Born 152 Years Ago Today

The Ancestry app on my phone tells me that my great grandmother, Margaret Carruthers Kinnaird, was born 152 years ago today on June 25, 1864.  She was the fourth of eight children born to farming parents Andrew William Carruthers and Jean Steven at Winchester, Ontario.  

George and Margaret Kinnaird 1888

On August 8, 1888 when she was 24 years old, she married William George Kinnaird at Russell, Ontario. I never have to look up the date for their marriage and wonder if 08/08/88 was chosen on purpose for good luck or if it was their wedding date by chance.  The picture above was recently discussed on this blog post.

She became mother to my maternal grandfather, William Francis Kinnaird and his older brother Stephen and the little family farmed near her parents in Finch Township near Winchester. George was also a carpenter so I imagine them having a nice little home and looking forward to many years ahead.  Tragically, Margaret died of tuberculosis on the 25th of May in 1894 just before reaching her 30th birthday, leaving her husband and two young sons.  She is buried with her parents at the Morewood Presbyterian Cemetery in Ontario.

Even though she has been gone for over 122 years, her legacy lives on.  My mother is named Margaret, presumably in her honour and I (the family history blogger) was born almost exactly 100 years after her to carry her story on.

Picture of Great Aunt Eleda

When I wrote this blog post about my paternal grandfather's sister Eleda Simms in September of 2015, I lamented I didn't have a very good picture of her.  My cousin Marilee recently came to the rescue with a picture from her Mom's album.  The picture below that she knew was of Eleda would have been taken about 1958 and the back says "the family including myself".

Luckily, there was a another picture taken on the same day (below) with the names of the children on the back of it naming them as Bobbie and Sandra in the back and Janice and Jimmie in front.  The family tree from Aunt Dodie helped determine these were great grandchildren of Eleda's older sister Mary Bryan. Mary and Ezra Bryan's oldest daughter was Luella Agnes (1906-1996) who married a man named Benson George (1901-1983).  Their only daughter Shirley (1930-2010) married William Crummy(1928-2006) in 1947 and eventually had 5 children, the older four are pictured below. 

Eleda would have been about 63 years old in the picture and was likely living with the Crummy family and helping to take care of the house and the children at the time.  A caretaker her whole life, Eleda died in 1973 at the age of 78 in the Ottawa area.

A New Portrait of my Great Grandparents

The picture above on the left of George William Kinnaird and Margaret Carruthers was discovered in Grandma's trunk but it was a brown tin type and rather hard to make out.  We wonder if it is their wedding portrait from August 8, 1888.  The record of this event is below.

The photo at the right said "Uncle George" on the back and is of the same style.  Tin Type photos were popular in the mid 1800's but they were dark and tarnished quickly.  The one of George alone was is in a paper frame that has survived remarkably well.

Another picture recently turned up in a look through a cousin's album and what a find!  The details are so much easier to see and Margaret seems to be wearing the same dress.  George is wearing a tie and the setting seems the same as in the picture above of him alone.  The background of this one is so sharp and the pleats in her dress even show so well!

This picture also showed the photographers name and Google helped with that too.  Norris M. Trickey worked as a photographer in Winchester, Ontario from 1888-1904 according to this website . This photo is called a Cabinet Card type and this 4 X 6 size dates from the mid 19th century and onward.

Margaret died in 1894 at age 29 of tuberculosis, not long after this portrait was taken I assume.  It would have been a cherished remembrance for her family and her two young sons, Stephen and Francis. She has a familiar look to me, so I know her genes have been passed down and remain in the faces of my family today.  

John "Jack" Henry (1868-1958)

John Henry was born in Ontario on the first of March in 1868 to Mary Tait and William Henry, the final sibling to be written about in this blog.  They farmed in the Listowell area of Perth County until his father died when he was 10 years old and they headed west to Manitoba when he was 13 in 1881. They lived near  a Blanshard Township in Ontario so moving to Blanshard, Manitoba must have been a small comfort to the Henry family.   His mother and his 10 siblings then settled on SW 6-14-21. He was more commonly known as "Jack" likely to distinguish him between an uncle and cousins with the same first name. The adjective "sixes" was also used to refer to this family and home as it was on section six.

