Madsen, Mark and Rachelle (nee Saindon)
I, Rachelle Madsen (Saindon) was born in
Fort McMurray, Alberta in 1980. I
lived there with my family for most of my life.
My mom. Aline de Montigny, and I moved to
Crandall to live with Brian Johnston during the
summer of 1996. After living in the city most of
my life, I found living on a farm and in a small
town quite different, and I really enjoyed it.
Brian would tell me stories about Crandall, and
I had a hard time believing that it was actually a
booming town at one time. He would show me
pictures and drive me around telling me where
certain places were and I found this all very
interesting.
The house that we moved into with Brian
was very old. He said that it had been a while
since anyone had a room upstairs, which made
me the first in a long time. The fall after we
moved in, it was really windy outside, and I was
standing in my room and couldn't figure out
why it was so cold in my room. Then I noticed
that my curtains were blowing in the wind. That
was when my parents decided that we needed to
get new windows!
Brian and I decided to get a few rabbits. We
started out with five and in no time we were
overpopulated! My mom hated when they
would escape from the cage and get into her
flowerbeds in which she worked so hard. We
eventually ended up with too many, and Brian
started to take them and let them go in the
valley.
I really enjoyed it when mom and I would
take Brian out his supper to the field when he
was busy baling. We would eat in the back of
the truck, and then Brian would be back baling
in no time. Everyone around here does that quite
a bit, but I had never done it before and I really
liked it.
I moved to Hamiota in the fall of 1997, and
shortly after I met Mark Madsen. Mark was
born in Swan River, Manitoba and lived most of
his life in Hamiota. Our first child, Riley
Triston, was born in 1998 and our
second child, Mikayla Dawn, was born in
1999. Mark is working with Nelson
River Construction at the time, and seems to
enjoy doing that. We are living in the old
Coveney house, which is owned by Alan and
Bernice King. We were married on April 15,
2000 in my parent's farmhouse. In the short
time that we have lived in Crandall, we have
really enjoyed it. Everyone in the community is
really friendly, and we think that Crandall is a
great place to live and raise a family.
Maxwell, Ron and Debbie (nee Henderson)
Following my graduation in 1981, I moved
to Brandon, Manitoba to work and met Ron
Maxwell from Darlingford, Manitoba. We were
married in the Crandall United Church on April
13, 1985. We made our home just east of
Brandon where we raised Ron's sons, Sheldon
(28) and Devon (26). We moved to Douglas,
Manitoba in 1995, where we are active in the
community working with the community hall,
rink, curling, youth hockey and anything that
involves our two goddaughters, Jennifer and
Kayla Snow. We are also active in a re-enactment
group "The Redcoats of the
NorthWest" where we re-enact the life of the
R.C.M.P. in 1886. We also participated in the
Marchwest in May 1999. Ron is employed at
Eecol Electric as Warehouse Manager. I have
been employed at Ayerst Organics as a secretary
since 1986.
McConnell, Milton Howard & Violet May (nee Lewis)
Milton and Violet moved from Brandon,
Manitoba where they had retired, to Glenboro,
Manitoba in 1981 to be near me, their daughter
Myrna. My dad, Milton was unwell and mother,
Violet, needed some family help. Dad spent
several months in Glenboro Hospital, but did
spend some time in their small apartment at
Glen Haven Manor. I remember giving mom
and dad all the news and showing them pictures
of the wonderful Crandall reunion, which my
husband, Allan and I attended in 1982. My dad
passed away in the Glenboro Hospital, January
2, 1983 in his 89th year, and is buried in the
Hamiota Cemetery. My mother Violet, had
reasonably good health, and except for very
severe hearing loss and failing eyesight,
managed on her own with family help for
several years. In her 91st year, she continued to
have a remarkable memory for people's names
and events regarding people in Crandall where
she grew up and spent most of her married life.
Mom enjoyed her grandchildren and great
grandchildren very much, and took an interest in
all of their activities. Mother died in the
Glenboro Hospital on January 18, 1993 in her
93rd year, and is buried in the Hamiota
Cemetery.
Milton and Violet's children all attended
Crandall School. They are Murray James
McConnell - born February 8, 1923 in Shoal
Lake, Manitoba. Murray joined the Navy during
World War II, and following discharge from the
service, did several jobs, joined the Army later,
then became employed with Canada Post.
Murray married Helen Dodds of Brandon
Manitoba in May of 1953 and they had two
children, Brian James, born January 1955
deceased December 16, 1977, and Jody Lillian,
born in 1956. Jody married Rick Raymond
Schuerbeke, September 27, 1974 and they have
two children, Ryan Aaran, 1977, and
Reid Shawn, 1980.
Murray McConnell died July 25, 1999 in
Red Deer Hospital, Red Deer, Alberta. Helen
McConnell lives in Veteran, Alberta. Jody and
family live in Winnipeg.
