Robert sold his homestead in Lea Park and moved to a farm south of Kitscoty. A year later they sold this farm and moved north to Lloydminster, where they lived the rest of their live. (Mary Inge 26.4.97)

Robert John moved from Ireland in 1908 with two of his brothers and took up homesteads near the Duckerings. (Mary Inge, via Shirley Hutzkal 17.3.96)

'The Robert J. Finlay Story, as told by Mary (Finlay) Inge.Robert J. Finlay married Miss Millie Duckering in 1917. She had come from England to the Lea Park district to visit her younger brother Percy Duckering while their younger brother Bert Duckering went to the war of 1914 - 1918. This visit was to last a long time as it wasn't until 1957 that she returned to England for a visit. Mother's sister, Mr & Mrs Will Kemp and their son Glenn had come to Canada in 1907 to their cousin, Mr & Mrs H.C. Duckering, who had taken a homestead in the Fenham district. The next year they lived with Mr Stanley Inge in the Staplehurst District while he helped build their house on their homestead in the Lea Park district. Later, Glenn attended school at Riverton, boarding with a friend during the week. In 1918 they moved to Nanaimo,B.C. where they ran a fruit and chicken farm. Uncle Will passed away in 1948. Glenn and his wife and family and Auntie Maude moved to Victoria soon after. Always full of funa nd good humor, Auntie Maude loved gardening and lived a long and interesting life, passing away in February 1978 at the age of 96. Glenn is now retired in Victoria. His daughter lives near Montreal and his son in Ottawa. After the war Uncle Percy Duckering and Uncle Bert Duckering continued to farm in the Lea Park district until sometime around 1927 Uncle Percy returned to England, married and returned with his bride Ruth and nephew, Cyril Brown, to live in the Elgin district. When Auntie Ruth became ill, her sister took her back to Enland where she passed away after a long illness. Uncle Percy passed away in 1932. His nephew, Cyril Brown, continued farming until 1939 when he passed away from being badly burned in a tragic fire.
When Uncle Bert Duckering returned from the war he married Mollie Hames and continued to live in the Lea Park district where three sons and a daughter were born. During the 1939 - 45 war the family moved to Ontario to work in the war effort. When the war was over they returned to Lea Park fora while, then came to Lloydminster and finally to Kelowna, B.C., where they did carpentering and raised fruit. Their oldest son and daughter both passed away several years ago and Uncle Bert in1977. Aunt Mollie and the two younger boys, Cecil and Gerald are now living in Edmonton.
After their marriage Dad and Mother moved to a farm in the Kinnaird district, south of Kitscoty but soon decided that prospects looked better in the Lloydminster area. So in the spring of 1919 they moved to the former homesteads of R.W.Miller, Guy Miller and Jack Dale, consisting of the E1/2 and SW1/4 of Section 34-50-1-W4. It was not an easy life for an English girl,who, although born and raised on a farm, nevertheless was not accustomed to having to do everything for herself. She had taken nursing training at the Great Northern Central Hospital in London and had then become governess to the children of Canon Blackie, who was Chaplain to the Royal Household at Windsor Castle. Coming from that kind of a sheltered life to the wilds of western Canada must have been something of an upheaval. However, it was a good life and Mother adapted to Canadian ways and customs and made the best of things. Uncle Percy always figured that Dad owed him a considerable debt, if not in money, then at least of gratitude, for teaching Mother how tocook. More cropped land meant more grain and more bins so it was a great boon when the Canadian Pacific railway came through around 1926. We were fortunate in being close enough to the Staplehurst elevator that grain could be hauled from thethresher at harvest time. This eliminated a lot of back-breaking shovelling. As the work was all done with horses, large crews ofmen, long hours in heat and dust, and huge amounts of food were the order of the day.
George, Doreen and I attended school at Westdene, walking most of the time as it was only a mile, across country, around sloughs, until a road was built. This was done mostly by horses and fresno, which, I suppose, could be called one of theoriginal earth movers.
Water was always a problem in the early years. There were plentyof sloughs, which were alright for watering cattle in summer,but not always handy and not the best for drinking and washing. Many wells were dug by pick and shovel before a bored well was located which became a source of good water and plenty of it. A small gasoline engine and a pump jack were a great labor saver.Cattle in the early years were allowed to wander on "free range" so dad used to ride out, usually on Sunday, to see that all was well with them. Later, as the land was takn up and settled, herd law came into effect, the cattle were fenced into a pasture and these weekly rides became unnecessary. In addition to cattle and grain, pigs and chickens and sometimes trukeys and ducks were also raised. Cows were milked and the cream either churned into butter or sold to the creamery in Lloydminster. Town tripswere made by team and wagon or buggy in summer and sleigh inwinter - a long cold trip, even if you had a foot warmer, rugsand horse blankets.
It was a great day when a 1928 Chevrolet car was purchased. Nowwe could travel in style. However, roads being not much better than dirt trails, it was necessary to keep a watchful eye on the weather and not get caught out if a sudden storm should come up. Snowplowing and anti-freeze being unheard of, travel by car in winter was also unheard of. We considered ourselves lucky if we could use the car until Christmas. Even then a snow shovel and equipment as it was always possible for a snow storm to comeup while one was away from home.
The dry years were a sad blow to many hopes and dreams but life went on and eventually things improved. Money may have been scarce at times, but at least theer was always plenty to eat.George, Doreen and I finished school at Westdene, then in turn, went on to high school in Lloydminster. George then went to theSchool of Agriculture in Vermilion for a year an dlater it was decided that I should go too. The teachers there seemed to inspire a special school spirit which I think is still evident even to the present day. Many long-lasting friendships weremade. In fact, some friendshiops getting married. George returned to the farm and gradually took over from dad and motherwho retired to Lloydminster in 1952. They had always been interested in community affairs and served on boards of various organizations - School board, U.F.A., Rural Telephone, Wheat Pool, Poultry Pool and continued in church work and Masonic Lodge in town.
Dad passed away in 1955. Mother continued living in town for several years before moving back to the farm with George and his family when her sight began to fail. Failing health made it necessary for her to spend her last years in the Nursing Home and Auxiliary Hospital - wonderful places where our senior citizens are given every possible care. Mother passed away in January, 1978 just after her 92nd birthday. Afterhigh school, in Lloydminster, Doreen took a business course, worked in Edmonton, married and went to Ontario after her husband was discharged from the R.C.A.F.. They live in Port Hope, have three children and three grandchildren. I worked as a stenographer in Edmonton for a time after the year in Vermilion, then joined the R.C.A.F. (WD) during the war, andon discharge, worked for a time in Vancouver until I felt that the rain and fog were just a bit too much, so returned to asunnier climate in Edmonton for a time before coming to Lloydminster and marrying Stuart Inge in 1950.' (Article copied to me by Shirley Hutzkal - 17.3.96)