Jack acquired NE 1-14-22 just west of the homestead in 1898, not including the portion where the White Bank Lea Cemetery sits.  It would have been suited to crop more than the hilly land with a ravine where the house was.

He remained on the home farm after his mother's death in 1909.  He married 26 years old Winnifred Theobald Frost Delamater in 1912 at the age 44 and went on to have nine children, six sons and three daughters. 

• Lorne "Homer" (1913-2001) remained a bachelor worked the home farm and was active in community affairs and committees
• William "Orville" (1914-1976) married Betty Reid, farmed the home farm
• Alexander (1916-1980) married Effie Reid (sister to Betty) and raised 5 children.  Farmed the former Hedley homestead (NW 30-13-21) and other quarters with Esmond, worked at Murray's Garage in Oak River and served in WW2
• Robert Thomas "Bob" (1918-1993) remained a bachelor on the home farm and was sports minded
• Mary Ellen (1919-1987) married Donald James Moar had 4 children and lived in Brandon
• Walter John "Watty" (1921-1986) remained a bachelor and enjoyed company and home life on the home farm
• Rena (1922-) married Allan Reid (brother to Betty and Effie) and had 2 sons, lived on the home farm with her brothers and is the only surviving member of this generation of the family - living in Oak River today
• Edmond Frank (1923-1980) remained a bachelor, served in the army with Alex then farmed with him east of Oak River
• Laura (1927-2005) married Herb Stephens and farmed near Cardale and had five children

Jack was one of the original members of Oak River's first organized baseball team which was coached by his cousin, his mother's sister Ellen's son, Tom Wilson.

 The White Banklea History Booklet written in the 1980's says of Friday night dances at the school near the Henry farm:

Local music was provided by the people of the area.  Alex Stewart and Mrs. Dick Stewart provided the early music at White Bank Lea.  Later Maurice and Dot Genung, Elgin and Harvey Stewart supplied the tunes to which they danced.  Square dances were very popular and Jack Henry from the "Stone House" was known as the official caller.  Everyone enjoyed the seven step, the scottiche, the buffalo glide and the French minuette.  The waltz was always popular and in later years couples danced to the newer dances known as the fox trot, two step and one step.  Lunch was always supplied by the ladies, an on occasion this was in the form of an old time Box Social.  

Jack (with the corsage at the back left) on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 1948.  Beside him, brother Thomas (79 years old), Ned (86) and Charlie (82).  In front left to right -  sisters Joanna Braid(72), Janet McKenzie(88) and Mary Wilson (74).

He passed away at the age of 90 in 1958.  Winifred died in 1954 at age 68.  They are buried together in the Oak River Cemetery.

from Blanshard History Book 1984

The stone house, built in 1888, was a landmark for miles around and served as a meeting place for municipal council and church and Sunday School services.  Dances, box socials and strawberry socials were held there as well to raise money for projects for the two wars as well as for Oak River Community Rink.   It was replaced in 1972 with a home for Watty, Bob, Homer, Rena and Allan Reid and their children.  This generation of Henrys farmed large herds of cattle along with chickens and pigs.  Both Holstein milk cows and beef cattle were raised by the Henry Brothers.  This farm was recognized in November of 1981 (photo above)  by the Manitoba Department of Agriculture and the Oak River Agricultural Society with the Century Farm Award for being in the same family for 100 years. 

Edward "Ned" Henry (1862 - 1951)

Edward was born on May 3, 1862, eldest son of Mary Tait and William Henry.  He was no doubt highly in favour of the move to Manitoba in 1881 to be able to have land of his own.  The first few years in Manitoba were spent working on building up his home farm at 32-13-21, working for the railway and cutting bush in the winters for cash as well as lumber for his buildings.

He was known as "Long Ned" so I assume he was a tall man and needed a nickname to know him apart from his cousin, "Red Ned" Henry, son of John.  In 1895, he was apparently the framer for a 100 foot long stone and frame stable for John Hall Stewart. This family had immigrated from Scotland in 1881 and were neighbours to the Henry family. Presumably he did an acceptable job as six years later, Ned married daughter Annie Stewart. When they married in 1897, he was 35 years old and she was 28. Their large farm home was built in 1902 with red brick from the Rapid City Brick Factory.   Ned and Annie went on to have five children.

