Lewis William LaFayette

Lewis William LaFayette, husband and father, wanted more for his family. The son of Edward William (whose great grandfather was freed from slavery after he fought in the American Civil War), came to Canada because of “the promise of land and of greater freedom for his children.”

The farming operation he established near Fiske, Saskatchewan prospered and so did his growing family. Not without a lot of hard work and sacrifice however. Most of the land was turned for the first time with a team of horses but in 1913 Lewis purchased a Waterloo steam engine. In 1927 a gas engine was purchased for farming operations and in 1929 an International combine was added. Lewis and his brothers, Goldie and Jesse organized a harvesting crew of twenty-two men and traveled throughout the district helping others get the crops in the bins.

Lewis also served on the Telephone Board at Fiske, Saskatchewan and was a member of the Saskatchewan Co-op Elevators, later the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool.

Lewis married Lillie Clarke 25 February 1903. Lillie (1884 – 1932), gave birth to eleven children, the first, Helena died in infancy. Her own parents died when Lillie was quite young. An only child, she was adopted by the Clarke family of Oskaloosa, Mukaska County, Iowa and came to Saskatchewan with her husband.

As a God-fearing man, Lewis could also be very strict but he always had children around him and his own speak of his quiet dignity and high principles. He had two that he lived by. “If you can’t say anything good about someone, don’t say anything at all.” “You can get along with anybody if you don’t have much to do with them.”

Lewis could often be seen walking, no doubt satisfied that his children and grand-children would enjoy the freedom he and his ancestors had fought to gain for them.