James Rae (1894-1966)

Two previous posts about Peter Deans Rae here and here, got me interested in the story of his younger brother James. He had been identified by my Aunt Dodie in the picture below on the left with Pete. It was rather puzzling however to hear from a Rae relative overseas that James had died in WW1. I wondered how Dodie would have know who it was when she was born in 1921.

A little digging online found the WW1 attestation papers for James Rae with Regimental Number 700418.  (There were at least 20 other men with the same name in the Library Archive Canada database of Canadian Soldiers.  It makes me realize the monumental number of files they had to digitize during the project.) 

Volume 2 of the Blanshard Municipality History book written in 1970 says James left Galashiels, Scotland some time after his brother Pete did in 1910.  He worked for farmers around the Oak River area until enlisting in WW1 just before Christmas on December 23, 1915 when his current address was 438 Hampton St in St James now Winnipeg.  According to the history book, he saw service in France with the 43rd Cameron Highlanders.  

The online personnel files fills in a few details for James but also gives but a glimpse of the terrible experience it must have been for him.  He was no stranger to the hospitals overseas and the combined effect of his injuries and illnesses would have left him a changed man.  After his enlistment and during his training at Camp Hughes, Jim contracted diphtheria in April of 1916.  Although hospitalized in Winnipeg, two months later he was well enough to set sail on board the Olympic for England.  In October of 1916 he is admitted to hospital for gun shot wounds to his arm and as a result he lost his left index finger up to the first joint.  He was admitted again in November for influenza.  In April of 1917, James is docked a day's pay for the neglectful loss of  equipment - his helmet. June 30, 1917 he received gunshot wounds to both legs.  Continued x-rays and removal of pieces of shrapnel are documented over the next few weeks until his wounds are declared "practically healed" by the end of July. 

Notable in his file is a notation that be refused to make a will dated October of 1918. I wonder if he thought by the time he had lived through that much, there was no need to make out a will! On his discharge in March if 1919, he stated he intended to make his home at Oak River. Twenty dollars was sent to his mother Elizabeth in Scotland as support each month he was on duty.

  

After the war he worked for a Henry connection of mine, Charles Henry among others. The history book goes on to say he became ill with sleeping sickness and remained in poor health for several decades until his death at age 71 on January 25, 1966.  His mother Elizabeth came to Canada to live near her sons in the early twenties and perhaps it was due to James needing more care than Pete could supply.  A note from Veterans Affairs appears in his personnel file that James died on January 25, 1966 at the Hospital for Mental Diseases in Brandon.   There is no evidence but I wonder if James suffered from the following condition as described in Wikipedia.

Encephalitis lethargica is an atypical form of encephalitis. Also known as "sleeping sickness" or "sleepy sickness", it was first described in 1917.
The disease attacks the brain, leaving some victims in a statue-like condition, speechless and motionless. Between 1915 and 1926, an epidemic of encephalitis lethargica spread around the world. Nearly five million people were affected, a third of whom died in the acute stages. Many of those who survived never returned to their pre-existing "aliveness".

Although not one of my blood relatives, James Rae deserves to be honoured and remembered for his part in fighting under Canada's flag and being a friend and neighbour to my ancestors.  He is buried with a soldier's headstone in Oak River Cemetery alongside his mother Elizabeth.  Rest in Peace, James.

Stories of Alexander Milne and his family

During a recent tour around Virden (a blog post in the works), a few of the present day descendants of Alexander and Jeannie Milne were pondering the circumstances that may have led to them leaving their Scottish homeland for Canada just after the turn of the century.  It was indeed a pleasant surprise to open up my email and find these memories from cousin Greg, as told to him many years ago.  I've added online links and a wonderful picture of Alexander (courtesy of Greg and Donna-Marie) taken around this same time at 30 Union Road in Macduff, Scotland.

 It has come to my attention that I should take some time to write what I know or have been told about my family history.  I can not say that the following is absolutely true, because much of it is third hand.  That is to say, much of the story is what I remember my father telling me, and much of what he told me is what he was told by his mother.  While oral traditions are not always letter perfect, they nevertheless do usually offer the best recollections, though they may be tinted by love or sorrow.

