This record group was artifically created in January 2007 by Tom Mitchell and Christy Henry of the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
The record group consists of various fonds and collections concerned with the political, cultural, social, and educational life of western Manitoba. See the Subject Access field for a list of titles.
2 photographs
6 cm textual records, including architectural plans
History / Biographical
Norma Laird's mother, Irene Clarke, was a daughter of Mr and Mrs John Clarke, who were pioneers in the Brandon region. Irene married David Black. Norma Laird was their daughter.
Custodial History
The records passed from Irene Clarke to her daughter Norma, who donated them to the McKee Archives on January 15, 2007.
Scope and Content
Collection consists of two historical accounts, one of the beginnings of Grand Valley, and a second of the Grand Valley School (author(s) unknown); architectural plans for the brick residence of Mr. Clarke, Farmer on section 35, township 10, range 19, county of Brandon by W. Richard Marshall, Architect, Brandon (1892); a newspaper clipping from the Brandon Sun, June 8, 1972 depicting the fire that destroyed the Clarke residence; a Three-Quarter Century Farm Ownership certificate to M. Irene Black from the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba (1967); a certificate to John T. Clarke to honour the significant contribution the family had made to the founding of Brandon from the Brandon Centennial Board (1982); two Grand Valley honorary Goodwill Ambassador of Grand Valley certificates for Mrs. J. Clarke and Mr. D. Black (1970).
The first photograph is a 8x10 b&w mounted photo of the counsellers of the Municipality of Elton with names on the back (1912). The second photograph is a 5.5 x 3.5 b&w postcard of a bus of some kind with numerous men and women standing in front of it (ca. 1914).
Accruals
The Archives anticipates the donation of a photograph of the Clarke residence from Norma Laird at a later date.
Alfred Fowler was born in 1903, in Toronto, Ontario. At the age of 23 he began working for Canadian National Railways (C.N.R.) in the company's telegraph accounting department. He remained employed there for 45 years, with the exception of the years 1940-45 when he served with the Royal Canadian Artillery during World War II. During his service he was stationed at Shilo, Manitoba, where he met his future wife, Elsie Bowen. They were married late in 1944, and in 1945 returned to Toronto. Fowler remained in Toronto until his death in 1969. Throughout his life, Mr. Fowler was an ardent amateur photographer.
Custodial History
All 105 prints in this collection were created by Davidson & Gowen, a photography business located in Brandon. It seems likely that they were created for display and/or for commercial sale as part of the November 7, 1912 "Harvest" edition of The Brandon Sun. Alfred Fowler acquired a copy of the Davidson and Gowen prints during his stay at C.F.B. Shilo during the Second World War. In 1946 Alfred Fowler left Brandon returning to his home in Toronto. With the death of Alfred in 1969 the collection passed to his wife, Elsie Fowler. Elsie died in 1987, also in Toronto. Her estate passed to her nephew, Byron Forsyth, a Brandon resident. Byron brought the collection back to Brandon and in 1999 donated it to the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
The prints concern various subjects in Brandon, Manitoba c. 1911-1912 including Brandon residences, store fronts/businesses, streetscapes, churches, the Brandon Fair, parks, hotels, institutional structures (ie hospitals, City Hall) and rail yards (both Canadian Northern and Canadian Pacific) in the city. These images provide a visual record of Brandon in the years just before the Great War.
Notes
CAIN No. 202647. All addresses listed for photographs in the Fowler collection were derived from Henderson's Directories (1911, 1913).
Location Copy
Copies of the photographs are in the green binder on the reference shelf in the reading room. Negatives for CPR photographs have been placed with 6-1999.10 (CPR Railway depot).
Donated by Marion Stone, class of 1940 (Vancouver, BC).
Scope and Content
Photograph shows Marion Stone, class of 1940, standing out on the front lawn before a costume party. The clothes she's wearing the photograph were borrowed from Mrs. Sarah Persis Darrach, Dean of Women (1936-1953).
