Alf was born on a farm near McLean, Saskatchewan of parents who had emigrated from Surrey, England. Anne was born on a farm near Pambrun, Saskatchewan. She trained as a teacher and ended up teaching at Bluffview school located one half mile south of the farm that Alf bought after the war. Alf and Anne Poulter introduced themselves to the Zwaal family in the mid-60's at Knox-Metropolitan United Church in Regina. They subsequently invited the Zwaals to the farm one Sunday after the church service.
The farm was located north of Regina. As Alf would have described it, "Eight miles north of IPSCO, one mile east and then one and a half miles north. The farm is on your right".Over the subsequent months and years, Lee spent occasional weekends at the farm helping Alf, especially at harvest and cultivating time. Lee learned how to drive pickup trucks and tractors (one John Deere AR, two John Deere D's and a John Deere 3020). He learned how to cultivate, which was great because he could use the new 3020 tractor (with 12 forward and 3 reverse gears).
And then there was Martha, the 1950 Chevrolet one ton truck with the lift box.Lee learned how to fill Martha with wheat (it held 100 bushels). Alf and Lee would take it to the elevator at Tregarva. While Martha was being unloaded, Lee learned all about the workings of a grain elevator.In time, Lee fixed his Volkswagen Beetles in the east barn.
In 1972, Alf and Anne held a farm auction and sold the farm. Alf could no longer cope with the dust which significantly affected his breathing (he wore a dust mask almost all the time when doing farm work). As he had described to us as early as the late 60's, he had been subjected to poison gas testing at Suffield Alberta during the war when he was in the army. Many years later, Veterans Affairs Canada finally owned up to the issue and gave each participant (including Alf) a small settlement.Alf and Anne moved to Maple Creek after selling the farm. After Anne passed away, Alf spent his final years in Swift Current. Alf and Anne are buried in Swift Current, close to her parents' graves.