Ellis MacDonald Kinnaird (1921-1996)

Ellis McDonald was born on February 23, 1921.  He was the son of Stephen and Ida McDonald and nephew to my grandfather Frank Kinnaird.  His father had a half brother named Ellis who died of influenza and pneumonia at 21 years old in 1918 and he was given his mother's maiden name as his middle name.

Along with his older brother Orval Francis, Ellis grew up with his cheesemaker father.  This history of the Belmeade School  written by Ada Dockstedder Latour says 

"Stephen Kinnaird was the Cheesemaker then.  When someone got hurt we went to their house to get bandages or call home.  I really loved Mrs. Kinnaird.  Their house was at the end of the schoolyard."

Orval and Ellis both served in World war Two. The back of the photo below indicates it was taken in Dorchester, England.

  

Ellis's father Stephen wrote a letter to his brother Frank on December 22,1944. The following is an excerpt.

Ellis has been in France for some time.  We had a cable from him a couple of weeks ago saying he had arrived back in England.  In a former letter he said he would be seeing Orval before Christmas as they had been writing back and forth. Ellis has had some good times in travelling as he has been in Brussels City in Belgium.  Of course, we do not know of some of the hardships he may have had and also the hardships he is apt to meet yet.. Ellis has been in the Postal Offices, looking after the soldier's mail , Orval is in the medical.  We really don't know what his job is but they are putting lads in whatever they are most needed in.  This was a terrible thing one does not think so much about it till there are some of one's own in it.  I know of some farmers around here who would be mad if the war was to end, as it might put down prices.

Thankfully, both Kinnaird boys made it home safely from overseas.  After the war in May 18 of 1946, Ellis married Audrey Thayer at Stanley's Corners.  

Ellis was listed in family tree documents as a salesman, but I'm not sure of what.They had one daughter, Connie Ruth born in 1947.  

Ellis died on March 23,1996 and his wife Audrey followed four years later.  Any further information or corrections to this post are most welcome.

Orval Francis Kinnaird (1913 - 1993)

Orval Francis Kinnaird was born at Cannamore, Ontario on December 1,1913, the eldest son of Stephen and Ida and namesake nephew to my grandfather (Francis) Frank..  The above photo is of barefoot Orval, the young boy with his father Stephen on the right and his grandfather William George Kinnaird on the left.

He is listed as a seven year old student in his Osgoode, Ontario home with Stephen, Ida and his four month old brother Ellis on the 1921 Canadian census.  His father's occupation is listed as cheesemaker.

On September 6, 1939 he married Alice Rosemary McMartin.  His first son was born 2 years later and shortly after that, Orval went overseas in WW2.  According to a letter from Stephen to Frank from December of 1944, Orval was in the Royal Canadian Medical Corps during that part of the war. He is the man on the right below in the dark coloured uniform, found among my Grandma's "snaps".

According to his obituary, Orval was a barber in Kemptville, Ontario for 40 years.  He was a member of St. John's United Church, the Royal Canadian Legion, Maitland Chapter #68 of the Royal Arch Masons and past president of Mt. Zion #28 A.F.C.A.M.

Orval and Alice had two sons. Winston Keith was born in 1941 and Stephen Archibald in 1947. The legacy continues with many grandchildren and great grandchildren.  

While a resident of Water Street in Kemptville, he died on July 5,1993 at age 79. His wife Alice passed away in 2011.  They are buried at Kemptville Public Cemetery where his headstone spells his name "Orville".

My Aunt Marge and Uncle Tom travelled from their home in Virden, MB to meet her first cousins Ellis (left) and Orval (right) in the late seventies or early eighties for the first time.  Thanks to her for sharing her photos and memories for another branch of the family tree.

Charles Henry (1866-1950)

Charles Henry was the middle child of eleven of Mary Tait and William Henry,  He was the third son and was born on January 27, 1866 in Perth County, Ontario. In 1881, fifteen year old Charles came west with his widowed mother Mary and his ten siblings.  The photos in this post were found online at ancestry.com,  submitted by user SeanMMcDonald from St.Paul, Minnesota.  Thank you for sharing.

Charles at age 35, married Lillian Chadsey in 1901.  She was the 22 year old daughter of very early settlers of western Manitoba, Frank and Margaret Chadsey, originally from Prince Edward County in Ontario.  They came to Winnipeg by rail in 1879 and later to what is now the Rivers area.  It is said that Lillian was one of the first white babies born in that area in 1881, the same year Charles and his mother and siblings moved from Ontario.

"Charlie" was 18 years old when he was able to take out a homestead in 1883 on the quarter straight east of his mother at NE 6-14-21.  He and his brothers spent time earning money on the railroad and in bush camps in order to run the farms and make a living. He worked one winter cutting ties for the railroad in the Shell Valley, north of Russell, MB.  

He was often known as "Sixes Charlie" to distinguish him from his first cousin, son of John and Jennet Henry,  with the same name.  That Charles Henry met an untimely death in Rapid City in 1898 as the result of a bar room brawl, but that will be the story of a future blog post!  

He sold his homestead in 1901 to his brother Thomas as he had purchased the east half of section 26-13-22 W1.  The 1959 Blanshard history book says his first line of equipment consisted of three horses, two cows, harrows, a walking plow and seeder.  Either Charles or his son John Stanley named this farm "Benledi", a good Scottish word meaning a hill overlooking a glen.  

Charles and Lillian had a family of six.  They all lived long successful lives and created legacies of their own.

• Mable Inez (1903-1995) married Adam Nicholson and had 4 daughters
• John Stanley (1909- 1986) married Jean McCrindle and farmed the home farm and had three children. Stan is listed in the Manitoba Ag Hall of Fame and his family continue to operate the farm and seed business as featured in the Western Producer
• Alma Edith (1910- 2004)  married Charles Warren and had one son
• Charles Edward "Ted" (1915- 2001) married Agnes Simonson and had 3 sons
• William Lyle (1917- 2010) married Betty Robson and had 5 children 
• Elsie May (1920- 2013) married Dion Cory and had 7 children

Charles died in 1950 and his wife Lillian 12 years later.  They are buried in the Oak River Cemetery.