This then is the story of Alexander and Jane (Jeanie) Milne, and their emigration to Canada from Scotland in 1904 and 1905, as made known to me by my father, John Milne, their oldest child.

Alec and Jeanie both grew up in the Banffshire area of Scotland which is now the county of Morayshire.  Alex was born in Dufftown, in 1875, and Jeanie was born in Auchterless in 1876.  I have no idea how they met or of their social life, but they were married in a Manor House just outside of Rothiemay on Christmas Eve in 1897. 

Alec’s father John, was a farm labourer, who apparently had certain skills as an untrained veterinarian and often attended the difficult births of large animals.  On one occasion a land owner asked him to attend a breech-birth of a prized mare.  He managed to save the mare, but the resulting foal was not expected to survive.  The owner told John that the foal was his if it should live.  The story is that John and young Alec, and his sisters, spent days tending the youngster and it did indeed not only survive, but grew into a prized stallion.  The Stallion was later traded for two fine mares. 

At about that time, before he got married, Alec moved away from his parents to set himself up in business as a carter in Charlestown of Aberlour, a distillery town on the banks of the Spey River. and he started with these two Clydesdale mares, which he purchased from his father.  It must have been about 1895 when Alec was just nineteen years old.  It seems that he became a bit of an entrepreneur, as in a fairly short time he had two wagons.  Dad said that one was a “dirty wagon,” and the other was a “clean wagon.”  The former for hauling manure, or gravel, and the second for transporting whiskey casks to the railhead in Craigelachie, six miles north of Aberlour.  My father and his next two brothers Alexander Jr, and William were born in Aberlour.  Dad was born on 6 December 1898.  Business must have been pretty good, because before long Alec also came into ownership of a fine Clydesdale Stallion, and he began his career as a breeder by offering his Stallion to “cover” local mares for the princely sum of £5.00.  That amount of money was close to a year’s wages for a labourer in those days. 

Grandfather had grown up within the Free Presbyterian Church of the day.  He was happy enough there, I suppose, until a certain incident took place.  It seems that the treasurer of the local congregation had “borrowed” some of the funds for his own purpose, and this was discovered just after he paid back the funds into the treasury.  The local Session called him to judgement for his sins and decided to expel him from the congregation.  Alec took issue with the judgement declaring that the man should be forgiven, as he had paid back the funds.  While forgiveness was possible, continuing membership in that congregation was not, so the man had to go.  Alec decided then and there that he would leave that congregation also, and he then joined the local Church of Scotland (auld Kirk) congregation.  This would have happened some time after their marriage, and perhaps after some of the boys were born.  Probably not all that long before Alec left Scotland. 

His move into the Kirk was a sure sign that he had joined the upwardly mobile.  He was happy with that decision until one day a certain member of the upper echelon, who probably also hired him to do certain work, asked him to bring his stallion to his farm to cover a couple of mares there.  Grandpa said, “certainly, that will be £5.00 per mare.”“No, no, you don’t understand young man,” said the gentleman, “since I am your superior, and some-time employer, you must give me this service free.”When Grandpa indicated that was not going to happen, he was made aware that his position in the local community depended upon his obedience.  According to Dad, Grandma was even more angry about this than Grandpa. 

Later, while commiserating with his local buddies at the pub, they all greed that life in Scotland was becoming untenable, and they should emigrate to the “new world.”   In the end the others all backed out, but Grandpa had made up his mind. 

Over the next several months, he sold his wagons, bought three more mares, and managed to get them with foal before loading them on board an empty cattle boat that was returning to Halifax, Canada.  He had also somehow secured a job in Manitoba, where he would be looking after cattle and would be able to breed his horses, and sell stud services to others. 

He got off the boat in Halifax, and put the horses on a train for Manitoba in 1904.  I had no idea of all the places he lived during the next years, tending cattle and breeding horses, but he must have done quite well, as he was able to purchase passage on another returning cattle boat in 1905 for his wife and three small sons, who disembarked in Montreal.

