Gus Kulpas

Gus Kulpas arrived in Canada in May of 1905 with his older brother, John, and their father. Each Kulpas filed for a homestead east of the present town of Barons, Alberta. Upon looking over his land, Gus was upset with the rather large coulee cutting through much of his land. He returned to the office and filed for another quarter section of land further east. Gus and John's father passed away in the winter of 1911 and is buried at the Barons cemetery.

John Kulpas married Julie Reinstein and they worked diligently trying to improve their homestead. By 1910, John Kulpas sold his land and moved to Chester, Montana. He died there in 1963. He is survived by one son, Edward, who lives in Lothair, Montana.

Gus Kulpas stayed on his homestead in an effort to maximize his farming productivity. Along with his cousin, Anton, Gus purchased a threshing outfit and a steam engine. The modern technology greatly improved efficiency at the farm. Anton and Gus sold the equipment in the early 1920s when Anton moved to Oregon. Around the same time Gus enrolled in a few courses at the Calgary Technical School.

In 1924, Gus married Alide Erdman, whom had arrived in Barons in 1910 with her parents. Together, they had one daughter named Dorothy. Dorothy moved to Lethbridge upon completion of her education. She passed away in 1964.

Gus was one of the directors of the Barons Co-op when it was first opened. He was also member of the Alberta Wheat Pool. From 1926 onwards, Gus and Alide Kulpas continued to live on their farm southwest of Barons.