TRUSTEE TURNBULL

John Turnbull was the first recorded landowner of this section in the RM of Roblin and was the first trustee of the Badger Creek School District.

The third recorded owner of this land was born in Quebec. He attended McGill Law School and also served as King’s Council in the Sherbrooke Court.

In 1895 he married and started a family with his wife, Luna. They had 5 children. In 1914 when the war broke out, Albert was a Lieutenant Colonel. He joined the forces in the regular army and became a Major. Albert and his eldest son, who was 17 at the time, voluntereed for overseas service and were sent to England with the 117th Eastern Township Battalion. Albert returned to Canada but his eldest son was sent to Germany in 1917.

When the eldest son returned to Canada from Germany, the family decided to go west and in particular, the Cartwright area. Albert arrived in the area and found land and then returned to Quebec to purchase a herd of jersey cattle. John and Albert set back out west to their new home by railway, with the jersey cows. Albert and Luna’s oldest daughter remained in Quebec. Luna and the younger children made the 4 day trip by railcar and arrived on December 30, 1919. Upon their arrival the families new neighbours had a hot meal prepared for them.

During my search of this family I came a cross this photograph of Albert and Luna with one of their jersey cows.

In 1921 50% of the herd developed TB. After thorough cleaning of the barns, Albert went back to Quebec and purchased more jersey cattle. He showed the animals in Brandon and Killarney. These cows which caught a lot of attention at the Killarney and Brandon Fairs.

In 1925 Albert and Luna went back to Quebec where Albert continued to practice law until he passed away in 1932 following an appendectomy. Luna passed away in 1946 after she fell and broke her hip and was recovering in hospital.

John, the oldest son, took over the farm when his parents moved back to Quebec. The family gave up the farm in 1933. He bought a farm North of Winnipeg for a short time but headed back home to Quebec.

I have no idea if it was the Turnbull family that built this house or the second landowners, the Taylors from whom Albert and Luna puchased this land from.

After John left the farm, his sister and her husband moved to the land and raised a family on this homestead. Then their son took it over but moved to Virden and later Pilot Mound.