Earle Bliss Wilson (1904 - 1985)

Born 4 Aug 1904 in Snowflake, Manitoba, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Jessie Thoms (Ladell) Wilson — married 1 Nov 1930 in Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

Descendants

Died 31 Dec 1985 at age 81 in Summerland, British Columbia, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Ron Wilson [send private message]

Biography

Earle Bliss Wilson was born in Snowflake, Manitoba, Canada on August 4, 1904. He was the first son born to Thomas Clarkson "Clarke" Wilson Jr. and Eva Clara (Doney) Wilson. A brother for his sister Muriel May Wilson.

In 1905 Earle's father left the growing family in Snowflake and ventured out to Summerland, B.C. looking for property and employment. Clarke made frequent trips back to see the family. Brother Alvin Doney Wilson was born on Nov.12, 1906 and brother Harvey Lorne Wilson on March 16, 1908.

Sometime after this date the family moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. The next year (1909) Earle's retired grandparents, Thomas and Eleanor Wilson moved to Winnipeg.

Clarke moved his wife Clara and the four children (aged 4-11 years) to their new home town of Summerland, B.C..

This is where Earle received and completed his grade 13 education. (1st year university now) Mathematics and calculus were his favorite subjects.

As a teenager, Earle was very involved in boy scouts organization and in latter years became a boy scout leader.

He was very active in track & field, basketball, tennis and curling. His biggest achievement was in 1925 when he won the Valley Championship for the high jump and the Grand Aggregate cup for the Dominion Day track meet in Penticton. The cup and medals are still in the family's possession.

After finishing high school Earle worked with the Kettle Valley Railroad bridge painting crew. They painted many of the railway bridges from Hope, through the Coquihalla and also the high Trout Creek Canyon bridge.

One night in July of 1927 Earle went to a dance at the Peach Orchard Hall and met Margaret Ladell who was a summer relief nurse at the Summerland Hospital. According to Earle's brother Doney, his single days were over. With Margaret's summer employment over, she returned to her home in Victoria, B.C.. In 1929 Margaret returned to nursing in Summerland and their relationship grew.

Margaret Jessie Thoms Ladell and Earle Bliss Wilson were married in Kamloops, B.C. on Nov.1, 1930. Bertha Johnston, who was responsible for Margaret's going to Summerland in 1927, was a witness to their wedding.

When they were first married they lived in an old tarpaper shack on Earle's parents property. They bought an acreage on the north side of Trout Creek Point and started building their future home, living in the basement until they could afford to finish the house.

With Margaret's nursing and Earle working in a fruit packing plant, they still found time after work to plant an orchard of cherry, apricot, peach, Italian prune, apple and pear trees. These fruit trees would take five or more years to mature. Later, Earle became a Federal Government Fruit and Vegetable Inspector. He became very fussy about how his fruit was picked and sent to the packing house as he didn't want the embarrassment of the other inspectors having to cull his fruit.

Their daughter, Shirley Miriam Wilson was born on Jan. 14, 1932 and their son, Ronald Earle Wilson seven years later on June 12, 1939.

There was always plenty of activity on their six acres with two chicken coups, a row of bee hives and a sizable vegetable garden. The front yard had a lawn, plenty of flowers, two Quince trees and two Hazelnut trees. All these areas needed extra care and as Shirley and Ron grew up there was no lack of assigned chores for them.

Earle's father Clarke Wilson had been instrumental in having the tractor made that was used on the acreage. It had a many geared transmission and was powered by Graham-Paige engine. Using different gears, Earle could pull trees out by their roots, haul a trailer load of fruit boxes to the loading platform or speed down the highway.

Many of their nieces and nephews would help in the orchard during the summer. In return they would get their room and board and have the opportunity of enjoying the climate, beaches and meeting other teens in the area. It was also nice for their families to visit and pick up fresh fruit to take home.

It was always a big day when Earle was collecting the honey frames from the hives and transporting them up to the house where the honey extraction process took place. The downside was that hundreds of bees would follow him and thus terrorizing anyone who was in the vicinity.

In Jan. of 1951, Earle was one of the many volunteers who helped build Summerland's first indoor hockey arena, complete with three sheets of curling ice.

In the mid 1950's, Margaret's youngest sister Dorothy and her husband Frank Tyrrell were building cabins at their "Thunderbird Lodge" resort on Canim Lake, just east of 100 Mile House. Earle enjoyed helping Frank build cabins, while the two sisters would cook meals and have a good visit. They would also travel to visit Margaret's sisters Connie and husband, Percy, Cissy and husband Oliver, at the coast. Oliver was a commercial fisherman so they usually came home with a few salmon to be canned.

They sold their large farm home and the orchard in 1957 and moved to a smaller home just a few blocks from the town center. With a lot large enough for Earle to enjoy his gardening. Margaret could just walk downtown in minutes.

Earle retired in 1969 giving them more time to pick up and travel when they wanted to. He helped old friends like Gordon Beggs at his fruit stand or Joe McLaughlin at his green house or delivering flowers.

Many relatives travelled from Washington State, the B.C. coast and the prairies to help Margaret and Earle celebrate their 50th. wedding anniversary on Nov. 1, 1980. Both sides of the family enjoyed getting together for this event.

Over their fifty years of marriage, Earle had been very active in the Masonic Lodge in Summerland and the Royal Arch Masons in Penticton. Along with Margaret, he was also a member of the Order of Eastern Star. The local Rotary Club was another activity that he enjoyed.

Having suffered from Asthma for years along with many years of hard work, Earle was forced to slow down. He reluctantly moved into the Extended Care unit of the Summerland General Hospital. His mind stayed sharp right up to his passing away on Dec. 31, 1985 at the age of 81.

Sources

• Wilson family tree
• Manitoba Historical Society, www.mhs.mb.ca

Birth Certificate of Earle Bliss Wilson, Registration 16-04-06-43-573 (Nov. 11, 1904) Department of Health and Public Welfare, Recorder, Province of Manitoba

• Certificate of Death of Earle Bliss Wilson, District Registrar, Births, Deaths, and Marriages, Ministry of Heath, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. (Jan. 6, 1986)