Buie Family History

The first twins to live in Russell were the late Mrs. J.C. McGinnie (left) f Minnedosa and Mrs. C.W. Thom (right) Russell, nee Grace and Agnes Buie. They are seen celebrating their 72 birthday in 1954.

    My grandparents came from the island of Islay off the north-west coast of Scotland. They came to Canada in the year 1847. Father's six sisters and two brothers were born in Canada. They settled in Ontario, near Collingwood. Needless to say they were all Highlanders. Father told us everything was conducted in the Gaelic tongues including church and school. He said he first worked for a neighboring family that was Pennsylvania Dutch, but spoke German and were actually German origin.

    In 1878, my father, along with Joe Whiteman of Silver Creek and two others, William Rattery and Andrew Tulloch homesteaded at Pilot Mound.

    Father was always grateful to Joe Whiteman for nursing him that winter through a serious attack of erysipelas. This venture was abandoned by father, and I presume by the others, as father returned to Ontario in 1879. However, he returned the next year, as much land father west was being opened up for homesteading. Father and quite a few others filed on homesteads in the Tummell district in 1880 and started to improve their claims in 1881. It was in this year that father and mother, Jane Poole, were married.

    In the summer of 1882 father brought mother from Winnipeg and left her with her parents until my sisters, Agnes and Grace, were born on July 21. He later returned from Tummell and brought them to the homestead. When they came to Asessippi they were given a town lot by Mr. Gill, whom they said gave it to them as they were the first white twins to cross the Shell River. Mr. Gill was postmaster and storekeeper and I take it owned the townsite.

    This was, of course. before the Riel Rebellion of 1885. I'm sure all will agree that the women, who often had to remain alone with their children while the fathers left to work on a railway gang or lumber camps to get a few dollars badly needed for necessities in any home, were the real heroes of the west.

    In 1886, father, A. B. Callin and William Kelso moved their families back to Russell. This was the year the railroad came to Russell. My parents were the first to live in the C.P.R. depot, the agent as well as the school teacher, T. O. Webster boarded with them.

    Father was a carpenter and wheelwright. He made wooden pumps, rolling pins and wooden dolls. Much fun followed the paint jobs as he was color blind. The power to turn the machinery was the family horse. The children took turns driving the horse in the right direction. Father was also the undertaker, making the coffins which were lined by the eldest girls. He was a good church man, helped with the church services and built the first Presbyterian Church in Russell.

    Pioneer days were times when doctors were very few in number. The nearest doctor lived in Birtle. Mother and her good friend, Mrs. Kelso, were the midwives for many years before Dr. Wright located in Russell.

Our family was:
    Grace (Mrs. Jack McGinnes) - three children - Jean, Bill, Heather.
    Agnes (twin sister of Grace, Mrs. Chas. Thom) - four children Archie, Jim, Agnes, Janice (See Thom history).
    Ella Jane (Mrs. Fred Glover) three children - Lois, Berythe, Elda.
    Annie (Mrs. George Glover) - three children - Jennie, Doris, Eleanor.
    Alwyn - married Irene Somersol - Six children - Jack, Ted, Kathleen, Archie, and Bob who was killed in action in World War II and Gordon.
    Fern (Mrs. W. McAthey) - five children - Lane, Bob, Jack, who was killed in action in World War II, Helen, Bill.
    Effie (Mrs. William Thom) - four children Mary, Jack, Bill, Bob. ( See Thom history ),
    Heather (Mrs. Guy Coulter ) - one daughter - Enid.
    Lois (Mrs. Leslie Roberts) - three children - Helen, Grahame, Donald.

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