LIFE & DEATH DURING PIONEERING TIMES
Little is know about Wilson clan
This article was “born” from three sentences on page 18 of “Winfield 1958 – Early Days of Winfield, B.C.,” compiled by Mrs. W. R. (Gladys) Powley:
“Mr. and Mrs. William Wilson came (to what is now Lake Country) from Dumfries, Scotland, where they had a stock and dairy farm, in 1898, and pre-empted and bought land on the southwest of Wood’s Lake. They farmed here until 1908 (1909) when Mr. Wilson died as a result of getting his legs and feet frozen. Mrs. Wilson continued to live here for many years.”
During the past 25-plus years, while researching and writing articles for this column, I have found numerous “causes of death” — disease, fires, drowning, accidents, murder, exposure and explosions, to name but a few — but I cannot recall coming across anyone dying “as a result of getting his legs and feet frozen.” I felt compelled to research and write this article.
In the 1901 Canada census, William and Mary J. Wilson were living near Okanagan Centre. Their nearest neighbours, pioneers Thomas and Ellen Florence “Nellie” (nee Whelan) Wood, lived at the south end of the lake which bears their surname. William Wilson was recorded as born in Scotland on June 3, 1846. His wife, Mary J. Wilson, also from Scotland, was born on Nov. 3, 1854. According to this census, William and Mary Wilson came to Canada in 1894, four years before Gladys Powley wrote about them living in the Central Okanagan.
William and Mary Wilson had no children and kept to themselves. Nevertheless, the community was saddened by the following obituary, found on page four of the Thursday, May 13, 1909, edition of The Kelowna Courier and Okanagan Orchardist:
“An Old-timer Passes
“One of the older generation of settlers passed to his rest on Saturday afternoon in the (Kelowna) Hospital, in the person of Mr. William Wilson, for twelve years a resident in the vicinity of Long Lake (now Wood and Kalamalka lakes), where he took up a pre-emption about the year 1898.
During the bitterly cold weather of the first week in January last Mr. Wilson had the misfortune to have his feet frozen but treated the matter as not serious. Confinement to bed, however, brought on other complications, and it was necessary to move him to the Hospital, where he gradually sank and died, death being ultimately due to exhaustion of vitality from bedsores.
“The deceased was a native of Dumfries, Scotland, and was about 60 years of age.
He is survived by a widow, but leaves no children. The remains were taken to the
Presbyterian church on Sunday, and the funeral was held to the (Kelowna) Cemetery ... The pallbearers are all oldtimers, Messrs. E. Weddell, D. W.
Sutherland, D. Lloyd-Jones, T. Lawson, W. Swalwell and W. Haug.
The Vernon News also published
William Wilson’s obituary, on page five of its May 13, 1909 edition. This obituary verified details surrounding Wilson’s death, also providing insight into the man himself:
“He was a man of rather reserved character, and had not a very large circle of intimate friends, but those who knew him esteemed him highly for his upright character and many sterling qualities which entitled him to the respect and esteem of the community. He is survived by a widow who will have the deepest sympathy of her friends and acquaintances in her hour of sad bereavement.
A third obituary, found on page six of the May 13, 1909 edition of “The Orchard City Record,” stated that Wilson’s death “took place in the Kelowna Hospital after an illness of ten days duration.”
It also lists the pallbearers, disagreeing with The Kelowna Courier and Okanagan Orchardist. According to the Record, pallbearers were “D.W. Sutherland, Mr. Weddell, Mr. Whelan, Mr. Swallow (Swalwell), Mr. W. Haug and Mr. LloydJones.”
“Mr. Whelan” — George Whelan, my great grandfather —was listed as a pallbearer, instead of Kelowna merchant T. Lawson.
Mary Wilson was not alone during those sad days. With no children or family to console her, the “Orchard City” obituary reported, ““Mrs. Wilson is at present staying with Mrs. Lloyd-Jones (Edith Gartrell).”
William Wilson was buried in what is now Kelowna’s Pioneer Cemetery. His death occurred in 1909 — two years before the City of Kelowna assumed ownership of that cemetery and kept its own records – there is no burial record for William Wilson, although his grave’s location is known.
What happened to Mary Jean Wilson following her husband’s death? Although numerous local records – including the 1911 Canada census – were checked, I came up with very little additional information about William Wilson’s widow.
British Columbia Vital Statistics Death Registrations record that Mary Jean Buchanan MacDougall Wilson died at Point Grey (Vancouver), B.C., on Dec. 4, 1929, at the reported age of 79 years.
Kelowna Memorial Park Cemetery burial records confirm the date and place of Mary Jean Buchman (Buchanan) Wilson’s death. These records also show that she was buried in the Kelowna Cemetery on Dec. 6, 1928, in Row 16, Lot 61.
An April 29, 2020, visit to Kelowna’s Pioneer Cemetery — my favourite place for a quiet, meditative walk — provided me with more information about William and Mary Wilson. Their grave is marked by a large granite stone, with lead lettering affixed to it, and a granite grave surround. The inscription reads:
In Loving Memory of
William Wilson
Formerly of Kirkconnel
Dumfrieshire. Who Died
At Kelowna. May 8. 1909.
His Wife Mary Jean
Died. 4. 1928
Aged 79 Yrs.
As with so many of our pioneer residents, William and Mary Wilson left behind very little photographic evidence, including their lives spent in the Central Okanagan.
I have not been successful in locating photographs of them, nor have I found Mary Wilson’s obituary, which might provide more biographical information about this Central Okanagan pioneer.
This article is part of a series, submitted by the Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Historical Society. Additional information is always welcome at P.O Box 22105 Capri P.O., Kelowna, BC, V1Y 9N9.