John (Jack) Clarke

John Clarke was born on 1 June, 1891, in Alberni to

John Clarke

parents Daniel and Laura. He was one of twelve chil-

dren. He enjoyed his childhood along the Somass River,
and took part in swimming, fishing, and boating with his
siblings.
The Clarke family was involved in the Anderson Com-
pany sawmill and farm in Alberni they were among the
Two women and six children are seen in this photo of Mrs. Dan Clarke and

first pioneer families of the Alberni Valley. They had their her children in a garden. The people are identified as: left to right, Mary Su-
san, nicknamed Girlie, Josephine, Marguerite Teresa or Daisy, Patrick or Pat-
sy, at back, William Frederick or Willie, at front, Mrs. Laura Clarke, Laura

own farm and home consisting of three-hundred- Frances or Darling (on Mrs. Clarkes Knee) and John( Jack). Circa 1901

twenty acres on Mary Street. In addition to this on the western side of their prop-
erty, they owned one-hundred-sixty acres, which was between Golden Street
and Falls Road. The Clarkes family farm became
highly productive after expanding and cultivating
over the next many years. John eventually followed
his familys footsteps and was also a farmer in and
around the Alberni Valley.
John enlisted in the Canadian Expeditionary Force
on 7 November,
1914 in Victoria.
He initially joined
John Clarke

John Clarke

the Twentieth Bat-

talion, and was
wounded at the
Battle of Ypres.
After recovering,
he returned to
A group of men are lined up on a roadway for the start of the "Five Mile Race on Empire Day". They
are: Sid Toy, Bob Erickson, John Dick, William Erickson, Henry Porritt, George Ward, Alf Drinkwater,
Fred Drinkwater, Fred ward, John Clarke, Otto Taylor, Harold Bishop, John Redford, Clifford Grandy,
Edward (Whyte) White. Circa 1909
France this time
with Thirtieth Battalion and was later transferred to
the Seventh Battal-
ion at the front. He was discharged from the
army on 11 August, 1919.
John married Maria Eklund on 20 December,
1920 in Vancouver, BC. Eventually, returning to
the Alberni valley, they had two children named
Sonja, and Hilda. John died on 28 February,
1979 in Alberni, at age eighty-seven years.