George and Mabel Parrett in 1936.

Having given up the farm and living in Brandon

Mother, Mable Purchase,was one of ten children in Moreton, Dorset. The Purchase family had the village shop, bakery and post office, the ten children living in small rooms behind and upstairs, all takling turns in the post office, including sending and receiving telegraphs, by the waving needle of those days. George Purchase ran a subshop for soldiers on summer training at nearby Bovington Camp, and my father George Parrett was a clerk there, which is where he met my mother Mable. Mother's sister, Florence, met her soldier husband, Sgt. Laurie Wheelton, there also. Her sisters had set their caps for Lurie too- competition was keen. But "Floss" won the prize!

My mother, Mable Parrett, was the moving spirit of our family. She hated the Pilot Mound farm, and persuaded dad to move to Winnipeg, then Brandon, Manitoba, and open a neighborhood shop, as their families had the village shops in England. Mother "could do anything," was president of the Consevative Association, Matron of the Eastern Star, and a Commissioner of the Girl Guides. She continued to operate Parrett's Grocery in Brandon after dad died, moving to Vancouver after WW11.

This was PARRETT'S CASH GROCERY, in Brandon, in post war years, now converted to residences. In spite of the "CASH"
label, few customers paid cash in the depression days. Each had a "counter book" which was replaced by another when full!

The Brandon shop- now apartments, as seen in 1993.

It was the comunity grocery for 40 years.

Father George Parrett with brother Stan in 1930s

Now in Brandon, Man. operating PARRETT's Grocery

My father, George Parrett, left the Pilot Mound farm in 1917, served in the army,was discharged in 1919, returned to Winnipeg, and Brandon, and opened a grocery shop at 555-6th Street, Brandon in April 1922. He bought the house across the road at 554-6th Street, had it jacked up and moved back 50 feet on the lot, building the shop on the front. This was done by hand jacks and horses! Dad died in 1942, mother operating the shop until after WW11, when she and sister Mabel (Mamie) moved to Vancouver.

My dad, George Parrett, served in the army WW1, and was a Mason in Brandon and played cricket there.When he died in 1942, Saint Matthews church was filled with friends to say goodby. Daughter Mabel- always called "Mamie"- attended St. Michael's Academy in Brandon, and took up piano playing there. She trained as a nurse at the Brandon Hospital, and did a post graduate course at the Mayo Clininc in Rochester, N.Y. Maimie served as an army nurse, overseas during WW11, and attended UBC, Vancouver, for Public Health nursing, and worked for the Metropolitan Health Unit in Vancouver until retiring. Roy, in the sailor suit, will be featured later.

A gathering of Parretts in Vancouver in 1962.

In front, Maude, Mable Sr. and Mabel ("Mamie")

Other Relatives

Granny Parrett, centre, is celebrating her birthday in Vancouver, with Roy's wife, Maude-left, and daughter Mamie on the right. Brother Stan is in the white shirt, standing, with wife Peggy on the left. Beside Peggy are her daughter Pat and Roy's daughter Barbra. Roy is in the jacket and then George and Bob. Stan's family are in the Vancouver area, Roy and Maude in Victoria. Maude passed on in 1974. Roy and Stan served in the artillery during WW11, Roy in England and Europe, Stan in Italy.

D Troop 15th Field Regt. RCA in Germany 1945

Lieut. Roy Parrett is seated on the left.