Isabella "Tibbie" Milne Hall (1888-1987)

Isabella Milne was born in Scotland in 1888, seventh of nine children of John Milne and Ann Robertson, who were my ggrandparents. A daughter-in-law of her sister Helen recalls hearing that Isabella worked as a nanny at Grant's Castle in Scotland at one time. I am guessing it was Castle Grant which is located just southwest of their hometown of Keith and is pictured below.  There's a YouTube video of the inside of it here and a second part here.

Isabella Milne came to Canada with her father John and younger sister Louisa aboard the Ionian in 1911. Sister Mamie and her husband Charles Duguid accompanied them as well. Isabella was affectionately nicknamed "Tibbie" by her family.  They all settled in Brandon, Manitoba where she no doubt first met and fell in love with her future husband, Charles Frederick Hall.  They were married on the 10th of July in 1912 in Brandon.

A daughter-in-law of her sister Helen tells me that Fred worked for C.N. Railway and one of his jobs included having to ride at the front of a plow to clear the tracks after a snowfall.  He was never injured doing this dangerous job and worked there for many years. The Halls had two children, a girl Violet (1913-1995) and a boy John , also known as Jack (1918-2011).  My Grandma wrote in a list of gifts that "Uncle Fred and Aunt Bella" gave her bath towels a for a wedding gift in 1927. Her cousins Violet and Jack gave her a pair of vases.  

Using the 1940 Voter's List found online at Ancestry.ca, the family was found at 845-6th Street in Brandon. Fred is listed as a section man for the C.N.R., John is a  B & B laborer, Violet a stenographer, and Isabella at home. This is just down the street from her sister Mamie and her husband Charles Duguid and where her father had lived as well until he died in 1934.

By 1962, Jack was married to a woman named Jessie and they lived at 846 -8th street, according to the Voter's List.  Jack's occupation is a switch foreman.  He and Jessie had one daughter.  John (Jack) died at age 92 in August of 2011 in Winnipeg and his online photo gallery is here.  This wedding photo below of Jack and Jessie Hall was given to his cousin, my Grandma Frances Milne Kinnaird.

Fred and Tibbie retired to 113 Smith Street in Winnipeg in 1968 as was found in the clipping from the Brandon Sun's June 1 edition of that year. 

Fred Hall died in Winnipeg 1973 and Tibbie in 1987.  They are buried along with Violet who died in 1995, in Brandon Cemetery.

If any readers have any additional or correcting information about the Hall family or a photo to share, I would love to include it.  Please comment below or email me at ssimms@escape.ca