• Margaret (1900-1979) "Maggie" married Allen McPhaden moved to Grimshaw, AB and had three children
• William Erle (1902-1970) married Vera Higham lived on the home farm and raised one daughter
• Mary Ellen (1903-1976) "Nell"married Jack Robertson lived in Rivers had one daughter
• Clara (1908-1999) married Curly Heapy lived in Oak Lake and had a family of three.  One of her sons, Gerald and his wife Charlotte and their family, returned to farm the Ned Henry homestead in 1976 and became part of the community after retiring from the RCMP
• Robert Edward (1909-?) married Teenie Wolvanski and raised 4 children in Strathclair.

The White Bank Lea History booklet is available online here at Manitobia and the last pages of land ownership over the years indicate Edward Henry acquired the following quarters in the year indicated.  

SE 32-13-21 - 1893 

NE 31-13-21- 1895

NE 32-13-21 - 1895

SW 32-13-21 - 1898

NE 29-13-21 - 1901

NW 29-13-21 - 1907

Ned Henry served as Councillor of Ward one in the RM of Blanshard from 1895 to 1913.  He then went on to become Reeve from 1913 to 1922.  Ned kept Clydesdale horses and shorthorn cattle and was one of the directors of the first Agricultural Society Board in Oak River.

The following is taken from a Roots-Web webpage as copied from the Oak River Post from 1940:

5/9/1940 (Oak River - E. A. CORBETT, correspondent) Ex-Reeve Edward HENRY, pioneer of the Oak River district, celebrated his 78th birthday May 3. Born in Perth county, Ont., Mr. HENRY came west in 1881 and settled on the farm on which he still resides. He was councillor for Ward 1 of Blanshard municipality from 1895 until 1913 and reeve from 1913 until he resigned in 1922. He was one of the founders of the Oak River Agricultural society and is now an honorary director and life member. In 1897 he married Anne STEWART of Oak River, who died in July, 1919. There are three daughters and two sons, Mrs. A. MC FADDIN, Grimshaw, Alta; W. E. HENRY, Oak River; Mrs. John ROBERTSON, Winnipeg; Robt. HENRY, Wasagaming; Mrs. C. HEAPY, Oak Lake.

His wife died at age 50 in 1919 leaving Ned with a young family - the oldest from 19 down to 10 years old.  Ned lived until 1951, age 89 and is buried with Annie in White Bank Lea Cemetery.

William Henry (1864 - 1933)

William was born in Perth County, Ontario on March 11, 1864 to Mary Tait and William Henry Sr.  His father died when he was nine years old and his mother and 10 siblings moved west to Blanshard, Manitoba in 1881.  Mary had 10 children but the eldest three were girls (including my great grandmother Elizabeth) and therefore ineligible to take out homesteads.  He turned 18 in the spring of 1881 and in 1883, he applied for Homestead #14910 the SE 6-14-21, adjacent to the home farm. He also farmed on the south half of 5-14-21 for some years.

Photo taken from White Bank Lea History Book

He married Elizabeth Michael (called Lizzie on the 1901 census) of the McConnell district in 1898 when he was 34. She was born in Ontario of Irish immigrant parents. This later marriage seems typical for Henry brothers as they were busy building up their homesteads before marrying and often working away from Blanshard to save up money.  All went well and in the 1906 census, the couple had 5 children aged 6 and under and 10 years later there were seven children.  William and Elizabeth had a large family of 8 children who were pupils at White Bank Lea School until tragedy befell them in 1920.  Within three days, four of their children died from an influenza epidemic.  The Oak River Post ran the following obituary;

GEORGE T., WILDRED JAMES, DELLA and EDITH HENRY

To lose four children in two days has just been the exceptionally sad
lot of Mr. and Mrs. William HENRY, the cause of death in each case being
pneumonia following influenza. George T., aged 18 years and 11 months,
and Della aged 14 years and 5 months, died less than an hour apart on
Friday morning, and Wilfred James, aged sixteen, and Edith aged eleven,
passed away early Sunday morning. The deceased were all of a robust
constitution and particularly well developed for their age, but in spite
of this and all that medical science could do for them, the disease was
of such a malignant type that they could not withstand its ravages.
The four children were buried in White Bank Lea cemetery, the former
two on Saturday forenoon and the latter two on Sunday evening, Rev. Wm.
FERGUSON officiating.
Four pleasant faces will be greatly missed from the life of our
community, and our tenderest sympathies are extended to the fond parents
in their grief.

