Author of the article: Beth Wilkins
Publishing date: Dec 28, 2020 • December 28, 2020 • 6 minute read • 73. 568.24 Miss Kelleys 1914 class. Information suggests photo was taken in front of the George house, which would have been near T.A. Norris Middle School. Front Row (l-r) Jimmie Hodgson, Mary Smith, Alice George, Mary Hodgson, Ethel George, Miss Kelley, Alice Gullion, Emma Brick, and Amy George. Back Row (l-r) Mabel George, Henry Smith, Simon Gullion, Bertie George, Philip Kennedy, Paul Smith, Teddy White, Robert Hodgson, and Freddie Gullion.
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Last Ponderings we were introduced to Peace River Crossing’s second school teacher, Jean Cameron Kelley, as we accompanied her on part of her 26-hour journey. She rode in the first vehicle to make it to the community, population 350, under its own power from Edmonton 107 years ago – December 1913. A curious crowd awaited – some, perhaps more interested in the car than the new teacher.
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The most recent Ponderings ended, not only with word of the death of George Yeoman a.k.a Baldy Red, Feb. 14, 1936, according to the Western Producer of June 24, 1976. There is, at least one other source, that suggests his death came in 1941. Regardless, the Western Producer wrote: “When George Yeoman passed away some 50 years ago, the Peace Country bade farewell to one of the most colourful pioneers and certainly one of its most prodigious pranksters.”
For her part, Jean Cameron Kelley, herself, as we will see, a Peace River culture-bringing character wrote an ode – a ballad to Baldy Red’s memory, which ended: