| HOME OF THE McKAY FAMILY |
| Hello, and welcome to the McKay family homepage, we decided to build this homepage for something to leave our childeren, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren. We will be including many family photographs taken over the years with some stories attached to them, we hope that this homepage will be added to in future years by those mentioned above, in a way it will be a family tree, my wife and I would like to include some of our personal stories about where we were born, what we accomplished in our lifetime, and what we are doing now. We sincerely hope you enjoy this homepage, and I hope it will be added to in the many years to come. |
| Stewart Andrew Edward McKay I was born on December 13th. 1936 In North Bay Ontario, My Mother Marjory was 17 years of age when I was born by Cesarian Section. It apparently was a very difficult birth, and my mother died two weeks after I was born due to complications. I was raised by my Grandmother Edith (my Fathers Mother) who was divorced from my Grandfather although we all lived in North Bay. My Grandfather would come and visit us regularly. I am not exactly certain what my Grandmother did in North Bay as far as work goes, but it was Secretarial work, she was very good at typing and shorthand. My grandfather was an engineer on the Railroad for the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) or CNR (Canadian National Railway). I am not sure which one, but he used to tell me some stories about the near death experiences he had as an engineer on the Railway. It must have been a pretty tough job being an engineer in those days, they were Steam Locomotives, and it took a lot of work to keep them running, shoveling coal constantly into the boilers to gererate enough steam to keep the engines running, and the railroad wasnt exactly computerized in those days like it is now, so there were many times he would find another locomotive coming directly at him, both him and the fireman would have to jump from the train to avoid getting killed. A locomotive always had two men running it. An engineer who drove the train and a fireman who kept the boilers going shoveling coal constantly, On the railroad you were usually promoted from a fireman to an engineer. As for me I left North Bay when I was about five years old, although I did accomplish a few things in those five years of my life My first challange in life was to become a movie star at a very young age. Here's how I went about it. One morning I woke up, went outside and saw a whole bunch of Indians standing in a lineup to go into the Hudsons Bay Store in North Bay. I asked one indian, whats going on here. He told me that the company that was shooting the film (Captians of the Clouds Starring James Cagney) needed some Indians for the movie, well I said to myself this sounds pretty good I think I will get in the lineup as well, when it was my turn to be interviewed by the casting director, the lady looked at me and said who are you. I said I live next door and want to be in the movie, the woman went next door to talk to my Grandmother about me wanting to be in the movie, and the next thing I knew I was pulled by the ear by my grandmother and directly marched home. Oh well, so much for my movie career. |
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| Elizabeth Twigg Bleakley McKay (nee) Renfrew Betty was born on February 8th 1938 in Paisley Scotland, her father(Robert Renfrew) was a Ships Caulker who worked in the shipyards in Scotland,it was a very difficult job working in the shipyards in those days, you worked very hard and long hours in all types of climates, the worst being the cold and the rain. Betty's mother was a housekeeper/compamion who was employed by Miss Drew a very rich and influencial woman, they were both very good friends.The family consisted of two brothers and five sisters.They were all half brothers and sisters. Robert, Ernie, Mamie, Rae, Martha, Margaret, and Winnifred. Betty's father died of Phnemonia when she was three years of age, Betty was the youngest in the family which was a large exteneded family. Winnie, one of the sisters immigrated to Canada and told the family what a wonderful country it was. The rest of the family decided to immigrate to Canada in April of 1949 and set sail from Southhampton on the Aquitania, and landed in Halifax. From there they went by train to Toronto and stayed at the YWCA until they could find suitable accomadation for the whole family.They moved frequently until they found an apartment that was suitable for there needs. Betty went to East York Collegiate in Toronto, but didnt complete her high school education until later in life, the family was in need of money.Betty found a job at Bell Canada as a switchboard operator working shift work, she enjoyed the job very much, and it paid well. One day Betty decided it was time for a change in jobs and made application for a switchboard position at Office Overload on Bloor Street in Toronto and got it, she found many new friends there, and really enjoyed the work enviornment. Betty's claim to fame was when Betty went to the (CNE) Canadian National Exhibition and Roy Rogers horse trigger stepped on her foot, no serious damage. |
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| Stewart Sr.and his pal |
| Elizabeth age 4 |
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| Stewart McKay December 1936---March 2005 |
| After a courageous battle with Pancreatic Cancer Stewart died March 4, 2005. He died at home surrounded by his loving family. Stewart you are greatly missed by all that love you, and you will never be forgotten by me your loving wife Betty. You will always be my darling Boy. |
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