Born at Gordon, Berwickshire, Scotland on 2 June 1860,
son of George Forke and Isabella Lothian, Robert Forke was educated at
Westruther Public School. He came to Manitoba in 1882.
Mr. Forke walked from Brandon to Pipestone to take up his homestead on
Section 30-7-26. He was one of the early trustees of Lanark School, and
he served as Reeve of the Rural Municipality of Pipestone, and as
President of the Union of Manitoba Municipalities from 1911 to 1912.
On 8 December 1892, he married Elma Christie MacGregor.
During World War One he was a member of the Manitoba Public Welfare
Committee from 1917 to 1919 and of the Returned Soldiers Committee from
1915 to 1918. He was a member of the Manitoba Tax Commission from 1920
to 1922.
He was very active in all farm movements, United Farmers. United Grain
Growers, Good Roads Association, and was elected to the Federal
Parliament December 6, 1922 by the Progressive Party representing
Brandon Constituency. Robert Forke became leader of the party in 1923.
He was appointed Minister of Immigration and Colonization in the
Liberal government of Mackenzie King, from 1926 to 1929. He was
appointed to the Canadian Senate in 1929.
He died in Winnipeg on 2 February 1934.
Adapted from Trails Along the Pipestone, page 364
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