Robert M. Blakely

Copeland pioneer Robert Blakely was born in 1865 making him sixteen years older than my father David.  His wife Maria was a year older, and by 1933 they had already passed middle age at 68 and 69 respectively.  They received their patent grant for SE.10 on January 30th. 1909.  This quarter was directly below my Uncle Bill's and Jim's farms, so they became our neighbors when dad and mom took over my Uncle's land on North 10.

Maria and Robert had two children, Evelena born in 1896 and John who was born 2 years later.  They were in the first class of Copeland School after it was built in 1908.  John married Sharlott and they later took over the farm.  Evelena never married.

Robert Blakely along with Robert Whitelaw and my Uncle James Hatton were the first to apply with the new Saskatchewan government for a School District which they called Glenview Plains on August 20th. 1907.  Copeland did not yet exist, and the whole area at that time was called Progress as it had the closest post office.  Their application failed, but the area was later divided into four school districts - Copeland, Foote, Product and Big Quill.

John and Sharlott attended our surprise wedding party at the Copeland hall in 1940.  They never had any children.  John's older sister Evelena never married, so the Blakely family line ended at Copeland.  John was a pall-bearer at my fathers funeral in 1934.

I mention the Blakely family over 24 times in my diaries, as they were very close friends.

Photo Gallery   Headstones

________________MUCH MORE TO ADD________________________

Robert M. Blakely 1865-1937    Maria Blakely 1864-1950
Evelena V. Blakely 1896-1949
John A. Blakely 1898-1988  Sharlott V 1898-1988