(5 Feb. 1867-10 June 1942), cheese factory proprietor. (Norman F. MacRae) Born on a farm just outside GC, at Bonnie Hill, Caledonia Township, Prescott County, west of Skye and north of Dunvegan. Parents: Malcolm D. MacRae and his wife Janet MacAlpine. When he was a few years old, the family moved to a new farm at Skye, on Lot 9 in the 9th Concession of Caledonia Township. He attended public school at Skye. It is said that when he began school, he had a better knowledge of English than many other beginning students from this Gaelic-speaking area. In his early years, he worked on the farm and went to shanty. At some stage in his life, presumably early, he also learned the cheesemaking trade. He was married on 16 July 1902 to Mary Catherine MacMillan, who was the sister of Prof. John D. MacMillan. The newly-married couple made their home at Athol, GC, in what had once been the house of Dr Donald MacDiarmid (purchased Aug. 1902).

     From a date probably shortly before this time, Norman F. MacRae owned and operated a group of four cheese factories, called the “Sunrise Cheese Combination,” the locations of the factories being Athol (Arkinstall’s Corners), East St. Elmo, West St. Elmo and Dunvegan. Managing the business and maintenance side of this enterprise, together with laying in, every winter, the cordwood fuel supply for the factories, demanded constant work. When the Borden milk plant in Maxville opened in 1915, it provided stiff competition for the milk supply in the Maxville area, with the result that within a few years the first three cheese factories named above had to be closed. Norman F. MacRae owned the remaining cheese factory, the one at Dunvegan, from 1900 till he sold it in 1925, and then, after buying it back, he was again its proprietor till he sold it the second time, in 1939. Besides operating his factories, he farmed at Athol. He died at his home in Athol. Presbyterian. He and his wife are buried in the Dunvegan cemetery.

     They were the parents of Ivan F. MacRae and of a daughter Catherine Jean MacRae (17 July 1904-17 Feb. 1970). Catherine Jean MacRae (Catherine MacRae), who attended Athol Public School, Maxville Continuation School, Alexandria High School, and Ottawa Normal School, was over many years a well-known music teacher in the high schools at Maxville and Alexandria and in the local public schools, and was also a soloist and choir conductor. She was marrried in 1955 to Duncan MacLeod (1899-1980) of Skye, Ont.

     Norman Forbes MacRae was the brother of William D. McRae.

Standard Freeholder 11 and 17 June 1942, Glengarry News 12 June 1942 * private information * typescript sketch of his life prepared in 1981 by his son Ivan F. MacRae (5 pp.) with similar sketch for Catherine (1 p.) * Maxville (1991) 245, 745-746 * Lochinvar to Skye 446 * hist. of Dunvegan industries, Glengarry Life 1989 p. 13 * Rutley * leaves for shanty in South Woods, GN 2 Nov. 1894 * former cheese factory of his demolished, GN 27 March 1925