Alberta Family Histories Society

11/17/2025

Cleverville-Champion 1905-1970

Did you know that we have an extensive collection of local history books at the AFHS Resource Centre (Suite 251S, 8500 Macleod Tr SE in Calgary)? This month we are featuring Cleverville-Champion 1905 to 1970 - A History of Champion and Area. The book has 738 pages and can be found in our collection at call number 971.23 CLEV CHAM.
On Page 1 - “On a Southern Alberta road east of Champion on the way to Little Bow Park, stands a lonely stone cairn erected by the Cleverville Pioneer Club with this brief message:
Village of Cleverville - 1906-1910 - That marker and fond memories are all that remains of a thriving little village that once housed the businesses for the needs of the community. A variety of events ranging from baseball to dances was a common occurrence.”
On Page 5 - “The village of Champion received its charter, May 27, 1911. The following is a list of the early businesses to be in operation at that time: Savoy Hotel, Hardware, Blacksmith, Lumberyard, Store and Post office, Livery Stable, Hardware, Tinsmith, Store, Pool Hall and another Store.”

Our volunteers look forward to helping you research your family history! For information about our programs and open hours, please visit our website at https://afhs.ab.ca

11/11/2025

Two brother went to war. George and William Wheatley. George came back but William didn't. Today we remember the sacrifice of both these men. George is the father of one of our members.
Please stop and 11:00 a.m. to observe a moment of silence for the men and women who fought for us.

11/11/2025

A big thank you to the 5 AFHS members who honoured their family members who served in the military by telling us their stories. Thank you to Barb Wheatley, Amber Godfrey, Ron Gilmore, Steve Henley and Linda Murray.
You'll notice only 4 speakers are in the photograph. Left to right are Linda Murray, Barb Wheatley, Ron Gilmore and Steve Henley. Missing is Amber Godfrey who gave her presentation via Zoom.

11/10/2025

We'd love to have you join us for tonight's meeting! https://afhs.ab.ca/event/afhs-society-meeting-8/

11/07/2025

Alberta Family Histories Society volunteers have been working hard over the last little while, and 1 new cemeteries have been uploaded to our cemetery database, Alberta Ancestors. We added 19 names to the database in the month of September! More names are being added all the time, so check it out: Alberta Ancestors – https://albertaancestors.ca
October - 2025
One more cemetery added for the month of October
Gendre Cemetery ~ Erskine, Stettler County ~ https://albertaancestors.ca/cemeteries/gendre-cemetery-erskine-stettler-county/

11/04/2025

Ron Gilmore, an AFHS member, wrote this article about Wilma for the Unison News in Calgary. Wilma often drops into the AFHS Resource Centre at Heritage Square near her home.

11/03/2025

Alberta Family Histories Society volunteers have been working hard over the last little while, and 4 new cemeteries have been uploaded to our cemetery database, Alberta Ancestors. We added 416 names to the database in the month of October! More names are being added all the time, so check it out: Alberta Ancestors – https://albertaancestors.ca
October - 2025

Picture Butte Memorial Cemetery (Lethbridge County) - https://albertaancestors.ca/cemeteries/picture-butte-memorial-cemetery-lethbridge-county/ ~ 66 names, 54 photos
Pleasant Valley Pioneer Cemetery (Red Deer County) - https://albertaancestors.ca/cemeteries/pleasant-valley-pioneer-cemetery-red-deer-county/ ~ 20 names, 11 photos
Rolling Hills Cemetery (Newell County) - https://albertaancestors.ca/cemeteries/rolling-hills-cemetery-newell-county/ ~ 311 names, 271 photos

11/02/2025

I'm little late posting this month. Here is what's happening at Alberta Family Histories Society for the month of
November 1 - Family Tree Maker Special Interest Group (SIG) 10 am - Zoom
November 3 - Board Meeting 7 pm - Zoom
November 8 - Digital Genealogy SIG 10 am - Zoom
November 9 - DNA SIG 12:30 -Zoom
November 10 - Society Meeting - Members share stories of those who served 7 pm - Hybrid
November 14 - Writing SIG 9:30 am - Zoom
November 15 - English/Welsh SIG 10 am - Zoom
November 17 - Chit Chat -“show and tell” your favourite family heirloom 7 p.m. -Zoom
November 22 - Celtic SIG 10 am - Hybrid (weather permitting)
November 24 - Ontario SIG 1:30 pm - Wesleyan Methodist Baptism Records - Zoom
November 25 - Legacy SIG 7 pm - Zoom
November 29 - Basics SIG 10 am - Hybrid

Our Resource Centre will be open to the public Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm, and Saturdays from noon to 4 pm. Our volunteers look forward to helping you at our new library, meeting and office space (Suite 251S in the south tower, 8500 Macleod Trail SE in the Heritage Square building).
For all the latest information, please see our website: https://afhs.ab.ca/events/

10/30/2025

A little Halloween Humor

10/27/2025

When preparing a new-to-AFHS cemetery to be uploaded to our Alberta Ancestors website at https://albertaancestors.ca/, we are very interested to learn about the “forgotten people.” They are the ones not fortunate enough to have a gravestone, or perhaps their simple wooden crosses or sandstone markers weathered and were lost over time. Previously existing gravestones may have gradually sunk beneath the earth and disappeared from view. As genealogists, we want to learn about everyone buried at a cemetery to ensure that all their names and stories are carried forward for later generations and historians to research and discover.

AFHS’s cemetery researchers check local area death registrations, obituaries, etc. to identify these “forgotten people.” When we order a death registration for this purpose from Alberta Provincial Archives, it often turns out that the person of interest wasn’t buried in that cemetery at all, or that the death registration doesn’t give a burial place.

The Alberta Virtual Cemetery (AVC) was created on our website in April 2025 to ensure that these “forgotten” persons don’t remain forgotten. The AVC is a repository for Alberta deaths where remains lie in unknown places, or in non-cemetery burial places like homesteads, where ashes were scattered but no location documented, or where burials were at cemeteries AFHS has yet to visit. In just the first 6 months we’ve added 225 names to the Alberta Virtual Cemetery. It’s a very rewarding project because often Alberta Ancestors often is the only place online where these names appear!

https://albertaancestors.ca/cemeteries/alberta-virtual-cemetery/

10/21/2025

FYI - Calgary Branch of AGS is holding a meeting on Thursday night about how to read English script.

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10/15/2025

The Ontario Land Records Index is now online. A blog written by Ken McKinlay gives information about the index and how to use the online version. Calgarians can also view the microfiche versions of the OLRI at the FamilySearch Centre on 17th Avenue.
https://familytreeknots.blogspot.com/2025/10/olri-now-digitized.html?

In the Saturday, October 4, 2025 edition of the Ontario Ancestors eWeekly Update, it was announce that the Ontario Land Records Index had be...