Photos taken from White Banklea History Book

Children of William and Elizabeth:

• Mary Ethel (1899-1983) Married William Bedwell and had 2 children
• George Thomas (1900-1920)
• William "Clifford" (1902 - ?) married Ellen Agnes Robbins raised one son, moved to Trancona 
• James Wilfred (1903-1920)
• Della Etta (1905-1920)
• Mabel Elizabeth (1906-1980) married Gus Higham moved to Brandon  and had 4 children
• Edith Edna (1909-1920)
• Edwin (1918- ?)  was in WW2, married Florence McDonald, moved to Lloydminster and had 3 children

William died in 1932 at the age of 68.  His wife Elizabeth passed away in 1954 at the age of 80.  The parents and five of the children are buried together in White Bank Lea Cemetery, close to the farm where they lived their lives together. 

Stuart and Jane Carruthers

Stuart Carruthers was born on October 11, 1870, in Finch, Ontario.  His father Andrew William Carruthers was 54 and his mother the former Jean Steven was 37. He was 6th born in a family of eight which included my great grandmother Margaret.  Stuart can be found on the 1871, 1881 and 1891 census of Canada living with his family in the Winchester subdistrict of Dundas County. His first name was written "Stewart" on some of them as it is in some of the later documents as well.   He married Jane Smirl who had been born in nearby Hallville in 1872 on December 20, 1893, in Russell, Ontario.  The unidentified picture below was among my Grandma's and I think it looks like some of the Carruthers.  The style of clothes and the type of picture would be about right for 1893 but if anyone can confirm or deny my guess, please do!  My Grandpa Frank Kinnaird lived with Stuart and Jane after the death of his mother in 1894 so it would make sense that he had a picture of them.  The 1901 Canadian Census shows Stuart, Jane, 3 sons, 7 year old Frank Kinnaird and  John O'Neil living at Concession 11 Lot 23 Cannamore, Ontario.  Google maps names a Carruthers Road which intersects with a Stevens Road near this place today!  Five years later J.J. O'Neil would be married to Stuart's sister Christina and they would be living in Manitoba with Frank, starting a new life on the prairies!

 

Stuart and Jane had a family of five, four boys and a girl, all of whom married and lived their lives in the same general area of  Ontario:

Orrin Victor ( 1895-1950) married Beulah Jessie Ford

Keith (1897-1964) married Amy Marcellus Loughridge

William John (1899-1978) married Mary Oliphant

Carl Maxwell (1901-1973) married Laina Amelia Lahte

Sybil Maude (1904-1991) - married James Hugh Watson

Orrin Victor Carruthers and William Francis Kinnaird 1896

Like his father Stuart/Stewart, Orrin had another way to spell his first name - Orne.  He sent the following two  postcards to Frank:

 North Winchester
(Postmarked December 1907)

Dear Cousin,

I received your card and we are all well we have pretty good sleighing now I have just tried my promotion examinations.  James Evans is working here now.  He came a few days ago.
  Write soon.
Orne

(Postmarked October 1907)

Dear Cousin,

I thought I would write you a few lines we are all well we are through picking potatoes I suppose you's are all through harvesting.

 Write soon. 

Orne

 

Orrin married Beulah Jessie Ford in 1919 and they had 5 children.  Sadly two boys died in WWII, Carl Stuart and Ford Ross Carruthers and their stories are in the link.

Keith Carruthers and Amy Marcellus Loughridge married in 1918

The other Carruthers brothers sent postcard as well.

 North Winchester
December 7, 1908
Dear Cousin,

I am going to write you a few lines letting you know I think you are forgetting the boy down here called Keith Carruthers and I want you to hurry up and write. 

 From your remaining friend, 

K.C.(Keith Carruthers)

Crysler, Feb. 7 (postmarked 1910)
I thought I would drop you a card to let you know we are all well. Hoping you's are the same. Are you going to school now? I am. 

 John Carruthers

Postmark - Cannamore, Ont October 5, 1906

Dear Frank 

 I am just sending you this card to let you know there is such a person as Carl Carruthers down here and I want you to write me as well as the other boys. I am (?) big boy now and can read and write too. 

 from Carl
Stuart Carruthers died young on January 12, 1917, in Morewood, Ontario, at the age of 46.  Tragically, his wife Jane died a short 11 months later on November 3, 1917 at the age of 45.  They are buried in Morewood Presbyterian Cemetery with his parents and sister Margaret.

