ma. They farmed north of Clearwater.

John Alexander II was a brother of
P. B. McLaren. He married Miriam.
Strain and moved to the United
States. ,

1918 —- Alexander McLaren III —_
son of P. B. McLare-n. He married
Margaret Aitken — Sons David and
Alexander IV predeceased him and
daughter Merle lives at Falcon Lake;
son Roy lives on land originally own-
ed by P. B. McLaren. Roy is married
to A. Esler, LaRiviere and has three
sons.

David Alexander V, Raymond and
Ken.

ELSPETH (ELSIE)
McLAREN McGREGO'E

Elsie McLaren McGregor came
West from Gray County Ontario in
the Spring of 1879, along with her
Father Alexander McLaren, her Mo-
ther who was Ellen Butchart, bro-
thers Peter and Jack, her sister Sarah
and others. The family travelled in
company with the family of William
Butchart who settled in the Goudney
District Pilot Mound. This was a
large family too, and all a big adven-
ture for young people. Those were
the days of slat seats, slat bunks you
carried your own blankets — a small
stove in end of coach where you could
heat water if there was any left. Elsie
and Sarah remained at Emerson
(where they entered) took work for
a short time until ahome could be
made ready at Clearwater. Later this
crude home, a shack, partly made of
hay, caught fire from a spark and
they lost everything they had —— no
supplies nearer than 50 miles, and
little money to buy. Elsie sewed in
Winnipeg for a time to help out. A
very capable, hard working woman,
Elsie ran a boarding house in Clear-
water for many years. In the winters
of heavy snow, stalled trains and un-
expected crowds to prepare for, her
secret was a “Make the soup very hot

60

to give you time to prepare the next
course”. Elsie lived ‘a long and very
busy life, and was a friend to many.
She was pre-deceased by her husband
James McGregor,

JAMES McGREGOR

James McGregor came west from
Ontario in the Pioneer days and spent
the rest of his life in the Clearwater
district. In 1883 he married Elsie
McLaren. The Rev. James Farquhar-
son married them in 1833 and in 1883
they celebrated their Golden wedding
anniversary. He had some ability as
a violin player. A rather quiet, kindly
man, he was always busy around the
home or doing carpenter work. He
operated a lumber yard in Clearwater
for many years. Like most of the pio-
neers he lived a long life, over four
score years, and passed on leaving
many friends.

They had 4 children, 3 girls and a
boy, the eldest lived to be about 20
or 22 years who never talked or walk-
ed. The next two children were 100%
bright normal children but died early
in life with Scarlet Fever. Then the-
last child like the first was helpless
from infancy and lived to about 30
years of age. They moved and farmed
a few years at Colter and later re-
turned to Clearwater and took up
residence in the first boarding house
and hotel built in Clearwater. As
many memories go they were not in
that building long when fire demo-
lished the entire structure together
with all their belongings.

They then purchased the house
built by the late Bert McCrae which
house was added to, wing by wing,
and used as a boarding and stopping
house for many years. Known as the
Willard house it was a favorite stop-
over for many commercial travellers.
Mr, McGregor framed the foundation
of logs and had them laid while the
late P. B. McLare-n and Malcolm
Campbell went to Emerson for the