Fonds med-218 - Percy McKinley family fonds

Percy McKinley was born in Lower Onslow, Nova Scotia, August 16th, 1897, to Wilbert and Emma McKinley. Wilbert and Emma operated a country store and blacksmith shop. Percy left Nova Scotia in 1906 and started working on the Lindsay Ranch, west of Writing-On-Stone Park. Mr. Lindsay died in 1908, and Percy returned to the ranch he was formerly working on in the Wisdom District. In 1909 Percy married Minnie Jane (nee Lindsay), who was born in 1891. They built a home on the SE ¼ of 26-8-6-4. This was there home until 1916, when they purchased the Lindsay homestead. They resided here until 1950, when they moved to Medicine Hat, at the address 62- 2nd St. NE. Percy and Minnie Jane also bought a cabin out at Elkwater after their retirement. The couple had five children: Guy (born January 15, 1911), Jean (Mrs. W.N. Hansen) (born January 27, 1913), Baxter (born August 23, 1918), Wilbert (born June 16, 1924), and William (born June 16, 1924). Guy became interested in breeding and selling Hereford bull calves. Livestock improvement and Hereford blood lines were his main interests in agriculture when working on his father, Percy's, farm. On August 30, 1943, Guy married Mirial (nee Rollefson) and the couple moved to the old Starks Ranch (which they rented from Eugene Starks' widow). Mirial and Guy had two children, Guy Richard (born 1945) and Warren (born 1947). Jean moved to Medicine Hat to live with her Grandmother Lindsay and attend Alexandra High School. She entered the Medicine Hat Hospital School of Nursing in 1931, and graduated in 1934. In 1935, Jean joined the District Nursing Service. She served in Alder Flats, Hines Creek, and Hilda. Jean married Rusty Hansen on December 31, 1940. They had two daughters, Sandra and Lindsay. In 1951, the family moved to Bremerton, Washington. Baxter went to Calgary in 1936 to attend the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art, and graduated in 1938. He was then employed by the T. Eaton Company in Calgary. Baxter enlisted in 1939 and went overseas in 1940 as an electrician and wireless repairman. He spent 4 years along the South Coast of England, from 1940 to 1944. In 1945, Baxter returned to Canada and started to work with his father, Percy, on the ranch-farm in the Wisdom District. Baxter married Elizabeth (nee Orosz) in 1953. They had three children: Carol Ann, Kathy Marie, and Barbara Jane. Baxter and Elizabeth retired to Medicine Hat in 1984. Wilbert married Rose (nee Klemm) in 1952. They lived on the family ranch and had three sons, David, James, and Ross. Wilbert and Rose retired in 1987 to Medicine Hat. William "Bill" McKinley sold his share of the family ranch to his nephew, David, in 1975, and went to work for the Elkwater Golf Course as the grounds superintendent. Bill retired in 1986, and passed away on April 1, 1988. Percy passed away April 11, 1966. He was 78 years of age. His funeral took place at Cook's Funeral Chapel, officiated by Reverend Robert Thompson. He is interred at Hillside Cemetery. Minnie Jane passed away in December 11, 1986, at the age of 95.