Charles Benjamin LADD

  General Notes:

Note from Donnie Lorenzen: His youth was spent at Orofino, Idaho, but in 1912, at the age of 16, he traveled to Fern Creek, Alberta, (now known as Warburg) to join his father who had taken up a homestead in 1910, and who was preparing to bring his entire family to Canada. Charles worked hard during this time, finding work in logging, saw-milling, and some farm labour in Central Alberta.

In 1913, Charles filed claim on a homestead on NE3O-47-2-W5 in the Fern Creek district. There were no roads at that time, but there were trails and cut-lines, so it was necessary to find surveyors' stakes to locate the homestead assigned to you. In 1920 he married Norah Gilbert who was born in England, October 22, 1900. She immigrated to Canada with her parents at the age of 9. They started their life together in a 12 x 20 house with two rooms on Charles' homestead where they farmed, and raised their four children. To ensure that his children received an education he was organizing and building the first school at Fern Creek. In 1946 Charles and Norah left their farm to move to Burnaby, British Columbia, where Charles worked in sawmills, and did carpentering. They returned to Warburg, Alberta, in 1954. He served on the Warburg Town Council for six years, four of them as Mayor. Norah died on September 4, 1964.

Charles married Eva Stallknecht in 1966, and moved to Thorsby at that time. He served on the Thorsby Town Council for six years, and was instrumental in organizing the Senior Citizens Club there. Eva died January 27, 1973, and Charles continuedto live in the home they shared in Thorsby, Alberta. Charles died Nov. 9, 1995 two months before his 100th birthday.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Logging, Saw Milling, Farming, 1910, Fern Creek, Alberta, Canada.

• Occupation: Sawmilling, Carpenter, 1946, Burnaby, , British Columbia, Canada.

• Occupation: Warburg Town Council six years, Mayor four years, 1954, Warburg, Alberta, Canada.

• Occupation: Thorsby Town Council six years, 1966, Thorsby, Alberta, Canada.

Charles married Norah GILBERT in 1920. (Norah GILBERT was born on 22 Oct 1900 in Hertfordshire, England and died on 4 Sep 1964.)

Charles next married Eva STALLKNECHT in 1966. (Eva STALLKNECHT was born on an unknown date and died on 27 Jan 1973.)