Widow Mary Henry's Homestead

Mary and William Henry came from Scotland in 1858 when they were 22 and 29 years old respectively with their two year old daughter Elizabeth, my great grandmother.  They had been married in 1856 in Troqueer, Kirkdudbrightshire in Scotland and joined his brothers John and Edward on their adventure to the new world.  Mary and William worked hard on their land near Perth, Ontario for the next 20 years and 11 children were born to them there.  With their growing family, there was less opportunity for land of their own in the east and the western migration was underway.  About this same time, Mary was widowed by the tragic death of William at the age of 42.

William and Mary Henry - about 1860

His brother John staked out his homestead in Manitoba in 1878 and his wife Janet and their own 11 children left for Manitoba in 1879. Two years later, Mary and her family followed them west. They took the route to the west by railway through the US then made their way to Brandon, where the railway ended. They stayed with John and Jessie that first year -  25 Henrys under one roof!  Her children and their ages were: 

Elizabeth 25, 

Ellen 23, 

Janet 21,

Edward(Ned) 19,

William 17,

Charles 16,

John (Jack)14,

Thomas 13, 

Alexander 10, 

 Mary 8, 

Joanna 5.

Since her eldest three children were girls, they were not entitled to apply for homesteads but Mary did and she entered for the South West quarter of 6-14-21 on June 18 of 1882. The Inspector's report from November 21, 1893 states they occupied a residence on the quarter as of October 1, 1882. It was described as a log house with half stone valued at $200.  The frame stable, granary and the wire fence around 15 acres was valued at $420.  The Inspector relates the quarter is composed of sandy loam soil with clay subsoil and it is cut up by a large ravine.  I think it reads that the family have 30 acres of hayland and 70 cropped but it is hard to make out .

The Manitoba Archives in Winnipeg contains a few documents about this quarter as well as the Northwest one of the same section including the letter written by Mary herself on September 7 of 1899 below:

Department of Interior. Sir , find enclosed statement for homestead.This is a second homestead and I was to get the patent by cultivating 40 acres in three years and living on my first homestead.We put down the buildings that are on the first homestead.I hope you will grant the patent this way.Mrs. Mary Henry

The accompanying documents state that the NW homestead was entered on June 25, 1895 and they commenced breaking 2 days later.  She has a family of three boys and one girl living with her and she writes she has resided continuously on her first homestead from the date of entry until the present time.  In 1895, 12 acres were broken and cropped the next year when they broke a further 23 acres. By 1899, 37 acres on that section were in crop and Mary and her family had 70 head of cattle, 7 horses and 20 pigs along with a half mile of wire fence, a 18 X 20 house, three stables and a granary.
Neighbour Louis Boniface of 22-14-21 wrote a statement of support for her patent and it was granted on March 21 of 1900.

Her sons also took out homesteads or purchased nearby land according to the local history books:

NE 1-14-22 1898 - John Henry

NE 6-14-21- 1883 - Charles Henry

SE 6-14-21 - 1883 - William Henry

NE 31-13-21- 1895 - Edward Henry

NE 32-13-21 - 1895 - Edward Henry

SW 32-13-21 - 1898 - Edward Henry

SE 32-13-21 - 1893 - Edward Henry

These quarters may have their own documents in the Archives.  There's always more stories to uncover!

Family of William Simms and Agnes McAllister

In August of 2015, I made a  trip to the Ottawa area to visit my sister Janice and continue to gather information for the blog and the family tree. Both my grandfathers came west to Manitoba from the same small area of Ontario and this gave me the chance to visit the towns I've been writing about and appreciate just how close together these men, Alex Simms and Frank Kinnaird, lived at the turn of the century.  

We decided to retrace our steps from 23 years ago to the South Gower Cemetery.  Jan and I took a lot of steps before we found the stone of our Simms great grandparents this time, after walking right to it in 1992!

We were also warmly welcomed into the home of our second cousin David and his wife Carol.  Another second cousin Carol was there as well to share what she knew about the family.  We were fortunate to see the farm and home of William and Agnes Simms nearby. 

