Laura Isabel: The Early Years – Chapter 2 of 5

Written by Harold McNeill on October 19th, 2010. Posted in Biographies


Laura Isabel: The Early Years – Chapter 2 of 5

Laura was the third of ten children born to Bill (William Skyler -1888) and Lillie Cressie Wheeler (Elliott – 1896).  Siblings included Leonard (1914), Evelyn (1916), Kenneth (1920), Melvin (1922), Clifford (1924), Tonnie (1928), Marcia (1932), Helen (I934) and baby Shirley (1938).

In the early spring of 1924, Bill and Lilly, along with other family members, pulled up stakes and headed out from the Alsask, Saskatchewan, to take up homesteading at Birch Lake, a few miles North-East of Glaslyn. At that time the five children ranged in age from 2 to 10 years and Lilly was expecting her fifth. Clifford was born that September. Lilly attributed the distinctive brown birth mark prominently displayed on Clifford’s forehead to the fright she suffered when Melvin, then two, almost fell from the caboose while crossing a river enroute to Birch Lake.

Photo: The wagon train ready to head out. Howard (Laura’s dad’s brother) and Myrtle Wheeler, her mom and dad, Lilly and William, grandparents, and siblings, Kenneth and Evelyn. 

While Bill and Lillie were able to provide their family with a comfortable life (by the standards of a 1920’s homesteader)  it did require the labour of all family members. That first summer, after the crops and garden were planted (some of the land was previously broken), Bill set about building a three room log house with sod roof, mud plastered cracks and whitewashed exterior. 

Laura had many fond memories of growing up with her brothers and sisters and attending the single room Birch Lake School which was located on the same section of land as their home. As her family lived so close to the school, they inherited the job of building the morning fire to heat the school during the long, cold winters.  The school house also served as the Community Church where her Grandma taught Sunday school.

Photo:  Wheeler children, Shirley, Marcia, Helen, Kenneth, Melvin, Clifford, Laura and Evelyn. Leonard had died in a drowning accident and Tonnie was not present.

West of the Wheeler’s, on the next section of land, lived the McNeill family. The McNeill’s had taken out homestead papers a few years earlier and members of that family remembered the Wheeler wagon train as it traveled pas their home to Birch Lake early in the summer of 1924. Over the next 24 years the two families became very close, sealing friendships that would last a lifetime.

Members of the McNeill family included: James Wallace (1866) and Martha Ellen McNeill (Church – 1874) and eleven children: Claude (1894), Clifford (1896), Ruby (1898), Irene (1901), Hazel (1902), Elizabeth (1905), David (1908), twins, Armina and Almira (1910), Floyd (1914) and Patricia (1916). It was, of course, the sixth born, David Benjamin who would play an important role in Laura’s young life.

Harold and Lynn McNeill
June 2008

Laura's family

Family Photo: Rudy and Evelyn Roske (Laura’s sister and her husband, Lilly and Willam (her mom and dad), Howard and Myrtel Wheeler (her dad’s brother and his wife), Grandparents, Les and Tabatha.

c1920 Sibbald-Alsask area threshing crew.  Laura’s dad is standing on the threshing machine. Her Mother is standing beside Evelyn.

c1920s  Laura and her extended family. Names to be added.

Grandma McNeill and Family

c1920s  This photo, posted on FB by Laurie Dmytryshyn (Pylypow), is one of the few pictures of Grandma Martha Ellen McNeill (Church) (standing centre) surrounded by her young children. Kneeling, back row left is Hazel Dewan (McNeill)(this is Helen Pylypow’s (Dewan) mother), standing, far left, is Elizabeth Dewan (Harwood) (her daughter is Betty Monroe(Curtis)(Dewan).
Front row, from left, Mina Crocker (McNeill) and Lolla David (McNeill), Floyd McNeill, Irene Ulna Johnson (McNeill) (Joyce Hayden’s mother), and seated by tree is Stanley Johnson (Irene’s first husband).  The other five children of Grandma McNeill are not in the photo (Claude, Clifford, David (Harold McNeill’s dad), Ruby and Patricia Humphries (Schirrmacher)(McNeill)(Gary Schirrmacher’s mother).

October 2010

Link to part 2 The Early Years

Link to Part 3 The Young Woman

Link to Part 4 A New Beginning

Link to Part 5 The Final Chapter

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Comments (2)

  • Cynthia Munsey (Armstrong)
    February 18, 2014 at 11:50 pm |

    While looking for my long lost family I have come across your site and see that my uncle Floyd is in one of the pictures, he was married to Alice Roske sister to Joe Roske my mother Evelyn Armstrong (Roske) father. You may remember my father Walter Armstrong he was killed at 28 (October 1960)not too far from Southy hauling a load of manure back to Regina. I spent many very happy summers with my Aunt Alice and Uncle Floyd on the farm and when they moved to Canmore I lived with them and Sue while working in Banff. My cousin Sue Foubert (McNeill)and I live close by and do visit when we can.

