The Ancestors

From what country or countries did your family emigrate?  When was this, and where did they settle?  What were their names?

Grandma:  Great great grandma Scott (Margaret, 1782-1865) came from Ireland with six children (John, William, Thomas, George, Eliza, Mary Ann).  Her husband died on the ship.  William Scott (1828-1904) married Margaret Elizabeth Foreman (1835-1907).  They had ten children (Mary Rachel, James Alexander, Samuel Jones, Robert John, Thomas George, William Henry, Margaret Jane, Eliza Jane, Joshua Charles and Clara Mary).  Robert John (1859-1928) married Mary Ann Dobson (1858-1946).  Their children were William John (my father), Robert George, James Edward, and Emma.

My great grandma’s name was Mary Schwendker.  I was six when great grandma died, and 9 when great grandpa died. 

(Just an aside from me – This Mary must have been on her mother’s side of the family.  The Scott family appears to have originally settled in Langston, Michigan, and then many of them migrated to Ontario, around Walkerton and Hanover.  Interesting to note is that youngest daughter Clara May is listed as having married a balloon flier who died in an accident.)

Great grandpa Leeder came from England, great grandma from Germany.  Nathanial Edward and Elizabeth (Eidt) Leeder.

Grandpa:  Colin and Susan (Shipley) McArthur.  Susan married a 2nd time and became a McDonald.  The Shipleys came from England.  The rest came from Scotland, supposedly. 

John and Mary (Bell) McLeod (mother’s parents). 

I knew Grandma McDonald.  My dad died before she did.  I knew Grandma McLeod for many years.  I never knew my grandfathers.

What do you know about your grandparent’s early years?  Where did they grow up?  What stories have you heard about them?

Grandma:  They grew up in Bruce and Saugeen townships in Ontario.  Great Grandpa Leeder kept a diary and told us about pioneer life.  Grandma and Grandpa Scott lived on the next farm.  We could cross over the field and climb the sty that got you over the fence.  She made good sugar cookies.  I was born at Grandma and Grandpa Leeders house on the highway south of Port Elgin.  Grandma was always hard of hearing.  Grandpa gave us peppermints.

My mother (Mary Elizabeth Leeder, but known always as May)  had six brothers, my uncles;   Jack (Nelly), Iden (Abby, and then Amy), Walter (Sadie), Carl (Julia),  and Herb and Jakie both of whom I don’t remember.  

My father (William John Scott) had brothers Robert George (Vina), James Edward, and he had a sister, Emma Noble (Jasper).  Robert George and Margaret Lavina Bowman had a daughter, Sarah Aileen.  Jim had no children.  Emma and Jasper’s children were Audrey, James Lyle and Erma Aileen.

Sarah Aileen and Sonny Gregory had three daughters – Mary Aileen (Patrick Joseph Keenan) (Julie Marie, Gregory Neill Patrick):  Susan Jane (Paul Polito – divorced, then William Herbert Gill) (David, Paul and Donald):  Elizabeth Anne (Richard Arthur James Austin) (Amanda Michelle, Laura Emily).

Children of Joshua Charles Scott and Maggie:  Margaret Jane (Vern Hays) Linda Mae, Judy Ann, Connie Jean): Evelyn May (Wayne Adams) (Eddie):  Barbara Ann (Louis Hale) (Dean and Deyanne – twins). 

Linda Mae (Ivan Menthorn) (Laura, Jonathan Lee):  Judy Ann (Gary Horne) (Ronnie, Christina):  Connie Jean (John Wyatt) (Julie, Michael, Charlene).  Dean (Annette) (Melanie, Sandie, Debbie):  Deyanne (Thomas Scott, Suzanne Michelle, Nicolas). 

(Mae and William Scott with Margaret Elaine, 1917)

Grandpa:  Grandfather Colin McArthur farmed in Saugeen township.  He died when he was 29, and that’s when grandma married McDonald.  Grandma McDonald lived in Port Elgin.  Grandma McLeod lived on the 10th of Bruce and we went to see her often.  We had a McLeod picnic for as long as she lived.  She stayed at our house to help when all the family had the flu when I was four.  We had a nurse too.  All the children slept in a big room downstairs.

 

My parents were John Edward McArthur and Mary Ann McLeod.

