Material Type

Artifact

Date Range From

1920

Date Range To

1930

Materials

DENIM, FUR, LEATHER

No. Pieces

1

Length

123.0

Description

EXTERIOR OF COAT IS BLACK DENIM. INTERIOR IS COARSE DARK BROWN FUR (BUFFALO ?). SLEEVES ARE LINED WITH A SHORTER, YELLOWED FUR. HAS A WIDE COLLAR THAT CAN BE WORN EITHER TURNED DOWN OR STANDING UP. THERE ARE 2 SLIT POCKETS AT WAIST OF COAT. THERE IS A TRIANGULAR PATCH OF DARK BROWN LEATHER AT TOP AND BOTTOM OF EACH POCKET (FOR REINFORCEMENT). DENIM IS FADED IN SOME AREAS.

Subjects

CLOTHING-OUTERWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

COAT BELONGED TO DONOR'S FATHER-IN-LAW, JOHN HOFER. JOHN LIVED ON A FARM CLOSE TO LETHBRIDGE AND WOULD WEAR THE COAT IN THE WINTER WHEN RIDING BY HORSE AND BUGGY TO AND FROM LETHBRIDGE. THE COAT WAS MADE BY HUTTERITES; THE COLONY RAISED SHEEP TO USE FOR LINING IN ARTICLES SUCH AS COATS. JOHN ALSO WORKED AT FALGAR FARMS, SOUTH OF LETHBRIDGE. JOHN HOFER PASSED AWAY AT THE LETHBRIDGE HOSPITAL AT THE AGE OF 79, AT WHICH TIME THE COAT WAS PASSED ON TO DONOR'S HUSBAND. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A COAT DONATED BY REBECCA HOFER. RUTHANN ATTEMPT TO CONTACT THE DONOR'S FAMILY FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. REBECCA HOFER (NEE WIPF) WAS BORN ON JULY 31, 1931 AND SHE PASSED AWAY ON AUGUST 8, 2008. SHE WAS MARRIED TO JOHN R. HOFER. REBECCA WAS THE DAUGHTER OF SAMUEL D. WIPF AND ANNA WIPF (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). SAMUEL WAS BORN ON NOVEMBER 11, 1907 NEAR BRIDGEWATER, SD AND MOVED TO CANADA IN 1918. HE PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 75 ON AUGUST 3, 1983. ANNA WIPF WAS BORN NEAR MENNO, SD AND MOVED TO ALBERTA IN AUGUST 1918. ON MAY 25, 1930 SHE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO SAM WIPF. ANNA PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 70 ON NOVEMBER 22, 1980. JOHN R. HOFER IS THE SON OF JOHN M. HOFER AND MARIA HOFER (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN), AND BROTHER TO DARIUS HOFER. JOHN M. HOFER PASSED AWAY AT THE AGE OF 78 ON JUNE 18, 1979. ACCORDING TO DARIUS’S OBITUARY, THEIR MOTHER MARIA PASSED AWAY IN 1982. DARIUS WAS BORN IN JULY 1929 AND ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, “HE SPENT THE FIRST 44 YEARS OF HIS LIFE FARMING WITH HIS FAMILY AT FELGER FARMS.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD.

Catalogue Number

P20030054000

Acquisition Date

2004-03

Collection

Museum

Less detail