William Hedge was born in Ontario in 1871. His wife, Linnie May, was also born in Ontario in 1884.
William Hedge did not remember his parents, as they had both died when he was an infant. He had one brother Charles and a sister Millie. They were all separated when their parents died and for many years William did not know the whereabouts of his brother or sister. Before leaving Ontario in 1907, William went to see his sister, Millie, in Owen Sound, Ontario, but it wasn't until Charles and his wife came to visit around 1927 that the brothers came to know each other.
William Hedge and his wife and daughters, Zetta and Louella, came by Grand Trunk Pacific Railway from Ontario to Stony Plain in March, 1907. From there they travelled to the Mission by team and sleigh on a cold March night.
Mr. Hedge took up a homestead north and east of what is now Duffield, built a log house and bought a team of horses and started homesteading. He helped to build the Government Road as it was then called - now Highway No. 16 West. There were no roads in those days, just trails through the bush.
A third daughter, Mildred, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Hedge in the old log house in October, 1910 and a son Lloyd was born in July, 1917. A grandson was later born in this same house.
The first mail came to Mewassin, south of what is now Duffield. For many years the Hedges got their mail and supplies from Wabamun, a trading post on the north side of Wabamun Lake. The store was run by Mr. Page and was an eight or nine mile drive from the Hedge homestead.
Soon, a number of homesteaders settled in the district, all very friendly and willing to help one another. Every so often during the winter, a surprise party would be organized and everyone would go to a settler's house, taking a lunch box, and the whole family would enjoy visiting with all their neighbours or playing games. Dances were held in the Smithfield School.
The centre of the community was the Hopkins Church. The minister came from the Mission on the Indian Reserve every Sunday to preach the sermon. All the Christmas parties were held in the church with a very large tree and gifts. candy, nuts and fruit for all the children. The children, together with the the schoolteacher would put on a very interesting concert. Box socials were held in the church.
A Sunday school picnic was held every summer at Lake Wabamun, where Kapasiwin is now located. Everyone drove with buggies or wagons and took large picnic baskets and a freezer of good old home made ice cream. These picnics were enjoyed by all, especially the races and games. Occasionally, a storm would interrupt the sports and eveyrone would have to leave early.
Mr. Hedge died in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in October, 1946, at age seventy-five. Mrs. Hedge died in August, 1959 aged seventy-five years and both are buried in the Lent Cemetery. They are survived by one son and three daughters, nineteen grandchildren and thirty-six great-grandchildren. Their son Lloyd stayed on the farm and still lives there with his family.
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