Remembering our Roots ~ Bill & Jeannette Murray

Times Contributor

 

Both Bill and Jeanette’s families originated in Scotland, and immigrated to Western Canada in the early 1900’s. Bill’s grandfather George Murray homesteaded in the Golden Prairie district, 25 miles north of Maple Creek, Sask., where Bill’s father “Don” was born in 1924, the eldest of five children. Don and his wife Irene (nee Huxted) were married in Medicine Hat in August 1948, and moved to Strathmore after a four-day honeymoon, as Don was employed in custom combining using a John Deere No. 17 combine! He obtained his pilot’s license in the early 1950’s.

Bill was born in Maple Creek in 1947, the eldest of five brothers, and moved to Strathmore in 1949 with his family. He took all his schooling at Samuel Crowther, then worked on the rigs as well as the family farm.

Jeannette’s grandfather Charles Watson owned a china shop in the Grass Market in Edinburgh, Scotland before moving to Canada in 1911. He was drawn here by advertisements in the Scottish papers, placed by the Canadian Government and CPR, indicating Western Canada was “the land of milk and honey!” 

His wife was booked to follow him on the Titanic in 1912 with their four children, but due to illness their passage was delayed for a couple of weeks. How fortuitous! They homesteaded at Namaka, where her father was born in 1916.

Jeannette was born in March 1948, the year of the big snowfall. The snow that winter was so deep her mother had to be taken across Namaka Lake by sleigh to reach the train to Calgary, where she gave birth. Snowdrifts were higher than the train in places, and had to be dug out by hand. These were the days before snow plows! Jeannette spent her first four years at school in Namaka before moving on to Samuel Crowther in Strathmore, where she graduated.

She worked for a year at the Co-op before returning to Samuel Crowther as a teacher’s aide.

Bill and Jeannette started dating when they were in Grade 9, and they were married in April 1968. They have a son, two daughters, and eight grandchildren. Their son Vincent, is an agricultural engineer for the Provincial Department of Agriculture in Barrhead. Their daughter Shannon, works part-time at M & M as their Safety Officer and Human Resources officer. She is also the coordinator for the Strathmore Youth Club. Their second daughter Patricia and family live in Calgary. She is employed by the Calgary Board of Education.

Bill’s father “Don” started working for a drilling company called M & W Drilling, owned by John Mundell and Hank Webster. In 1952, Don bought out Hank Webster, and the name changed to M & M Drilling. Don then bought out John Mundell in 1956, and the company was incorporated. Bill and Jeannette took over the company in 2004. This company’s main work is drilling water wells with some light industrial drilling. Bill and all four of his brothers are pilots, as was their father.

Both Bill and Jeannette support community activities in and around town, including the Crisis Shelter, Relay for Life, Strathmore Lions auctions, and Project Hope. 

When I asked what travelling they had done, they replied that they spend every January and February in Maui, then from Easter to the end of October, spend as many weekends as possible travelling with their fifth Wheel. 

As with many people written about before them, the biggest change they’ve see in and around Strathmore is the population explosion.