Person Record

Metadata

Name

McKay-Mills, Donna

Othernames

nee Donna Olive McKay

Born

Early 1930s

Places of residence

-One mile north of Leith, Sydenham Township, Grey County, 1933-1940 (RR#2 Owen Sound)
-Lot 9, Derby Township, RR#5 Owen Sound, along Highway 21 (property now called 201674)
-Owen Sound, Ontario

Father

Donald Gordon (Doug) McKay b. 1899- d. 2

Mother

Olive May McKay (nee Beattie) b. 1897-19

Nationality

Canadian

Notes

Donna McKay was born during the Great Depression. Her parents farmed one mile north of Leith, in the Annan area of Sydenham Township, on the McKay family farm. Her parents had married on June 28, 1930. Her Dad, Donald Gordon McKay, usually known as Doug McKay, married Olive May Beattie (formerly of Keppel Township). In 1940, Doug, Olive and Donna moved to a farm in Derby Township, situated near the Long Swamp, at Lot 9, along Highway 21.

Doug and Olive had one Jersey cow, that was called "Daisy". Olive used to milk her. Their farm also supplied some milk to the Crystal Dairy of Owen Sound.

Donna married David Palmer on May 14, 1955.
Donna married Gordon Mills in 19__ at Division Street Church in Owen Sound.

Donna's mother, Olive May Beattie, was born in 1897 (1896 is on her tombstone). The Beattie family lived at Lot 8, Concession A, in Keppel Township. Olive was descended from David Beattie, who was born in Ireland c. 1769. The Beatties had lived in the Mono Mills area before moving to Grey County.
Donna's McKay ancestors arrived in Grey County circa 18__. Her grandparents, Hugh and Jeanette (Jennie/Jane) McKay were married Dec. 27, 1893 at York East. Hugh McKay was 29 (he was a Farmer of Sydenham Township), and Jennie/Jane was 31 (daughter of James and Jane Chadwick). Donna's great-grandparents were Alexander McKay and his wife Ann McKay (nee McAllister). Donna's Dad had five brothers, and two sisters. All of the McKays are buried at the Leith United Church burial ground by the historic Leith Church, except for Donna's uncle Ken McKay, a First World War veteran and educator, who died out west and was buried there.

Publications

-BEAUTIFUL STONEY KEPPEL, 1986 (provides the Beattie family tree)
-An image of Doug McKay is on page 8 of HISTORY OF SYDENHAM TOWNSHIP VOLUME 2, and the family is mentioned on p. 9.

Relationships

Grandfather: Hugh McKay of Leith
Grandmother: Jeanette (Jane) Chadwick of Leith (formerly of Toronto)
Grandfather: Albert J. Beattie
Grandmother: Essie Beattie (nee Lytle/Lytel)
Uncle: Reginald (John) Beattie

Uncle: Kenneth McKay (veteran of the First World War)