    • Harold McNeill
      February 19, 2014 at 3:08 am |

      Glad you found the site. I was just looking at a picture of Uncle Floyd and my dad, David B. McNeill while Uncle Floyd was visiting LacLaBiche in 1953. The picture will appear in a story about our time in Lac La Biche that will be posted sometime in the next week or so. I will send the picture to you by email. Cheers Harold

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Comments

  • Mike Fedorowich

    September 1, 2023 |

    I have gone through the above noted text and have found it quite informative.
    I am a former member with several law enforcement agencies from across Canada.
    I worked in the First Nations service under the authority of the RCMP with the over sight of the OPP. My law enforcement service was conducted under the authority of the Nishnawbe – Aski Police Service in North West Ontario the Louis Bull Police Sevice in Hobbema AB, the Kitasoo Xaixais Police Service in Northern in side passage on Swindle Island, the Lac Suel Police Service North West Ontario and the Vancouver Transit Authority Sky Train Police Service. I’m presently dealing with an RCMP member for falsifying a report against me for a road rage event. Court case is finished and the charge was dropped but I have an on going complaint with the member and have forwarded to the WATCH DOGS IN OTTAWA FOR the RCMP review and consideration. I believe the said officer is in violation of his oath of office and should be held accountable for falsifying his RTCC all the while dragging me through the court system here in Nanaimo. RCMP continue to stonewall the appeal but Ottawa and the crowns office are still looking into the matter. if your able and find the time or the interest in this very brief introduction, I would very much like to speak with you and would be grateful to hear any wisdom that may come across from your end. I served with First Nations Police Services for ten years in isolation and six years with Transit Police out of New West Minster. I do value and appreciate any time you could spare to chat for a bit on this particular subject matter. Respectfully with out anger but an open mind, Mike Fedorowich Nanaimo BC 250 667 0060

  • Harold McNeill

    February 28, 2022 |

    Hi Robert, I do remember some of those folks from my early years in Cold Lake (Hazel was my aunt and our family spent many fond times with Uncle Melvin, Aunt Hazel and Family. I knew Lawrence and Adrian. Having read a half dozen accounts it is clear their were many false narratives and, perhaps, a few truths along the way. I tried my best to provide an even account from what I read. Cheers, Harold. (email: Harold@mcneillifestories.com)

  • Robert Martineau

    February 25, 2022 |

    Its been a long time since any post here, but its worth a shot. My Grandfather was Hazel Wheelers brother Lawrence, and son to Maggie and Adrien. Maggie Martineau (nee Delaney) is my great grandmother. The books and articles to date are based on the white mans viewpoint and the real story as passed down by the Elders in my family is much more nefarious. Some of the white men were providing food for the Indians in exchange for sexual favors performed by the Squaws. Maggie was the product of one of those encounters. Although I am extremely proud of my family and family name, I am ashamed about this part of it.

  • Julue

    January 28, 2022 |

    Good morning Harold!
    Gosh darn it, you are such a good writer. I hope you have been writing a book about your life. It could be turned into a movie.
    Thanks for this edition to your blog.
    I pray that Canadians will keep their cool this weekend and next week in Ottawa. How do you see our PM handling it? He has to do something and quick!
    Xo Julie

  • Herb Craig

    December 14, 2021 |

    As always awesome job Harold. It seems whatever you do in life the end result is always the same professional, accurate, inclusive and entertaining. You have always been a class act and a great fellow policeman to work with. We had some awesome times together my friend. I will always hold you close as a true friend. Keep up the good work. Hope to see you this summer.
    Warm regards
    Herb Craig

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Hi Dorthy, So glad you found those stories and, yes, they hold many fond memories. Thanks to social media and the blog, I’ve been able to get in touch with many friends from back in the day. Cheers, Harold

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Well, well. Pleased to see your name pop up. I’m in regular contact via FB with many ‘kids’ from back in our HS days (Guy, Dawna, Shirley and others). Also, a lot of Cold Lake friends through FB. Cheers, Harold

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Oh, that is many years back and glad you found the story. I don’t have any recall of others in my class other than the Murphy sisters on whose farm my Dad and Mom worked.

  • Harold McNeill

    November 26, 2021 |

    Pleased to hear from you Howie and trust all is going well. As with you, I have a couple of sad stories of times in my police career when I crossed paths with Ross Barrington Elworthy. Just haven’t had the time to write those stories.

  • Howie Siegel

    November 25, 2021 |

    My only fight at Pagliacci’s was a late Sunday night in 1980 (?) He ripped the towel machine off the bathroom wall which brought me running. He came after me, I grabbed a chair and cracked him on the head which split his skull and dropped him. I worried about the police finding him on the floor. I had just arrived from Lasqueti Island and wasn’t convinced the police were my friends. I dragged him out to Broad and Fort and left him on the sidewalk, called the cops. They picked him up and he never saw freedom again (as far as I know). I found out it was Ross Elworthy.