HISTORY: Families and People: A - B | BLACKS

Blacks were related to the Bands. They came to Joe Rich about 1908 at almost the same time as the Fazans, before the Bands. William (Billy) Black was a carpenter who often worked outside Joe Rich. He doesn’t seem to have built as much in Joe Rich as did Findlay and Band, but his old barn still stands on Dion’s property as a memorial of his skills as a builder.

His sister was Margaret (Black) Band. His wife, Roberta who was usually called Bertha or Bethie was a Band before their marriage, and was the sister of Martin Band. Thus the two families were a Black brother and sister married to a Band sister and brother. The Blacks had three children: Ellen born in 1914, Doug born in 1917 and Jean, who became Jean Walsh and is still living in Kelowna.

Blacks owned the property now owned by the Dions and Don Friesen. In the 1930, John Findlay built a ditch from Joe Rich Creek to his property for irrigation. It apparently never worked well, because it ran through an area of shale near the end and this allowed the water to seep out.

The Weddell children walked across the Black Family property to get to school.

Ellen and Doug Black were two of the first Joe Rich School students in 1922. In later years, Doug married Marie and the couple lived in the house which later became the Dion’s. While Doug was on the family property he grew good turnips and potatoes on the part of the property down near Mission Creek where Norm Fast later lived. At the same time he was logging. Ellen married Art Mark.