 I have now completed a blog post for all of my Grandpa Simms' siblings.  Links to their posts are below but more information and pictures on these ancestors are always welcome!

     

Family of William Simms and Agnes McAllister:

• William Henry (1880 - 1945) married Mae Millar and had 5 children. He moved just across the U.S. border to Oswegatchie, New York and farmed there.
• Mary Agnes (1884-1948) married Ezra Bryan and had 6 children.  They lived and farmed in the Mountain, ON area and many of their descendants remain there.
• Alexander (1885-1941) , my grandfather, married Mary Sinclair after moving to Oak River, Manitoba  to farm and they had 6 children.
• Jennie "Jean" (1887-1968) married a Swedish immigrant, Gustaf Rensta, and was a nurse in WW1.  They lived in Montreal in the 40's but died and are buried in Kelowna, BC.
• Edith (1890-1930) married Erroll Murdock and had 5 children.  They lived in the Mountain area as well.
• Ethel Martha (1893-1934) married James Edgar Scott and had one son.  They also lived near Mountain.
• Eleda May (1895-1973)  did not marry but lived in the Ottawa area suburb Carp in 1945.  She came to Manitoba in the late 1950's to help when her sister-in-law Mary Simms was ill.
• Cecil (1902-1975) lived at home and did not marry.

Cecil Earnest Simms (1902 - 1975)

The youngest member of the Simms family and brother to my grandfather Alexander was born on September 9th in 1902.  My grandfather was 20 years older than Cecil and he left for the west the year after Cecil was born.
The form below was downloaded from Family Search and seems to be a declaration made in 1930 by Agnes rather than a birth certificate.  It seems to have been filled in and signed by Robert Bryan, Justice of the Peace. Her first name is written with two s's and I have never seen it spelled that way.  I believe her maiden name is McAllister not McCallister as it's written here.

Regardless, Cecil Earnest Simms was the youngest son of William and Agnes.  His father died when he was 16 years old and although he had two older brothers, both were gone to find their own fortune and the home farm near Mountain would have been his responsibility.

It seems he was not successful at farming and the property and home was taken over by others.  A grandson of his sister Mary Simms Bryan is the present owner and took me to see the property and home.  Although it now has white siding and has had additions, the original red brick home is still standing where Cecil and his siblings were born and raised.  

Cecil remained a bachelor and died in 1975.  He is buried at South Gower Cemetery with his parents and sister Eleda.

The Ottawa Journal

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Mon, May 26, 1975 – Page 30

Eleda May Simms (1895 - 1973)

Eleda May Simms was the second youngest of eight children born to Irish immigrants William Simms and Agnes McAllister on January 25, 1895.   Her birth certificate online at Family Search indicates her given name was Lydia May but she known as Eleda.

I have not found evidence of her being trained as a nurse but I do know she was the family caretaker of her mother Agnes and others.

The only photo I have of her is on the far right in the above photo.  She seems to be in mid bite of a picnic sandwich.  Her nieces Doris and Gwen were visiting Ontario for the first and only time.  At this time, family records indicate she lived at Carp, Ontario which is west of Ottawa and home of the "Diefenbunker".  

The letter below was written by Eleda in 1941 to Mary upon the death of Mary's husband Alexander, Eleda's older brother.

Kemptville, Ont
Dec 15/41
Dear Mary & all
Received your telegram on Wednesday of Alex's death and was very sorry indeed.  We were waiting for better news but when one is called they must go.  You have our deepest sympathy and trust in God that you may be spared for many years to carry on and look after the family.  What was his trouble had be been sick very long  He will be where there is no suffering or pain.  We were shocked to hear of it so suddenly as Mother is not very strong.  She would have liked very much to have gone out and see you all but Mother was not strong enough to travel so far.  We have not even been to Montreal.  I wrote to them all and told them about Alex's death.
There is a great deal of sickness down here both young and old being called away very suddenly.  Was Doris teaching school.  I thought she told me Robert was called for 4 months training.  You will need him on the farm, he will be a great help.   Well please try and write and let us know all about him and take good care of yourself and God will look after you all.
Sincerely,
Mother and Eleda

Eleda came to Manitoba to help with the house when my grandmother, Mary Sinclair Simms, was ill.  Aunt Dodie's diary from May 14, 1959 says:

Got telegram from Aunt Eleda and met her at the 12:15 train in Rivers.