Birthdates:

William John Scott:  born Dec. 4, 1883;  died May 25, 1957

Mary Elizabeth Scott:  born Feb. 15, 1887;  died June 8, 1985

John Edward McArthur:  born Dec. 3, 1881;  died June 1934

Mary Ann McLeod:  born Nov. 12, 1882;  died June, 1921

What do you remember most about your mother from your childhood?

Grandma:  Her garden was very important to her.  She loved to sew and there was always sewing around.  She also liked to quilt.  She helped dad at the barn and in the fields.  She boarded her uncle William Dobson when we were kids.  She helped look after her mother when she was ill, but had to go to grandpas to do that.  When she lived with us quilting was her main hobby, along with growing the garden.  She was going out to hoe the garden in her 90’s.

Grandpa:  I was only seven when my mother died.

What do you remember most about your father?

Grandma:  Dad seemed to be always working.  He liked to read aloud to mother.  He had bad attacks of sciatica in the winter and sometimes was bedfast for weeks.  He drove us by sleigh back to the railroad track so we could walk to highschool.  He was a school trustee.  My parents were devoted to paying off the farm mortgage and very faithful church members.  They gave their children the education they wanted and hadn’t gotten themselves.

Grandpa:  My dad was a very hard worker.  He was a very honest man who was very good to his family.  He had thick white curly hair.  He loved to have his hair combed by us kids.  He sometimes smoked a pipe, and he shaved with a straight razor.  Honesty and fairness were very important to him.  He sacrificed a lot – even moved near to town – to educate his family so that they would have a better life.  The year I was born, 1914, he bought a new Ford touring car.

What work did your parents do?

Grandma:  They farmed 100 acres and made us a good living.  They put some cattle out to pasture.  Once they lost 9 cattle on the McArthur ranch – that was a big loss.  They always milked cows around 8.  We had three horses – Frank, Flora and Vick.  There was also a colt named Pat.  They kept some sheep.  We had a radio when we were small.  A Model T sedan was our first car.  We had hydro put into the house when I was about 12. 

Grandpa:  My dad farmed, and cut wood from the 1000 acre ranch on Lake Huron.  We grew and sold strawberries and raspberries.  There were two big orchards which had apples, cherries, pears and plums. 

When and where were you born?  What is your full name and how was it chosen?  Who were your siblings?

Grandma:  February 17th, 1917.  Margaret Elaine Scott.  Saugeen Township at grandma and grandpa Leeder’s house, which is where there is a golf course and an airport now.  I was the first grandchild for the Scotts and the Leeders.

Margaret is a Scott family name, and Elaine is a name my dad heard on their honeymoon in the west and he liked it.  Elaine was a cousin. 

I’m the eldest in my family.  My siblings are:

Mabel Elma (May 23, 1919)

Gomer Marsden (October 5, 1920)

Edna Mae (September 28, 1924)

I feel closest to my baby sister Edna, and we always lived close in our married lives.  I think we were all very close.

Grandpa:  June 24th, 1914.  Harold William McArthur.  Born at home in Saugeen township.  I was the first boy after 3 girls, but the 8th one over all.

The hired girl liked the name Harold and then my dad nicknamed me Hank.  Uncle Bill worked at our place when I was born, and that’s why the William. 

I was the eighth child.  My siblings are:

Susan May (May) (October 17, 1903)

Colin Borden  (July 4, 1905)

Olive Winnifred (Winnie) (August 1, 1906)

Newton Raymond (February 23, 1908)

Lorna Estelle (June 24, 1909)

Muriel Marguerite (Marguerite) (April 19, 1911)

Evelyn Jean (Jean) (September 19, 1912)

David (March 12, 1917)

Murray Edward (December 17, 1919)

I was closest to my kid brother Dave.  May took my mothers place.

(Somebody told me to stand up straight.)

Addendum:  A sort of mishmashed family tree continuation.  I find it interesting how names are re-used down through a family.

