William Webster arrived in Canada in 1913 from Manchester, England, where he had been employed as a weaver in one of the large cotton mills. He homesteaded in the Glenevis area in 1915 and stayed there for two years, clearing and breaking land with a team of oxen. With the coming of the First World War, he enlisted in the Canadian Army and served until the end of the war.
Catherine Searle worked in London in an Ammunition Factory during the First World War. She arrived in Canada in 1919.
William met Catherine and in 1922 they were married at the Holy Trinity Church in South Edmonton. They made their home in the Highlands and Bill worked for the Woodland Dairy. It was here that their first son, Jack, was born and later, their daughter Betty. In 1929 they made a decision which was to change the rest of their lives, they left Edmonton and rented a farm in the Manly District.
After one year on the farm, Bill decided to purchase a quarter section of land from William Best, an uncle to Joe Best, and the family relocated to the Smithfield District (SW24-53-3-W5). They moved into a big log house which had been built by William Best. It was here that their second son, Brian, was born. Bill became a trustee of the Smithfield School Board and served on the Board for a number of years. Jack, Betty and Brian attended the Smithfield School. They usually rode horseback or took the horse and cutter the three long miles to school. There were no school buses to the gate in those days.
In 1963 Mr. and Mrs. Webster retired from the farm and moved to Vancouver. They were greatly missed in the Smithfield United Church and in the community. Having their children all in Alberta, they came back each year to visit them. Bill passed away in 1966 and was buried from the Wabamun United Church. It was his wish that his final resting place should be the Smithfield Cemetery in the midst of the community he had loved very much.