Ella Alma Nicholson (nee Kerr) was born in 1896 in the Franklin district. Her father George Kerr operated a logging mill at Kerr Lake and her mother Margaret (nee Reilly) named the area "Franklin." Ella attended Coldstream and Franklin school, before completing a two-year diploma at Agricultural College in Winnipeg. She then trained as a nurse at Winnipeg General Hospital, graduating in 1919. Following gradution she worked in Winnipeg before going to Vancouver. On February 7, 1922, she married Charles Nicholson (1890-1979), a teacher from the Franklin district. The couple returned to Manitoba, where they lived on the Nicholson family farm until they retired to Neepawa in 1950. Both of their sons, William and Patrick, were born in the Franklin district. Ella was active with The Inner Wheel, the Iriquois Women's Institute, her bowling league, and the nurses association. With Charlie, she traveled worldwide to various Rotary conventions. Ella Nicholson died on July 23, 1993 in Neepawa, MB. She is buried at Riverside 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 Ella Nicholson about homesteading in the Franklin district of Manitoba. Interviewer is Winnie Cheetham.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, the Neepawa local history "Heritage" and Nicholson's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Audio Tracks
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See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series consists of one folder containing thank you letters to Prof. George F. MacDowell, Professor of Economics at Brandon University, and a long-time member of the McKenzie Seeds Board for his service to the company.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 1 Board of Directors
Related Material
RG 6 (Brandon University fonds), MG 3 (Brandon University Teaching and Administration), MG 3 1.12 (George MacDowell fonds).
This artificially created sub-series consists of records related to the office of the President/General Manager that did not fit into any of the preceding sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
The sub-series includes photocopies of articles on A.E. McKenzie and Keith Guelpa, Pat Kelleher's resignation as President of McKenzie Seeds (1975), as well as correspondence from Bill Moore's term as President.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 2 Office of the President/General Manager
This artifically created series consists of records and items that did not fit into any of the preceeding series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This series consists of materials used for the Centennial Exhibit of McKenzie Seeds and miscellaneous publications.
It has been divided into three sub-series, including: (1) Centennial Exhibit; (2) Miscllaneous; and (3) Scrapbooks.
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous
This sub-series is artificially created and contains records that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
The records in this sub-series concern A.E. McKenzie's personal life. It contains a number of documents created by his father, F. B. McKenzie, including land deeds, financial records, and a grant of probate. The sub-series also includes documents concerning the Ontario Mutual Life Assurance Co., the dissolution of partnership between A.E. McKenzie and George. E. McKenzie, the release of F.B. McKenzie's estate to his son and a copy of A.E. McKenzie's mother's last will and testament.
Also included within the sub-series is a file or correspondence between McKenzie and R.B. Dessert, a former employee of McKenzie Seeds who established his own seed company in California after leaving Brandon. The correspondence is almost entirely personal in nature.
Thank you letters regarding Brandon College and scholarships, as well as minutes from meetings of the Education Advisory Board can also be found within the sub-series.
This sub-series consists of publications that did not fit into any of the preceding series or sub-series.
Custodial History
See fonds level description of custodial history of A. E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd.
Scope and Content
This sub-series includes one copy each of Manitoba Business Top 100 (June 1985), Trade and Commerce Supplement, Brandon (c. 1963) and Manitoba Business (November 1985).
It also includes a Christmas Song book, the book "By Gossip and Myth" by Prof. George MacDowell and a document entitled "Background Information re A.E. McKenzie Seed Co. Ltd."
The following newspaper clippings have been located in the map case drawer #4 located in the archives reading room:
1. $175,000 Gift Set for College from City Man
2. McKenzie Will Leaves House to Arts Centre
3. The Old Alma Mater is Down on Her Knees
4. How to Help the Alma Mater
5. Good Things are "growing" on at McKenzie Seeds (ad)
6. Fire fails to halt work at McKenzie Seeds
7. McKenzie Seeds: new facilities are first in North America
8. A full-page advertisment for McKenzie Seeds from "The Brandon Sun" (September 24, 1971)
Storage Location
RG 3 A.E. McKenzie Company fonds
McS 6 Miscellaneous