Flashback to My Ancestors in 1926

Census taker visits a Romani family living in a caravan, Netherlands 1925 from Wikipedia

Almost 93 years ago on June 1,1926,  a high of 12 degrees Celsius was recorded at Brandon but four days later a temperature of 25 degrees would have had my Manitoba ancestors working and playing in their shirt sleeves! Farmers all, they may have been annoyed at having to stop their daily activities to answer the questions of the visiting enumerator for the census but I am glad they complied!  Liberal William Lyon Mackenzie King was holding onto a minority federal government for just another month and Manitoba was led by premier John Bracken of the Progressive party. Hopes were high for another  large wheat harvest across the prairies and seeding would have been in full swing.

Back to present time - 2019 - my Twitter feed let me know that the database of the 1926 census of the 3 prairie provinces had just been released. Although the census was available earlier, there was no way to search for a particular name but you had to look page by page. Since 1871, a Canada-wide census has been held every 10 years. However, the population of the Prairie provinces was rapidly expanding, so there was a need for more frequent population counts in those provinces. It was decided to conduct a census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in June 1906 (in between the Canada-wide censuses), and every 10 years thereafter. The Statistics Act states that census returns will be transferred from Statistics Canada to Library and Archives Canada 92 years after a census has been taken so here we are.  The 1926 census database was created in partnership with FamilySearch where volunteer genealogists indexed the records to make them searchable.

Grandma Frances Milne is listed as 20 years old with her parents Alexander and Jean on 14-11-27 in the RM of Wallace with 3 of her brothers Alexander, Jim and Charlie and her sister Nan. The last 3 were noted as students.  The Milne’s are identified as Scottish with Alex immigrating in 1905 and Jean the next year.

Grandpa Frank Kinnaird would be married to Frances the next year but and in 1926  he is found as a 30 year old single man on the page before the Milnes. He lived at 1-11-27 in the RM of Wallace with his employee 48 year old Dave McMannus. A piece of information that I found interesting was that this census says both of Frank’s parents were born in Ireland when I believed they were born in Ontario. The census taker has indicated his racial origin is Irish. Hmmmm

Frank and Frances Kinnaird about 1927

Grandma and Grandpa Simms- Alexander and Mary Tait - are married and living on 15-14-22 with three of their children listed this way: Robt Alex (9), Doris Ellen (5) and Gwenny Elizth (2). Only a very few others on the page have middle names recorded by this enumerator (P.W. Thompson) so it makes me think it was Alex or Mary that gave the names that way. The surname is written "Sims" so evidently he was just writing what he heard.  The family was living in a small house built after the fire that destroyed their home on New Years Eve 1923. No doubt as they told Mr. Thompson the names of their children, they were thinking of Glenn James who had died at the age of two years old less than a year before.

Construction began on the Simms home a few months after the 1926 census was taken. 

 As seemed to be quite common in the area. Simms's have a labourer living with them of Polish origin named Joseph Bialas -19 years old and born in Manitoba. Neighbours on section 28, the Morcoms had a domestic living in their home, 17 year old Mary Bialas, perhaps the two were siblings or even a young married couple.

Above and left - Sinclair house and barn in the 1920's.

Mary Tait Simms's parents live on the next section #16, James and Elizabeth Sinclair with daughters Ellen (30) and Elizabeth(28) and son William(25). The year of immigration for James confirms he was an early prairie homesteader coming in 1883 from the Orkneys. His wife Elizabeth Henry was in Ontario much earlier, 1859 from Kirkcudbrightshire in Scotland.

Irving Shadford who identifies as Irish and William Vanderbosh of Dutch origin are labourers in their twenties living at the Sinclair farm in June of 1926.  

I hope I have interested you enough to go back and peek in the windows of your ancestors' lives.  They are just a mouse click away!

Recollections and Memories of the Grandchildren of Frances Milne Kinnaird

Barry:

 My memories of Gram are all very positive as she was a rock for our family and a true pioneer. She influenced me in a very positive ways. She gave me a wall plaque when I was about 13 which I still have hanging in my shop and stated “Watch out for ambition, it will get you into a lot of work”. I think she was amazing.

