A history of Pickford Area Pioneer Families Daniel Morrison

MC DONALD

William and Margaret McDonald landed in the Soo in 1882 with eight children, two cows, a team of horses, and all their earthly goods loaded in a wagon. The Taylor family landed the same day from another part of Ontario on a different boat. The families settled on farms two miles south of Pickford opposite each other. The McDonald farm was bought from the railroad for $4 per acre. The family of eight children were Mary (Mrs. Tom Robinson) who lived in Pickford until 1911, then moved to Calgary and had 10 children; Isaac, who farmed here and had four children; Marie (Mrs. William Denny) who had four daughters and lived here until her death in 1948; William P. who was Forbes' father; James D. who was a Presbyterian minister in Detroit all his life; Stewart, who was a mechanic and mill man and built many farm buildings in the area, and the two youngest daughters, Hope and Margaret. William P. McDonald worked in the woods for 10 years with his father's team in the winter and cleared land and farmed in the summer. He also worked on the Soo Line Railroad one summer and worked on the Water Power Canal in the Soo with a team and scraper. In 1893 he married Mary Kennedy of Ripley, Ontario, who was the sister of Mrs. Robert Walker. William P. and Mary had five children. CECIL born 1894 and died in Bradenton, Flotida in 1960. MARGARET was born in 1896 and lived a long time in Grand Rapids and died in 1961. PARKER lived in Grand Rapids and died in 1950. STEWART lived in Lake Wales, Florida. FORBES married Wilma Crawford in 1924 and they had three children. William, John and Maty. Fotbes died on October 9, 1972. FORBES finished the lOth grade in Pickford and completed a two year short course at Michigan State in 1921 before returning home to take over the family farm in partnetship with his father. Mrs. McDonald died in 1944. The McDonald family had been active in the community life of Pickford since its beginning. William P. was Supervisor and Justice of the Peace for many years and a member of the Methodist Church Board. Forbes was on the Church Board and served as Sunday School teacher for many years, as well as on other church boards and committees. He was a member of the Board of Education from 1932 to 1950. In 1945 Forbes formed a partnership with his son, William, and in 1950, John joined the partnership to operate a livestock business and farm. In 1946 Forbes organized the Pickford Meat Company and served as president until 1956 when he sold his interest to Clifford Harrison and Wayne Storey. He also organized the Cloverland Livestock Auction, Inc., in 1945. In 1957 William purchased a half-interest in the Auction and served as auctioneer. In 1947 Forbes helped organize the Future Farmers Livestock Sale and donated the livestock auction facilities until they united with the 4-H to form the Chippewa 4-H and F. F. A. Fair in 1957. Forbes was made an honorary member of the F. F. A. in 1952 by the Rudyard Chapter. In 1960 William purchased his father's interest in the Livestock Auction. He was also made an honorary member of the Rudyard F. F. A. Chapter in 1968. William sold his interest in the Livestock Auction in September, 1971. He opened the Old McDonald Auction Barn in 1965 in Pickford, holding auctions every week April through December. In 1971 he added a furniture store in connection with the auction barn. In 1964 John opened a real estate office and he lives on the old home farm where his grandfather lived in 1900 and also owns the original Henry Gough, Henry Raynard, and William Miller homesteads. William married Verva Lawson of Sault Ste. Marie in 1947 and had three children; Irwin, Linda, and Cynthia. Irwin is at home. Linda graduated from Asbury College and is a missionary teacher and Cynthia is a senior at Michigan State University. John married Audrey Armstrong in 1952 and they have four children: Forbes, a student at L.S.S.C., Mark, Alison, and an adopted daughter, Glenda. Mary (Mrs. Robert Massongill) of California. Their children are Jennifer and David.

MC DONALD (PETER)

Peter McDonald was botn in Belgrade Ontatio, Canada. He married Hannah Cook. They came to this area in the 1880's and settled on the P. Line about 1/2 mile from M-48. They had 12 children: Sarah born in 1868, Jack in 1864, Dave in 1870,Peter in 1873,Fred in 1881, Herb in 1884, William in 1886, Hannah, Eva, Mary, Louise and Elizabeth. All are deceased except Herb, and William.

Sarah married Alfred Curtis of Dafter. They had 6 children: Roy Earl, born June 1, 1895, Cora Eliz, Oct. 15, 1896. Wilbert, June 28, 1898, Louise Pearl born Sept. 9, 1903. Herbert Wm. born November 10, 1904, Russel Floyd March 3, 1906.

Roy married Beatrice Christie. They have 8 children Robert, Raymond, Violet, Betty, Margaret, Roy Jr., Frances and Jacqualine and 30 grandchildren.

Cora married David Wilson (deceased). They had 3 daughters: Opal, (Mrs. Calomino),Ruby (Mrs.Huntly), Doris (Mrs. Mackie) and 11 grandchildren.

Wilbert married Ethel Pearce. They have 5 children: Margery(Mrs. Lampiris), Harold, Dorothy (Mts. Wilson), Coralie (Mrs. Jacobson), Lorne (deceased), and eight grandchildren.

Louise Pearl married James Larty and they have 2 children, a boy and a girl.

Herbert is a retired County Road Employee is married to Iva Suggitt, a retired teacher.

Russell married Gertrude Fegan and has two children, I)arlene and Russel.

Jack married Annie Cowell. They had seven children, Maxine never married. She lives in Paama. Angus, Bryon, Clarence (deceased), Laurence, Kenneth, Dougal, and 10 grandchildren.

David married Sraah Cockerline and had 2 children Herbert and Dorthy. Herbert married Bernice Potter. They had 2 children: Raya(Mrs. John Grivin) and Herbert, Jr., and 2 grandchildren. They all live in Midland, Michigan. Dorthy (Mrs. Wm. McCabe) had one son, Gary McCabe. She later married Arvie Hakola. She has six grandchildren.

Peter (see Stewart History),

Fred married Eveline Baines. They had 9 children, Chester, Melbourne, Leslie, Mary, Jack, Herman, Loretta and Tressa (twins), and Vern died at the age of one year.

Chester (Deceased) married Venita Kastner. They had two boys and 3 grandchildren.

Melbourne (deceased) see Batho History

Leslie (deceased) married Gladys Sterns. They had 3 children Fred, Jack and Beverly and six grandchildren.

Mary (Mrs. Ernest Hembroff), She had 3 stepchildren, Max, Milton, Wilhelmina (Mrs. Arthur and 9 step-grandchildren.

Jack married Ruby Smith. They have no children.

Herman never married.

Loretta (Mrs. Russel Tinkis). They have 2 children, Robert and Donelda. She has 3 grandchildren.

Tressa has no family.

Herb married Hazel Druding and they have no family.

William married Mable Druding after Mable's death he remarried and had 2 children and one stepson.

Hannah married Bill Hearn. They had 2 children, Eva and Illa Mae. Eva married John Roe. They had an adopted daughter, Pearl. All are deceased.

Mary married Dan Donaldson and they had 2 boys, Floyd and Earnest.

Louise married James McLarty and they had 2 children.

Elizabeth (Mrs. Adam Houghton) and they had seven children.