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Tuesday 31 March 2015

Abigail Louisa Boulton Roe (1878 - 1963)

Abigail Louise was the middle of 5 children born to
Benjamin and Ann Boulton near Brockville, Ontario in 1878.  Her siblings previously featured on this blog include Herb, Thomas, Anthony and Susan.

She was a three year old on the 1881 Ontario census living with her parents, siblings and her grandmother Ann.  She is called Abigail on the 1891 census and she is 13 years old.  The next year her family left Ontario for the prairies, Reston was their new home.  Ten years later in 1901, she is no longer at the Boulton home, according to the census.

Although I can find no official record of the next 3 events, I believe that she married Fredrick Jesse Roe  (1873-1957)  and had two sons, Thomas Fredrick in 1902 and Russell Alfred in 1903.  The latter was born at Mackinak, MB, southeast of Dauphin, according to his obituary in 1975.


Strangely, in the 1906 census, she seems to have been counted twice.  The Boulton home counts her as a 26 year old single "Abagail" and she is also counted as 26 year old Louisa Roe in The Humboldt, Saskatchewan area living with her husband 29 year old Fred, their sons Thomas (4) and Russell (3) along with Fred's brother William (35) and father (65) along with a 14 year old nephew Scott Chester. Their address is listed as Cressman, although I can find no record of this community.  Their household at 20-32-24 W2 had 4 horses, 4 milk cows, 5 other cattle, no sheep and 7 hogs.

Text of the note above, found in the Boulton house:

Winnipeg, July 9th
this is to certify that I will not quarrel with my brother (graney?) (or?) to mark each quarrel down on this paper. (F.?) Roe
Signed Thomas Roe and Russell Roe
What a find over 100 years later!  Who among us has not been in need of a pact like this one?  The bottom of the sheet was blank so maybe it worked!

The 1916 census finds the Roe family of four in the RM of Ellis in township 18 range 29.  Fred is listed as a labourer on a farm.  By 1921 Fred, Louisa and Thomas Roe are in the Birtle Municipality at 14-17-27 as farm owners.  They declare themselves as Methodists.



Back of the photo says - Mother & I and the Anderson sisters & Russell - 1927
(l-r Russell Roe, Anderson sisters, Louisa Roe and Tom Roe)

They moved to Brandon in 1927 according to her obituary and ran a market garden - east of the 18th street bridge about where North American Lumber is now.  The address in old ads is 1418 Manitoba Avenue although the there is no such address now that I can find.



Russell Roe and Helen Ashby                      Russell Roe with
Pearl Campbell and Tom Roe on top               Margaret Kilkenny

Brother-in-laws Fred Roe and Anthony Boulton - photo says 
18th Street Brandon Flood - July 6, 1947

This picture was said to have been taken in at the Roe's Market Garden in Brandon in the 40's or 50's.  
Russell Alfred married Helen Irene Ashby and had three sons - Travers, Eugene and Gerald.  He died in 1975 and his older brother Tom in 1981.  They are all buried at Brandon Cemetery. 

Uncle Frank recalled his Aunt Louisa living on the flats just east of the 18th street bridge, between the tracks and the river.  During the dry years of the 30's he said they had an acre or more of rhubarb plants that they grew for their market garden.  The grasshoppers came and ate every plant, and even sucked the roots dry of any moisture so all the plants were lost.  Rick recalls going to visit with his dad Edwin, perhaps in 1959 and the yard was flooded and they walked across pallets to get to the house.

Roe's Gardens 1965 ,1418 Manitoba ave

Roe's Garden ad in the classifieds from 1965 Brandon Sun

Fredrick died in January of  1957 and Louisa on June 20, 1963. Her obituary from the Brandon Sun can be found below.  I would love a photo of Louisa or any of her family to add to this post, if any of my readers might have one.


Found on Newspapers.com

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