Persona

Meakes, Frank 1917-1989

Frank Meakes was born in Punnichy, Saskatchewan, on February 20, 1917 to James Meakes and Elsie Butcher, both from England. He was educated in Westmoor Public School and by correspondence courses. He farmed with his father until 1940, and then operated his own farm near Lestock where he raised purebred Shorthorn cattle. In 1948, he worked briefly in the International Nickel Plant in Sudbury, Ontario but returned to his farming by 1949.

He was president of the Lestock Co-operative Association, councillor of the Rural Municipality of Emerald No. 277, a director of the Roundplain Telephone Company, and a member of the Marlow School Board District No. 3717. He was a director of the Lestock Credit Union, a committee member of the Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, and was a supporter of the Saskatchewan Farmers' Union.

Meakes' political career began in 1956 when he was first elected to the Saskatchewan Legislature as the C.C.F. member for Touchwood. He was re-elected in 1960, suffered defeat in the general election of 1964, but was re-elected in 1967 and 1974. He served as Deputy Speaker from 1961-1962, and as Minister of Cooperation and Co-operative Development from 1962-1964.

He retired from politics in 1975 and returned to his home in Lestock where he was elected Mayor, and was appointed director of the Saskatchewan Housing Corporation. He was elected to the Executive Committee of the Parkland Regional Library Board on which he served from 1977 to 1985 when he again retired. He died on July 8, 1989.

Meakes married Mary Luthi of Punnichy on November 24, 1943. She died in November 1965. On December 27, 1977, he married Margaret (Lazar) Horn