I'm reading a letter written by Jessie T.F. Cochrane Aker she married Alexander Aker in 1907. soon after they were married they went to Lac Du Bonnett, near Winnipeg Manitoba, to a logging camp that winter, as my husband was a logger. In the spring of 1908 we came back to the railroad work. My husband's camp was at Macklin Saskatchewan. In the spring of 1909 my husband and Charlie Cameron put in all the culverts to Stettler, then did other railroad work. That Spring of 1909 we welcomed our first baby Reginald. Along in June, Mrs. Cameron and I went to join our husbands in camp. They had left us a team of horses and a democrat, so we got up early and loaded up. We made a comfortable place in the back for her three oldest children and a place to sleep if they wanted to. My baby is six weeks, so we took turns holding him and driving. When we got to Provost we drove into town and went to a grocery store. Leland simpson owned it and we bought a loaf of bread and salmon. We were camped by a slough, going west about where the dam is now. We the left the railroad between Metiskow and Czar and went to the Houcher ranch. They stayed there for three days and then set off for Hardisty where the men were waiting for them. They then went to stettler. The letter carries on about their travels. Then she writes: As we had started our family and it was a hardship living in tents with a baby, Alex and I took up homestead at Cadogan. We had a section of land we broke part for wheat and oats and left the rest for pasture for the cattle. We had to build a house and a barn which took time,but we had such wonderful neighbours. She then talks about how the neighbours and them would entertain themselves. Then she writes that the land was sandy and and tough times were had. 1918 they had a very bad storm that the hail broke every window in the house. The crop failures happened so much that they decided to give up farming and raise purebred horses and they did very well at it. They raised pigs, chickens, turkeys, and cattle. They also had a enormous vegetable garden. In 1912 everyone had a good crop and they all bought themselves new cars. In 1918 the flu hit and Alex and several good neighbours got hit with it. She talks about how horrible the flu was and talks about how her two oldest children would have to cut holes in the ice for cattle. She says that it was a horribly cold winter. In 1924 they moved to Provost Alberta four miles west and it was a big stone house with real good land for growing wheat. It was in February that they moved and their youngest son Douglas was 1 year old. The children went to Emerald school which was 2 1/2 miles south or fairy hill 2 miles north. They had 6 children all born in Cadogan, except Reginald in 1954 our youngest son Douglas got married and we left the farm and bought a house in Provost. We enjoyed it as it was main street right next to the post office. On June 13 1955 she lost her husband. she writes that both boys had their own farms and they had their families but would stop in to see her everyday. Three daughters were married and moved to the city Edmonton, and the fourth daughter Lillian had married and moved to the states. she says that they spent several winters with her and her family. In 1970 she took ill and moved to the Provost Nursing home. She later passed on January 7th 1971.
Reginald Aker would be my grandfather, I hope this helps I know that you would like to find more interesting facts about Alexander's parents. My cousin has all the research you need.