Excerpt from "Spirit and Trails of Lac Ste Anne" - Published by Alberta Beach Pioneers-Archives Society, 1982
Dalus Joseph Peters was born in Rollo Bay East P.E.I on July 15, 1898, the second child of Eusalius and Mary Peters. He left his native home at the age of 18 in 1916, on an adventurous Harvest Excursion to the wild west, expecting to return home in the fall. It was 50 years before he set foot on the "Island" again.
He arrived in Consort, Alberta where he was initiated into prairie farmiong by Joe Deagle, another Islander who had come west earlier. His tales of his adventures are well known to his many friends and acquaintances over his lifetime of almost 50 years.
After 11 years of being "hired man" on several different farms he bough a farm in 1929, just in time for the Depression and the "dirty thirties" to take over.
Mary Jane Campbell was born on January 8, 1911 in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. At the tender age of 15 months she came with her parents and older sister Anne to what is now known as the town of Consort, Alberta. She grew up there along with Anne and five sisters born after the family arrived - Kay, Alexandra, Della, Gertie and Murdina.
On February 1, 1932 Dalus and Mary were married and together they worked trying to make a living, until June of 1937. With two children, Donald and Dawn Marie, they left the dust bowl and moved to Darwell, Alberta, where Mary's parents Donald and Jenny Campbell had moved.
In 1943 they bought the Campbell farm, formerly the Braithwaite place, southwest of Darwell. By this time two more children had been added to the family, Dalus Alexander and Marion Elizabeth.
In 1944 Dalus began to work at Alberta Coal at Wabamun, and Mary, with four children went with him and cooked for the hungry miners as well as her family. In the spring of 1946 the family returned to the farm and Dalus continued to work at the mine until he took over driving the last horse-drawn van at the Darwell Centralization in 1948 until 1950.
In 1949, Glenn Stephen was born, rounding out the family and in 1950, the farm was brushed, cleared and broken. Over the next years Dalus and Mary worked on the farm, on a road construction crew, and Dalus spent some time on the construction of the Calgary Power plant at Wabamun. Mary worked as a cook in many locations, at Camp He-Ho-Ha north of Seba Beach and for Calgary Power at Wabamun
Many summer Sundays were spent picnicking at Murray's Beach on Lake Isle, a trip made by team and wagon with the Campbell girls and their families and friends - good times made memorable by wiener roasts and homemade ice cream.
Mary served on the first centeralized school board, and both she and Dalus helped in the building of the "new" Darwell Hall, since replaced. They and one or more of the children were involved in 4-H at Darwell from 1946-1962. Mary joined W.I. in 1946 and has been a member ever since. She has been active in the United Church and both she and Dalus enjoyed the Golden Age Club, which for Dalus was a vital part of his life in the community. His love for cribbage and his willingness to accept a challenge at the drop of a hat were well known. He was also an avid pool fan.
In Dalus's later years his pride and joy was his lawn and garden, always trying to get his potatoes planted before Mary Carter, and eating new potatoes for his birthday July 15, no matter how small they were.
As a youth, Dalus raced harness horses on the beaches of P.E.I. In the 1920s he drove teams of up to 16 horses and hauled freight and furs for the Hudson Bay Co. from Cold Lake to Kitscoty. He farmed with horses, drove a horse-drawn school van and motorization never replaced the horses in his scheme of things.
Don, the oldest of the Peters's children, attended school at Leigh School, Lake Isle School, Rexboro and Darwell. He finished his high school education at Victoria Composite in Edmonton, then went to work for the NAR. He married Clarinda Hendrick of Dawson Creek, then returned to University. He now teaches school at Harry Ainlay and he and Claire and their two sons, Wade and Darin, reside in Edmonton.
Dawn Marie also attended several one-room schools, the new centralized school, then completed her high school in Edmonton. After working for some time, she married Don Flint who works for P.W.A. They have three children, Douglas, Wayne and Michelle, and now live in Edmonton.
Alex went to school at Darwell to Grade 10, then attended Onoway and Seba Beach High Schools and has worked in oil field businesses ever since leaving school. He and Sharon Howes, another Darwell resident, were married in 1962 and they and their two children, Tara Lee and Michael, live in Mill Woods.
Marion was the first of the family who started school in the centralized school and completed grade 12 at Seba Beach. She works at the Calgary Power plant at Sundance and she and her husband Dick Buday, and their three children, Kelli, Roger and Andrew live in Seba Beach.
Glenn attended school in Darwell, then in Onoway, and has worked for PWA ever since leaving. He is not married yet but is engaged to Fran Calbert.
Dalus passed away in April of 1978, and Mary still resides on the farm, keeping busy with her lawn and gardens and community activity.
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