Judy:

Grama Frances was a very traditional and hard-working woman! She never liked fuss but was always looking out for others, especially her family. Grama would meet us in the yard when we got off the bus with warm cinnamon buns on baking day! After Grampa was in the hospital, I would go for supper with Grama once a week. We would eat pancakes or actual Kraft dinner – just the two of us! For the Hargrave fall supper, besides cooking turkeys and baking pies Grama would be the main dishwasher for the whole night! Hargrave bonspiel kitchen was also a busy place for her. She would make soup, cook turkeys and bake a few pies for the week! Grama and Mom and Dad milked a few cows by hand. She separated the cream and sold it be the quart or sometimes the pint to customers in Hargrave and Virden. I would help by delivering it to the door and exchanging it for an empty jar with money in it. The bulk of the cream she would take to the creamery in big cream cans – too heavy for me but ok for her. I was 10 and probably talker than her already. I loved her house! The cupboards were much shorter than at my house so I could get stuff when I was little. I liked to lounge on top of her freezer (which was in the kitchen) and enjoy an ice cream cone – she would have tea and we would talk! Her piano room was always full of red geraniums. If flour or sugar were on sale, Grama would buy extra and store in the trunk of her car. I bought her car so it came with a bag of  sugar but no radio!

Rea & Lyle:

The memory of Grandpa seeing Rea and Lyle throwing stones (at each other?) out the window and him yelling at them to stop it!

Dolores:

Special times with Grandma Kinnaird included the following: Going to her place for sleepovers; Eating watermelon on the front step with the Kinnaird cousins; Grandma would get ready to go and milk the cows in the morning usually at around 5 am and coming back to the house through the porch with her big rubber boots; Going out to the pasture to watch her start a smudge for the cows to keep away the mosquitoes; Getting water from the kitchen sink because of the different style of faucet; Going to the garden beside the house with a cat or two cunning around; Being reluctant to go into the basement where the coal was kept; Going to sleep in her bed with a bottle of hot water that was placed in a sock to keep our feet warm. Then graduating to be able to sleep in Aunty Margaret s room; Picking Saskatoon berries with Grandma, Aunty Aida and Karen , then checking for wood ticks; Watching Grandma read the Brandon Sun while she stood at the deep freeze in the kitchen; Smelling the wood burn in the stove before she got the electric stove; Delivering eggs and cream in Hargrave and in Virden on Saturday mornings, along with the Kinnaird cousins; How happy she was when the new linoleum was laid in the house; How Grandma would play the hymns for Sunday church service so she would know them ahead of time and occasionally going to church on Sunday with the Kinnaird cousins; She would often look through her binoculars to see what was going on down the road or to see who was coming to pick up Judy (was it Sheldon?); Grandma would call neighbors to collect the weekly news to report the Hargrave news for the Virden Empire Advance and then watching as she would write on the special paper from the Advance for the news for the next week paper; Looking out the coloured panes of glass in the window upstairs to see how things looking in either yellow or red; Saturday night was often (more that often) spent getting ready to go to Virden to play BINGO. On the way there might be a stop to pick up Mattie Lifeso; On Sundays often we would phone and ask if she would like guest for supper. Supper would often consist of a tin of ham or sometimes a jar of preserved chicken, mashed potatoes with cream and green onions added in for taste, some type of vegetables fresh or frozen from the garden, always homemade bread or buns and often Virden ice cream or fruit cocktail for dessert. It was always fun to get in a game or two of euchre. She wold often send home with us eggs, homemade bread, and if we were lucky scones; If Charlie and Bella Gardiner were coming for a visit and supper Grandma would be invited too. You could tell what good friends they were. Usually there would be a card game after having supper; We would go to see the Simms at Oak River. Grandma would come to our house or we would pick her up. In the summer Karen and I would accompany her and have a sleepover so we could play with our cousins. One trip Judy came with us and she got to drive the blue car; When Grandpa Kinnaird was in Brandon at the Assiniboine Centre we would visit, pack a lunch (usually egg salad sandwiches on homemade bread) and spend time at the paddling pool in the summer. We would go to Brandon regularly to visit but unfortunately times were different and children were not allowed to visit as they are today. We celebrated one Christmas visiting in a large waiting room, often though it was looking through his room’s window and waving as we were held up high enough by Dad.;  About 2 am on August 19, 1967 Grandpa passed away. We were on a sleep over as mum and dad were working in the valley. I remember on the Friday, Grandma and Uncle Keith went to Brandon to see Grandpa and knowing things were not too good. The phone rang early in the morning and I heard grandma go downstairs to answer it. She and Uncle Keith who was also in on the call (party line) spoke for a while. As she came back upstairs I remember her saying “poor dad”; Mum would often cut and would give Grandma s hair a perm. I think the one she liked was a Quick perm; When Grandma was ill, she spent a lot of time at our house. She would spend hours hooking rugs and would watch her favourite soap “The Edge of Night” at 3:30 pm. Sometimes she would talk to Aunt Nan. Our dog Lucky would always be on the lookout for some food scraps dropping conveniently onto the floor. During this time I was a candy striper at the Virden hospital. When Grandma was a patient I would get extra visiting time, Thelma Penner RN in particular would always make sure of that. I would make sure she was ready for the meal tray and help get her hair combed and freshened up ready for visitors. There were so many wonderful times spent with Grandma.

