Big Hill Country page 652
The Jack Henderson family were all born in Northumberland County, England. Mr. Henderson was born April 18, 1899, at Workworth. He joined the Northumberland Fusiliers in April 1917, and fought in the second Battle of Mons in Belgium. Later he was captured by the Germans and held prisoner for nine months. He served with the British Army for three years.
After the War he married Elizabeth Hogg who was born May 10, 1892, at Powburn, England. Their oldest son, James, was born at Ellingham Gardens in 1924, and John was born at East House in 1926.
In the spring of 1928, Mr. and Mrs. Henderson and their two sons, aged two and four years, came to Canada on a Settlement Scheme drawn up by the British and Canadian Governments whereby 3,000 families were allowed to immigrate to Canada with all fares paid.
The Hendersons settled on a farm nine miles north of Cochrane, the N½ 16-27-4-5, where they did mixed farming. When the boys were old enough they went to Weedon School.
Mr. Henderson joined up in the Second World War in 1940 and spent three months training soldiers for active service Overseas. John Jr., joined the Canadian Army in the fall of 1944, at the age of 18, and served 15 months in the service. After the War, he took flying lessons and received his pilot’s license.
After 22 years the farm was sold in 1950, and the Henderson family moved into Cochrane. The boys bought road-building equipment and contracted road work. Mr. Henderson bought a service station north of Calgary, at Wessex, but later sold it and built one in Cochrane.
John married Gladys Prosser in 1957. Gladys was born in Calgary on September 13, 1938. They have seven children: Hal, Kerry, Mellissa, Richie, Ross, Scot, and Angela.
In 1962 James married Frances Hewitt in England and brought his bride home to Cochrane. Frances was born in Amble, Northumberland, on April 21, 1936. They have one son, William. Frances loved to play the piano and James bought her a new piano as a gift shortly after they came to Canada. Frances died of cancer on June 7, 1964. After the death of his wife, James and his son went to live with James’ mother, but she passed away in July 1971, at the age of 79. James and his son now live in the Bowness district of Calgary.
Mr. Henderson Sr. remarried. They sold their service station in Cochrane and now live on Vancouver Island, near Nanaimo.
The Henderson farm is now part of Glenbow Ranches owned by Neil Harvie.
