Digging Down East: Deyarmond Emma Jane

Emma Jane Deyarmond, the wife of my 2d second great grand uncle, was born on this date in 1867, in Upper Stewiacke, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada, the fourth of seven children born to George Albert Deyarmond and Mary Johnson, and their third daughter.

At the age of 29, Emma married John William MacKay, on the 2d of September 1896, in Upper Stewiacke. Together, Emma and her husband had 6 children:

Lila and Lois, twin daughters, b. 1899

Eileen Unice, b. 1904

Freeman Orrin, b. 1906, who died at age 10

Marcus Roy, b. 1911

Ena Muriel, b. 1917

"The MacKay Girls"
seated on the steps:
Lila MacKay Purchase, Lois MacKay, and Eileen MacKay MacLellan
taken in 1961 at Ena's house

Emma and her husband lived their entire lives in Upper Stewiacke. They are buried together in Burnt Hill Cemetery, in Upper Burnside.

Emma Jane Deyarmond MacKay's tombstone

Sources:

"Canada Census, 1901," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.2/9MF6-BQW8 : accessed 14 Jun 2014), John W Mackay, U, Colchester, Nova Scotia, Canada; citing p. 14, Public Archives, Ottawa, Ontario.

Emma Jane DEYARMOND MACKAY grave marker (http://canadianheadstones.com/ns/view.php?id=15670 : accessed 14 June 2014).

Nova Scotia. Historical Vital Statistics. Registration Year 1867, Book 1804, Page 40. Emma Jane Deyarmond. (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1804-40&Event=birth&ID=16491 : accessed 14 June 2014).

Nova Scotia. Historical Vital Statistics. Registration Year 1896, Book 1807, Page 104. John W. McKay and Emma J. Deyarmond. (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1807-104&Event=marriage&ID=20915 : accessed 14 June 2014).

Nova Scotia. Historical Vital Statistics. Registration Year 1900, Book 32, Page 17. George Deyarmond. (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=32-17&Event=death&ID=112887 : accessed 14 June 2014).

Nova Scotia. Historical Vital Statistics. Registration Year 1947, Book 3801. Emma Jane MacKay. (https://www.novascotiagenealogy.com/ItemView.aspx?ImageFile=1947-3801&Event=death&ID=325629 : accessed 14 June 2014)

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This is the 24th in a series, “52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks,” coordinated by Amy Johnson Crow at No Story Too Small.

Sunday's Obituary ~ They Cleared the Land on Which He Wed

This obituary is from my great grandmother's scrapbook of newspaper clippings, which is quite tattered and crumbly. Undoubtedly, it appeared in a newspaper from Down East, perhaps from Truro. It would not surprise me if she had these clippings, if not the entire newspaper, mailed to her in the States, so that she could keep up with family "down home."

As the obituary so eloquently states, John W. MacKay was the eldest son of my third great grandparents, Alexander and Eleanor Mackay. making him my 2d great great uncle. He was the brother of my great great grandmother, Isabella "Bella" Fulton MacKay, of whom I have written earlier.

I love the floral language of this obituary, like "passed away very peacefully,"

"he leaves to mourn the loss," and "he spoke a word of comfort to the bereaved ones," and, lastly, "a profusion of flowers showed to what esteem our neighbor was held."

John William Mackay (1866-1945) is buried in the Burnt Hill Cemetery, Upper Stewiacke, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, along with his wife of 50 years, the former Emma Jane Deyarmond.

J. William MacKay tombstone, Burnt Hill Cemetery, Burnside, Upper Stewiacke, Colchester County, Nova Scotia, Canada (http://canadianheadstones.com/ns/view.php?id=15669 : accessed 27 May 2013.)

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Below is a portrait of the Alexander MacKay family. This eldest son is standing in the middle back, to the right of my great great grandmother Isabella.