Kathleen Emily Kenner was born in Pierson, Manitoba on December 6, 1903. Her father, W.S. Kenner, was a General Merchant there. Kathleen had one brother, Ewing. She took her early education in Pierson, then moved to Brandon to take her Grade XI course in 1919. The following year, Kathleen moved to the Clark Hall Annex on Louise and 11th, in order to attend Brandon College (B.C.) as a student in the Music Department. In the fall of 1921, she entered the Arts Department of Brandon College. During her time at the college, Kathleen was very involved with student life. She was elected Lady Stick for the school year 1924-1925, the highest position in student government that a woman could attain. In the spring of 1925, she graduated with her B.A., then begain studies in the Faculty of Education at the University of Toronto.
Kathleen taught school in Melfort, Saskatchewan from approximately 1930-1949, and for several years after that was an instructor at the Saskatchewan Government Correspondence School. Sometime during this period, Kathleen left to serve in the Air Force during the Second World War.
Kathleen Kenner married William A. Kennedy in 1950, and through marriage she gained one son, John Kennedy, and two daughters, Mrs. Claire H. A. Still and Mrs. Janet Sheridan. Around the same time, Kathleen and William moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba where Kathleen was very active in the church and the community. Kathleen Kenner Kennedy died suddenly on November 28, 1967 at the age of 61.
Custodial History
This fonds was accessioned by the McKee archives in 1997. Prior custodial history is unknown.
Scope and Content
The Kathleen Kenner Fonds are organized in three series:
Series 1 – scrapbook (6.5 cm.)
Series 2 - file of correspondence (8 mm.)
Series 3 - newspaper clippings (1 mm.)
The scrapbook contains pictures of Kathleen’s life and times at Brandon College and the University in Toronto. There are pictures of students and friends, Brandon College, the University of Toronto, Victoria College, Toronto City Hall, Grandpa Ewing’s Farm in Ontario, grad pictures, a train station, and much more. The pictures show dress, women’s activities, the ladies’ Basketball team, and what Brandon itself looked like in the 1920’s. She also included personal notes, cards, invitations to dinners, dances, and luncheons, poems, dance cards, hockey tickets, and various other university mementos.
There are numerous newspaper clippings. One file contains poetry, mainly from her friend Mary McLaughin MacDonald, letters from her father and mother, a list of College yells, and a copy of "Hail Our College". Kenner has various excerpts from The Quill, letters from former students, and a grapho-analyst report (1933) that she received. An interesting possession in this collection are two speeches that Kenner delivered and kept originals of. The first is her reply to being nominated for Lady Stick in 1924. The second is a speech that she made when she invested her duties of Lady Stick to the new Lady Stick, Rose Vasey in 1925.
Notes
A portion of the description was written by Kathleen Scammell (2000).
Samuel James McKee was born near Wellesley, Ontario on July 17, 1849. By 1872, he had graduated from Toronto University. That same year he accepted a position at the Canadian Literary Institute in Woodstock, Ontario. Although he accepted this post with reservation, McKee soon found himself converted to the Baptist faith and was a true believer. In 1881, his doctor advised him to move West because of his poor health. He and his wife Laura moved to Rapid City, Manitoba and established a farm there. His brother-in-law, Rev. Davis was busy establishing the Rapid City Academy during this time, and when Davis had the chance to move to Moose Jaw, he prevailed upon McKee to take over the Academy. Under McKee's guidance the Academy flourished. By 1890, he decided that he could reach more people if he relocated the school Brandon, Manitoba, which was located on the C.P.R. line. The S.J. McKee Academy did quite well in Brandon, although it had trouble finding a permanent home. By 1899, the school was located in the Stewart Block on Ninth Street and Rosser Avenue. McKee's wife taught music, and there were always potential ministry students in his classes.
In 1899, the Baptists finally decided that they wanted a College in Manitoba that would help preapre students for potential ministry service. It was decided to locate the school in Brandon, as McKee, a staunch Baptist, already had a flourishing Academy there. The Baptists and McKee amalgamated and Brandon College was created. When the school opened in October 1899, McKee was on the Board of Directors as well as teaching Classics, Mental Science and French. He also acted as the unofficial Vice-principal of the school. McKee taught several different subjects during the next few years, and in 1910 accepted the newly created post of Registrar. He retained this position for the next decade. As well, McKee acted as the Bursar in 1911-1913, 1914-1915, and 1919-1920. He retired in 1920 and moved to Vancouver. McKee was given the title Professor Emeritus in Philosophy. He was made an honorary member of the Board of Directors in 1925.
McKee and his wife had five daughters and three sons. Three daughters that died soon after the move from Rapid City due to a typhoid epidemic. His son, George Eugene, graduated from Brandon College in 1902. A son, John Harris McKee, became the Bursar of Brandon College in 1915 after obtaining his B.A. in 1914. Another son, William Carey McKee, graduated from Brandon College in 1914, and received his M.A. in 1915. He was studying Law in Calgary when he enlisted with the Army. Carey McKee was killed in action on August 26, 1918. A fourth son, Robert Allan also attended Brandon College. He enlisted when Carey did, but he was declared medically unfit for service in Winnipeg in 1917. He eventually returned to Brandon, but was sick for a very long time. He died on Febrary 13, 1919, from a growth on his brain that had weakened him greatly. McKee's daughter Mildred also attended Brandon College. After her husband was killed in action in November of 1918, she returned home to her parents. Eventually she obtained a degree in Household Science. There is another daughter mentioned, Lydia. McKee also states in a tax return form that he has a permanently epileptic child in a home. It is not known if this child was Lydia or not. S.J. McKee died in September 1937 at the age of 88.
Custodial History
To commemorate the move of the McKee Acadamy to Brandon, Manitoba in 1890, Brandon University renamed the Brandon University Archives the S.J. McKee Archives in the fall of 1990. At that time, the McKee family was represented by S.J. McKee's grandson William, who donated the S.J. McKee papers to the Archives. Up until 1990, the records had been in his custody, having passed from S.J. at the time of his death to William's father.
Scope and Content
S.J. McKee's files are very unique. He has records detailing many aspects from Rapid City Academy and the desire for educating the West. He has a lengthy document entitled "The Beginning of our Educational Work in the West" in his records. It details the creation of Prairie College, its demise, and the building of the Rapid City Academy. There is a lot of correspondence, not just to and from S.J. McKee, but to and from his children as well. There are Land Titles papers, Mortgages, Last Will and Testaments, and various other legal documents dealing with the McKee family. There is a ninety page paper that his son, Carey, wrote in 1915 entitled "Immigrants and Their Assimilation." There are several files dealing with Carey McKee, and also with the death of Midred's husband, Robert Alexander Cunningham. The Minute Book of the Brandon College Literary Society from 1903-1905 is located in the McKee files. McKee also kept various newsclippings and certain issues of "The Western Baptist," "The Northwest Baptist" and "The Sunday School Times." As well, there are some used account and receipt books.
His records are extremely interesting in that McKee was really one of the founding fathers of Brandon College. The documentation that still exists with regard to Rapid City Academy is quite astounding, down to the legal agreement he and G.B. Davis made with Duncan L. McLaren regarding using some of his land to build the school on. His recollections on the beginnings of education in the west are clear and concise. As well, the sense of family and devotion to God are evident in almost all of the letters between family members.
