Peter Alexander (P.A.) Alex McPhail was born on July 11, 1897 in the RM of Elton. Raised on the family farm in Forrest, MB, he was the eldest son of Archie and Mary McPhail who came to Manitoba from Ontario. Alex took over the farm in 1915, and farmed there until 1949, when he and his family moved to Brandon. During the First World War, Alex was a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He married Effie Irene Weir (1900-1999) in 1933 and together they raised four children: Ronald, Malcolm, Archie and Donna. Effie and Alex were both active members of their community. Alex was especially involved in the agricultural community and won many prizes over the years for his livestock. From 1954-1965, Alex was the General Manager for the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Manitoba Winter Fair. He also served one term as the president of the Canadian Association of Exhibitions. Additionally, Alex was on the Brandon General Hospital board, the Brandon College board, and was a member of the Kiwanis and Shriners clubs. He was also involved in local sports. Both Alex and Effie McPhail were active members of the United Church. Alex McPhail died on June 28, 1989 in Brandon, MB. He is buried at Humesville 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 Alex McPhail about his family history, agriculture, the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Manitoba Winter Fair. Interviewer is Frank Anderson.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and the description for the Effie and Alex McPhail collection at the Daly House Museum. Transcript by Alana Donohoe (2017). Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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A.E. "Alex" Adams (b. 1888?) came to Kenton, MB in 1910, where he worked in Mitchell's store. He married Margaret Snyder (b. 1889?), who taught school in Anworth. The couple lived above the store, and raised Dell and Harold Morton, who where Margaret's sister's children. The Adams' were active in community life. Margaret organized the first Sunday School orchestra and helped with all church groups. Alex and Margaret left Kenton to run a branch store in Lenore, MB and later in Virden, MB. Margaret Adams died on May 14, 1982 in Virden, MB. Alex Adams died in 1985 in Virden, MB. Their ashes were scattered in the Virden Assiniboine River hills in which they spent a great deal of time.
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 Alex and Margaret Adams about Kenton, MB in early days. Interviewer is Hilda Curry.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Kenton local histories "Cradle to combine vol 2" and "Cradle to combine vol 3." Description by Christy Henry.
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Maria Corlette Nelson (nee Grant) was born on December 29, 1900 on the family homestead at Forrest, MB. Maria attended Clark Hall Academy at Brandon College and continued her education until she received her BA in 1925, and her Certificate of Education from Toronto in 1927. Returning to the prairies, she spent the next six years teaching. In 1930, Maria married Wesley Gordon Nelson (1899-1981) and moved to the Nelson farm in the Sparling district. The couple had three daughters, Catherine, Helen and Marion, the latter who died at 3 years of age. In 1960, Maria entered Brandon College's teacher training course (TTC). Maria Nelson died on May 16, 1996 in Winnipeg, MB. She is buried at Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
Ella Laura Cole was born on in 1897 in the RM of Elton in what is now the North End of Brandon, MB. She came to Brandon, MB in 1923 to attend business college. Laura worked for Hughes and Company for over 39 years, then worked for Gordon West until retiring in 1969. Laura was a member of Knox United Church. She never married. Laura Cole died on January 12, 1989 in Brandon, MB. She is buried at Brandon Municipal Cemetery.
Peter Alexander (P.A.) Alex McPhail was born on July 11, 1897 in the RM of Elton in what is now the North End of Brandon, MB. Raised on the family farm in Forrest, MB, he was the eldest son of Archie and Mary McPhail who came to Manitoba from Ontario. Alex took over the farm in 1915, and farmed there until 1949, when he and his family moved to Brandon. During the First World War, Alex as a lieutenant in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He married Effie Irene Weir (1900-1999) in 1933 and together they raised four children: Ronald, Malcolm, Archie and Donna. Effie and Alex were both active members of their community. Alex was especially involved in the agricultural community and won many prizes over the years for his livestock. From 1954-1965, Alex was the General Manager for the Provincial Exhibition Association of Manitoba and the Manitoba Winter Fair. He also served one term as the president of the Canadian Association of Exhibitions. Additionally, Alex was on the Brandon General Hospital board, the Brandon College board, and was a member of the Kiwanis and Shriners clubs. He was also involved in local sports. Both Alex and Effie McPhail were active members of the United Church. Alex McPhail died on June 28, 1989 in Brandon, MB. He is buried at Humesville 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 Maria Nelson, Laura Cole and Alex McPhail about the early days in the North End of Brandon, MB. The interviewer is Efffie McPhail.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and obituaries for the interviewees. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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The Fowler Block in Baldur, MB was built in 1899 by Alex Fowler.
