Edward Ingo Dow was born on September 13, 1904 in Pilot Mound, MB. He lived at Pilot Mound until 1911, then spent a year in Neepawa, before his family moved to Victoria, BC. The family returned to Manitoba in 1915, and settled in Boissevain where he completed his public schooling. Ed's university education was cut short when his father became ill and he returned home to operate the family mill. Ed married Dorothy Grace Taylor (1903-1994) on July 14, 1927. They had one son, George. Ed operated a Cockshutt implement business and a coal business in Boissevain for many years. After closing these businesses he was employed with Toman Engineering and Reid, Crowthers and Partners. From 1959-1969, Ed served in the Manitoba Legislature as a Liberal Member representing the Turtle Mountain constituency.
Ed was very involved in town council and other community affairs. He served on the Boissevain Town Council from 1934-1946, and was mayor of Boissevain from 1946-1968. During his tenure he helped oversee the development of adequate street, sewer and water systems for the town. He, along with the council, worked on many joint projects with the RM of Morton, including the Boissevain and Morton Library, Memorial Hospital, Westview Lodge, The Beckoning Hills Museum and the Community Swimming Pool. Additionally, Ed served as president and executive member of the Manitoba Urban Association, member of the International Peace Garden Board of Directors, member of the Sanitarium Board of Manitoba and member of the Westerman Centennial Auditorium Board. For his many community activities, Ed received the Good Citizenship Award from the Tourism Industry Association of Manitoba in 1981. Ed was a member of the United Church and the Masonic Lodge, as well as an ardent sportsman. He was a life member of the Manitoba Curling Association. Edward Dow died on December 23, 1992 in Killarney, MB. He is buried at Boissevain and Morton 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 Edward Dow about the town of Boissevain and its growth. Interviewer is Bernice Pettypiece.
Notes
History/bio information taken from the records and Dow's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
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Flora C. Cowan (nee Cruickshanks) was born on July 15, 1902 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She immigrated to Canada with her family in 1913. Flora married Edgar Clarence Cowan (1894-1951) on August 15, 1922. The couple had two children: Franklin and Ruth. Edgar, who served in the First World War with the Royal Canadian Engineers, was employed as municipal engineer at Springfield, MB. In 1927, Edgar was appointed district engineer with the highways branch in Boissevain; a year later he was transferred to Brandon and the family moved to the city.
For much of her life, Flora was a leader in the Brandon community. During the Second World War, she mobilized Brandon's volunteer efforts and in 1953, she was appointed Dean of Women at Brandon College. In 1954, Flora became only the second woman ever elected to the Brandon City Council. She served on the council for 16 years and stepped down as Dean of Women in 1969. A champion for Fairview Personal Care Home, she chaired its board for more than 20 years. Flora Cowan Hall on the Brandon University campus is named in her honour. Flora Cowan died on September 25, 1986 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 Flora Cowan about her involvement in community and civic affairs in Brandon, 1927-1981. This first hour includes the following subjects: church involvement, including the union of the Methodist and Knox churches, the Women's Auxiliary and volunteer work; the Imperial Order Daughters of the Empire (IODE); her recollections during her tenure as Dean of Women at Brandon College, including the death of JRC Evans, the official opening of the McKenzie Building, the expansion of campus, the layout of Clark Hall, social functions, the granting of the University charter, the retirement of John E. Robbins, the BJ Hales Natural History Museum and her retirement; her work as an alderman on Brandon City Council; and the history of Fairview Personal Care Home. The interviewer is Marjorie Fitton.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, the article reporting Edgar Cowan's death by drowning and Flora Cowan's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Related Material
Brandon College fonds
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Frank Ernest "Ernie" Ellis was born on April 3, 1915. He lived and farmed all his life just north of Wawanesa, MB, and established a seed cleaning and fertilizer business entitled Ellis Farm Supplies on the south side of Wawanesa. Ernie married Margaret Alyce Viola Medd (1922-2022) in in 1946 and together they had five children: Margaret, Brenda, Kathryn, Jennifer and Warren. In 1985, Ernie and Alyce moved to Winnipeg and their son Warren took over the farm.
