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Neill Marshman MacGregor

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Birth	:	22 Feb 1909 Kemptville, Leeds and Grenville United Counties, Ontario, Canada
Death	:	21 Oct 1991 Vancouver, Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Burial	:	Chilliwack Cemeteries, Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate	:	49.1836128, -121.9063110
Description	:	FamilySearch ID: L1H2-KL6 Info from Neill MacGregor…The Man And His Memories Of Rosedale as written by Dean Roosevelt. Provided by Allan Stark. Neill Marshman MacGregor was born Feb 22, 1909 in Kemptville. Ontario' and moved to Reston, Manitoba July 2nd, 1909 where his family ran an 800 acre grain and dairy farm. In March of 1920, the MacGregor family moved to Popkum where Neill attended Rosedale Elementary School and later, Chilliwack High School in 1924. Neill went on to attend university at the Manitoba Agricultural College, graduating in 1932. “With a shovel full of youth and... Read More	FamilySearch ID: L1H2-KL6 Info from Neill MacGregor…The Man And His Memories Of Rosedale as written by Dean Roosevelt. Provided by Allan Stark. Neill Marshman MacGregor was born Feb 22, 1909 in Kemptville. Ontario' and moved to Reston, Manitoba July 2nd, 1909 where his family ran an 800 acre grain and dairy farm. In March of 1920, the MacGregor family moved to Popkum where Neill attended Rosedale Elementary School and later, Chilliwack High School in 1924. Neill went on to attend university at the Manitoba Agricultural College, graduating in 1932. “With a shovel full of youth and a degree in his satchel, Mr.. MacGregor had the world before him”, but in 1935 he accepted a teaching position at the old Chilliwack High School. He was given an out-dated agricultural program which he soon brought up to date. He went on to begin an Agricultural Vocational (Vo-Ag) program and school garden program in 1940. In 1941, MacGregor enlisted in the Air Force and was recruited to become an Airfield Control Officer. In October of 1941, Neill was commissioned as Pilot Officer and trained as a Link Trainer Instructor. World War II caused him to abandon his plans temporarily, and join up in the Royal Canadian Air Force, He flew supplies 'over the Hump' to Burma, against the invading Japanese. During that time, in Calcutta, he met up with Flight Lieutenant Albert Anderson and Flying Officer Roy Gleig in Calcutta. At this time, Neill McGregor was a Flying Officer. He returned to Chilliwack in 1946 and continued teaching. During the time he had been in the service, Art Renney, took his place at Chilliwack High School. Mr. MacGregor spent the next few years studying the agricultural program of the United States, and when the new CSSS school was built in 1950, he created his own version of a practical agricultural program. Neill had returned to Chilliwack High School in 1949 and was hired to pick up the Agricultural program which had suffered in his absence. Neill married Margaret Bolton in 1949 and purchased a home at 47 Hazel street. Mr. MacGregor built up the agricultural department with new equipment and techniques to a strong foundation for CSSS students planning to become farmers of the future, or who desire entrance in vocational training. Future Farmers of Canada, based on an American equivalent was introduced in 1950. The program was established at several B.C. schools and held a provincial convention that eventually met over Easter. One convention was held in Chilliwack in 1954. The organization was a "club" that encouraged youth interested in the success of the future farm and the inherent values associated with agricultural work. Club activities included demonstrations, public speaking, father and son banquets as well mechanics, crops, livestock and other activities associated with farming. Vocational-Agricultural programs continued at Chilliwack High School until changes to grade levels in association with particular school levels, such as Junior High School and Senior High School were changed. Originally, high school had been a five year program, grades 8-12, reduced to a two year, grades 11-12 program, thereby losing three years of instruction time. By Fall of 1968 the program was finished although agricultural curriculum was revised for BC classrooms in 1977-78. It was while living on Hazel Street South that Neill and Margaret began a lifelong friendship with Bob and Marie Isbister, their nearby neighbours. Neill and Bob taught school together at Chilliwack Senior High School for many years and were both driving forces behind the Future Farmers Of Canada actitivities at the school until the program ended in 1968. In 1953, Margaret and Neill purchased the old Thornton property on Promontory, where Neill owned Angus beef cattle and continued to farm. Neill retired from teaching in 1969 at the age of 60 and subsequently became involved with the Aberdeen Angus Association. In 1970, he was elected as President of the club, and from 1975 to 1980 he was BC’s Director to the Canadian Aberdeen Angus Association. The completion of the 1969 school year brought 34 dedicated years of teaching at CSSS to an end for Mr. MacGregor, but marked the beginning of a retirement life on his 30 acre farm here in the Fraser Valley. That idyll lasted until 1991 when Neill died at the age of 82. He had a diversified life of many interests which included a love of the sound of the pipes (see photo below with the Canadian Legion Branch 4 Pipe Band. The picture is of poor quality, unfortunately, but Birch Van Horne can be seen on the left in the second row); living on Promontory Road and exploring new directions in cattle breeding, and many travels throughout the world. Anybody who had Neill as a teacher, or as I did, had the pleasure of sitting in a corner of the Isbister living room and listening to his rich telling of a lifetime of memories to a rapt audience, knows what a gap is left when people like Neill are no longer with us. In the mid 1980’s, Neill MacGregor provided a colourful account of what it was like growing up in Popkum ninety years ago…I would like to share some of what he wrote, and apologize for not being able to say like he would have said it-with inflections that made the account so much more entertaining. Written accounts can in no way replicate the way Neill could tell a story. The account that he provided to “In The Shadow Of Mount Cheam” is three pages in length, but with apologies to the quality of the account, I am going to summarize the points he made which richly describe common experiences that would have been the situation which most farmers found themselves in at that time. The MacGregor family arrived in Popkum from Vancouver on March 26, 1920; having previously lived in Reston, Manitoba. Three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacGregor (Ronald, Neil and Howard) were later joined by two adopted daughters-Mollie and Dorothy. Sadly, their mother died the following year so the two daughters, who had been adopted, had to be returned to their birth mother. The MacGregor property of 160 acres was bounded on the north by what is now known as MacGregor Road; on the south by Cheam Lake; on the east by Popkum Road, and on the west by what is now known as Highway #9. Originally, arrangements had been made to buy the “old Knight house” at the junction of Popkum Road and Yale Road. This house had belonged to the Knight Family which had operated the lumber mill in Popkum. Unfortunately, the house having been abandoned, transients living in it started a fire which engulfed the old house. Consequently a new house had to be built on the remaining 135 acres of the property (after the CNR appropriated part of the acreage) and the farm prospered with over three acres of fruit trees closer to the river being planted after the land was cleared. Schooling involved driving a horse and buggy to Rosedale, in addition to the one room school in Popkum, which was about three miles from where the MacGregors lived. Unfortunately, political divisiveness among the local school board led Mr. MacGregor to arrange for the boys to attend school in Rosedale. The buggy ride to Rosedale involved the narrow Cariboo Road through the Cheam Reserve; and took an hour to get to Rosedale. Stabling the horse was done at the property next to the school; and was onerous. Neill and his friend Melvin Peterson would often choose to walk the four miles along the railway tracks instead of harnessing and stabling the horse.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Neill Marshman MacGregor's memorial?
Neill Marshman MacGregor's memorial is located at: Chilliwack Cemeteries, Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada.
When did Neill Marshman MacGregor death?
Neill Marshman MacGregor death on 21 Oct 1991 in Vancouver, Greater Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia, Canada
Where are the coordinates of the Neill Marshman MacGregor's memorial?
Latitude: 49.1836128
Longitude: -121.9063110

