John Karl Valdima Wulff

b. 5 July 1891, d. April 1965
John Karl Valdima Wulff, a.k.a. Jack Wulff, son of Magnus Alfred Wulff and Jane White, was born on 5 July 1891 likely at Janeville, Ontario, near Ottawa. Janeville is now part of the Vanier suburb of Ottawa.1

Jack's father died when he was very young. A few years later his mother married James Jackson. Until his late teens Jack was known as Johhny Jackson. The family moved to Copper Cliff, Ontario in 1900.1

Jack got his first job with Canadian Copper Company in about 1902 as a scale boy. By 1904 he was an office boy first at the West Smelter, and then at the new building constructed after the West Smelter burned down. He held this job until July 1905.1

For a short time Jack moved back to the Ottawa Valley to work as a farm labourer. However, he missed the better pay that he had enjoyed at Canadian Copper Company (now called International Nickel Company, or Inco) and returned to Copper Cliff in 1908. He worked for Inco as a hoist and crane operator for a short while, and then as a plumber's apprentice.

Jack left Inco in 1913 and moved out to Alberta where he opened a hardware business. This did not go well. Jack wound up back in Copper Cliff the next year, completely broke.1

Jack spent some time selling real estate and then driving a taxi before he was able to secure a job with Mond Nickel Company at Coniston, Ontario.1

Jack enlisted with the Canadian Expeditionary Force on 12 July 1916 at Sudbury. Jack left from Halifax, Nova Scotia on 13 September 1916 and arrived in England 10 days later. He was assigned to the 1st Construction Battalion as a Corporal on 21 October 1916. His unit shipped out to France on 25 October 1916.2

On 10 February 1917 Jack was transferred to the 1st Battalion Canadian Railway Troops. He remained with that unit for the duration of the war until his discharge on 29 March 1919.2

After the war Jack returned briefly to Inco at Coniston and then moved back to Copper Cliff to work as a plumber.1

The world disarmament agreements of 1921 effectively killed the munitions market with disastrous effects for Inco. The Sudbury mines were completely shut down for over six months.3 During that time Jack moved to Niagara Falls, Ontario, and worked at Hydro. He returned to Copper Cliff after the shutdown and worked once again as a plumber at Inco.4

Jack married Dora Madge "Dolly" Stickles on 24 April 1923 at Copper Cliff, Ontario.5

Jack retired from Inco in 1950 with over 28 years of credited service.1

Jack died in April 1965 at age 73.

Children of John Karl Valdima Wulff and Dora Madge "Dolly" Stickles

  • Vera Doreen Wulff b. 27 Jan 1924
  • Lois June Wulff b. 1927
  • Donald John Wulff b. 1931
  • Sally Ann Wulff b. 1935

Citations

  1. "Jack Wulff Has Many Memories To Write About," INCO Triangle v. 10, no. 6 (September 1950): 7; digital image, INCO Triangle Digital Archives (http://www.sudburymuseums.ca/triangle/ : accessed 22 February 2015).
  2. John Karl Wulff, regimental no. 1081891, Canadian Expeditionary Force personnel files, RG 150, accession number 1992-93/166, box 10615, file 22, Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
  3. Inco Limited History (1902- 2001), web site, Republic of Mining (http://www.republicofmining.com/ : accessed 14 March 2016).
  4. John Wolfe entry, 1921 census of Canada, Ontario, Welland (district 138), Niagara Falls (City) (subdistrict 30), p. 27, line 45; digital image, Ancestry.ca (http://www.ancestry.ca/ : accessed 5 March 2015),.
  5. John Carl Wulff-Dora Madge Stickles marriage registration no. 21024 (1923); Ontario Registration of Marriages, 1869-; microfilm MS 932, roll 661, Archives of Ontario, Toronto.