Ernie was active in his community, local politics and the agriculture and health care sectors. His commitment to land conservation and a love of nature, led him to serve on the boards of many farming organizations, including the Wawanesa Crop Improvement Club, the Wawanesa Cooperative Elevator Association, and the Wawanesa Consumers Co-op Association. He was also one of the founders ot the Manitoba Stock Growers' Association, which became the Manitoba Beef Growers' Association. Additionally, Ernie served on the board of the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, was a member of the Canadian Seed Growers' Association, served terms as president for both the Brandon-Souris Liberal Association and the Souris-Killarney Association, ran as the MLA Liberal candidate for the Souris-Lansdowne constituency and served on the Oakland Council for 11 years. He was also elected chairman of the first Board of Directors for the Wawanesa & District Recreation Centre, was a trustee of the governing board of the Wawanesa & District Hospital, including 12 years as chairman. He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Manitoba Health Organization, where he advocated for health care in Wawanesa and rural areas. Ernie wrote two newspaper columns, "The Rural Scene" for the Wawanesa Optimist, and "On the Manitoba Range" for The Canadian Cattleman, and along with his wife Alyce, did much of the research and writing for the Wawanesa centennial local history book. Aside from writing, Ernie was also passionate about music, and played the trombone in the Wawanesa Band.
When he became ill in 2010 the Ellis' left Winnipeg; Ernie moved to the Personal Care Home in Wawanesa and Alyce moved to the Wawanesa Valley Lodge. Ernie Ellis died on February 16, 2011 in Wawanesa, MB.
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 Ernie Ellis. This first hour of the interview covers the history of the Ellis and Criddle familes. The interviewer is John Moore.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and obituaries for both Ernie and Alyce Ellis. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Audio Tracks
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George Albert Hodson was born in 1910 on his father's farm, just south of Elkhorn, MB. He attended Buckingham School and worked on the farm with his father until his father's retirement, at which point Albert took over the farm. Albert married Evelyne Bolam on December 17, 1939 and they had four children: Leland, Valerie, Sherryl and Tannis. The couple moved into Elkhorn in 1967, and Albert retired from farming in 1978. Active in his community, Albert served as a trustee for the Buckingham School District, on the United Church Board, and was a member of the Agricultural Society and the Curling Club. He also served 34 years on the local Manitoba Pool Elevator board, eleven of which he was chairman of Sub-District No. 502. In 1996, Albert was recognized as an outstanding volunteer by the Manitoba Association of Agricultural Societies. Albert Hodson died on September 18, 2009 in Elkhorn, MB. He is buried at Elkhorn 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 Hodson about pioneering, grain, grain elevators and Elkhorn history, including the Elkhorn Auto Museum. The interviewer is Elmer Armstrong.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, the Elkhorn local history "Steel and Grass Roots" and Hodson's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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Harold Ernest Watson was born on April 14, 1905 on section 4-11-24 in the RM of Woodworth. The family moved to Brandon, MB in 1911. As a young man, Harold worked for many years as a carpenter with his father. He was then employed for a few years with the Canadian National Railway (CNR) before becoming a carpenter and carman with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) for thirty-five years. Harold married Winifred Elizabeth Schiedel (1916-1982) in 1939 and together they had six children: Eldine, Marjorie, David, Dale, Mildred and Ralph. A keen conservationist, Harold was a member of the Manitoba Naturalist Society. He also enjoyed gardening, bird watching, fishing, hunting, woodworking, reading, typing and cribbage, and possessed an excellent knowledge of the history of Brandon and surrounding area. Harold Watson died on November 30, 1994 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 Harold Watson about the history of the East End of Brandon, including its early residents, buildings and activites. The interviewer is Lillian Mummery.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Watson's obituary. Description by Christy Henry. Fred McGuinness wrote about Harold Watson in his November 4, 2004 "The Notebook" column in The Brandon Sun.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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James Harvey Tolton was born on February 19, 1898 on section 11-11-24W near Oak Lake, MB. Harvey farmed at Oak Lake from 1918-1948, at which point he semi-retired. Subsequently, he and his wife moved to Brandon and Harvey bought a half-section of land east of the city where he was able to dedicated himself to perfecting oat seed. Throughout his life as a pedigreed seed grower, Harvey received local, national and international acclaim; he won the World Championship for registered seed oats and the World Championship for field crops for three consecutive years at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, and he became a favourite of the Quaker Oats Company. He was forced to retire from seed growing due to an accident and illness.