Karen:

My memories of Grandma are very special. Going to Grandma’s was always anticipated with excitement. We also got to play with our Kinnaird cousins, a bonus! Dolores and I had many sleepovers at Grandma’s and even sometimes we went there on the bus after school with Judy, Rea and Lyle. Many times we slept with Grandma in her bed with a warm bottle on the feet. I was always in the middle (not much room) but remember being put to sleep by the sound of the ticking of her clock. I hear Rea has that clock now, working or not! Grandma would get us to look out her east bedroom window to see the Lenore hill.  Going to light the smudge in the pasture at night was a ritual with Grandma before bed. Grandma made wonderful cinnamon buns, butter tarts, and her famous macaroni and tomato. TV was watched in the living room, mainly The Edge of Night and on Saturday night Wrestling her favourites, and caramels and cheese puffs close by. Dolores and I would go to Bingo with her in Virden often learning the different games. I loved going to deliver eggs, butter and cream to customers in Hargrave (a cookie from Bessie Carruthers) and to Virden (a visit and a treat from Esther Greig among others) ending up at the creamery to buy ice cream. Chicken and turkey killing days at the Kinnaird’s were busy days, and Mom and Dad, Dolores and I were there too. But the canned chicken was the reaped benefit.  I remember Grandma putting in wood to the stove and the open oven door, always so warm in the kitchen! Trips to Oak River with Grandma to see the Simms were usually on rainy days so Grandma did not have to worry about milking cows as Uncle Keith was not as busy. There were many wonderful get- togethers for birthdays, Christmas and New Year’s that were spent together. Charlie and Bella Gardiner were often part of these gatherings, very good friends, just part of the family. Grandma was not one for pictures of herself so the rare ones we have are treasured. Grandma always remembered your birthday with a card signed “Love Gram”. Grandma loved to play the piano and taught me on the black keys my first piano piece. I remember going to church with her and she was in the choir. We would go to many events at Hargrave and Grandma was always involved whether the church, school or rink. I remember Grandpa Kinnaird having multi colored chicklets in his pocket and giving them to me! When he was in hospital in Brandon only remember a few visits, but once by his bedside and Mom cleaning his glasses and once in a large room at Christmas time and getting a tight hug. I always thought it was so terrific that both of my grandparents, Grandma and Grandpa Kinnaird and Grandma and Grandpa Tapp had so many of the same friends. So many great memories!

Donna:

My memories of Grandma include sleeping over and getting up early when the cows were milked. Grandma told me just to sleep in but I wanted to get up and see what went on in the barn. Tippy was very excited that I was up too, jumping up on me which probably added to the commotion of the cows seeing a stranger in the barn! Helping collect the eggs was another novelty we did not have at home. Visiting at Grandmas was always something that I looked forward to.

Sharon:

My memories of Grandma include All Star “Wrassling” on Saturday night on TV, The Irish Rovers on the record player, chicken canned in jelly, her calling the cows – Cow Boss, Cow Boss, the little dolly she had dressed in a kilt. We were allowed to use markers in her colouring books!  I remember when I came in the house to tell her and Mom that I drove the Kinnaird skidoo right in to the shed. (Those dear cousins showed me how to squeeze the throttle to make it go but never said to let go to make it stop!) Her only concern was that I was okay and anything that happened was their fault, not mine! Ha. I remember Grandma at our house and she tripped coming down from upstairs and Dad ran to her and said "Frances!"  I was so mad at him because her name was Grandma, why was he calling her that! That north bedroom in our house was called Grandmas Room for many years until I moved into it with the dresser and wardrobe from her house after she died.  Her dresser followed me to my current home and I remember her fondly.

