(from Ivan McKay and Earl McKay interview)
John Henry McKay (1859–1924) married Margaret Watson (1860–1943). They had six children: William Leslie (1881–1966) who married Elizabeth Harper Goldhawk; Emma Priscilla who married Charles A. Minielly; Alberta Mae who married Neil A. Fair; Murtena Sarah who married Albert Thompson; Ernest (1891–1969) who married Clara Mae Smith; and Harry (1895–1965) who married Mabel Minielly. The family’s home on Lot 2, Con. 1 SER was built by John Henry in the 1880s.
The oldest son Leslie used to custom thresh, using a steam engine. He later ran a sawmill in Warwick Village. Leslie and Elizabeth had two daughters: Grace (McEwen) and Isabel (Thomas).
The second son of John Henry and Margaret McKay, Ernest, and his wife Clara Mae lived on 6 Sideroad between the Egremont Rd. and Brickyard Line, then later moved to the Hawkins farm at 6494 Egremont Road. They had six children: Grant (1916–c.2005), Hilda (1918–, m. Jack Pembleton), Dora (1919–, m. George Wellington), Earl (1920–), Bruce (c.1928–c.2003) and Blake.
Earl McKay (1920–) was born on 6 Sideroad. He attended SS#1 Warwick. Often he would walk to school from his grandparents’ Smith house on the Brickyard Line, after doing chores for them. By the time he was in his teens he worked off the farm, at jobs such as drilling wells for Cecil McCord. He owned his first car by age 17. By 1940 Earl worked at Androck in Watford and married Eunice Cooper. Their son Doug was born in 1942.
Earl joined the 48th Batallion as a reserve in Watford in 1940. He and several friends from Watford joined the 19th Battery, Army Field Regiment (FLD) of the Royal Canadian Artillery in London in 1941. By 1943 he was sailing overseas on the ship Queen Elizabeth, participating in the D-Day landing, then sailing back at Christmas in 1945, after having fought several battles during World War II in Europe.
When Earl returned to Watford, he was almost a stranger to his four year old son. Earl went back to Androck to work for several months, then took a job as supervisor in the ignition coil department of Prestolite in 1947. He, Eunice and Doug moved to Point Edward in 1953.
John Henry and Margaret McKay’s third son Harry and his wife Mabel stayed in Warwick Twp. They had no children. Harry died on the home farm.
Earl McKay. Courtesy E McKay.
Chapter 24 of 25 - McKay, John Henry
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