Arcade Cards

These arcade cards from the 20's and 30's were found among the belongings of Harry Clyne and before they were sent off to a niece in Scotland with his other prized belongings, I scanned them and finally got around to doing a little research. Arcade cards like these were postcard sized and were sold in amusement parks in the US and Canada and thus their name.

Bud Baer was a boxer in the 1930's who also acted on television and in films.  His nephew, Max Baer Jr. , became famous for his role as Jethro on the Beverly Hillbillies in the 60's. A copy of the same photolithograph can be found in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art  in New York City.  He died in 1986 and is buried in California.

Harry Carey was the lead actor in the silent film Burning Bridges that was released by Pathe Exchange Inc in 1918.  During this time, Carey grew into one of the most popular Western stars of the early motion picture, occasionally writing and directing films as well. Carey would appear in at least 233 films, including short features, between 1909 and 1949.

Rex Lease and Tim McCoy acted in The Masked Stranger, another silent movie. From the 1928 film "Beyond the Sierras".

 The machine that these cards were dispensed from were like the one below from the Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago  for a penny or two.

Harry kept these arcade cards with his family photos and I wonder what memories they held for him of the place he got them or the person who gave them to him. I'm just glad he kept them.

Henry "Harry" Clyne - 1950's

John "Scotty" Paul (1899-1988)

This blog is called 52 Ancestors because I started in January 2014 with the goal of writing about one ancestor each week for a year.  It has turned into so much more than I ever thought and have made wonderful contacts with people all over the world who have found my blog.  Today my subject is John Paul, not my ancestor but he is someone's who may stumble onto this post with his story someday.

John Paul was always known as Scotty and I remember being surprised when I found out he had two real names and neither was Scott!  He lived at least 50 years with Nellie, Jessie and Bill Sinclair at 16-14-22 W1- four miles north of Oak River.

John Paul was born on February 28, 1899 in Rathen, Aberdeenshire in Scotland.  I was able to find the record of his baptism in the Espisopal Church at Lonmay on June 25th of 1899.    The church was built in 1788 and is still in use today.   His parents were James and Maria Paul and they lived at Mosside of Rathen Cottages in the 1901 census.  James would have been a farm worker.

Baptismal records show he had an older brother James (1897) and at least six younger siblings:  Mary Bell (1901), Maria (1905), Alexander (1907), William (1910) and twins Forbes and George born in 1915.

Scotty's name can be found on the ship manifest of "The Melita" as a 22 year old who was heading to Winnipeg with intentions of being a farm laborer for his uncle.  He landed in St. John, New Brunswick on April 19, 1921 - 96 years ago this week!

The 1970 Blanshard history book tells that Scotty worked for his Uncles Forbes and William Ironsides south of  Sidney, MB in the community of Arizona. These two men were his mother's younger brothers and their family was found at Boat of Bridge, Boharm, Banffshire on the 1891 Scotland census where their father James Ironsides was a gardener and their mother's name was Jane.

The online history of the community of Arizona (Manitoba) says Forbes arrived in Canada in 1904 and his brother Billy a few years later.  Both worked for prominent farmer A.C. Sharpley before farming on their own until the early 30's.  Billy went on the run a garage in Sidney as well as the general store. He died in 1958 but I don't know the end of Forbes' story following being on the 1945 Voter's list as a bartender in Rivers.  They were Scotty's only family in Canada that I know of and they died without marrying or having children either.

Scotty found work at Kemnay and Rounthwaite and then came to work at the Sinclair farm in 1936, shortly after the deaths of James and Elizabeth.  I assume it was Aunt Nannie that wrote the in the Blanshard 1970 History book that when they rented the farm to nephews in 1968, they kept the herd of Hereford cattle and were fortunate in having the help of a good stockman in John Paul.

That same history book says he spent the winter of 1953 in Scotland with his family and that in 1967, his parents celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary.  Yes, you read that right - 72 years of marriage and at least 8 children.  Scotty is pictured on the far right in the picture below of a wood sawing bee at the Sinclair farm in the early 70's.  The other men are Don Simms (my Dad), Stan Henry, Harry Clyne, and Gerry Sparling.