Janice:

My memories of Grandma were lemon drop candies and Nilla wafer cookies.

               

The Manitoba Trails of The Milnes

As a follow up to my last Milne blog post, this one follows my great grandparents' footsteps around the Hargrave/Virden area.  This tour was a highlight for many during the Reunion of the Milnes in the summer of 2018 at Hargrave.  Alex's great grandson Rea Kinnaird capably led the tour of the former farm homes of Alexander and Jeannie.  The numbered red dots on the map below are these locations.  (The stars indicate homes of the next generation of Milnes.) 

1. In 1904,  Alexander, a 28 year old husband and father of 3 young boys, came alone to Canada from Scotland.  The southwest quarter of 23-10-36 W1  was the first home where he was employed by Mr. Steven. This location is on the service road along the Trans Canada highway just east of Virden.  Alex’s youngest daughter Nan ended up living with her husband Stewart and raising her family very near this spot from 1949 until 1992 when the highway was double laned and their farm yard was needed to make room for the service road.

2.    SW  4-11-27 was the next location where Alex lived for the winter of 1904, looking after cattle belonging to T. A. ( Art) Carscadden.  This secluded spot southwest of Hargrave has an amazing stone house built into the hill. The bedroom loft is accessed by outside stairs up behind the house. Of course, we are not sure that Alex would have lived in that house but it was an incredible thing to find up the hill hidden in the bush!  Rea said this house was built by a man named Bilton in 1904.  Barkley’s were later inhabitants.

The barn pictured below is built into a hill as well to allow grain and feed to be driven into the loft. Being up on that hill reminded Aunt Marjorie about riding her horse Darby up a hill to watch the brightly coloured circus train cars go by on the railway.  Darby is carrying Violet Gardiner and Margaret Kinnaird in the picture below. 

3. The property at red dot #3 is just west of Virden on #257. SW 20-10-26 was home for a five year period from 1905-1910. Jeannie and the boys joined him here from Scotland and Frances and Margaret were born during this time.

4.  NW  26-11-27 was home from 1910 until the family left to take up ranching in BC about 1914. Charlie and Jim were born here. There is no sign of a house or yard there today but we guessed that the knoll or bluff of trees might have been the former house yard. 

5.  The south half of  17-11-26 was their next farm when they returned from the west in 1917.  The picture below was taken at this home at this home.  Notice the plant in the south window of the house and Jeannie in her apron with a basket in her hand.  Alex with the team and dressed up  is ready to go somewhere when they posed for the picture.  Although the lane is north and south now, at one time  there was an east approach to the house that connected the children to the Montgomery school and the family to their community in that direction. It was later the home of Charlie and Bella Gardner and now their great grandson Lyle Kinnaird and his wife Shannon.

6.  The east half of 14-11-27 was purchased in 1924 and was Alex and Jeannie’s final move.  It was farmed by Milne’s until 1959.  The lane up to the house from the main road was east of where it is now. When they lived there, Number One highway was 1 mile north of its present location.  The barn was built in 1947 by their son Alex.  This farm is remembered for its hollyhocks and productive garden.   

Thanks to Rea and Aunt Marge for the encore guided tour for Karen and I later in the summer after the Reunion.  It is easier to imagine what Alex and Jeannie saw in the beautiful Manitoba countryside and why they made it their home. We feel so lucky that they did and that we could walk in their footsteps together. 💓  

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.

Grandma Kinnaird's Birthday Post

Today marks the 112th anniversary of my maternal grandma's birth - Frances Jeannie Milne Kinnaird.  My previous blog post about her  was written over 3 years ago and since then I've been able to scan many more great pictures of her that I'd like to share today.  Cousin Karen has invited us to supper tonight along with Frances and Frank Kinnaird's daughters Marjorie and Margaret (my Mom) to share memories and I'll take this blog post along.

The first above picture is of Frances in the back with her two younger brothers Charlie born in 1913 and  Jim born in 1910.  That would date this picture of them posing in a pumpkin patch to about 1918 perhaps.  The picture on the right is a young Mr. and Mrs. Kinnaird shortly after their wedding in 1927.  I have never seen any pictures of their wedding day, maybe there are some out there in someone's album?