Marion Catherine Hannah (nee Elliott) was born on August 19, 1904 in Boissevain, MB. She moved to Brandon in 1923, to study nursing at Brandon General Hospital (BGH), graduating in 1926. During the 1930s, Marion served as the first president of the Junior Hospital Aid. During the Second World War she assisted in setting up programs through the YWCA for wives of servicemen and organizing in the serviceman's canteen. In 1942, she opened the first Red Cross blood donor clinic in Brandon and supervised the work for three years. From 1947-1956, Marion was the evening supervisor at Brandon College; she also taught health classes to the first teacher training students (TTC) at Brandon College. Marion joined the Provincial Department in 1958, working in general health programs and later specializing in geriatric programs, where she set up the Brandon Civic Senior Citizens Inc. Drop-in Centre and the Christmas Cheer Bureau. She retired in 1970.
Throughout her life Marion served as president of a number of organizations: The Brandon Council of Women; Brandon General Hospital alumni; the Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses (District 2); the Brandon Civic Senior Citizens Inc.; and Hobbs Manor Resident's Council. She was a life member of St. John's Ambulance Society, the Manitoba Association of Registered Nurses, Brandon Civic Senior Citizens Inc. and the Baptist Women's Organization. In 1967, Marion was chosen Brandon's "Woman of the Year" for her long record of community service. In retirement Marion was heavily involved in the planning and building of Hobbs Manor. She was also a member of First Baptist Church for more than 70 years. Marion married Howard Eldon Hannah (1894-1977) in 1928. The couple had two daughters, Jean and Katherine. Marion Hannah died on November 12, 1997 in Calgary, AB. She is buried at the Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Marion Hannah about the origin of Park Community Centre, 1935-1946. The recording is a copy of an earlier interview conducted in the fall of 1976. The interviewer is Jack Senchuk.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Hannah's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Audio Tracks
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Marion Ferguson (nee Patterson) was born April 29, 1911 in Brandon, MB. She took her early education at Brandon before completing nurses training at St Boniface Hospital Winnipeg (1929-1932). Following graduation she worked as a private nurse, then in 1936 did post graduate studies in psychiatry at the Brandon Mental Hospital. In 1936, Marion took a position at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Particularly interested in neurology and stomach research, she took additional training and worked as a nurse at the University of Minnesota.
In 1940, she applied at a recruiting centre and joined the RCAF as a nursing sister in uniform. She was posted in Saskatchewan and New Brunswick, then established a hospital at Yarmouth, Nova Scotia for the Fleet Air Arm before being posted overseas. She worked with Italian Prisoners of War before being moved to the special burn hospital in East Grinstead, England.
After the Second World War, Marion returned to Brandon, where she became part of the teaching unit at Brandon General Hospital and then worked on the children's ward during the polio epidemic. Next, she became the Medical Surgical Supervisor at the Brandon Mental Hospital, then an administrator for the same institution. Marion then taught psyciatry at the Brandon Mental Health Centre (BMHC) for eleven years and helped establish the policy for a two-year training program for registered nurses. She retired in June 1974.
Marion married John Reid "Jock" Ferguson (1907-1986) in 1950. The couple had three children - Mary, Jessica and Robert - while also raising John's four children from his first marriage.
Marion was active in community work, especially with the Royal Canadian Legion. She was the first female president of the local Legion, Branch No. 3 (1971), and worked tirelessly with veterans and their families. For her dedication to the needs of vetrans and their families, Marion was given six different medals from the Royal Canadian Legion. In addition to her work with the Legion, Marion was also the spokesperson for the small community of northeast Brandon and was part of the group that built the Green Acres senior citizens' home. Marion Ferguson died on May 21, 1993 in Brandon, MB. She is buried at Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
Custodial History
As part of the Westman Oral History Collection, this collection was accessioned by the McKee Archives in 1998. The original tapes from the Westman Oral History project were deposited in the Brandon Public Library. Copies of these originals were made by Margaret Pollex of the Brandon University Language Lab at the request of Eileen McFadden, University Archivist in the early 1990s. These copies compose the collection held in the McKee Archives.
Scope and Content
Item is an audiocassette tape containing an interview with Marion Feguson about her nursing career. Interviewer is Marjorie Lange.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and articles from the Brandon Sun about Marion Ferguson. Description by Christy Henry.
Audio Tracks
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Education curriculum collection room opening westward off Library Reading Room, Library and Arts Building. L. to R. Ralph Berry, Margaret Ariss and students
