Material Type

Recording

Date Range

1991

Physical Condition

Excellent

Acquisition Source

Sutherland Mrs. Margaret

Scope and Content

Donna Hill Supina born 1902 in Iowa, married Nick Supina in 1922 & they have 2 children. Donna came to Canada with her widowed mother in 1915 to settle in Magrath. Her schooling was at Magrath, & Garbutt Business College. She worked at Plunket & Savage Fruit Wholesale, where she met Nick. Michael Supina arrived in Lethbridge in 1891 to work in the mine, later set up a small shop at 127- 15 St. N. where Donna now lives. The family came from Austria, later Czechoslovakia, In 190? Nick & his father moved the shop to 2 Ave. & 13 St. N. Business flourished & grew —groceries, meat, dry goods, clothing. Nick attended St. Aloysius School for 3 years before going to work in the mine. A few years later he became a cigar maker with Mr. Hanrahan on 2 Ave. In 1923 the partnership with his father was dissolved & Nick became sole owner under new name —Supina Mercantile. He was proprietor for 40 years, when the business was closed. Nick also owned & operated the KLever Dress Shop & Nick's Mens Wear, both on 3 Ave, Donna did alterations, sewed layettes. Side 2: Donna made & sold jam from unsold fruit. There was a large mail order business in Coutts & the Crowsnest Pass. Goods were delivered & orders made up. Store robbery. Nick bought unsold stock in Montreal 3: sold it here. He was a member of Knights of Columbus, Elks, Chinook Club, a member of the Catholic School Board for many years, Life member of St.Michael's hospital board. Played in city band in 1912, sponsored soccer team for many years.

Access Restrictions

Public Access

Accession No.

19921088000

Collection

Archive

Less detail