LEST WE FORGET 339 Aaron W. Shoaf and Mabel Humphries A Canadian Veteran and His War Bride Aaron was born in 1918 in Brightsand Lake, Saskatchewan, one of ten children. He was raised in a farming environment. He enlisted in the RCA in July 1942 and arrived in England in January 1945, where he spent the duration of the war. He was formally discharged in Regina in April 1946. Mabel was born in 1924 in Surrey, England. She enlisted in the British Army in September 1941 with the Auxiliary Territorial Service (also known as the A.T.S.) Division. She also served until the end of the war and was formally discharged in March 1946. Aaron and Mabel met during the war and were married in January 1946, prior to Aaron’s demobilization back to Canada. Mabel left England in June 1946 aboard the SS Letitia from the port of Liverpool and arrived in the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, ten days later. She traveled by train across Canada arriving in Kelowna, BC, on July 1, 1946, where they returned to civilian life. In January 1947, Aaron and Mabel moved to Meadow Lake where they remained for the duration of their lives, raising their seven children and serving their community. Mabel served her community through her dedication and active involvement in The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76 and the Ladies Auxiliary, serving as an executive member in both service clubs for many years before retiring from active participation due to illness. Aaron worked in logging camps during the first part of his married life, then as a carpenter throughout the duration of his lifetime. He was active in supporting The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 76, volunteering his services assisting with the boys’ boxing and ball clubs, and providing much produce from his large garden for fundraisers in support of The Legion and the community. In his capacity of carpentry, he volunteered his time to help build a variety of structures in the town, as well as repairing carpentry problems for seniors for ‘no charge’ during his retirement years. Aaron passed away on March 30, 1995 and after a long illness, and Mabel passed away in November 2002.
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