We regret to advise of the death of Samuel Robert Ames of Bezanson AB on 10 October 2000 at the age of 78 years.
Robert was born and spent most of his life in Grande Prairie, the third of four boys and girls in the family. His mother died when he was only three and the children were sent away to Manitoba to live with their grandparents. They all returned when their father re-married in 1928.
As was quite common in those days, Robert left school after Grade 8 to work on the family farm. He was called up under the National Resources Mobilization Act in August 1942 and transferred to the Canadian Active Service Force less than a month later, enrolling in the Royal Canadian Engineers. He completed his training at A6 Canadian Engineer Training Centre in Chilliwack BC and later staged through Camp Debert in Nova Scotia on his way to England. In March 1944, he arrived in Naples, Italy and was taken on strength of the 13th Field Company as part of the 1st Canadian Corps Engineers. He saw action from the Liri Valley, along the Adriatic Coast to Rimimi and then into the Po Valley before the Corps moved to Holland in February 1945. While the war ended in May, Robert remained as part of the occupation force and returned to Canada in October of that year. He spend a few months as a guard at the prisoner of war camp in Lethbridge AB before completing his service in February 1946.
After his discharge, Robert purchased four sections of farmland and later married Marie Baynes, a local school teacher in 1949. They had five children. Over the years, they sold off parts of their farm eventually saving ten acres they worked after their retirement. He and Marie are buried in the Grande Prairie Cemetery.
