Ernest “Alphons” Lofstrom was born in Melfort, Sask., on July 8, 1911. He first came to the Peace Country in 1928 with his father, Jonas. They had heard of the homestead land available across the river from Wembley known as South Wapiti. In March of 1929, after building a cabin on their land, they headed back to Saskatchewan. When they returned in the fall of 1929, his brother Morris was with them and they began the task of clearing their land with nothing more than an axe and a lot of hard work.
Alphons left the farm in 1941 to work in an airplane factory in Fort Erie, Ont. When he returned in 1942, his draft for the army was waiting for him and he headed overseas. When Alphons returned after the war had ended in 1945, he and Morris continued to farm together, as by this time they had quite a few acres under cultivation.
Alphons married Lois Ryan on August 8, 1952. Their life together was centered on their farm and two children, Edna and Jim. Over the years they were involved in many aspect of farming; beef cattle, dairy cows, chickens and hogs.
Alphons passed away on September 5, 1998 and is interred at Grovedale cemetery in Grovedale, Ab.
Sources: Along the Wapiti p. 299