When he was not farming, Harvey was serving his community. He was a member of the Brandon College Board of Governors, the Oak Lake and Harding agricultural socieites, the Manitoba Agricultural Society advisory board, the Manitoba Provincial Exhibition Association, the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, the Canadian Shorthorn Cattle Association, the Manitoba Seed Growers' Association, the Manitoba Swine Breeders' Association, the Agriculture Instititue of Canada, the Kiwanis Club and Big Brothers. He also served on the council of the RM of Woodworth and on local school boards, was active in church affairs and 4-H. The Tourist Convention Association of Manitoba gave Harvey the Good Citizenship Award for making Manitoba a better place to live, and in 1976, Brandon University awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree. In 1991, he was inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame. Harvey married Jennie Eleanor Titmus (1896-1982) on December 8, 1919 and together they had five children: Roland, Roma, Phyllis, Fern and Beverley. Harvey Tolton died on July 29, 1987 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 Harvey Tolton about the history of the Tolton family, Harvey's life experiences and early agriculture. The interviewer is Frank Anderson.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Tolton's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
Audio Tracks
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James Harvey Tolton was born on February 19, 1898 on section 11-11-24W near Oak Lake, MB. Harvey farmed at Oak Lake from 1918-1948, at which point he semi-retired. Subsequently, he and his wife moved to Brandon and Harvey bought a half-section of land east of the city where he was able to dedicated himself to perfecting oat seed. Throughout his life as a pedigreed seed grower, Harvey received local, national and international acclaim; he won the World Championship for registered seed oats and the World Championship for field crops for three consecutive years at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, and he became a favourite of the Quaker Oats Company. He was forced to retire from seed growing due to an accident and illness.
When he was not farming, Harvey was serving his community. He was a member of the Brandon College Board of Governors, the Oak Lake and Harding agricultural socieites, the Manitoba Agricultural Society advisory board, the Manitoba Provincial Exhibition Association, the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair, the Canadian Shorthorn Cattle Association, the Manitoba Seed Growers' Association, the Manitoba Swine Breeders' Association, the Agriculture Instititue of Canada, the Kiwanis Club and Big Brothers. He also served on the council of the RM of Woodworth and on local school boards, was active in church affairs and 4-H. The Tourist Convention Association of Manitoba gave Harvey the Good Citizenship Award for making Manitoba a better place to live, and in 1976, Brandon University awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree. In 1991, he was inducted into the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame. Harvey married Jennie Eleanor Titmus (1896-1982) on December 8, 1919 and together they had five children: Roland, Roma, Phyllis, Fern and Beverley. Harvey Tolton died on July 29, 1987 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 Harvey Tolton about 4-H Clubs and the Kiwanis Club. Interviewer is Frank Anderson.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Tolton's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
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John Stanley Henry was born April 19, 1909 on the home farm at Oak River, MB. He attended Oak River school through Grade 11, then took agriculture at the University of Manitoba for one year before having to withdraw due to financial hardship. Stan then returned to the farm, where he remained for the rest of his life. Stan married Jean Elizabeth McCrindle (1916-1992) in 1942. Together they had three children: Cameron, Lynn and Leslie.