Seven months later the December 17, 1959 entry:

Don and I took Aunt Eleda to meet train at Brandon.  Left at 8:28 am. 

Eleda died in 1973 at age 78. She is buried with her parents and younger brother Cecil in the South Gower Cemetery.

Ethel Martha Simms Scott (1893 - 1934)

Ethel was the sixth child and fourth daughter born to William Simms and Agnes McAllister.  She came into the world on July 15, 1893.

On June 30, 1915 Ethel married James Edgar Scott (1893-1942).  He was a 21 years old farmer and she was 22.  The marriage was performed at Saint Andrew Manse in Mountain by H.W. Clitte.  The above record was found in a book of transcribed records in Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa.

The congregation of St. Andrew's Presbyterian South Mountain was dissolved in 1997.

The 1921 Canadian census showed Ethel with her husband James and one year old son Donnie as farmers in Mountain Township who own their own six room wood house.  Presbyterian is their declared religion.  Her brother-in-law Erroll Murdock is the enumerator on this document.

Ethel Scott died in 1934 and James in 1942.  Any further information or pictures about Ethel and her family would be most welcome!

Edith Simms Murdock (1890-1930)

Edith was the younger sister of my grandfather Alexander Simms.  She was the fifth of eight children born to farmers William Simms and Agnes McAllister in Dundas, Ontario.  Her date of birth was January 13, 1890.

On the Census records of 1891, 1901 and 1911, I have found Edith living in Mountain Township with her family.

Edith (with no middle name I've been able to discover) married Erroll Glen Arron Murdock (1896 - 1975) in about 1920.  On the 1921 Canadian Census of Mountain Township, Erroll is actually the enumerator and he and Edith are married and listed as boarders.

Over the next 8 years, Edith and Erroll were blessed with 5 children, a boy and then 4 girls.   Tragically, as Edith was expecting her sixth child, it was found she suffered from uterine cancer.  The child was stillborn and buried beneath a tree in the yard as they knew Edith would follow within days.  This sad event happened on March 15, 1930 and Edith was buried with her baby in the South Gower Cemetery.  Thank you to Erroll's grandson Dave for this information.

 Her five surviving children ranged in age from 9 to almost 2 and Erroll would have likely been encouraged to give them to family or others to raise but it seems he was determined to keep his family together.  

Erroll remarried Lillian Bainbridge and they went on to have 4 children together.  Dave shared with me that they were all raised as one family - not "step" or "half" just brothers and sisters -  in the South Mountain area.  Their Aunt Mary (Simms) Bryan  often hosted the Murdock children and memories of her kindnesses lived on with those little children.  Family is certainly more than blood lines and DNA, as Mary knew and showed.

William Henry Simms (1880 - 1945)

William Henry Simms was the eldest son born to Irish immigrants William Simms and Agnes McAllister.  He was given the middle name of his paternal grandfather.  Born in the South Gower area of Ontario on October 26, 1880, his birth record says no doctor was present and the birth was registered by his father William on November 18 of 1880.  William and Agnes had married in Antrim, Ireland in March of that year and had crossed the Atlantic to make their home in Canada in June, arriving on the 15th on a ship called the Montreal.

On the 1891 Canadian census, William was enumerated as a ten year old with four younger siblings in the farming household.  There was no change looking at the 1901 census.

In 1917 on the11th of April, 36 year old "Bill" married Mae Miller.  She was the 21 years old and a resident of Haddo.  Her father James was owner of the General Store in Haddo in 1905.  

On the Census document from 1921, Bill and Mae were renting a farm in Dundas county and had one child.

The 1930 US census records showed the Simms family in Oswegatchie town in New York State with 5 children and William as a labourer.  This form says they immigrated in 1918 but that doesn't fit with the 1921 census, unless they returned for a time.

His son, William John Alton's obituary from 2008 says:

He immigrated to this country with his family, when he was almost 4 years old. The family
crossed at Prescott, Ontario to Ogdensburg by way of the very huge ferry, the Joseph Dubrule. They brought some horses and horse drawn equipment to start their new life on this side. The family eventually settled on a farm on the Black Lake Road.

