and carrying canvas bags on water on their backs with a hand pump. In the winter, Bill hauled firewood, logs, and grain by horse teams to Spirit River. When Bill joined the Army on July 9, 1940, he rode in the back of a truck to Lloydminster, and then took the bus to Winnipeg. Serving overseas for 5 years until his discharge, he then worked in Edmonton, and in Trail BC. He married Marjorie Foster on December 25, 1948 in Edmonton, and took over his family’s farm in Blueberry Mt. He also bought his first quarter section from the VLA from his father. A two room shack was Bill and Marjorie’s first home on that property. Over the years they bought more land. Marjorie and Bill had 5 children: June, Allen, David, Susan, and Iris. After selling their farm in 1974, they moved to Grande Prairie. Marjorie died in February 2002 at age 88. Their son David Angus died in 1979.
Source: The Big Bend pp. 50 (Bill and Marjorie Family history), 52 (James Sr. Family history), 54 (part of Jim Graham Jr. Family history); Photos: p. 53 – First Canadian Home in SK.