Custodial History
See collection level description for the James Douglas Wall collection.
Scope and Content
Image of Alex Fowler standing at the counter in his store. The shelves behind him are stacked with tins of dry good, while the shelves to his side are stacked with china and glass items. The post office operated out of the back of the store.
Mary Evelyne Conley (nee Dixon) was born on November 30, 1919 in Carievale, SK. She lived in Carievale until 1940, at which point she moved to Brandon, MB. In Brandon she received her nurses training, graduating as an RN in 1943, and then working at Brandon General Hospital (BGH). In 1945, she moved to Toronto where she continued working as a nurse and also married Murray Ross Conley (1919-1998) on April 21, 1945. The couple had three children: Judith, Sharon and Bradley. After a year in Toronto, Evelyne returned to Brandon to raise her family and work as a private nurse at BGH. She retired from Fairview Personal Care Home in 1971, to care for her son, who developed multiple sclerosis (MS) in his 20s. This experience precipitated Evelyne's involvement with the MS Society. Evelyne Conley died on September 3, 2013 in Brandon, MB. She is buried at Rosewood Memorial Gardens.
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 Evelyne Conley about health services, specifically the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada. The interview includes a brief history of the MS Society, the trials and tribulations of funding, and Evelyne’s personal ties to the organization. In particular she discusses the Prairie Division and the Brandon chapter. Interviewer is Phyllis Long.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Conley's obituary. Transcript by Kyle Head (2020). Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
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Herbert "Herb" Lazenby was born in 1885 in Lincolnshire, England. He immigrated to Canada in 1903, making his way to Reston, MB. He was a farmer who married Elsie Mae Wilson (1890-1971). Together they had three children: George, Alvin and a daughter who died at birth. Herb Lazenby died in 1949 and is buried in the Reston Cemetery. The narrator, Irene Luella Smeltz Lazenby (1915-1998), was the wife of Herb and Elsie's son George. They married in 1942.
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 information about the life of Herb Lazenby and farming in the 1880s, narrated by his daughter-in-law Irene Lazenby.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Conley's obituary. Transcript by Shayanne Bear (2020). Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Audio Tracks
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Albert Leronowich was born on March 18, 1894 in Poland. He immigrated to Canada in 1912 and spent time in Calgary, AB and Oak Lake, MB before settling in Brandon, MB. Albert spent some time farming, before holding a number of positions with the Canadian Pacific Railway, including rail section man, fireman, and brakeman; he retired as a CPR boilermaker in 1959. Following retirement, Albert spent a few years as gardener of the Brandon City Hall grounds. He was a member of the Brandon Horticultural Society and was avidly interested in growing flowers, winning many tropies and prizes for his efforts. Albert married Stella Polnick (1903-1975) and together they had six children: Mark, Charles, Edward, Donald, Anne and Gladys. Albert Leronowich died on March 20, 1988 in Brandon, MB. He 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 Albert Leronowich about his life, gardening and horticulture. The interviewer is Hazel Rose.
