(12 Jan. 1850-19 May 1952), centenarian. (Rory McCormick, Grampa McCormick, Little Rory at the Station, Blind Rory) Born at Glen Nevis, GC, or, by another account , on Lot 38, 2nd Concession of Lochiel Township. Parents: John McCormick and his wife Annie McRae. Rory McCormick worked in the West on the building of the CPR in his youth, and had recollections of building timber snow-sheds in the Rockies to protect the CPR line. He attended the funeral of John A. (“Cariboo”) Cameron at Barkerville, B. C. Re-settled back East, he farmed near Alexandria. He was married at Williamstown on 21 Feb. 1882 to Catherine (Katie) McCormick (d. 1912). Their daughter Catherine McCormick (who remained unmarried) was a music teacher in Montreal for some 40 years. Their son John won the D. C. M. in the First World War, and their son Hugh was killed in action in the same war. Rory McCormick spent his later years (from 1922) in Alexandria. He was blind for the last 32 years of his life (another account has 25 years). As a man of unusual age, he attracted much attention in his last years. He died in Alexandria, at the home of his son Robert R. McCormick. (seven children, of whom five survived him) Roman Catholic. The burial was at St. Finnan’s cemetery. He was the uncle of John A. McCormick. “An interesting conversationalist whose retentive memory could recall and vividly picture Glengarry’s pioneer days, Mr. McCormick had other talents which always made him good company. He had the Gaelic, both in song and story.”
Glengarry News 23 May 1952 (QF) * McCormicks 78-90, 146 (with portrait); see the good story 81 of Alexandria, McCormick, and the Boer War * to be 102 tomorrow, GN 11 Jan. 1952 (repr. McCormicks) * Fred Inglis’ “Valley Towns” series, Ottawa Citizen 5 June 1952 * snow-sheds: see illustr., Hurtig, I, 347