Scotland
MacTaggart Tartan
Ireland
 


Print Bookmark

Histories

» Show All     1 2 3 4 5 ... 12» Next»     » Slide Show

Albert Switzer Family Bio



Albert Switzer and Family

The following is from: Grit Growth, the story of Grenfell - author: Yule, Annie I. - Publisher: Grenfell, Saskatchewan: Grenfell Historical Committee, 1980.

Mr. Albert Switzer was born in Ontario in 1852, one of a family of six girls and seven boys. Every acre of their small farm in the East had been wrestled from the forest at an incredible cost of time and back breaking labour. So, Albert became acquainted with hard work at an early age. In addition to his farm work he spent his winters in lumber camps, carefully conserving his meagre wages to supply where necessity demanded at home.

It was small wonder then that the stories of the vast stretches of treeless prairies being thrown open for settlement, and of the phenomenal homestead offer attracted the young man. He was thirty years of age when he made the decesion to go West. He reached the end of steel at Portage la Prairie, which indicates that he was several weeks earlier than the majority who took to the trail at Brandon. With his ox team and wagon and necessary equipment, he joined a group of eager homeseekers on their way to the promissed land.

Of the difficulties of the journey we are told nothing, but in this case we have the answer to a question which has frequently ocurred to us. "What circumstances led them to choose Grenfell as their home?" We are told, "By the time they had reached what is now Wolsoley some of the party figured they had come too far, others where pushing on. It was decided to flip a coin. Luck decided that they backtrack to Grenfell."

The flip of the coin was lucky for Grenfell too, for Albert Switzer was the type of man to help build a stable community. He acquired half a section of land one mile and a half north of the town site and began turning the sod. It is said that these were the first furrows plowed in the Grenfell area, and this may well have been true, since Mr. Switzer was in the vanguard of the homesteaders.

He joined a construction crew, as the railway came farther west, and each night after work carried home some lumber on his back, to build his first shack. This shack grew into a beautiful home later, as Mr. Switzer’s dreams were realized” but there were years of hard work, reverses and disappointments before that goal was reached. Prairie fires twice destroyed the crops, and frost and drought took their toll.

In 1888 Mr. Switzer returned to Ontario for a helpmate, and found a very worthy one in Miss Emily Heanin of Bells Corners. Mrs. Switzer had the true pioneering spirit, and became an esteemed member of the community.

In his bid for progress this enterprising man found a clay deposit on the northeastern outskirts of the town and he opened a brick yard. This accounts for the number of brick buildings in the district, including his own fine brick house. When the deposit was exhausted, he moved his equipment to Broadview, where he carried on the business until the First World War, when scarcity of manpower caused him to close the plant. Vandals subsequently destroyed the equipment and the business never reopened.

Mr. Switzer was one of a group of men who organized the Grenfell Trading Co., which was the first co-operative movement in Grenfell. Apparently the district wasn’t ready for Co-ops yet, for the enterprise failed, but its founders were men of vision.

Mr. Switzer also had a creative mind. He invented a practical stubble burner from the blower of a discarded thresher. But perhaps the most ingenious of his inventions was a gopher trap which re-set itself. To reach the bait the gopher stepped on a trigger and a three pronged spear put a quick end to the gopher. The victim was tossed aside and the trap set itself for the next – and the next. Mr. Gowler tells us that Mr. Switzer always wore a straw hat with a white band, both hat and band having been woven by himself.

This sturdy pioneer was a man of strong religious faith, which carried him through his greatest difficulties. He was always closely associated with the church. His name appears first in the records of the Anglican Church, where he served as vestryman, and later is those of the Methodist Church, of which he was a faithful member for many years.

His love of nature, which is akin to love of God, manifested itself in the trees and flowers which enhanced “Maple Grove Farm”. Apple and plum trees, an oak tree and a weeping birch, a flower-bordered drive, all helped to win for him in 1910, a silver cup given as an award for the second best farm in this part of Saskatchewan.

His biographer says, “He had a vision and the tireless energy to make his dreams com true. He proved that the western prairie could be tamed and made to produce a fortune, and at the same time provide a happy life. Can anyone ask more?”

Mr. And Mrs Albert Switzer had two daughters, Sarah (Whiteley) and Mabel (Bonfoy) and four sons, Clement, Clarence, Ivan and DeWitt, all now deceased (1980) except Clement.

