Remembering our roots ~ Allan and Rita McKinnon

John Godsman
Times Contributor

 

Allan’s great-grandfather Donald McKinnon was born on Tiree, an island off the west coast of Scotland, in 1801. He married Annabelle McLean in the 1830’s; she had been born in 1809.
Allan’s grandfather, Hugh McKinnon was born in Priceville, Ont. in 1842, and married a Kate McKinnon. This marriage has made it very difficult to research the family history, as they were not related before they were married. Allan’s father Archie McKinnon was born in 1886 in Ontario, and his mother Olive Tarbuck was born in 1889, in Nottinghamshire, England.
They were married in Drumheller in 1927. He joined the Cameron Highlanders of Canada at Winnipeg in 1915, and served in Europe, until he returned home to Ontario in 1922. He then travelled west to farm a half section of unbroken Soldier’s Settlement land on The Pope Lease District east of Carbon.
After marrying Olive Tarbuck in 1927, he became a grain buyer at Dunphy Siding, for Alberta Wheat Pool. He retired in 1952, and passed away in 1978 at the age of 92.
Allan’s mother’s parents were both born in Lancashire, England – father John Tarbuck born in 1864, married Alice White who was born in 1857. They immigrated to Canada in 1912, and homesteaded west of present day Drumheller. According to Wikipedia, the town is named for Colonel Samuel Drumheller who purchased land in 1910, and started coal mining there in 1911. Olive Tarbuck completed her education in Calgary, before attending Normal School and becoming a teacher.
Allan was born in Drumheller in 1935, the fourth of six children. He attended East View School, west of Drumheller, a typical one-room country school through Grade 9, before attending Drumheller High School through Grade 12.
Rita’s grandfather James A. Spence was born in Aberdeen, Scotland in 1856. Her grandmother Jane Shaw was born in Ireland in 1863. After immigrating to Canada, they travelled by covered wagon to Michichi, Alta. where they homesteaded. Rita’s father James Warnack (Warn) Spence was born in Woodstock, Ont. in 1886, and her mother Margaret R. Spier was born in 1892, in Scotland. They were married in the mid-1920’s.
Rita was born in Drumheller in 1933, the youngest of two daughters. She attended school at Michichi through Grade 10, then Drumheller High School through Grade 12.
After high school, Allan had spent a couple of years working in Carbon for the International dealer. While at high school he had met Rita Spence, and they were married in Michichi in 1954, and stayed there to farm until 1956, when they moved to Rosebud, where they continued farming. Due to being hailed out two years running, this wasn’t a viable option, so in 1958 Allan went to work for AP Grain in Milo and Bassano.
Life, as a relief agent, was not very good, especially when their four children were being born, and he was working away from home. Their family is now composed of three sons, one daughter, ten grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In 1959, Allan went to work for Andy and Bob Murray, the Massey Ferguson Dealer in Rosebud, then in 1961 they opened a branch in Standard, which unfortunately closed in 1967. Allan then opened a service garage in Standard later that year, and in 1969 he was joined by Albert Nobert, and they formed Standard Farm Supplies Ltd, which became the new Massey Ferguson dealership. Rita was the bookkeeper for the dealership for many years.
In 1973, this building was demolished to make way for a new building. After commuting from Rosebud for nine years, Allan and Rita were finally able to purchase a house in Standard, and six years later built the house they now live in. Standard Farm Supplies Ltd closed in 1988, and a year later Allan started working for Gates Agencies in Standard, where he still works part-time.
Allan served on Standard council for 30 years; half of this time was with Elmer Jensen who served for 15 years.
In 2002, Allan was awarded the Golden Jubilee Medal by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, who was celebrating her 50 years on the throne. In 2008, he received the Urban Municipalities Association “Distinguished Service Award” for 30 years of service on Standard Village Council.
Other community activities include serving with the Standard Fire Department for 40 years, which included being involved in the building of the new 1980 Fire Hall and Village Office. He’s been a member of Lions International for 55 years, was instrumental in the formation of the Marigold Library System, and was on the board for the new Recreation Hall, opened in Spring 2013.
Apart from her years working as a bookkeeper, Rita was a leader with Girl Guides, a Lioness, and a mother to her family.
Life in Standard has been wonderful and very fulfilling.