Week 48 - Alexander Milne

Alexander Milne (1900-1970)

Alexander was named for his father when he was born on November 16, 1900.  He is the third man with this name on this blog along with  his father and his uncle.  Alex was born in Aberlour, Banffshire, Scotland as was his brother William.  When he was four years old, his father made the journey overseas to Canada and his mother and two brothers, William and John, followed him the next year.  They arrived to make their living farming, first for others and later on their own land.  My Grandma, Frances was the first sister for Alexander and she came along in 1906.

Alexander is the little boy in the front in this Milne family photo from 1906. 

Margaret, Jim, Charlie and Nan followed to make him the second eldest of 8 Milne siblings.  He worked for various farmers around Elkhorn including one by the name of Hercules Wood.  He built barns including one for his parents on their farm near Hargrave and one for neighbour Tommy Kerr.

Alex married Isabel Elizabeth Nelson on December 11, 1931.  She had been born on her parents' (Hugh and Elizabeth Nelson) farm in the Wallace Municipality in October of 1909. The couple lived and farmed at first near his parents and later moved to Elkhorn in 1942. 

Alexander and Isabel's son, Hugh.

This photo shows Alex kneeling on the right, holding his son Brian.  Beside him is his daughter Fern (with the cutest pout on her face!) and behind him is Keith Kinnaird holding Alex's son, Grant.  The three on the left of the picture are Frank Kinnaird, and his two daughters Marjorie and Margaret. The picture was taken about 1940.  Aunt Marge recalls on one visit that Glen fell playing on a stone pile at the Kinnaird farm and broke his leg.  

Family of Alex and Isabel:

 

Hugh Alexander married Shirley

Nelson "Glen" (1934-2005) married Lorette

Fern Elizabeth

James "Brian" (1938 -2006) married Eileen

Gerald "Grant" married Lin

 

 

According to Isabel's obituary, the family moved to Winnipeg in 1950 where they raised their family of a girl and 4 boys.   Online, I have not been able to find any information about what Alex did for a living  but Aunt Marjorie remembers that he worked at Birchwood Motors.  They lived on Lipton Street in Winnipeg for many years and Fern lived with and cared for her parents.  If any readers know any more, I would love to include it.  You can comment below this post or send me an email at ssimms@escape.ca.  

Alex died on September 30, 1970 at the age of 69.  Isabel lived 34 more years as a widow, until she died at the grand age of 100 on Juły 23 in 2010.   She was survived by 3 of her children, 13 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren and 6 great-great grandchildren.