Regimental Number: R121836
Force: RCAF
Rank: Corporal
Bruce Grant, son of Joseph Alexander and Anne (nee Wolfe) Grant, was born in Hamiota, MB on May 9, 1919. His wife, Anne Wolfe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wolfe, was born in Mott, North Dakota, US. Bruce and Anne were married in 1943, while Bruce was serving in the Airforce. After the war, they lived in Alberta, where Bruce worked at the Suffield Research and Experimental Station. (This was about 40 Km from Medicine Hat.) One of Bruce’s co-workers, from Beaverlodge AB, told him about the Lasiter Project which had land available around Wanham/Eaglesham. Since he was interested in starting farming, Bruce drove his ’41 pickup to Grande Prairie, and filed on a half section of homestead land in Eaglesham. He obtained a brief job at Thompson Motors in July 1949. Returning to his home in Medicine Hat, Bruce collected his settles’ effects, furniture and all their belongings, and shipped them by railcars to Grande Prairie. Anne and the family moved with him. By that time, they had two or three children already. The winter of ’49 – ’50 was spent in Grande Prairie, and in July 1950 they moved to a house in Eaglesham where Bruce had work at Reuben Larson’s garage. In spring 1951, the family moved onto their homestead. Being handy, Bruce converted cultivators into root pickers for the job of clearing land. The children, Kenneth, Jim, and Dorothy, found the adjustment challenging, from city life to the back woods. A quote from Kenneth to his parents: “You guys must have holes in your heard to come here”. Besides farming, Bruce worked in Grande Prairie, first for Mel Rodacker, then for the Department of Highways repair shop for about 5 years. Later, he bought a business (Minneapolis Moline) where he repaired almost anything from bicycles to Cats to brush cutters. In addition, he sold Studebaker trucks and cars, and other machines – even the first power toboggan in Eaglesham. Unfortunately, the building burned in March 1972. Kenneth took over the family homestead, and Bruce helped on the farm in spring and fall. Among Bruces’ talents in building and fixing machine, he is also a pilot (Airforce) and has built his own airplane. Anne and Bruce retired in Abbotsford, BC.
Source: Smoky Peace Triangle pp. 232-233
Surname File – Obituary of son Kenneth, 2018.