Fonds 0670 - Sims Family fonds

Charles “Harry” Harrison Sims was born in Spondon, Derbyshire, England, on February 18, 1890. Charles served as a corporal for Britain in World War I. He was in the 2nd Sherwood Foresters; Army Service Corps; Regimental #10784 373463. Charles fought in the battles of Mons and Aisne. He was discharged on February 22, 1915 due to a foot injury.

He married Edith Annie Puckering on June 23, 1921. Charles was experiencing health issues due to the weather conditions in England. It was suggested that he and his family move to Canada where the weather would be better for him. In the spring of 1926, Charles, Edith, and their three oldest children, Ronnie, Winnie, and Mary travelled by boat to Canada as part of the Soldier Settlement Plan. The family settled in the Five Mile District, 6.5 miles directly east of Grande Prairie. The family welcomed nine more children after arriving in the Peace region: Bill, John, Grace, Marg, Wes, David, Joan, Edith, and Dorothy. All the children attended Five Mile School, walking to and from school no matter what the weather.

In a letter to the Northern Tribune newspaper dated August 8, 1935, the Lord Mayor of York, England wrote a response to the Jubilee Number of the Northern Tribune article that Charles had sent to him. In the letter, the Lord Mayor thanked Charles for sending him a copy. He goes on to say how enthusiastic the celebrations were in the old city of York. Specifically he wrote about the large number of teas held in the streets, and his personal observations that the poorer the street the more enthusiasm/interest there was and the more delightful the decorations. The Lord Mayor concluded with good wishes for the succes of the paper. Charles was also a contributor to the Northern Tribune writing the East End News column for the newspaper. On June 11, 1936 he wrote an article regarding the status of his farm. The family was unable to put a crop in that year due to not having sufficient horses. The Solider Settlement of Canada representative and Charles mutually agreed that the farm would be leased on a crop share basis for one year.

Charles “Harry” Sims died on July 25, 1974 in Magrath, Alberta. Edith Annie Sims (Puckering) died April 30, 1975 at Magrath, Alberta.