Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Croken Family fonds
General material designation
- Textual record
- Graphic material
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents.
Level of description
Fonds
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
27.5 cm of textual records
48 photographs.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
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Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Patrick Vincent (Patty) and Gregory Rudoph (Rudy) Croken were born in Emerald, Prince Edward Island. In 1916 they made their first trip into the Peace Country, bringing cattle and machinery up to Bezanson, where they hoped to farm.
Patrick bought his first store in the Bezanson town site from Peterson and McDonald—a big two-storey building with 12 rooms upstairs and a store downstairs. It was the beginning of a long career in the store and hotel business.
When the railway went to Peace River instead of through Bezanson, Patrick and Rudolph sold the store and their cattle and moved back to Winnipeg. Patty married Rose Desiree Fromont of Belgium in Grande Prairie 1919. In 1923, Patty and Rose (known as Daisy) returned to the Peace River Country and rented a store in Grande Prairie, calling it the P.V. Croken General Store. Rudy Croken also returned to work as a U.G.G. grain elevator agent in Clairmont. He married Jennie Tomshak, and in 1954 the couple later built a home on 105 Avenue in Grande Prairie.
Patrick and Daisy had one son, also named Patrick, who received his education in Grande Prairie, and worked as a draftsman in Edmonton. Rudy and Jennie had three sons, Eugene, Dennis and John and one daughter, Betty.
Custodial history
The P.V. Croken records were donated to Grande Prairie Regional Archives in 2002 by John Croken. The Rudy & Jennie Croken series photographs were donated by Jennie Croken in 2011.
Scope and content
The records consist of photographs and personal records from Patty and Rudy Croken and Jennie (Tomshak) Croken. They include P.V. Croken financial records from the P.V Croken Store; Patty’s correspondence from 1956-1973; personal income tax returns for Rudy & Jennie Croken from 1953-1958, and for Patty & Daisy Croken from 1958-1966; farm accounts and wheat board certificates; the papers for building Rudy & Jennie’s home in 1954; and a story about working in the Post Office, written by Jennie Croken in 2014. The photographs are a wide assortment of subjects from the Peace Celebration in Grande Prairie in 1919, to Jennie on her travels in 1986.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
These records were donated to South Peace Regional Archives by John Croken in 2002 and Jennie Croken in 2011.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
A finding aid is available at http://southpeacearchives.org/croken-family-fonds/
Associated materials
Accruals
Further accruals are expected.
Alpha-numeric designations
Accession number: 2002.06; 2002.07; 2011.06; 2014.015
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Croken, Jennie (Subject)
- Croken, Rudy (Subject)
- Croken, Patty (Subject)
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules or conventions
Status
Final
Level of detail
Partial
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Revised by TD on May 14, 2015.
Language of description
- English