Morris Edmund McConnell-born in
1929 married Georgina Spearman on March
26, 1951. They had one son, Morris Richmond
(Rick), born in 1951. Rick had one
son, Kyle Richmond, born in 1990.
Morris has many happy memories of his
Crandall school days, and his fun with the
Model T Ford with his friends, Jim Carnegie,
Doug Castle and Bill Wallace. They called
themselves the "Big 4". Morris spent most of
his life in sales in the Winnipeg area and is
retired, living in Winnipeg.
Myrna Loy McConnell- born at home in
1930, and I remember many happy
times in Crandall and area. What fun we had in
the old school winter van with the Colbecks and
Kerrs. I have fond memories of Christmas
concerts, singing in the choir, skating at the
rink, visiting the Lees, the Harvey Hyndman's
home, riding horseback with Kaye, visiting and
singing with Donna, Vi, Ivy and Jean Douglas at
their home, and also attending dances at Arrow
River. I married Ernest Allan Greer from Spy
Hill, on August 8, 1953 and we had three
children, and now have seven grandchildren.
Catherine Leslie (Greer)- born in
1957 married Kevin Craig Vrooman, September
29, 1979. They have two children. Holly Terrell,
1982 and Kelly Craig,
1984. They all reside on the farm at Belmont,
Manitoba at the present time.
Cheryl Ann (Greer)- born in 1960
married Richard Pankratz on March 9, 1985.
They have three children, Carleigh Robin,
1987, Daryn Richard, 1988
and Jenna Michelle, 1992. Cheryl and
Richard and family have lived in Bargara
Queensland, Australia since April 1992 and love
the climate.
Kenneth Allan Greer- born in 1964
married Valerie Eve Jasienczyk on May 10,
1991. They have two children, Matthew Allan,
1996 and Eric Lawrence,
1999. Ken and Val have lived in the United
States for approximately 9 years. They are
presently residing in Cicero, Indiana.
Myma and Allan enjoy their grandchildren
very much and have visited Australia, three
times and visit the U.S. at least once a year. We
are happy that we see our two older
grandchildren frequently. We enjoy our
retirement, and take part in senior curling in
winter and golf in the summer, and have lived in
the friendly community of Glenboro, Manitoba
for approximately 38 years.
McCutchin, Traci Leigh (nee Johnston)
Born in 1969 in Brandon
Traci daughter of Dennis and Helen
Johnston, graduated from Shilo High School in
1987. She then graduated from the Assiniboine
Community College with a Business
Administration Certificate. Traci joined the staff
of the Royal Bank of Canada in 1991. She has
held the positions of Customer Service
Representative, Personal Banker, Assistant
Manager Personal Banking, Financial Advisor,
and Customer Assistance Officer.
Traci met her husband, Stanley John
McCutchin, while she was working with the
Royal Bank in Neepawa, Manitoba. They were
married in Brandon on September 11, 1999.
Stan graduated from high school in Neepawa.
He attended the University of Manitoba and
then transferred to the Simon Fraser University
in British Columbia. He graduated in 1995 with
a Bachelor of Arts degree. Stan also spent a year
in Japan where he taught English at a private
school. Stan graduated from the R.C.M.P.
Training Academy in Regina on February 28,
2000. Traci and Stan are now living in
Thompson, Manitoba, where he is employed
with the R.C.M.P. Traci is working with the
Royal Bank.
Stan and Traci both enjoy sports, especially
playing volleyball. They also enjoy outdoor
activities, camping and visiting with family and
friends.
McKinnon, Brent and Donna (nee Smith)
I, Donna Marie, am the third child of
Newton Smith and Elizabeth (Betty) Gunson. I
attended Crandall school up to grade 8, and then
I went to Hamiota Collegiate to finish school.
After graduating from high school I took my
Registered Nurses Training at the Winnipeg
Health Sciences Centre. Following training I
worked in the mental health field doing
individual, family and group counseling. I also
worked in the drug and alcohol detox centre.
After my marriage I worked as a general duty
nurse at the Hamiota Health Centre.
Brent McKinnon and I were in the same
class in high school. We were married July 5,
1974 in the Crandall United Church. We
celebrated our 25th anniversary in 1999. We
bought the Jimmy Morrison farm near Pope,
Manitoba and moved in to a mobile home. We
are the proud parents of three children.
Krista Marie was born in 1977.
She attended school in Hamiota, then took her
Bachelor of Education at Brandon University.
She is employed as a youth program coordinator
at the Y in Brandon, Manitoba. She married
Drew Clayton of Brandon at our farm on July
15,2000.
Haley Erin was born in 1978.
She attended school in Hamiota, then went to
the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg,
Manitoba where she graduated with her
Bachelor of Agro-Ecology in 2000. She is
employed as a lab research specialist at the new
Ag-Quest research station in Carman, Manitoba.