Mr. Ross Switzer, son of Clement Switzer and grandson of Albert Switzer was appointed Fire Commissioner in 1960, a position which he held until 1979. He was responsible for fire prevention in the Dominion excluding fires which come under the Department of National Defense. He had been Assistant Dominion Fire Commissioner since 1958 and prior to that was Fire Commissioner for the province of Saskatchewan having joined the Saskatchewan Fire Prevention Service as Fire Prevention Inspector in 1946. He organized Saskatchewan’s first Fire Prevention School and served as chief instructor for the school until his appointment as Deputy Fire Commissioner in 1949.

Mr. Switzer was born in Grenfell and received his elementary and secondary education here. He enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1942, and was posted to the Royal Canadian Engineer’s District Fire Prevention Office in Regina and was discharged in 1946. Ross is chairman of the Canadian Fire Investigation School and Past President of the Association of the Fire Marshals Association of North America.

He is married to the former Audrey Gladys Day and they have three children, Roberta, Bernice and Judith.

Douglas Clement Switzer, third son of Clement and Margaret Switzer was born January 10, 1921. He attended school in Grenfell and after graduation spent 2 _ years overseas with the R,C.A.F. On his return in 1945 he married May Robinson of Maryfield. Mrs. Switzer (“Robbie” as she is affectionately called) is a registered nurse and is a great asset to the community.

The couple settled on Albert Switzer’s original homestead, which had been in the family since 1882. Doug has been very active in community affairs. He has been chairman of the Faulkner Rural Telephone Co., President of the Royal Canadian Legion, Chairman of the Hall Board Committee, Preident of the Grenfell Co-op, Chairman of the building committee when the new Apostolic Church was built and chairman of the 1980 Celebrate Saskatchewan Committee.

The Switzer’s have one son, Barry, who works for the Solicitor General of Alberta as a probation officer in Lethbridge. He is married to Kathy Gillis.

The family of Ivan T. Switzer and Grace (Argue) Switzer are Lois, Grace Ellen, Gordon, and Mervin.

Lois attended school at Faulkner and in Grenfell, graduated from Normal School and taught in Rillington, Wolseley, and elsewhere until she retired in 1980.

Ellen attended Faulkner School. She lived on the farm and in Grenfell except for the times she was employed in domestic work. At present she is a resident of the Grenfell and District Pioneer Home.

Gordon attended school at Faulkner and Grenfell. After farming with his father a few years, he started on his on in 1951 and bought his dad’s farm in 1960. Also, he and his sons started a construction business in 1978. Gordon has demonstrated his interest in community life by his service in the following areas: Wheat Pool committee, member; Councillor and Reeve of R.M. of Elcapo; Grenfell Union Hospital Board, member; Regional Library Executive, local library board member; Grenfell Credit Union board member; and Grenfell Board of Education, member. He has also served on his church board and the church summer camp board. In 1952 Gordon married Mary Barbour of Calgary. They have three sons and a daughter. Brian married to Betty Anderson, R.N., is parts manager at Case Power and Equipment in Grenfell. Glen, married to Carol Caswell of Esterhazy, is farming on the family farm and working in their construction business. Their son, Jessie Lee Glen, was born February, 1980 the first great-grandson for Ivan T. Switzer.

Mervin obtained his education in Faulkner, Oakshela, Caronport, and after graduating from the Full Gospel Bible Institute is Eston, entered the ministry, serving in churches at Books, Alberta; Frutvale and Forquer, B.C.; Calgary and Edmonton. He has also served in may executive positions. Currently, Rev. Mervin Switzer is Pastor of the Regina Apostolic Church.

Mervin married Mary Kerr of Gull Lake in 1957. They have three boys and two girls. Patsy is married and farming in Alberta, Perry is working in the Regina area and attending Full Gospel Bible Institute, Peter, Pam and Philip are attending school in Regina.

Owner/SourceBob Switzer
Linked toFamily: Switzer/Heanin (F7253)

» Show All     1 2 3 4 5 ... 12» Next»     » Slide Show





Questions or comments? Need login info. Please contact Bryant Taggart
Genealogy database maintained on Reunion© for Macintosh
This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding© 2001-2024, v.10.1.3 written by Darrin Lythgoe.