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Soldier Assistance

A soldier is sitting on a wagon loaded with hay bales. The wagon is being pulled by four horses. A small boy is sitting on the wagon with the soldier and a young girl is standing beside the wagon.

Lumby Logger collection

John Ferdinad Genier was not a soldier in World War I.  He was a hard working farmer who came to Lumby in the late 1800’s.   John’s distinction is that he owned the only hay baler in the valley.  He was a man much sought after!

Many of Lumby’s farm workers were overseas fighting in World War I.  Back home, farmers could not find workers to help harvest the crops.

John decided he would do his part for the war by baling all the hay crops in the area.  He couldn’t do the job on his own, so he appealed to the commanding officer at the Vernon Army Camp to “lend” him some soldiers.  It wasn’t long before 15 soldiers were assigned to “other duties” and on their way to Lumby!