Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Schenk family fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
- Cartographic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
51 cm of textual records
115 photographs
1 artistic drawing
2 postcards
1 card
9 maps
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Francis W. Schenk was born in Sauk Center, Minnesota, on October 25,1899. In 1906 his family moved to Wetaskiwin, and in 1909 his father passed away, leaving a wife and five children of which Francis was the youngest. The Schenks moved to Edmonton where Francis finished his schooling at the Queen Alexandria School. In the spring of 1916, Francis and his mother came to Grande Prairie where she married Herman Ellert, whom she had known in Sauk Centre. He had walked into Grande Prairie over the edson Trail in 1911 and homesteaded one mile straight east of Grande Prairie. Francis Schenk proved up a homestead four miles east and one mile south of Grande Prairie and sold it for $1000 after he started to work for the railway. When he had a job that paid twice a month, he decided it was better than land. He hired on with the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway in 1923, and in November 1924 locomotive foreman Bill (Sledgehammer) Henderson, Billy Bates and Francis Schenk moved the equipment to the new engine house at Wembley. The town had built up during the summer. Francis was married to Christine Dolemo on December 19, 1925 in a double wedding with Jack Mantle and Anna Dolemo at the Dolemo home. Christine Dolemo was born in Anndal, Norway on November 7, 1900. In 1907 her family emigrated and settled in Erie, Minnesota where they homesteaded. In 1917 they arrived in Grande Prairie and settled in the Valhalla district. Francis was promoted to locomotive forman and had to move to McLennon. In 1929 he was moved to Rycroft and became the first locomotive foreman there, and in 1957 he transferred to Dawson Creek and was the last locomotive fireman there. He retired November 1, 1964. Francis and Christine's first son, Francis "Junior", was born at Wembley in 1926. He married Ella Olson from Wanham and lived in Rycroft until 1961, where he was employed as a locomotive fireman and engineer. Shortly after he began working for the Alberta Forest Service in Rycroft, he was promoted to District Ranger at New Fish Creek and later to Valleyview. He passed away as the result of a shooting accident at the age of fourty-three. They have seven children: Miles, Linda, Wade, Sandra, Jay, Brenda and Christine. Francis and Christine's second son, David Edson, was born in Grande Prairie and worked on the Northern Alberta Railway as a watchman and locomotive fireman, living at home until 1956. In April of that year, David moved to Grande Prairie where he was employed with the Alberta Forest Service as Assistant Ranger working throughout the entire Grande Prairie forest. In the summer of 1957 he was promoted to District Ranger at Woking, and in December 1958 he transferred to the South Wapiti District. He married Melba (Bunny) Day on November 5, 1960 and they have three children: Carlin (1960), Glenda (1964), and Laura (1968). In July 1977 David moved his family to Edson where he worked for the Land Management Dept. of the Alberta Forest Service. Dave retired in 1987 and the family moved back to the Grovedale area. Francis and Christine's third child, daughter Celia-Marie, was born in Grande Prairie and took all her schooling at Rycroft. She worked for several years as a stenographer for Inter-Provincial Precast Concrete in Edmonton and Calgary which took her throughout the province, including local projects such as bridges at Burnt River, Watino and Beaton River. She married Chris Raaen at Dawson Creek and they have three children: Cheryl, Caryn and Curtis. She passed away at the age of fourty-three years.
Custodial history
The photographs and documents were in the possession of Dave Schenk and were donated by him to the South Peace Regional Archives in 2006, 2015, and 2017.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of 51 cm of textual records, 115 photographs, 1 artwork by Robert Guest, and 9 forestry related maps. It includes: a series of photographs related to Jack Mantle showing early Grande Prairie and includes two photographs featuring soldiers from WW2; a series of correspondence from F.W. Schenk and photographs showing scenes from the Northern Alberta Railway (NAR) and various train accidents; a series of photographs, maps, employment records and daily journals from Dave Schenk during his career working for NAR and Alberta Forest Service; and a series of employment records from Melba Schenk during her time working as a weather observer for Alberta Forest Service.
The fonds has been arranged into the following series: Jack Mantle (1911-1940); F.W. Schenk (1917-1964); Dave Schenk (1924-2005); and Melba Schenk (1973-1977)
Notes area
Physical condition
One notebook has damaged binder rings; one map has slight water damage; other condition is fair.
Immediate source of acquisition
The photographs and documents were in the possession of Dave Schenk and were donated by him to the South Peace Regional Archives in 2006, 2015, and 2017.
Arrangement
Arrangement of the files into series and sub-series was provided by the archivist. The first accession was processed separately from the subsequent accruals. 9 maps and 1 oversized photograph are located separately from the fonds due to preservation concerns. Two empty notebooks were removed from this fonds. Duplicate photographs were also removed.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
One file is restricted to access for the time being. Please see the archivist for further information.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A finding aid is available at http://southpeacearchives.org/schenk-family-fonds/
Associated materials
Accruals
The first accrual was accession number 2015.066 on August 27 2015; the second accrual was accession number 2015.067 on September 1 2015; the third accrual was accession number 2017.009 on March 21 2017; the fourth accrual was accession number 2017.034 on August 28 2017; the fifth accrual was accession number 2017.040 on September 19 2017. All accruals were donated by Dave Schenk.
Alpha-numeric designations
Accession numbers: 2006.041; 2015.066; 2015.067
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Level of detail
Partial
Language of description
- English