The historic grounds of the Wray farm have just achieved centennial status as the family celebrated its 100th anniversary on the land, July 9-11.
Doug and Linda Wray are now the sole operators of the farm, located west of Irricana, with about 2,000 acres of land.
Doug’s father Eldon was part of the first generation to be born on the land and the 91-year-old said his parents Houston and Cree homesteaded the storied farm. Initially the farm started when Houston moved up to the Irricana area from Iowa with Cree when his brother needed some help threshing land.
In 1909, Houston surveyed the land, and the following spring, he purchased a half section.
That half section grew sizably over the following decades and Houston, Eldon and Doug all farmed the land. Recently, the farm has turned into a cattle-only operation. Eldon was one of nine children and he and his brothers Janus and Bob looked after the farm after Houston retired.
From there, Eldon’s son Doug took over in the early 1960s to become the third generation Wray looking after the land.
Doug said unpredictable weather and economics recently pushed them out of crops and into cattle.
“I think we’re a little better at that (cattle) game than we were at the grain game,” he said.
“We’re basically a ranching operation now.”
Doug’s three children have branched into new areas and their father is concerned he may be the final chapter of a century-old farm.
“The next generation, at this point, aren’t headed back here. They’re headed onto other agendas,” he said.
Daughter Ashleigh lives south of Calgary on a different farm with her husband, son Logan lives in Bashaw working in oil and gas, while daughter Julie lives in Calgary and works as a fitness trainer.
“It’s a reality, it’s more important that they’re happy with what they’re doing,” he said.
Doug, 61, often mulls over what to do with the farm and what the next step of his and Linda’s life will be. He said the land is worth millions but isn’t prepared to put a price tag on it since there are still many good years ahead of him on the farm.
For the family’s 100th anniversary, they invited 100 relatives to the farm. Wray relatives from British Columbia, Alberta, Las Vegas, Atlanta and South Carolina made their pilgrimage to the farm.
“It really worked out wonderful because we got to see a lot of people we had never seen and some we had seen once before when they were two or three,” said Eldon, who now lives with wife Ruth in the Fletcher Village seniors condos in Airdrie.
Doug took the younger kids around the land on a school bus and showed them how the farm operates today. Eldon joked their family “took over the service” on Sunday morning at church.
The farm is still a great source of pride and, according to Doug, it gives him reason to keep on ranching into the farm’s second century.
“It’s a good feeling. It’s good motivation to keep it going.”
