Dictionary of Glengarry Biography

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====== MacMaster, Mrs Marion Isabel ====== 
 (23 Aug. 1927-1 Aug. 1993), author. (Marion MacMaster) Born presumably at Kemptville, Ont. Parents: Harry Martin Lee and his wife Sarah Margaret McLeod, who lived on farms at Kemptville and at Vernon, Ont. Marion Lee was married on 3 July 1951 to Keith MacMaster, of Laggan, GC. They farmed on Lot 4 in the 7th Concession of Kenyon Township. (seven children, six surviving her) Besides being a farm housewife, Marion MacMaster was a schoolteacher in GC for many years, including 11 years at Laggan Public School. She received her B. A. from Queen’s in History and Geography in 1973.

<tab>A gifted researcher, she wrote two booklets of biographical sketches of war veterans, //The Honour Roll of World War II: St. Columba Presbyterian Church// (1988), and //St. Columba Men in Three Wars// (1990), and edited //The Schools of the Glens: a History of the One-Room Schools of Lochiel and Northeast Kenyon of Glengarry County and the Fringes of Prescott County by the Teachers and Students of Those Schools// (pp. 423; 1992). Superb is not too strong a word for the two St. Columba volumes, which will fascinate readers as long as Canadian interest survives in the wars of the 20th century. The large book on the schools contains much biographical information and contributes valuable data to that favourite topic, the old one-room country school. Marion MacMaster also edited //Glengarry Life//, the annual volume of the Glengarry Historical Society, for the four years 1990-1993, contributing articles and notes herself to those issues on topics which included Claude Nunney, GC soldiers who were in Siberia at the time of the Allied intervention after WWI, and GC soldiers who were at Hong Kong at the time of the Japanese attack in 1941.

<tab>Marion MacMaster was also involved in the project, connected with that of publication of //Schools of the Glens//, of the removal of the 80-year-old, one-room Big Beaver School in 1992 from its old location in the 8th of Kenyon a mile or so east to the grounds of Laggan Public School. Her husband and children had attended Big Beaver School , and she herself taught there for seven years.

<tab>Her husband Alexander Keith MacMaster (24 Dec. 1920-23 Aug. 1997), known as Keith MacMaster, was born near Laggan, on Lot 5 in the 7th Concession of Kenyon, the son of Gregor MacMaster and his wife Isabella Franklin. He joined the army in 1941 and was one of the Canadian soldiers who landed in France on D-Day. Five days later, he was wounded when his tank received a direct hit from a German Panzer. After recovery in hospital, Keith MacMaster rejoined his unit at Groningen, Holland, in late fall. Further active service in the fighting continued, and he was near Bremen in Germany when the war in Europe ended.

<tab>David Craig, in his book on the aftermath of the Highland Clearances, //On the Crofters’ Trail// (London 1990), pp. 214-221, describes an interview with Marion and includes a pen portrait of Keith.

<tab>Marion MacMaster died at her Laggan home. Keith MacMaster died at Cornwall General Hospital. They are buried at St. Columba’s cemetery, Kirk Hill.


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<fs small>//Glengarry News// 4 Aug. 1993 (by Bruce Myers, with portrait) and 11 Aug. (Gordon Winter’s column), and //Vankleek Hill Review// 11 Aug. 1993 (by Louise Sproule) * obituary of Keith MacMaster, //GN// 18 Sept. 1997, with further note in Ken McKenna’s column //GN// 24 Sept. 1997 * //MacLeods//, ii, 101 * Royce MacGillivray, “The Historians of Glengarry,” //Glengarry Life// 1996 (appraisal, portrait) * note on her life in retirement, //Queen’s Alumni Review// March-April 1991 * article (with portraits) on war service of cousins Keith and Donald MacMaster, //GN// 8 Nov. 1995 and for latter see also 25 June 1997 * //Bibliography of Glengarry//: index (for publications) * preparation of //Schools of the Glens,// with Big Beaver School project, //GN// 9 Jan. & 17 July 1991, 8 April 1992 (advert.), 25 March 1992 (portrait), //VKHR// 20 Nov. 1991 (almost full page), 4 Dec. 1991, 8 April 1992 * pictures of Big Beaver School being moved, //GN// 30 Sept. 1992 * //Schools of the Glens// published, //VKHR// 25 Nov. 1992, & article & editorial //GN// 2 Dec. 1992 (with portrait)
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