Notes
History/bio information taken from the records and Leronowich's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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Alva Redell "Alvie" Spafford was born on March 15, 1891 at Enterprise, MB. He attended school at Victoria Lake and Henderson schools. Alvie left Enterprise in 1902, and moved to Bannerman, MB, where he farmed until 1936. He later moved to Boissevain, where he worked as a Rawleigh salesman, and then in 1942, he moved to Brandon and was employed as a conductor for the Canadian National Railway (CNR) until his retirement. Alvie married Frances Ethel Harrison (1895-1979) and they had three children: Carl, Edna and Raymond. Alvie Spafford died on August 25, 1985 in Brandon, MB. He is buried at Killarney and District 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 Alvie Spafford about his life, and early days in Manitoba. The interviewer is Effie McPhail.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Spafford's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Related Material
Fred McGuinness collection (1-2015)
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Arlie Emma Hogg (nee Harrison) was born August 25, 1895 on section 36-9-24, near Oak Lake, MB. She was educated at, and lived all but the last six months of her life in, Oak Lake. She married Russell Ivan Hogg (1895-1961), a longtime editor of the Oak Lake newspaper, on January 7, 1919. Together they had three daughters: Eileen, Lila and Rubie. A homemaker, Arlie was also actively involved with her husband in publishing the paper. She was also a painter, who received awards and recognition for her works, which included landscapes, flowers, plant and animal life. She was a lifetime member of St. Alban's Anglican Church, active in the ACW and a charter member of the Eastern Star. Arlie Hogg died on May 2, 1986 in Virden, MB. She is buried at Oak Lake 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 Arlie Hogg about her life, including her painting, and pioneer days and activities. The interviewer is Wilma Hatch.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, Hogg's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Related Material
Fred McGuinness collection (1-2015)
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Mary Anne Alice "Daisy" Patmore was born on March 30, 1903 in Brandon, MB. She was the eldest of five children born to Henry Lewis Patrmore and Alice Maud Mary Ball. Patmore purchased a tree nursery in Brandon in 1888, and was a leading exponent of shelterbelts and tree planting, as well as a leading figure in beautifying the city of Brandon. Daisy attended Brandon Collegiate Institute (BCI) and the Brandon Normal School. She taught for one year and then joined the family business, Patmore Nurserview Ltd. and Patmore's Florists; Daisy owned and operated the floral part of the business and was a floral designer from 1934 until she retired in 1973. During these years, she was very active in the International School of Floral Design; she also spoke and gave demonstrations about floral arrangements for many clubs and associations. Daisy was a member of the Quota Club, the Natual History Society of Brandon and the Brandon Horitcultural Association, as well as a member of St. George's Anglican Church and the Anglican Church Women's Group. For many years she was the alternate organist for the Church and played at services at the Brandon Mental Health Centre and Fairview Personal Care Home. Daisy never married. Daisy Patmore died on August 21, 1999 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 Daisy Patmore about the H.L. Patmore Nursery business in Brandon, MB, as well as the florist shop and her operation of same. The interviewer is Isabelle Heeney.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, Patmore's obituary and the Manitoba Historical Society website. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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David Andrew Brown was born on October 30, 1894 near Dumfries, Scotland. His family arrived in Canada in 1908 and settled on a farm east of Deloraine, MB in the Hazeldean district. David attended Manitoba Agriculture College, graduating in 1920. Following graduation he was appointed assistant to the professor of horticulture and was given responsibility for directing all the experimental work with vegetables, fruits and flowers, as well as upkeep of the College campus. He briefly accepted a teaching position in botany in the Teulon, Gunton and Balmoral high schools, before becoming the assistant superintendent of the Federal Government Station in Mordon, MB in 1922. David married Edith Merle McKenzie (1900-1995) on July 22, 1922 and together they had three children: Ian, Dorothy and Shirley.
In 1928, David moved from the Morden Experimental Farm to take the position of supervisor of illustration stations at the Brandon Experimental Farm. In this role he travelled the province planting experimental cereal crops and working to reclaim soil lost to erosion during the draught of the 1930s. In 1947, he became the assistant superintendent, a position he held until his retirement in 1959. Following his retirement, David was instrumental in establisting the Agricultural Hall of Fame. He was very active in this organization until he was involved in an accident in March 1988. David was a life member of the Agricultural Institute of Canada and served terms as the president of the Manitoba Institute of Agrologists and the Manitoba Horticultural Society. He was also a well-known landscape planner for many Brandon residents and rural homesteads, a judge at local summer horticultural fairs and a member of Knox United Church, where he served as a choir member, an elder on the church board and as clerk of session. In 1977, the University of Manitoba conferred the honorary degree of L.L.D. upon him to acknowledge his oustanding contribution to agriculture in Manitoba. David Brown died on July 4, 1990 in Brandon, MB. He is buried at Rosewood Memorial Gardens.
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 David A. Brown, about his life and career, as well as the early history of Manitoba agriculture. The interviewer is Frank Anderson.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Brown's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Audio Tracks
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