Week 44 - Charles Duguid Milne

Charles Duguid Milne (1913 - 1999)

Charles Duguid Milne and Amy Louise Dryden's wedding day in 1940

Charles Milne was born February 18, 1913 in Wallace Municipality in Manitoba.  He was the second youngest of 8 children of Alexander Milne and Jeannie Morrison Jamieson Milne and he was the younger brother of my Grandma Kinnaird, Frances.

Charles Duguid and Mamie Milne Duguid - 1920's

He was named for his father Alex's sister Mary Jane (Mamie)'s husband Charles Duguid.  This Charles had come from Banffshire Scotland in 1906 at the age of 21.  He became a Candian citizen and then returned to Scotland.  He and Mamie had married in Huntly, Aberdeenshire on February 17, 1911 and then immigrated and lived at 862 4th Street in Brandon with Mamie and Alex's father John Milne.  Charles Duguid and John were both employed as millers at Purity Flour Mill in Brandon and since Charles and Mamie did not have children of their own, were close to their nieces and nephews and in fact my mom recalls that he attended her wedding in 1960.  Mamie had passed away in 1955 and Charles Duguid followed her in 1963. 

As an infant, Charlie Milne travelled west with his family for a couple of years to ranch at Keremeos, British Columbia where his youngest sister Annie Mary (Nan) was born. The Christmas Card below would have been sent back to relatives and friends in Manitoba when they were living there.

Charlie attended Montgomery and Hargrave Schools after his family returned to the Wallace Municipality around 1917.  He married Louise Dryden on April 2, 1940.  They first lived south of Elkhorn where Charlie worked for a farmer but moved to the Hargrave district to the NE quarter of 10-11-27 later that first year of their marriage.

Charles and Louise had 5 children:  James Alexander, Kenneth Allen, John McGregor, Murray Ross and Wendy Louise.  Wendy and I recently became "friends" on Facebook and comparing the lives of ourselves and our families, we certainly can say it is a small world and our DNA leads us into similar fields and circumstances!  

A local history book called "Binding Our Districts" says Charlie played ball for the Hargrave baseball team and also enjoyed curling and skating.  He was a community volunteer with the Pool Elevator Board, the Hargrave Co-Op Store Board and the Hargrave Rink and Community Centre.  He was an active member of the Lebanon Masonic Lodge in Virden. My cousin Karen remembers that he could really dance well!

Louise was a curler and skater as well.  She enjoyed knitting and crocheting as well as yard and garden work.  She entered and won prizes at the Virden and Elkhorn fairs for her beautiful needlework.  Charlie and Louise spent many hours in Old Time Dancing and playing cards.
They retired from active farming in 1982.  Louise passed away on October 27, 1998 and Charlie the following year on August 4, 1999.