The following is the text of the letter that Mae wrote to her sister-in-law, my grandmother Mary Simms upon learning of the death of William's brother Alexander in 1941.  Alex was my grandfather and last time they would have seen each other was 38 years before.  It is hard to imagine this reality two generations ago and it makes me sad for them.

My dear Mrs. Simms,

We just received word Alex has passed away.  Will is awfully upset - although he knew he had not been well.  Doris used to write to Jean.  Will has intended to go out to see him since he knew he wasn't well but he didn't get.  He hasn't seen him since he went out west.  You have our deepest sympathy.  I am sure Will wants to know if you have any snaps if you would mind sending one and we will return it.  He just would like to know what he looked like.  I suppose the funeral might be today.  We hope you or someone will write us the particulars.  Well will close now and may the Lord bless and keep you all in this hour.  You are ever on our minds.  I am not a very good writer any more.

Lots & lots of love & sympathy - Will & Mae Simms

Less than 4 years later, William died on January 20,1945.  He was buried in Pine Hilł (Eel Weir) Cemetery. His wife Mae died on October 19, 1960 and is buried beside him.

Edna and Billy Simms in the summer of 1945 - children of William and Mae

Children of William and Mae:

Norma Jean (1919-2005) married Earl William Livingston and had a family of 4

James Miller (1923-1985) married Charlotte Hughes and had 2 daughters

Claude Malcolm (1924-1938) drowned at age 13 - link to his blog post

William John Alton (1926-2008) married Dorothy Jane Livingston and had a family of 7- link to obituary

Edna Lorraine (1928-2012) married Webster Fields and had 3 children - link to obituary

Steven Carruthers (1873 - 1939)

Steven was the brother of my great grandmother Margaret Carruthers Kinnaird.  He was born in Winchester, Ontario on April 12, 1873, the son of Andrew William Carruthers and Jean Steven.  As the second youngest of a family of eight, he soon realized he would need to move west to get his own land.  At the age of 19, it seems it did just that.

The local history book called Prairie Neighbours written in 1981 says that Steven came west to Kinsmore, north of Lenore in 1892 but eventually decided to homestead in 1894 at Umatilla, north of Grandview, Manitoba.  The image below from Western Land Grants is for the Northwest Quarter of 28, township 26 in range 23 W1.  

On July 1, 1896 a marriage between 23 year old Steven and Grace McCrae who was 17,  was recorded at Strathclair, Manitoba. Online records say she had been born on November 28, 1878 in Grandview, Manitoba to James McRae and Jane Steven.  

Research on the town of Grandview has found that T.A. Barrows built the largest saw mill in Manitoba in Grandview in 1903 on the banks of the Valley River.  The incredible thing to me is that this operation employed up to 1000 men at one time between logging, planing and milling lumber to supply the pioneers to the south.  This enterprise continued for 5 years until a larger mill opened by Mr. Burrows at Bowsman.  This prosperity meant that Grandview has water sewer and electric systems second only to Winnipeg in Manitoba at that time.  

The 1901 Canadian Census showed Steven and Grace on their farm, north of Grandview, with 3 children.  Ten years later the family lists seven children and in 1916 there are nine.  

Thanks to Ancestry contributor "Bowdige60" for the above photo of Grace and Steven.

On the 1921 census the same nine children are listed and three of them are recorded as being "deaf and mute".  If that was true, what a challenge that must have been in so many ways.  One more daughter was born after this census.  Ten children would be another challenge but large families were the custom of many of the Carruthers families it seems.  

Steven and Grace's 4 sons and 6 daughters were named Stewart (also spelled Stuart), Ross, Mabel, William, Elsie, Jane(Jean), Les, Hazel, Edith and Grace.  Their community would have included the nearest school called Spruce Bluff and the United Church at Umatilla.  The Prairie Neighbours book says that as the boys came to working age, they came to the Hargrave-Victor area where they were employed as hired men for local farmers.  The eldest son Stewart married and had 4 sons in the Virden area and Elsie married Charlie Forester (who ran the Pool Room)  and had 2 sons and 2 daughters who lived in the same area.  

This wonderful photo was taken at a studio in Virden by W. Henfrey from the 20's of Elsie and Jean Carruthers.  It was among photos in my Grandma and Grandpa's trunk.  

Grace died on April 14, 1949, ten years after Steven who passed away on October 31, 1939.  Both are buried in Grandview Cemetery.