Ethel Jamieson & WilliamMcKinnon


Marion Ethel (Ethel) was born Oct 27 1883 in Renfrew County Ontario.
She was the youngest daughter of Henry JAMIESON and Marion AIRTH, who were first cousins.

Marion Ethel JAMIESON ~ abt 9 yrs old
(2nd from right at front, sitting next to mother)
with her family at her parents' 25th Anniversary

William Laughlin McKINNON was born on March 21 1880 in Brock Township Ontario.
He was the youngest son of John and Catherine McKINNON.

The following is taken from Newspaper in 1967:

"No one who came in contact with William Laughlin McKinnon could fail to be impressed
with the aura of cheerfulness and goodwill that he radiated,
even in the days that he clerked in Red Deer stores,
and indications are that it did not diminish with the years.....

.....after receiving his education in the same area where he was born, he moved to Toronto,
where he worked as a grocery clerk for several years.
His brother D W McKinnon had come west in 1891 and homesteaded in the Clearview District
and other members of the family had followed his example,
locating at Red Deer and elsewhere.
Following the death of the father in 1902,
his mother and the remainder of the family came to Red Deer
and with his background of clerking experience,
William had no difficulty in obtaining employment soon after he stepped off the train.

His first recorded employer was W E Lord,
who purchased the Postill and Patterson General Store business in May 1906
and he continued with Gaetz and Gaetz, when they took over the business the following year.
In 1909, he left to take a position in Edmonton
but his sojourn there was of short duration
and he returned within a few weeks to take a position with the W E Lord Company,
and in July 1910, he was placed in charge of the grocery department there.

In 1909, his brother Archie and Archie's father-in-law Hugh S Campbell,
had purchased the Bureau General Store at Leslieville
and soon after that, Mrs. McKinnon Sr. and two of her daughters took up residence there.
When in November 1911, Mr. Campbell found it necessary to retire,
the partnership was dissolved and early in 1912 William Laughlin McKinnon purchased his interest
and from then on, the business was operated as McKinnon Brothers.

It became one of the most widely known mercantile firms in the west country.
Fire razed both the store and the W H Foreman stopping place to the ground on January 10 1913
and the store was again destroyed by fire in April 1920,
but in due course it was again rebuilt and the business continued to operate as usual.

In May 1926, William and Ethel suffered a sore bereavement
when their 12 year old daughter Helen May (who was born on June 21 1914) died from pneumonia, following an operation for appendicitis.

Archie McKinnon died on November 15 1930 and William then took over the business himself and operated it until Febrary 1947 when he suffered a stroke and was forced to retire.

William played a vital part in the building up of the Leslieville community
and the excellent district around it,
having taken part in every movement and organization that involved its welfare or betterment.
Noted for its hospitality, the doors of the McKinnon home were always open,
and a host of guests had been welcomed.

Mr. McKinnon's major recreational interest was curling
and he was instrumental in having the first curling rink built at Leslieville,
it being constructed of baled straw, with a pole and straw roof.....

Mrs. McKinnon was also an enthusiastic curler
and she was secretary of the Leslieville Ladies Curling Club for many years.
She was also a member of the Pythian Sisters,
the Women's Christian Temperance Union
and the Women's Institute.

Mr. McKinnon built Kensington Camp at Sylvan Lake,
the first camp to be established in Kennebec Park
and he made many happy visits there with his family and friends.

It was there that on September 14 1947,
William and Ethel McKinnon celebrated their 37th wedding anniversary with 37 guests,
and 3 days later, William died
at the home of his brother-in-law, Henry Harvey Jamieson at Sylvan Lake at the age of 67.
Funeral services were held at the Memorial Presbyterian Church of Sylvan Lake
prior to burial at Red Deer.

Following her husband's death,
Ethel moved to Hamilton Ontario
to live with her daughter Catherine Isabel (b Dec 18 1919) and family,
where she remained until her death on November 15 1958 at the age of 75."

Catherine's husband was descended from my other paternal GR grandparents,
Dougald McKECHNIE and Janet STEWART via their daughter Euphemia (Effie).

Catherine's children are related to me via both the above sets of GR grandparents
and are also related to my husband via some joint ACADIAN ancestors.

WHAT A SMALL WORLD !!

William Laughlin, Marion Ethel and their daughter Helen May,
are all buried in the family plot in the Red Deer Cemetary.

Return to McKechnie Direct Ancestor Line
Stewart Direct Ancestor Line

Henry Jamieson - Pioneer of Central Alberta (Arabella's father)
William Jamieson -Arabella's grandfather
James Stewart McKechnie - Arabella's husband