(The Bickerstaff connection....My grandfather , James Leslie, was a brother-in-law of Ellen Bickerstaff, who married his oldest brother Andrew.)
‘My grandfather, James Leslie, was the youngest brother of Alice Leslie’s father. He was the seventh son of a seventh son.....so there must be many more Leslies than we know about. Grandpa was a teacher, having studied at Trinity for four years. He married Mary Jane Boyd (b. Galway) of Belfast in January of 1913 and they immediately immigrated to Canada . I somehow think that my grandmother met him through her brother who was also away at school. I do know that granny was engaged when she met him......but obviously she broke off her engagement to marry Grandpa.
Granny was a dressmaker and had her own shop on the third floor of her parents’ home located at Balmoral in Belfast. Apparently, it was a successful business, as she would have a staff of up to six employed during her busy season. She paid her her parents 1.000 pounds per year in rent, which was a lot of money in those days. She was also a good artist, and fortunately, I am lucky enough to have one of her paintings from 1911. ‘
My grandparents' home was burned down just before the birth of Uncle Willie in 1917 and they lost everything. She retrieved four paintings from her sister, who was living in Winnipeg, some years later so she would have one for each of her children...
Grandpa the schoolmaster
‘Grandpa's first school was in Biggar, Saskatchewan (west central Saskatchewan). This is where my mother, Eileen, was born on October 31, 1913. Apparently they didn't care for the area, so grandpa taught in several rural schools until they finally settled in the Campbelltown school district, where they also farmed. They called the farm Knockcairn, after grandpa's home near Glenavy. Campbelltown is just northeast of the village of Kelliher.They had four children: Eileen- b.1913,-D. 2001. Elizabeth-b.1915 -William-b.1917,-D.1991 and Andrew- b.1919.-D.1991 Only Elizabeth is still alive, living in Oliver, British Columbia with her husband Wilf Hidlebaugh.
‘My mother, Eileen, married Joseph Campbell Dunlop on November 19, 1936. They had six children, five surviving. These are Elizabeth (Betty) Hart – b.1938 -lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Robert (Bob) Andrew – b.1940- farms eight miles from Regina, Margaret Ellen Lyell (Pegie) -b.1943- lives in Saskatoon. Pegie is a widow. Her husband, Stan Lyell, was a nephew of ‘Mr Hockey’- Gordie Howe. Stan passed away in 1997. Gordon James – b.1944 – lives in Redwater, Alberta, Sharon Mae Grocholski- b.1946 – lives in Regina, Saskatchewan and Patricia Jean – Dec.16-Feb.11, 1952– who died of meningitis at six weeks of age.
University training
‘We lived on a farm in the same district as granny and granda until I was nine, when we moved to the village of Kelliher. I left in 1964 to attend university in both Regina and Saskatoon and trained as a teacher. My sister Pegie and brother Bob also trained as teachers, though Bob ended up farming near Regina.
‘Betty is a home economics graduate as well as having her MBA. Gordon knew university wasn't for him and has had a successful career with a railcar company.
‘I have three children....Bradley – b.1976 - employed by Sasktel (internet support) and is the father of our only grandchild, Alexander. Brian – b.1977- is featured in an earlier Bickerstaff Connection chapter with details of his wedding programme. He is a teacher with a theatre major....hence their wedding programme was done (tongue in cheek) in theatrical style. He and his wife, also a fine arts teacher, will be living in Hinton Alberta. this year. They had been teaching on a First Nations Reserve in northern Saskatchewan for the past two years and will be happy to get back to civilisation. Geoffrey-b.1980 - is living at home and going back to university...and also hopes to become a teacher ‘He has spent four and a half years working in a rehabilitation centre for adults with intellectual and physical disabilities.
I am also married to a former teacher! I met Bob in Kindersley, my first teaching location, in 1966. I convinced him to go to university and we were married in Aug. of 1969. He retired after 30 years of service in 2001.
‘In 1984, in celebration of Saskatchewan's 75th anniversary, a grant was extended by the Province for all communities to compile a history book of their area. Both mom and dad worked on the Kelliher area book. This book contains a much more detailed history of James and Minnie Leslie and their family.'