Jarrett BrenDon was born in 1986. He
is in grade 8 at Kenton School. He likes several
sports.
We moved to the original Ingram/McKinnon
farm in 1981. This farm was first homesteaded
in 1882 by Brent's great grandparents, so we are
the fourth generation of family to live here.
Mitchell, Duncan
I was born in Miniota in 1940 to Mary
Georgina (Torrance) and John Edward Mitchell
of the Blairis and Arrow River districts
respectively.
We lived on my grandparent's (Mitchell)
farm until my father passed away in 1946. My
mother later remarried (Harry Gardham), and
my sister, Janice and I spent our childhood
attending Arrow River and Crandall schools. I
particularly remember the extra attention I
received from Miss Johnson (Vera Coburn) who
realized when I entered her grade two class that
I couldn't read, and spent every noon hour until
Christmas tutoring me until my reading skills
were brought up to speed. For that I am
eternally grateful.
I spent my high school years living with my
Aunt and Uncle (Marg and Ray 0'Connor) and
attended Crandall High School under the stern
gaze of Bill Davison. Bill you will be delighted
to know I finally passed my math finals in 1986
with my daughter at night school.
Upon leaving Crandall High in 1958 with a
more or less complete grade 11, I joined the
Royal Bank. Due to an inability (later
discovered to be dyslexia), to perform required
routine arithmetical functions that were required
in those pre-computer, pre-calculator days, the
bank and I mutually agreed to part ways after a
couple of years.
Subsequent forays into the construction
engineering and financial fields resulted in my
residing in such exotic locales as Hudson Hope
and Dawson Creek, British Columbia and
Edmonton, Alberta.
In 1966, I married Marjorie McFarland of
Wainwright, Alberta who, amazingly (according
to our friends) still shares my bed and board.
We reside on a farm near New Sarepta, Alberta
-OK near Edmonton, and have somehow
accumulated five children, nine grandchildren
and a motley assortment of other species, all of
which live near us and visit frequently- very
frequently.
I keep the wolf from the door by offering
business consulting (in the winter) and operating
a commercial honey farm (in the summer). I
guess there must be something to that bit about
not being able to take the farm out of the boy.
I feel sorry for people who didn't have the
opportunity to grow up the way I did. I had the
best of all worlds and the community gave me
everything I needed to make my way through
life. My memories of Crandall are all warm
ones.
Morison, Edward Cruikshanks
Edward was born August 9, 1908 at NE
28-13-25. He owned and operated his father's
farmland. In 1970 he and May moved to Virden,
Manitoba. He died June 22, 1996 in Virden and
is buried in the Crandall cemetery. Ed married
Elizabeth May Welsh in Crandall on October
10, 1936. She was born at Shoal Lake, Manitoba
on January 6, 1914. May presently resides at the
Personal Care Home in Minnedosa. They have
two daughters, five grandchildren and ten great
grandchildren.
Edwena Denise Morison was born in
1937 in Hamiota, Manitoba. She married LeRoy
Wellington (Bud) Amy on August 10, 1957
at Crandall United Church. They have three
children, Kimberly, Lee, and Heather. Their
family history can be found under the Amy
name.
Sharlene Margaret Morison was born
in 1942 in Virden, Manitoba. She
married Dallas Earl Smith (born
1941) in Brandon, Manitoba on August 12,
1961. They have two children and two
grandchildren.
Darise May Smith was born in 1965
in San Mateo, California. She married Craig
Eric Holland, July 29, 1989 in Portland, Oregon.
They have two daughters, Makala Paige, born
in 1992 in Portland and Delanie Dallas,
born in 1995 in Portland. Darise is a legal
secretary, Craig is employed with Intel
Computer Corp. and they live and work in
Portland, Oregon.
Darcey Gordon was born in 1962
at Homestead, Pennsylvania. He married
Roxanna Lee Hardt on June 28, 1997 in
Portland, Oregon. Darcey is a contractor and
finish carpenter. They live in Portland.
Morison, Patrick
Patrick Morison was born December 16,
1868 in Roseharty, Scotland and died in April
1933 at the Crandall farm. He married Jessie
Henderson in 1902. Jessie was born February
12, 1877 and died November 7, 1968 in
Neepawa, Manitoba. Both are buried in the
Crandall cemetery. They had seven children,
and as of July 2000, they are all deceased. Their
names were: Mary White, Alexander Smith,
James Henderson, Edward Cruikshanks, Gowan
Brebner, Thomas Watt, and George Alfred.
Mott, Phyllis R, (nee Douglas)
Our family is now so small. George and
Madge have only two siblings living. Myself,
and my sister Evelyn Porteaus. We do have two
sisters-in law, Gwen and Alice.