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We Made Melita
Military Services
The
Pope Family
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Fred (Sr.) and Annie
Pope
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Bob, Art, Fred, Bill & Pat
Pope
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Fred Pope was born on October 2,1881 in Thamesville,
Ontario, the
second youngest son of Septimus and Annie Pope who arrived in Melita in
the late 1800's. They homesteaded until his father’s death, at which
time the farm was sold and
his mother Annie moved the family into Melita. She purchased a general
store, which she ran with the aid of her family until
her death in 1936.
In his early adult years Fred taught school in the Lyleton district,
worked in the United States, and then homesteaded in the Mazenod
district, southwest of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. At the start of the
hostilities in 1914 he joined the army and went overseas with the 49th
Regiment of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. While on active service
in France he
was wounded and invalided to the Birmingham Eye Hospital in England.
Here he met a nurse, Annie Askew, his future bride.
After the war they farmed for two years and in 1921 moved to Melita
where Fred became the Customs Officer. Later, he and his family moved
to the newly constructed Canada Customs Office at the port of Coulter.
He held this position until 1937 when ill health forced him to retire.
He passed away on March 17, 1941.
Fred and Annie had five children, three of whom served in World War II.
Fred, the eldest, served as an R.C.A.F. pilot overseas during the war.
He later became a geologist.
Bill, served in the R.C.A.F. as an Airframe Mechanic. He later moved to
Winnipeg where he established a retail hardware business.
Arthur, after service in the R.C.A.F. as a wireless air gunner, began a
five year career with Canada Packers before joining Air Canada.
Adapted from Our First Century, page 693 (by Art
Pope)
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