Duncan McLean

CATHERINE (KATE) McKECHNIE (10/23-1857-7/9/1929)

In 1873, when she was 15 years old she went from her home near Priceville, Ont. To Toronto, where she worked in domestic service. Two years later in 1875 she went out to the then small pioneer city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, where she served as a lady’s companion and nurse. About 1888, she came back to Priceville, Ontario and for the next year or two worked at dress-making in partnership with her cousin, Maggie Ferguson. She then went to Carllon, Ontario (near Montreal) with the Rev. J. L. Gardner family and after a short time went from there to Chicago. While in Chicago, was engaged as governess and nurse to Jack Peabody, young son of the well-known steel magnate and also served as governess with another wealthy family and while thus employed traveled widely with these families, going to their summer homes on Long Island, N.Y., Jakil Isle. Off the coast of Georgia, and at Lake Geneva, Wisc. and on other journeys made by the family. After this she returned home for a year and in 1897 came west to Dakota with her mother and sister, Maggie and brothers, John and Peter, all of whom filed on homesteads at Calio, N.D. in June of that year.
In November she relinquished her claim when she was married to Duncan McLean from Paysley, Ont., whom she had known since girlhood days in Ontario. He was then a widower with three children, whom she raised. Living on his farm at Antler, N. C. After her husband’s death in 1902 she continued on the farm there for three or four years, after which she came to Calvin and spent the remaining years of her life with her brother Neil and family. She returned to Ontario to spend a couple of years with her brother, John and family and in 1918 came to Calvin and spent the remaining years of her life with her brother, Peter and family till she passed away in 1928. She was an active member o the Baptist church. During the later part of her life she became very hard of hearing but always took an active interest in those about her and was especially ardent in maintaining the ties of friendship with distant relatives and neighbors with whom she had become aquatinted in former years. (Incidentally, had the framework of this family tree been together before her death. Her keen memory could have supplied much data that is missing.)⁹