Don Purvis was born on March 29, 1914 in Three Brooks, New Brunswick to Sarah and Charles Purvis, who had immigrated earlier from Glasgow, Scotland. He was one of twelve children.
Don spent his growing years moving steadily west and in the 1930s he and his brother Jim came to the Peace River country where they worked in many areas before Jim filed on a homestead in the Bridgeview district. Don and Jim called this home. They sent for the remainder of their family and were joined by their parents, sister and niece. Besides working on the homestead the Purvis boys worked in Rycroft for quite some time. When the war started Jim enlisted in the Army. He was killed in action in France.
Don was cooking for a saw mill and while buying potatoes from a neighbor, he met his future wife Margaret. They were married a year later.
The first year they were married they both worked for the Northern Alberta Railways (N.A.R.). Since the war was on Don decided to join the Army. Soon after their daughter Dolores was born he left for overseas duty. He was in the Army for five years and his family did not see him again until December 1945 when he was discharged.
Don and Margaret kept busy over the next number of years and lived in Woking until January 1975 when they retired to Grande Prairie.
Source: Burnt Embers pp 481-482, pictures p 482