With the Sinclair ladies - Jessie (on the left) and Nellie

  

Henry "Harry" Clyne (1901-1989)

In a recent blog posts about the Rae brothers from Scotland,it got me thinking about the bachelor immigrants who spent their working lives in Canada but their entire blood relations remained in "The Old County".
Henry "Harry" Clyne lived with my Sinclair Aunts Nellie and Jessie across the road from us as long as I can remember (the 1970's) and he was one of these men who died in Canada without family.  His possessions ended up with my dad as trustee of his estate and I have them now and although I've considered it, I could not bring myself to toss them out. Perhaps his family will see this blog post and his things can go home. At the least, his life story will be remembered (as best I can tell it) in this post.

The little purple notebook with the pencil is inscribed:

Presented to H. Clyne late Crook Bilbster on the occasion his leaving the country for Canada.  By his friends of Bilbster and Stirkoke  21/3/22

The photo beside it appears to be Harry's passport picture, taken just before the adventure began in March of 1922. Bilbster  is a rural area near Wick in the highlands of Northern Scotland and Crook is the name of a cottage there.  Not yet 21 years old, Harry set sail on the Tunisian for Canada to seek his fortune.  He had at least 2 sisters, Ina and Chrissie and two brothers, Adam and Alexander.  

There is a little book indicating Harry paid union dues while living in Paris, Ontario in 1924 and 1925 as a section-man for the CN railway.  As with many young men of the time, the west was a land of opportunity and Harry heard the call.

Harry had many many pictures of Clydesdale horses and his address on letter from the late 20's was 356 10th Street in Brandon where J. S. Taylor horse promoter did business according to the card above. I am guessing he worked for Taylor and kept a lifelong interest in livestock.  My cousin Lyn recalls that Harry used to work with the Clydesdales that belonged to Jack and Lizzie Morcom and that he trimmed the horses hooves, including hers.

 

In this era of instant communication, it is easy to forget that months would go by without hearing from family within the country let alone overseas.  I can't find a date on the telegram but the black border envelope and letters told Harry about the deaths of his father in 1927 and his sister Ina in 1928. The first letter from his sister Ina has the sentence, " Mother thanks you very kindly for the money received today".  The second from another sister Chrissie is below.  

 A sample of the many family and friend photos Harry kept.  The only one with a name is the wedding photo taken at a studio in Wick and addressed to Uncle Harry from Bunty and Arthur.

** Bunty has contacted me and tells me the man in the air force uniform at the bottom is her father - and Harry's brother - Alexander (Sanny).  There certainly is a family resemblance there!

Starting in 1957, Harry has certificates showing him to be certified as a steam engineer and the 1903 book Practical Treatise of the Steam Engine Indicator by N.E. Hawkins was among his possessions.   Evidence can be found of trips back to Scotland in 1931 and 1954, when I assume the picture below was taken.  He was Aunt Nannie's chauffeur, driving her anywhere she wanted to go, Lyn remembers. Harry was laid to rest in 1989 at the White Bank Lea Cemetery, a few miles from the Sinclair farm where he called home for many years.

The well worn clipping titled "In Praise of Caithness" was found in his wallet showing he never forget where he came from.  I can still smell his pipe tobacco and see his flat plaid cap as he sat in Aunt Nannie's porch when I was there for tea.

**Follow Up**  April 16, 2017
 I'm so glad to have heard from his niece Bunty Pottinger from Kirkwall, Orkney through a contact on the Caithness Family History Society on Facebook.   Harry's things are now on their way home across the pond, where they belong.   

180 and 160 Years Ago Today

The Ancestry app on my phone came in very handy again when it told me that it was 180 years ago today - July 12, 1836 - that Mary Tait, my 2nd great grandmother was born in Scotland.

                                             

What I did not realize before was that her daughter, my great grandmother Elizabeth was born the same day, exactly 20 years later in 1856 in Troqueer, Scotland.  Mary and her husband William Henry left Scotland with baby Elizabeth for a new life in  Canada two years later. The photo below of William and Mary was taken in Perth County Ontario in the mid 1800's.

