Leffler, Jamerson family

Leffler, Jamerson family

<p>In 1911, Junetta Halley Leffler (nee Henderson) and George Leffler came to Edmonton, Alberta from Monmouth, Illinois with their two children. Mrs. Matilda Groff accompanied them. Matilda's husband, Joseph Groff, and Junetta's brother, Andrew Henderson, had already moved to Edmonton in 1910. Junetta and George rented a house at 10520 - 102 Street in Edmonton. However, the family didn't stay long in the city. They took up a homestead at Junkins, Alberta (later known as Wildwood). George built a large two story log house on the homestead.</p>;<p>While in Junkins, Junetta and George had several more children, and in all they had eight surviving children: Ermon, Velma, Georgia, Berniece, Edna, Jay, Agnes, and Frank.</p>;<p>There were no places of worship at the time of George and Junetta's arrival. The Lefflers therefore opened up their home for Sunday school, and Junetta served as superintendent. Neighbours would gather at the house to sing and pray. George later helped build Junkins Baptist Church on Groff's land.</p>;<p>George and Junetta were both active musicians in the community, singing and playing various instruments. Junetta also provided the service of taking care of neighbour's children: a type of early daycare.</p>;<p>At first there was no school in Junkins. Later, school was held in the summer when teachers were on holiday and would come to Junkins from Edmonton. In the early days there was no telephone, postal service, radio, or television.</p>;<p>Frank and his wife Gladys opened a cookhouse for sawmill workers and later started the Dry Goods and Novelty Store in Junkins. They moved from Junkins to Edmonton in 1958. After they retired, they began managing an automotive repair business in Edmonton with their daughter, Joy, and son-in-law, Mark. Joy and Mark had three children: Trevor, Alyson, and Sheldon.</p>;<p>Ermon married Connie Johnson. They had five children: Ernest, Russell, Dean, Pamela, and Tracy. Ernest worked as a social worker in Vancouver, B.C., while his brother Russell worked as a Hospital Aid. Dean lived in Edmonton and was self-employed. Tracy, the youngest son, worked in electronics sales. Pamela was a professional model in New York, N.Y. but she returned to Edmonton and married Larry Clayton Parker in 1988. Pamela also started her own business in 1988: Pamela Parker Cosmetics.</p>;<p>Berniece married William Lail and lived in Fresno, California. She and William adopted twins Paul and Paulette. Paul lived in Fresno and Paulette was a university administrator in Virginia.</p>;<p>Edna married Reverend Shepherd Holland in a double ceremony with her brother Frank and his wife Gladys. Edna and Shepherd moved to Fresno, California where Edna became a school teacher. They had three children: Merna, Alois, and Lynne. Merna was a hospital administrator. Alois was the business owner of Holland Appraisals Ltd. in Edmonton. Lynne works for the US Federal Government in Washington, DC. Edna died in 1999.</p>;<p>Velma married Mitchell Carter. They had a son, LeVero Carter, who became known as the father of gospel music in Edmonton. He and his wife Judy had three children: Junetta (the donor of the family fonds), Leah, and Thane. Velma received a teaching degree in Edmonton and taught at the Empyrean School in Wildwood, Alberta (formerly known as Junkins) and at King Edward School in Calgary, Alberta. With her niece, Wanda Leffler Akili, she co-authored The Window of Our Memories, a collection of oral histories about the black pioneers of Alberta.</p>;<p>Junetta Jamerson (the donor of the family fonds) worked as an actor, singer, and storyteller in Edmonton, head of the Alberta Black Pioneer Heritage Singers gospel choir, and on the executive committee of the Black Pioneer Descendants' Society of Western Canada. Her husband, Rick Jamerson, has served as president of the Society and a boxing coach in Edmonton. In 2007, Rick was presented with a Man of Honour Award by the Prostitution Awareness and Action Foundation of Edmonton (PAAFE) for being a positive male role model in Edmonton.</p>;<p>Georgia earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of California, Berkeley. She taught at several schools in Edmonton, and she was an active member of Shiloh Baptist Church. She died in 1978.</p>;<p>Jay married Caroline Johnson. He worked as an electrician, and Caroline worked in telecommunications for the Edmonton Police Service. They had seven children: Wanda, Debbie, Byron, Kenneth, Kurtiss, Roderick, and Darren. The eldest, Wanda, worked as a teacher in Alberta. Wanda married Samaji Akili, and they had two sons.</p>;<p>Debbie has worked as a teacher in Edmonton. She married Herbert McKerry Dobbins and they had three children: Byron and Darren - both entertainers, and David who moved to Calgary.</p>;<p>Kurtis worked as an electrician in Edmonton. Rod owned an auto body business in Edmonton.</p>;<p>Agnes went to Edmonton to live with her grandparents, where she earned her teaching certificate. She married Bishop C.A. Perry from California. They had one child, Bernice, and a grandchild, Julianne. Bishop Perry, now deceased, was both a pastor and missionary.</p>

Provincial Archives of Alberta