Donalda Diary
This coming week is Remembrance Day. With so much about our military in the news, I thought the story of those veterans from Donalda should be acknowledged.
When World War I broke out in 1914, the Village of Donalda was only two years old. The population of the district was small so only a few men went to War.
Henry Hansen enlisted at Hastings Coulee in 1916 in the 151st Battalion and took his basic training in Camrose. He went to England in the fall of 1916. He was awarded the Military Medal for his valour at Vimy Ridge and at the Battle for Lens in 1917. He lived on a settlement board farm at Forestburg after the war and moved to Donalda in 1953.
Archie Whammond Sr. enlisted in Scotland and was at Passchendaele in 1917. After the War he came to Canada directly to Donalda and became a farmer. He joined again in 1940 and became an instructor with the rank of Platoon Sgt. He was discharged in 1948 and returned to the farm.
Arthur Mitchinson went overseas with the 50th Battalion and was wounded on the Somme in 1916. Following his discharge he became a coal miner in our area.
Robert T. Smith enlisted in May 1915 was also wounded on the Somme. Discharged in 1919 he farmed on soldier settlement board land.
Harry Barnes served in World War I in the 8th Warwickshire Regiment for five years. In 1925 he came to Canada with his wife and six children and settled on a farm in the Donalda district.
Oscar Nordvie went overseas in 1918. He reenlisted in 1940.
Nels Haugejorden enlisted in 1918 but only got as far as Petawawa, Ontario where he contracted the Spanish flu. The flu epidemic was rampant at that time.
Nels Sjostrom served in the Swedish army. He and his wife came to Donalda district in 1930.
Christen Lausen Sr. was conscripted into the German army and worked as a butcher. Following the war he emigrated to Canada to Donalda where he owned the locker plant. He served as mayor for many years.
The WWI dead from Donalda include: LeRoy Heater, Alec. Salmon, Elmer Pickring, and Alfred Williams.
The WWII dead from the Donalda area include: Norman Estacaille, Dennis Rake, Herbert Ewing, Wilbur Lee and Cecil McBrine.
There will be a small service to honour our troops, past and present, at the Seniors Drop-in the Pancake Breakfast and Music Jam in Donalda, Sunday November 9, starting at 11 a.m.
There is an Awards Night at the Donalda School Thursday Nov. 6, 7 p.m.
The Donalda School Parent Society is putting on a Ladies Night Out” on Saturday November 15. Cocktails at 6, supper at 7, entertainment by Klay the DJ. Door prizes, silent auction, midnight lunch. 80s theme attire. Prizes awarded to the best dressed.
There will be a Horsemanship School at the Donalda Arena by Mandy Nemit, Nov. 15-16. Call Jody at 883-2330 for more information.
Birthday greetings this week to: Julia Dietrich, Marlene Conibear, Don Getzlaf, Kiera VanDerPloeg, Trent Erickson, Holly Komishke, Darryl Zarry, Gerda Mueller, Meaghan Kneeland, Molly Kneeland, John Archie Hillestad, Loree Nixon, Tavis Sideritsch, Becky Dixon, Darren Sideritsch, Jayden Erickson and Susan Dahl.