by Ronald James Brown
August 20, 1924.
Wop May, the well known Alberta bush pilot and air ace from WWI, was barnstorming in Viking Alberta on the 19th of Aug. 1924. Barnstorming was a term used in those early days of flying, when pilots flew in during Fair days to offer plane rides to fairgoers. One was going on in Viking that day. When Wop’s plane engine developed magneto problems, he enquired as to who was the best mechanic in town. When someone told him it was probably Bill Brown, Wop recalled having given him some flying lessons in Edmonton shortly after the war, probably about 1919 or 1920.
Wop stayed in Viking overnight so Bill, my dad, could repair the magneto. He planned to return to Edmonton the next day, Aug. 20th.
Once the magneto was repaired, he asked dad what he owed him for the repair service. Dad suggested that, instead of paying him, could he fly down to Vegreville on Sept. 20th, as he and my mom, Marie Kirkwood, were planning to get married that day. Dad thought it would be a great way to start their honemoon, if Wop could fly them to Edmonton. They would return to Vegreville on the train that night. Wop thought that was a great idea as it would be the 1st honeymoon by air in Western Canada. There was only one problem; he could not do it on Sept. 20th, but he could do it that afternoon, Aug. 20th. Well, dad phoned to Vegreville where mom lived with her parents, Samuel and Mary Jane Kirkwood, and my dad’s parents, James and Lucinda Brown also lived. He asked if the date for the wedding could be moved ahead to that afternoon.
Dad knew mom had her wedding dress already, and when he explained what was going to happen, she was all excited, as she had never had a plane ride and thought this would be fun.
So Mom arranged to have her family and relatives gather at a local farmer’s pasture just north of Vegreville. Dad called his family and Rev. Schragg of the local Union Church, which in 1925 became the United Church, to meet there as well. Dad and Wop would arrive by plane from Viking about 2:00 p.m. and they would be married right there in the farmer’s pasture in front of the plane.
So that’s what happened. After the wedding Wop flew mom and dad to Edmonton. Things were a little crowded with mom sitting on dad’s lap, in the front seat of the plane. So off they went, arriving in Edmonton about an hour and a half later.
Since word got out that this was the first honeymoon flight in Western Canada, by the time they arrived they were greeted by the mayor, the press, and various dignitaries. They were invited to a grand dinner and celebration at the King Edward Hotel, and given a room for the night.
What a great treat that was in those days, except, since they had not planned to stay over, they had no overnight clothes.
In hindsight, Mom’s mother put it this way, in a poem she later wrote:-
“Did you know! That Pilot Wop May on the 20th day
``arrived in Edmonton town with a certain Mr. & Mrs. Brown
all safe and sound. Behold, to their consternation
when they arrived at their destination,
he was without a nightshirt and she without a gown.”
Being newlyweds this did not present a problem of course. We think things must have worked out okay as my brother Bob was born 9 months later.
Mom and dad did take the train back to Vegreville the next day, wedding clothes and all. The following day they went to Viking so dad could return to work. My brother Bob was born in 1925, sister Lorraine in 1927, and I followed in 1931.
In 1926 dad set up his own garage, known as Brown’s Garage, which he operated until 1944. In 1945, just after WWII, they moved to Boston Bar, B.C. where they operated the Kanyon View Kabins until they retired to Kelowna in 1962.
Compiled by Ron Brown, Oakville, Ont. 905-844-3050
February 24, 2014.
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