LEST WE FORGET 281 PESOLA, John Alexander “Alex” WWI Alex was born in Vaasa, Finland on August 8, 1888. His father, Leander Pesola, never left Finland, but his mother immigrated to Michigan where they had relatives. Alex immigrated to Canada around 1910 and came to New Finland, Saskatchewan near Rocanville where his sister had been recently married. He worked as a farm labourer until he enlisted on April 6, 1916 in Whitewood with the 217th Overseas Battalion along with his brother-in-law Charles Laakso. Alex sailed from Halifax aboard the Olympic on June 2, 1917. He arrived in France on April 30, 1918 and served for eleven months with the Canadian Railway Transport. Alex was hospitalized at Princess Patricia Canadian Red Cross Hospital for two weeks from February 5 to February 18, 1919 with acute influenza. He was put on sick furlough and sent to England and was required to check in at a hospital and to various war offices as part of the process. He struggled with English, so he likely didn’t understand what he was to do as he got into some trouble for not following procedure and was confined to barracks for five days. Alex returned to Canada on April 4, 1919 aboard the Caronia and was discharged on April 10, 1919 and he returned to New Finland. He was a lodger and farm labourer on the 1921 census, living with the Hakala family. In 1926, he was living with his sister and her family (Magda Josephine (Fiinia) Laakso). Private Pescola died on December 1, 1943 at the age of 55 and is buried at Pleasant Street Municipal Cemetery, Thompson-Nicola Regional District, BC. PETERSON, Alfred Theodore WWI Alfred Theodore Peterson was born in Forest City, Iowa, on December 15, 1880. He moved to Canada in 1914. He was married to Alma (Thorhaug) Peterson on January 12, 1915, when he enlisted in Moose Jaw on January 12, 1915, with the 128th Overseas Battalion. They had three children: George, Nellie and Gladys (not yet a year old). Peterson served with the 46th Battalion in France. On September 19, 1917, he was hospitalized for an injury when he jumped into a shell hole to escape a shell. At the time, the platoons were under enemy attack. Private Peterson received British War and Victory Medals. He was discharged in Regina on July 4, 1919, at the age of 38. His plans were to live in Moose Jaw. The 1921 Canadian Census shows the family living and farming in the Municipality of Bjorkdale, Saskatchewan. The family later moved to the USA. By 1940, Alfred and Alma were divorced. Records show that Alfred Theodore Peterson died in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 7, 1956.
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