This one of a young mother Frances carrying Marjorie wrapped in a shawl and with her hand on son Keith's shoulder is a favourite of mine.  Looks like Keith is wearing the same hat later that summer while saskatoon picking near Miniota in the next picture.  He is sitting on his Aunt Nan Milne's knee, Frank is next with the glasses, then Marjorie on Jane Milne's knee and Alex Milne on the end with the moustache.  Grandma was known to avoid the camera but I love this picture of her with her hands on her hips! These photos would both be from 1931, I'd guess.

Grandma is having a tea party with her granddaughter Dolores Tapp in 1960 and maybe baby Karen is in the buggy?  Christmas 1965 was the occasion of the colour picture of Frances with her Simms and Kinnaird grandchildren and she is holding me!

 

And finally, a postcard she sent to us from B.C. in March of 1968:

Sat 4:30 M.S.T.

Hi Sharon & Donna & all

Just got back from a drive around Princeton, mountains on all sides, been having a wonderful time. wish you were all here. grass is just beginning to get green, a few early flowers out. We are going to Penticton tomorrow & Mon to Vancouver for the day. Had a lovely train trip stayed in Kamloops till Thurs. noon. Have not missed any sleep yet.

Be seeing you before long.

Love to all

Gram

Hargrave Cooperative Elevator Association Pool No 81

On taking another look through scrapbooks complied by Fred Bowering that are in the Reston Library (see the previous about them post here ), I found a clipping from the 1963 Manitoba Co-operator about the beginning of the Hargrave Cooperative Elevator Association No 81 that has a family connection.  The postcard picture at the top of the post was among things from my Grandma Kinnaird's trunk and it was interesting to learn the story behind it.   Binding Our Districts history book written in 1989 helped me fill in a few details too.

The first grain elevators were built in Hargrave in the 1890's.  Ted Holmes built a private elevator and ran it until a tragic fire claimed his life along with 2 others and destroyed his elevator in 1903.  The Northern was a red painted elevator that burned in the same fire.  McLaughlin & Ellis ran a black painted elevator but farmers felt they charged too high shipping costs and their dockage for weed seeds in the grain was often inflated.  Wheat prices had collapsed in the 1920's and farmers were looking to maximize their profits.  Platform loading was possible onto producer cars where farmers pulled alongside a rail car and shoveled their grain in but it was back breaking work and they had to work fast to have it loaded in time.

On April 12, 1928, 46 men met to discuss the possibility of building their own Cooperative Elevator on the former site of the Northern. My grandfather Frank Kinnaird, Great Grandfather Alexander Milne and Great Uncle J.J. O'Neil were among those men.  Ten thousand acres needed to be signed up for the project to go ahead and this was soon done and the project was a go.  They decided the building would be built and equipped with nothing but the best including a five unit cleaner, electric lights and generator.  This article boasts there were only 2 years where the elevator's revenue did not meet the operating costs even through the dry thirties.

An agent's cottage was also included and the final total cost was $22 851.  In October of 1928, P.J. McDonald was hired as manager and helped to make it a successful venture.  Later managers were men named Morrison, Shilson and Cullen. Albert Cullen was succeeded after 35 years on the job as manager by Don Leadbetter.  In a full circle moment, Don just happens to be the son-in-law of Fred Bowering ,the man who compiled the scrapbook of clippings!

Alex Milne served as president of the Co-operative for a time and J.J. O'Neil was the first vice president and later president.  At the time of the article that was found in the scrapbook, my uncle Keith Kinnaird was secretary.  The Hargrave history book confirms he held this position until 1979 when the elevator was traded to become  a part of  United Grain Growers property.

The Manitoba Historical Society has undertaken a project to catalog all past and present grain elevators in Manitoba and you can read more about it here. The page about this elevator now includes the Kinnaird postcard picture from 1946 here.  The cooperative movement of farmers in rural western Canada has an important history as well and one that led to the success of my ancestor's farming endeavours.

Milne 50th Anniversary Celebration in 1947

Almost seventy years ago, on December 17, 1947, friends and family from far and wide gathered to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of my great grandparents, Alex and Jeannie Milne at Hargrave School.   More than just a celebration, the Milne's reenacted a Mock Wedding in front of friends and relatives to mark the occasion. Jeannie can be seen holding her bouquet and Alex is wearing the boutineer in the photo below along with some of their children.

