Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Aboriginal Pioneers of the Peace - Louise Auger George

The "Aboriginal Pioneers of the Peace" is a feature written by Beth Wilkins, Curatorial Assistant and Researcher, in conjunction with the Museum's Treaty 8 Exhibit on display until the end of August. The articles have also been published on the Community Page of the Peace River Record-Gazette.



Louise (Auger) George




Louise (Auger) George: Photo cutline: (l-r) Amy Eaton, Louise George (the first Mrs. H. A. George). The child is Alice George. From Peace River Remembers

Louise (Auger) George was born December 1883 at Wapiskow Mission—Claim No. 513. Scrip Certificate No. 1078A. Louise’s parents were: Father Michel Auger (Metis) and her mother Mary Anne Chekastaye (Metis)
She married Herbert Alfred (H.A.) George, September 1898 at Wapiskow Mission.

Louise was 15 – her husband 18. He was a Christian teacher at the Indian residential school for two years prior to his employ as an accountant with the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The couple and their two children, Max and Bert, moved to Peace River when H.A. became the manager of the Hudson’s Bay post -- among the first residents of the community. He is said to have told a friend that when he and his family left Wapiskow (Wabasca) with all their earthly possessions loaded on a light set of sleighs pulled by a team of cayuses”, he had the worldly sum of $400 in his pocket.

Later, the George’s had four more children, among them Louisa Irene George for whom Peace River’s first hospital was named.


The headstone bearing her name and year of death, 1915, and the names of two of the George children – Maxwell Sandfield, age 10, June 1910, and Louisa Irene, age two years, September 1910, now resides on the grounds of the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre.

The George children were the first known burials in the Anglican cemetery on the ledge overlooking what is now the Bishop’s Lodge.


Source: Peace River Remembers; collectionscanada.gc.ca; Record-Gazette

4 comments:

Monty A. Stewart said...

Louise (Auger) George is my great grandmother on my mother's side and Herbert Alfred George is my great grandfather. The George's had two sons, Bert and Maxwell, and four daughters, Alice, Emma, Louisa Irene, and Ethyl.

Ethyl George was my maternal grandmother, who married Alexander Herbert Forrest, also from Peace River. Ethyl had three children, two girls, Louise and Dorothy, and one boy, Herbert Alexander (Sandy) Forrest. Ethyl Forrest passed away in September of 1963.

Louise Forrest married my father, Ken Stewart, of Vancouver, B.C. in 1947. My name is Montgomery (Monty) Alexander Stewart, and I am the only child from her first marriage to Ken Stewart. Louise Stewart (nee Forrest) remarried in 1962, and her second son, Mark Anthony Roberts was born in 1966. Louise passed away in October of 1991 and Ken Stewart passed away in June of 1993.

Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre said...

Thank you Monty! It's always great to add to the information we have about one of the founding members of our town. If you are ever up in our area, I hope you are able to stop in and visit with us at the Museum.

Unknown said...

Louise (Auger) George is my great-grandmother on my father's side and H. A. George is my great-grandfather. My grandfather was Bert who was the father of five children, Gloria, Leona, Irene, Patricia and my father, Herbert Alfred George. Guess who he was named for.

My name is Christian Lee George and I now live in Notch Hill, British Columbia.

Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre said...

Thank you Christian! Your father does have a very historic name in this area. :) If you are ever in the area, we would welcome a visit with you.