Thomas Willard Harper Switzer was born on December 4, 1901 in the Fairview District of North Cypress municipality. For a time Willard worked with the CPR, stationed at Bienfait and Napinka, before he decided to go into farming southeast of Carberry. Willard married Margaret E Cann (1906-1988) on February 9, 1927 in Chater, MB and together they had two daughters, Marion and Shirley. The couple retired from the farm to Carberry in 1952, where Willard began cabinet-making. He also worked as a mechanical engineer at Fox Memorial Hospital until retiring in 1966. Willard was a longtime member of Carberry United Church, a life member of the Carberry Horticultural Society, served for many years as a Fair Board Director and was involved in the creation of the Carberry Plains Museum. In 1974, he was asked to design and built the cairn at the elementary school, along with overseeing the placement of the bell. Willard Switzer died on March 25, 1996 in Carberry, MB. He is buried at Carberry Plains Cemetery.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocasette tape containing an interview with Willard Switzer about Switzer family history and his life story. Interviewer is Margaret Switzer.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Switzer's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Audio Tracks
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