Jimmy Purves was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1919. In 1926, the family moved to Canada, arriving in Montreal on May 1, 1926. From there, they came by train to the Peace country and settled in East Kleskun.
Jimmy joined the army in 1941, enlisting in the artillery. He served in Italy, France, and Germany.
When Jimmy arrived home, he worked for farmers. In 1948, he married Jean Housman and rented his parents land. Later he bought land in Teepee Creek. When his wife had a heart attack Jimmy went with to Edmonton while Jean had open heart surgery, He was killed December 16, 1966 when hit by a hit-and-run driver.
Jimmy’s older brothers Bill and Jock also served in the army during WWII.
Sources: Smoky River to Grande Prairie (p. 144)
Wagon Trails Grown Over (p. 947)