As a farmer, Stan was a Select Seed Grower, and with his son Cam, developed the J.S. Henry and Son Seed business. In 1981, he was elected a Roberson Associate of the Canadian Seed Growers Association. In his early years, Stan also raised purebred Shorthorn cattle. Stan enjoyed restoring and refinishing furniture, gardening and loved sports, especially baseball and curling, including coaching. In the community, Stan was an active member of the United Church and was a trustee on the local board and then the Rolling River shcool board for 23 years. Stan Henry died on October 15, 1986 in Brandon, MB. He is buried at Oak River 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 a narration by Stan Henry about the Henry pioneers in the Oak River area.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Henry's obituary. Transcript by Marshall Northam (2023). Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
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James Walter Collinson was born on March 6, 1900 in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. He arrived in Canada in 1904, and lived in Carroll and then Souris, MB. From 1918-1938, Walter was a CPR yardmaster. He then took up farming. Walter married Muriel Ruby Lavery (1902-1981) in 1930. Together they had two children: Jim and Jeanne. The family was active in the community, particularly in music. Walter and Muriel played with Professor Racine during the Depression, as well as in orchestras and bands. During World War II, Walter delivered milk in the community. Walter also enjoyed gardening and would often deliver flowers to people in town who were unable to get out. Walter and Muriel retired to Souris in 1979. Walter Collinson died on February 13, 1981 at his home in Souris, MB. He is buried at Souris Glenwood 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 a re-recording of a narration by Walter Collinson about the early days in Souris, MB, 1904-1913. Alhtough Walter Collinson died in 1982, his family agreed to allow the Voices of Yesteryear group to include the interview in their project. The re-recording was made by F.M. Collinson in 1983.
Notes
History/bio information from the records, the Souris-Glenwood local history "The People of Souris and Glenwood," and Collinson's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
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Kathleen Joan "Kaye" Rowe (nee Moreland) was born on June 10, 1910 in Winnipeg, MB. Kaye attended St. John's Technical High School. She moved to Brandon following her marriage to Gabriel Richard "G.R." Rowe (1898-1968) on July 12, 1932. Kaye had widespread interests in fashion, politics, the arts and journalism. Her journalism career began in 1935, when she began writing book reviews for CKX Radio. Four years later she became a society columnist for the Winnipeg Free Press and from 1945 to the 1980s she was a freelance columnist for the Brandon Sun, writing pieces on people, fasion and the arts. In 1958 and 1960, Kaye won awards for the best fashion stories of the year in Canada, and in 1970, she received a Margaret McWilliams Award from the Manitoba Historical Society for the best newspaper story on Manitoba history in the province's centennial year. The Rowes had no children. Kaye Rowe died on December 16, 1995 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 Kaye Rowe about her knowledge and memories of Brandon entertainment, 1900-1983. The interviewer is Betty Gibson.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and the Manitoba Historical Society website. Description by Christy Henry.
Language Note
English
Conservation
Preservation copy made 2021 (R. Hess)
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Robert James (RJ) Campbell was born on January 16, 1905 on Section 14-11-23 in the RM of Woodworth. He attended Education Point School. RJ worked in the Rivers area on a number of farms, then in 1925 went to Regina and worked in a garage. He returned to Manitoba shortly thereafter to work on his uncle's farm and then on the home farm with his mother until 1935. RJ married Edith Marian Bell (1913-2010) on December 23, 1937, and together they had two sons: Cordell and Urschel.
The family lived on the farm in the Brierwood district south of Harding until 1946, when they moved to Halls Bridge district north of Griswold where they continued to farm until 2006. RJ built all of the buildings on the farm including "Halls Bridge Dance Garden" in 1966. He loved to sing square dance calls, and along with Marian, travelled a great deal in North America and Europe, as well as a trip to the Soviet Union. Due to ill health, RJ moved to Hillcrest Place Personal Care Home in 2006. Robert Campbell died on February 14, 2007 in Brandon, MB. He is buried at Griswold 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 Robert Campbell about farming in the 20th century. Interviewer is Phyllis M. Cairns.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and Campbell's obituary. Description by Christy Henry.
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William John Montgomery was born on March 5, 1903 in Elkhorn, MB. He was educated at McAlonen School. Bill married Elsie Sarah Elizabeth Leslie (1905-1998) in 1932, and together they had two sons, John Douglas and William Garry. The couple lived and farmed on section 24-11-28, until retiring to Elkhorn in 1974. Bill served as president of the Elkhorn fair and also as a municpal councillor. William Montgomery died in early 1989. He is buried at Elkhorn 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 William Montgomery about homsteading, pioneer life and the railroads. Interviewer is Elmer Armstrong.
Notes
History/bio information from the records and the Find A Grave website. Description by Christy Henry.
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