Fonds 0284 - Jean and Alex Cameron fonds

Alexander Cameron (Sr.) was born in 1887 in Huntley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, one of fifteen children. In 1909 Alex arrived in the U.S.A. and in 1912 two brothers, Ed and Bob and a sister, Aggie, also immigrated. The brothers started work at a ranch in Idaho. They learned from a neighbor, Harry Ayres, of the opportunities in Canada and eventually working their way through British Columbia, they arrived in the Peace country. Liking what he saw, Alex filed on the homestead NE 31-70-6-W6 and they returned to BC and loaded their animals on the train, finally arriving in July, 1915. They built a log cabin and weathered their first very cold winters in it. In 1918, the flu epidemic hit and Aex helped tend the sick and took care of a number of graves for neighbors, He met Margaret Stewart Watson when he went to get the doctor for her family. Margaret survived but her sister died of the flu. In 1921, Margaret and Alex were married. Alex ran cattle and worked all his land with horses. Alex and Margaret had two boys, Alex Jr. (b. 1930) and Ted,(b. 1932). Both boys attended Flying Shot Lake School and later Grande Prairie High School. The brothers cut down trees and sold firewood and vegetables in town to raise enough money for bicycles. They were active members of Scouts and Cadets. As a high school student Alex boarded at the County Dorm, which at that time was in the old H-huts at the World War II Training Centre. Alex went on to fall trees across the Wapiti in the winter and worked in the planer mill in Dimsdale. Ted took a job as elevator manager at Sexsmith and later in Dawson Creek. Ted married Anne Wood in 1954 and they had two children, Cutis and Dianne. Anne contracted polio and passed away in 1956. In 1958, Ted married Claris Johnson and they had a girl, Candis. Ted and Claris lost their lives in a boating accident on Lake Saskatoon May 20, 1960. Alex married Jean Scorgie in 1954 and they have three children: Terry, Shelley and Sandee. Alex worked for J.B. Tissington Construction for 18 years and then moved to his parents’ farm in Flying Shot Lake to operate a mixed grain and beef farm. Alex Sr. passed away in 1980.

Jean (Scorgie) Cameron (b. 1935) is the youngest of six children of William and Violette Scorgie of the Hinton Trail district.The Scorgie children included Ellen, Elmer, Alta, Leonard, La Vern, and Jean. In 1922-23, Bill, Archie McEacheran, and Stan Ronksley built the Craigellachie School where the Scorgie children received their early schooling. Bill operated Frontier Lumber for several years on the corner of his farm and was always active in community affairs. For many years theirs was a gathering place for young people and a boarding place for the teacher. The Scorgies were great gardeners and Violette loved flowers, especially roses. Bill died in 1963 and Violette in 1964.