                                        

After the birth of 11 children and the death of her husband, Mary and her family left Ontario to homestead on the open land in Manitoba in 1881.  Elizabeth went on to marry local homesteader James Sinclair and have a large family of their own.  

                                          

July 12 - a date to remember in my family tree!

Today's Mystery - James Jamieson

The postcard style photo above and the two men in uniform below are part of the Jamieson mystery in my family tree. The were recently found on the same page in a family photo album, making me think someone placed them together for a reason.   The above one has Uncle Jimmy written on it, I wonder if it's Grandma's writing?

That would make him the brother of her mother, Jeannie Jamieson Milne.  The only sure information have about James is from the 1894 Scotland census where it says he was age 7 (born around 1884) and his birthplace was Banff, Banffshire, Scotland.  At the time, he was living with his 36 year old mother Margaret (nee Duncan) at 18 St Catherine Street, with brother William Duncan Jamieson age 8 and 11 year old sister Susan A. Jamieson. The only other fact I know is that James was mentioned in Jeannie's obituary in 1948 still living in Banff along with his sisters Mrs. McKenzie and Mrs. Greenlaw.   Some recall it being said James and perhaps his brother served in WW1 but with such a common name, it is hard to trace. The two military pictures seem to support this theory.

The unidentified photos posted below were found in Grandma's trunk and we wonder if it is James on the left and W.D. on the right as in comparison to the soldiers above? Please do contact me if you have any further information on my Jamiesons.  I'd love to know more about them!

P.S. - An online source called Worrall's Directory of the north-eastern counties of Scotland from 1877  indicates a James Jamison farmed at Crannabog near  Aberchirder and a Jas Jamieson at Ribrae in the same area.  I wonder if they are ancestors?  

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!

The Mystery Family Photo

Milne Cousin Greg and his wife Donna Marie recently sent me a copy of an old photo that his sister's daughter had passed on to them.  It is one of those photos that has a familiar feel about it - they must be ancestors!  Six children - 4 girls and 2 boys presumably with their parents.  A great mystery to unravel!

Drawn to the boy standing between the adults, I see a resemblance to the picture below of my great grandfather, Alex Miłne, taken on his wedding day in late 1897.  The Milne family would have been living In North-East Scotland at this time. 

     

Knowing what I think I do about his siblings from family records, census and ships records, my best guess is that this family group photo was taken in the summer of 1886.   The 1881 census finds them in Elgin and by 1891 they are in Botriphnie at the Moss of Newburgh.  

Far left - Margaret Edward "Maggie" Milne (later Chisholm) age 8

Mother - Ann Robertson Milne age 33

Tall girl in the back - Ann Milne (later Pirie) age 12

In front of her -  Alex age 10 (my great grandfather)

In front of him -  John Robertson Milne age 4

Father - John Milne age 32

Baby on his knee - Helen "Nellie" Milne (later Connon) born April 1885

Far right - Mary Jane "Mamie" Milne (later Duguid) - age 6

There are a couple of possible problems with these assumptions:

1. Maggie is two years younger than Alex but appears taller in this photo.  Girls do grow faster than boys and she may have been standing on a hill?
2. John Milne seems rather aged for 32 years old.  The beard and receding hairline make this man seem older than 32, at least by today's standards.

As Donna Marie said, the mystery may be solved by someone who sees this post having the same photo and knowing who is in it.  Please contact me with any ideas or theories!  

John Milne (1898 - 1992)

John Milne was the eldest son of Alexander Milne and Jeannie Jamieson- born December 6, 1898 in Aberlour, Banffshire, Scotland.   My Grandma Kinnaird was his younger sister.  He was named for his paternal grandfather John, no middle name was needed.  At age of six, he left Scotland with his mother and 2 younger brothers Alex and Bill for Canada, a year after his father. For the next ten years, they lived around Virden, Manitoba, working for various farmers and no doubt attempting to put away money for their own.  To try to get ahead, the family of seven headed west to Cawston (East Keremeos) British Columbia in 1915.  Alex was going to try his hand at ranching and his eldest son John at 16 years of age would have no doubt been working alongside him.  However, the world of horsepower was giving away to machines and young John saw his future as someone who would fix these machines.  

