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THE LEONARD DAVIDSON FAMILY
- by Mrs. Leonard Davidson (Lucinda Burrows)
We came west to Russell, Man. in the year 1907, from Wiarton, in Bruce County, Ontario. It
was March 29 when we landed in Russell and very cold, wintery weather. All April was cold.
When we left Ontario it was spring with green and the birds back.
When spring was late, the farmers seldom got on the land until May 24, with the frost only
two inches out of the ground.
My maiden name was Lucinda Burrows. A sister of mine (Ann)
had come west in 1900 to teach school at Lockerby. She later married James Vinnell
and settled in Boulton. Two years later
our parents came to visit her. They came in June, stayed all summer, but mother got sick
and was not able to take the journey back to her home in Ontario. She passed away in early
May, 1907,
a month after she got to Russell.
My brother Will, had come to Grandview in 1906 and farmed there the one
season. Then he came to Russell and bought the Danny McDonald farm. There
was a log granary and a slab stable on this place. My brother wrote for us to come and
help him farm, so we did. They fixed the granary, lined it with heavy paper, with a sod
roof. We lived in it until fall, then moved into a house
built during the summer. We had one child, Harold, two years old. After
mother’s death, father came to live with us until he passed away in 1916.
Our first crop all froze in August, as most in the country did. The next two crops were
badly hailed when almost ready to harvest. Tough luck! But my father helped us
considerably. My husband went to the bush at Blue Wing where there was a saw mill and took
out timber to be sawed into lumber and scantlings to build a barn and granaries. The late John
Jackson helped to build the barn.
Over the years we raised nine children, six boys and three girls. Jim
lives at Vancouver, Stanley at Russell, Nelson, Arthur, and
Lawrence farm in the district, Charlotte lives at Elgin and Martha
at Russell. The youngest daughter lived in Flin Flon. She passed away in 1963 with cancer.
The older children went to Lockerby school until Cracknell district was formed, and the
younger children attended that school.
(Mr. and Mrs. Davidson built a house in Russell in 1948, leaving the farm, where the
youngest boy, Lawrence still farms. Mr. Davidson was in ill heath for a number of years,
passing away in
November, 1960. Mrs. Davidson is now 80 years old.)
WILLIAM DAVIDSON
by Mrs. Lloyd Foster (Myrtle Davidson)
William Davidson was the owner and operator of a timber sawing mill on Georgian Bay when
he caught the fever to “go west”. He arrived in Russell in 1906 and bought a
half section of land (17-22-27) in the Boulton Municipality. His wife, the former Martha
Burrows, and family joined him the following year. Their venture into farming was
in the beginning not blessed with success. The first two years the crops were frozen and
the third year, it hailed.
A lesser man might have given up in discouragement, but as Martha, too, was of strong
personality and determination, they persevered. Both being hard workers, they weathered
the lean years by
raising cattle with cows to provide milk and butter, and by growing their own vegetables.
Fortune at last smiled upon them and the fourth year saw Them reap a bountiful crop of
grain. During
the next few years they were able to build a new home and acquire more land. Success
seemed assured.
They had a family of seven, four boys and three girls, namely Nelson, Myrtle,
Robert, Wellington, James, Lucinda, and Elsie.
Myrtle was able to complete her education and with “Normal School” training
became a teacher. The two oldest boys, Nelson and Bob worked for more
established farmers, while Wellie and
Jim attended school and helped with the farm work. This was a closely
knit family and all members felt that the best possible place was home.
The big change came with the War (1914-18). Nelson and Bob joined the army, the first
C.M.R.’s and the 78th Battalion respectively. As to so many families during those
years loss came to June 1916, and then Bob in November this one. Nelson “killed in
action in of the same year.
Myrtle married J. Lloyd Foster on his return from service overseas in
1919. They had only one child Marie, Mrs. D. A. Kinney, of Russell.
The next year George Wellington took for his bride Hazel McIntyre.
They are now retired in Russell and their family of five, Enid (Mrs. J. Irvine)
in Winnipeg, Gertrude (Mrs. G. Joyce) Saskatoon, Anita (Mrs. D.
Ballance) Brandon, Lorne, farming at Russell, and Gerald
in Winnipeg, are all within easy visiting distance.
Jim by dint of much striving and effort furthered his education and later
attended and graduated from the Toronto Chiropractic College. He was for thirty years a
successful chiropractor in Winnipeg where he is now semi-retired with his wife, the former
Margaret Lamont of Dominion City. Their only child, Norma, is Mrs. G. L.
Ferguson who also lives in Winnipeg.
Lucinda was a school teacher and married Alvin R. Hart. They
resided in Russell and have one daughter, Carol. Alvin and Lucinda
are no longer with us. Alvin passed away in the mid-late
seventies and Lucinda (called Sid by close friends and family members) passed away in the
early 90s. Carol married Robert Clement (son of Stanley and Rita
Clement). They had three daughters Lisa, Cindi, and Robbi.
Lisa has one daughter, Amanda. Cindi married Brian Nichols
and has three children; Hope, Paxton, and Trayden. Robbi
married Neal Zentner (from MacNutt) and has four children; Daniel,
Zachary, Madeline, and Mathew. (Information supplied
by Lisa Clement.)
Elsie, the youngest member of the family, also lived in Russell and was the wife
of P. M. Williams. Elsie is no longer with us. (Information
supplied by Lisa Clement).
William and Martha sold their farm and retired to Russell in 1928. The former died in 1937
at the age of seventy four and his wife in 1946 at the age of seventy-nine.