Lost Faces: Finding John H. McKim

FINDING JOHN H. McKIM

I started my genealogy research and found John H. McKim in the 1881 census for Londonderry Nova Scotia. He was 14 years and living with his parents William and Margaret McKim.

Sarah C. Willis

My next research find was the 1902 marriage record of John Herbert McKim age 36 born Colchester Nova Scotia to parents William McKim and Margaret Thompson.

John was marrying Sarch C. Willis, 36 born N. Walsingham Norfolk County Ontario to parents Robert Willis Sr. and Mary A. Staley.

The groom John H. McKim gave his residence as Kootenay British Columbia and his occupation as Miner.





  
ETHEL WILLIS

Ethel Willis

I was able to find John McKim and his parents again in the 1871 census for Lower Londonderry, Colchester Nova Scotia but I was more interested in finding out if he and Sarah Willis had any children. And what was the family relationship of the woman in the photo labelled "Ethel Willis"

After a few hours I narrowed the possibilities for "my" Ethel Willis to Molly Ethel Willis born January 1884 to Robert Willis Jr and wife Lucy Atkinson. Little Molly Ethel was recorded as Ethel in the 1901 census for Tilsonburg with her parents Robert and Lucy Willis and grandparents Robert Willis and Margaret Thompson.

If I have the correct Ethel Willis she was Sarah C. McKim nee Willis' niece.


BURIAL RECORDS

There are many census records for the McKim and Willis families. The last items I found were the newspaper obituaries or death notices for both John H. McKim and his wife.

St. Thomas Journal. Feb 14, 1945: p. 6 John Herbert McKim, 79th year. died Feb. 14.  son of william and Margaret, father of  Edwin and Robert McKim


Dutton Advance, Dutton Ontario.
Feb. 15, 1945: Died John H. McKim, Dunwich. 79. son of William and Margaret
June 4, 1953: Died Mrs. John H. McKim, Dunwich. 87. nee Sarah C. Willis

John Herbert McKim and his wife Sarah C. Willis are buried in Fairview Dutton Cemegtery in Dunwich Township Elgin County Ontario.

Their son Edwin McKim is listed as Edmond Willis McKim in the Roll of Honour for Dutton and Dunwich of "Boys Who Paid the Supreme Sacrifice" in WW2.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

If anyone knows more about this family and who the other people named in the photos are, I'd like to hear from you. We still have these two identified photographs both taken in Tilsonburg Ontario.

Ann, John & Libbie

Erie & Elmo

More Lost and Found Ancestor photos can be viewed at Lost Faces website.

Lost Faces: The John H. McKim Photo Album Rescued!

Recently I spotted a forlorn little photo album in an antique store in Ontario. The album had seen better days and was in shambles. A faded turquoise cover was torn from the interior pages which had slots for 30 cabinet cards.

Many of my readers know that I rescue Civil War Era CDVs (Cartes de Visite) and tintypes but rarely do I buy cabinet cards. There are just too many of them! But this album cried out for some loving attention.

Many of the slots for cabinet cards were missing. There were a few names scribbled here and there. It's normally the type of album I'd walk by without giving it too much thought. But for some reason I felt compelled to purchase it.

Album Cover

My first step when I save an old album is to photograph the album and its interior photos exactly as they are. This documents my find and the order of the photos.

Then I remove the photos and carefully record all information on the photos themselves and on the album pages.

A page with ID

Lastly I do some research to see if I can figure out who the family is and what the family groups are.


This album was a challenge but inside the front cover was the inscription "John H. McKim, Londonderry Station, Colchester County Nova Scotia" I assumed (incorrectly as it turned out!) that the photos inside would be Nova Scotia photographers. But when I removed the surviving 13 cabinet cards, all but one were Ontario photographers.

However the only IDs in the photo album were

Ethel Willis
May Emery, Grandma's daughter (photo missing)
Ann and John and Libbie
Erie and Elmo

View the McKim Photo Album Pictures on Olive Tree Genealogy YouTube Channel

The photographers were from Hamilton Ontario, Aylmer Ontario, Tilsonburg Ontario, St. Thomas Ontario and one from Seattle Washington

Not much to go on! After I removed the cabinet cards the only extra inscription found on the verso (back) of one of the photos was "Mrs. Jas McKim, Byron Ontario" with "Jas." crossed out.  Under that, in the same handwriting as on the inside first page of the album was written "Mrs. J. H. McKim"

One photo was of a creek and on the verso was a note signed "J. H. McKim" The note gave an explanation of the creek but wasn't much help in figuring out the family groups.


Please see my next blog post on Finding John H. McKim.