 

It seems he felt the need to come back east and we know that John started his apprenticeship at Dominion Motors in Winnipeg in 1917.  He had spent a year before this in Winnipeg, driving street cars for Winnipeg Electric, while attending night school for a year to get the necessary education to begin his apprenticeship. What a wonderful picture of him above in his uniform!   The picture of the street car was found here 

Zelma Samson and John Milne's Wedding Day- October 19, 1924

John arrived in Hanna, Alberta in 1920, and began working as an automotive mechanic in a Blacksmith Shop owned by Ernest Gregory Samson, his future father-in-law.   Zelma had been born August 26, 1904 in San Jose, California. The Samson family moved to the future site of Hanna, Alberta in 1910.  The town was named Hanna after the CN Railway came through in 1912.   John and Zelma were married in Hanna on October 19th of 1924.  She had just turned 20 and he was 25.

From the Prairie Towns Website http://www.prairie-towns.com/hanna-images.html

The time spent earlier in BC with his family must have been positive experience for John because later that year they moved back to Trail B.C. where his oldest daughter Yvonne Mabel was born in 1925. In 1926, they moved to Princeton, B.C in the spectacular Similkameen Valley.  Daughter Margaret was born next in 1928.  Tragically she passed away at the tender age of 10 years old.  Gregory Alexander and Esther Jane completed their family.  Greg and his wife Donna Marie have supplied the photos and information for this post and I am indebted to them for their ongoing help with this blog.

John began working in Princeton in 1926 as a motor mechanic, but soon after began working as a Steam Engineer. He gained a 4th class steam ticket while working for a sawmill, but shortly after that, got his 3rd class ticket and started working as a stationary engineer in one of the local coal mines. He got his 2nd class steam engineer's ticket in 1933, and was the highest rated engineer in the Similkameen area. When the mines closed down in 1935, due to the Great Depression, he reverted to motor mechanics, and became the “Heavy Duty” mechanic for the Provincial Department of Public Works at Copper Creek, thirty miles west of Princeton, on the “Hope” trail. In 1937, he was established as the chief mechanic at the Provincial shops in Princeton. He remained in that position until retirement, though by that time he had become the Chief Master Mechanic for the Department of Highways in B.C.  An impressive career indeed!

John and Zelma circa 1950

John was active in the Oddfellows Lodge, serving as Grandmaster in 1952. He was also a charter member of the local Rotary Club. He joined the Princeton Volunteer Fire Brigade in 1937, and in 1941 he was appointed as Fire Chief. He remained Chief of the Fire Brigade until he retired in 1963. He had also been appointed as District Fire Marshall, by the Provincial government in 1944. This was a part-time (as required) paid position. When he retired, he allowed his name to stand for election as a town councillor, and was elected and held that position for 2 three year terms. He had previously (1946 – 1958) served as a trustee on the local school board, serving as chairman for his last two years.  John made occasional visits back to Hargrave including his parents 50th anniversary in 1947.  Below is a postcard that John and Zelma send my Grandma in 1973 after a visit.

In the above pictures, John is dressed in a period costume for a centennial reenactment in 1958.  The occasion was the year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the colony of British Columbia. It had formerly been the Hudson Bay Co. territory of New Caledonia, which was a part of the greater Oregon Northwest Territory.

John and Zelma celebrated their 50th Anniversary in 1974, 
pictured  with children Greg, Yvonne and Esther.

50th Anniversary with nine grandchildren 1974

John with his children on his 90th birthday in 1988

John with his great granddaughter in August 1988

   
Zelma passed away in Princeton, on the 8th of December 1983, two days after John’s 85th birthday.
John died in Penticton, B.C. on the 12th of April 1992 at the age of 93, nine years after Zelma. They are both buried in Princeton.