May married Bill (William) McConkey /Jan 3, 1933.  Daughter Lorna Mae (August 8, 1934) married James David Donald McElroy.  Sons Steven James Patrick (Jennifer Lee Adrain) (Mary Ellen Margaret, Eliza Jessie Mae, Patrick Arden James); and Ross William John (Beverley Ann Spears) (Colin James Eric and Maegan Lorna Nessie).  Daughter Shirley married Donald Ross Eddie.  Daughters Susan Margaret (Glen Richard MacMillan) (Katelyn May, Blake Richard);  and Jennifer Jean (Bryan Patrick Farley) (Matthew Bryan, Sean William, Craig Patrick, Logan Donald):  and son David William Eddie (Maria) (Alexandra Grace) .  

Winnie married Howard Edgar Latsch.  Daughter Gweneth Eunice married Harold Edwin Perkin (Debra Jean, Mark Wesley, Kim Edward).  Debra Jean (Steven Grant Brown) (Zachary Steven, Naomi Joy).  Mark (Jennifer McKinnon) (Stephanie Sarah, Geneva Evelyn, Claire Alexandria).  Kim (Susan Feryn) (Andrew Feryn, Carlene Elise Feryn).   Son Bryan Douglas married Heather May Holley (Julie Lynn, Donald John Howard).  Daughter Karen Dawne married John Bamback (divorced) then Richard Thorneycroft.  Daughters Michelle Anne(John Anthony Cavaliere) (Jason Peter, Jakob Daniel): and Jeanette Deanne (Philip James White) (Jessica Rachel, Adam Lucas).

Colin married Gladys Jessie Last.  Daughter Katherine Elizabeth, married Gary William John Neaves.  Sons Paul Douglas, Daniel James and Mark Colin Elliot.

Newton married Ann Marie Robert (French pronunciation).  Daughter Margaret Jeanne married Donald Camile Tocker (Donald James, Wendy Lee, Lori Lynne).  Daughter Evelyn Marie married Danny (Daniel Michael Krashewski) |(Penny Lynne, Rick Darryl).  Donald James (Jamie) married Katherine Maureen O’Brien (Krista Dawn).  Wendy married Carl Albert McNally (Jeffrey Carl, Ashley Elizabeth – twins).  Lori Married Jose Manuel Duarte Periera |(Cassandra Danielle Marie, Tesselie Mikayla).

Marguerite married Arthur Edgar Adis.  Son Murray Arthur married Carol Elizabeth Gibson (Cheryle Lynn, Darren Arthur, Robert Murray).  Daughter Elaine Marie married Rennie Eric Oliver (sons Ryan Nicholas and Daniel Kristen).  Cheryle married Michael John Potts, son Gregory John.

Jean married James Murray Sutherland.  Sons David Colin John (June Kathryn Buyers Hacker) Jessica and Adam) and Donald (Nancy Caldecott, then Catherine Holiday Hale (Charles Murray, Catherine Jean Marie, Clair-Helene Eveline, James Edward Harrison).

David married Edna Parsuyon (deceased), then Ila  Mabel Dalgleis Maslen Bellrose (deceased).  Son Jeffrey David married Karen Johnson (divorced), Dianne Dench (step sons Eric and Dwayne) (divorced) and Kate Precuch.  Son John Edward married Sally Anne Cozens (twin sons Justin John and Michael Christian) then Elizabeth Anne Cramm (son Mathew Robert John, daughter Meagan Kathleen Elizabeth).   Daughter June Madeline married Robert (Bud) Dixon, daughters Michelle Elyse and Pamela Bernadette.

On mom’s side:

Mabel married Thomas Smith.  Son Robert Thomas (Carol, daughter Margaret) daughter Sheri Lynne (David Stevenson) (daughter Madeira Elma Thomas, son Quinn)

Gomer married Betty.  Daughters Susan Lorraine (Ron Grimes) and Mary Lou (John Cote).  Susan’s children are Cailleah and Bryn Adam Scott.  Mary Lou’s children are Jacqueline and Paul. 

Edna married George.  Audrey Mae (married Nick Tombros) (sons Peter and James Christopher).  Allan George, married Katherine Joan Cooper, no children.  Murray Daniel married Mary Jean Underwood (divorced) (Lisa Elizabeth Jane, Meagan Jean, Michelle May) and then Kimberley Jane Ross Cooper (Kathy’s sister)( Jesse Lane, Kara Jane Barbara).   Marilyn Joy, married Ronald James Underwood, sons Brett James, Blake Daniel and Benjamin William.

This was WAY harder than I thought it was going to be.