Family Members:

Parent

Howard Blaikie MacGregor

(1864 - 1940)

Mary Elizabeth Millar MacGregor

(1868 - 1921)

Spouse

Margaret Elizabeth Bolton MacGregor

(1918 - 1994)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Chilliwack Cemeteries
Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1836128, -121.9063110

2. Ch'iyàqtel Cemetery
Tzeachten, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1145750, -121.9391710

3. Carman Cemetery
Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1112140, -121.9494650

4. Saint Mary's Cemetery
Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1112100, -121.9494700

5. Kent Municipal Cemetery
Agassiz, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.2368800, -121.8034900

6. Vedder View Gardens Cemetery
Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1113300, -121.9878800

7. Greendale Cemetery
Chilliwack, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1112800, -121.9889800

8. Valley View Cemetery
Agassiz, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.2602090, -121.8178870

9. Chehalis Cemetery
Agassiz, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.2602330, -121.8179150

10. Pretty Family Cemetery
Harrison Mills, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.2826900, -121.9483500

11. Soowahlie First Nation Cemetery
Soowahlie, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0866390, -121.9653890

12. Deroche First Nations Cemetery
Deroche, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1888400, -122.0747800

13. Yarrow Mennonite Cemetery
Yarrow, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0871100, -122.0724900

14. Hatzic Cemetery
Hatzic, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1599998, -122.2570038

15. Westminster Abbey Cemetery
Mission, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1564000, -122.2730800

16. Oblates of Mary Immaculate Cemetery
Mission, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.1403461, -122.2859594

17. Saint Peters Cemetery
Whatcom County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9794006, -122.1406021

18. Musselwhite Cemetery
Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0419100, -122.2448900

19. Hazelwood Cemetery
Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0629600, -122.2815200

20. Maclure Road Mennonite Cemetery
Abbotsford, Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada
Coordinate: 49.0604553, -122.2841415

21. Old Maple Falls Cemetery
Maple Falls, Whatcom County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9207000, -122.0757000

22. Maple Falls Cemetery
Maple Falls, Whatcom County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9208320, -122.0817140

23. Glacier Cemetery
Glacier, Whatcom County, USA
Coordinate: 48.8900000, -121.9247000

24. Sumas Cemetery
Sumas, Whatcom County, USA
Coordinate: 48.9819880, -122.2480330