The details of the evening were carefully recorded in a soft suede leather covered guest book pictured below.  The book along with the cards and telegrams were saved by the daughter, my  Grandma,  among her prized possessions. My Mom says the handwriting in the Guest Book  belonged to Bessie Carruthers (wife of Lorne)  and I understand she was keen on family history as I am.  Thanks to her, I am able to tell the story of the night so many years later. Telegrams were received from the Virden and Elkhorn Masonic Lodges, R.H. Mooney, M.L.A., Jack Mooney, Wallace Council, Hargrave Church Board and Elsie and T.A. Kerr. 

The photographer in this group shot below seems to be new to the camera or else was focusing on the flower girl, Margaret Kinnaird (my Mom) and the page boy Alec Milne (son of Charlie and Louise).  Mary Reid and Jeannie Milne are standing behind them and Alex would be the man with the boutineer in his lapel.  

The bridesmaid was Mary Reid, wife of William who was given the honour of standing in for the father of the bride to give her away.  A three tiered wedding cake was made for the occasion by Evelyn Kyles, Florence Stinson and Margaret Hitchins.  Six friends were named as the event decorators (Bert & May Foster, Jim & Gladys Odell, Marion Gordon and Harvey Odell) and three as dressmakers (Elsie Kerr, Gladys Odell and Bessie Carruthers).

The evening's entertainment was introduced by chairman Harvey Odell and started off with games of Euchre, then the Mock Wedding was held.  Instrumental musical entertainment was supplied by Lorne and Bessie Carruthers and Tom Gordon performed 2 songs dressed in Scottish costume.  Dancing in Scottish costume by Morine Hitchins and Joan Braybrook was next .  Community singing of Hymn 238 accompanied by pianist Marion Gordon followed.  I wonder what hymn this would have been?

Over 100 names signed the guest book and more were listed as "Guests but not present".  The honoured couple were presented with an electrical lamp and clock by Marion Gordon on behalf of the community of family and friends.  Margaret Kerr was noted as being a soloist and well as having the honour of poring the tea at the Guest Table. Reverend Fargey of Elkhorn gave a toast to the couple and it would ironically be the same man who would minister at both of their funeral services, hers the next April and Alex's in June of 1950.

Alexander Milne married Jeannie Morrison Jamieson on December 24, 1897 at the Lodge in the Mayne House at Rothiemay, Scotland.  Both were 21 years old (although he looks so much younger in their wedding picture above).  Alex emigrated to Canada in the spring of 1904 and Jane and their 3 eldest boys followed the next year.  Five more children were born in this country as they worked hard to become successful farmers and community members.  

It makes me happy that they had a chance to celebrate this milestone anniversary surrounded by their loved ones and especially happy that the pictures and guest book remain to share the celebration with my readers today.  As I write this post, tomorrow is my Mom and Dad's 57th anniversary.  Best wishes on your special day!  Love, Sharon

Tonsillectomy on the Kitchen Table?

This year's third annual tour of local family landmarks (first year blog post here) included a stop at the former farm home pictured above of my great uncle and aunt, Bill and Mary Milne near Virden in the Boss Hill district.  During the drive, my Aunt Marjorie added a memory of hers about this house that I just had to look into further!

She said her older brother Keith Kinnaird and cousin Jeff Milne had their tonsils removed on the kitchen table of this house by Dr. George Clingan (1868-1944) in the mid 30's!  Clingan had many experiences over his life including M.L.A., mayor of Virden, commander in WW1, and president of the Manitoba Medical Association.  I suppose I shouldn't doubt his methods.   His wife Ida wrote The Virden Story in 1957.

Tonsil and adenoid removal is so rarely done now, but was very routine at one time as were housecalls for medical matters.  The availability of antibiotics and change in medical opinions on the usefulness of tonsils and adenoids has resulted in fewer removals.

A similar memory is retold on this 2009 blog written by Robert Keith Smith who lived near Oak Lake.  At this link http://www.gwenmar.com/twtd/?page_id=65  almost at the bottom of the page, you can read about his experience with his tonsillectomy at home.

Just to prove anything that you want to learn about is on Youtube, the brave among you can watch this silent film of the procedure developed by Mr. George Waugh from London in the 1930's.  I have not it watched it myself, by the way.  Some things you just can't unsee after all!

Thinking about that day, it's one of those moments that makes me think of this phrase: