Henry Alexander Miller and Margaret Ann McCall

Harry and Maggie Miller and their Children

 Country dances were a social event in rural Canada. People would gather at someone's home, in a barn, or in later years at a hall to socialize, dance and drink, even bringing their children. One person I talked to told the story of how a couple of men who liked to play practical jokes switched the blankets covering all the infants. When it was time to go home the mothers grabbed the baby with the right blanket only to discover later it wasn't her child. I gather it took a while to sort it all out.

Music was provided by anyone in the community who could play, a fiddler or two, possibly a piano or harmonica. Dances included the schottische, waltzes, polkas and of course square dancing.  When I asked Dad if he ever attended a country dance he enthusiastically responded, "Did I?". By the 1950's dances were held regularly but they still had live music. And of course 
 drinking and with that came fighting. I recall one of my relatives saying that it wasn't a good dance without a fight. 

 There is an excellent description of these dances in “The River of Time: a history of Emo” http://www.ourroots.ca/e/page.aspx?id=1022280

Maggie McCall ca 1904




The story goes that Harry Miller was at a country dance, spotted Maggie McCall and declared he was going to marry that girl. And he did. Henry Alexander Miller and Margaret Ann McCall were married March 1, 1906 in Emo. The witnesses were Maggies's brother, William McCall, and Jennie Perdue. 

 This picture of Maggie MCall was most likely taken in Huron County, Ontario before she moved with her family to the LaVallee area. Dad says she didn't like the remote area and always wanted to move back east.




Harry Miller and Maggie McCall on their wedding day

I have often looked at this wedding picture and thought Maggie looked unwell; attributing it to wedding day nerves but since she was about 3 months pregnant it could have been  from morning sickness.

Harry and Maggie Miller had 6 children, 5 boys, Robert (Uncle Robbie), Henry, Clifford (Granddad Miller), William (Uncle Bill), Holmes (Uncle Holmes), and James  and one daughter, Lydia. 

 In the early days in Canada women gave birth at home attended by female relatives with a midwife in attendance. A male doctor was called in if there were problems. When their first child was born, Dr. Robert Moore was in attendance. Dr. Moore came to the area in 1897 and settled here. Not only was he a doctor but was also considered an expert horticulturalist. It's interesting that many of us went to the school named after the man who delivered our great-uncle. 

 The LaVerendrye hospital wasn't built until 1941 so their other children were delivered by a midwife. Some of the children of my grandma, Bethel Miller, were born in different communities. When I asked her why she said the midwife moved. So by the 1930's women giving birth were going to the midwife's home instead of the midwife coming to them. 

 All but one of their children lived long lives. Their second son, Henry, died at the age of 10 at the St. Boniface hospital in  Winnipeg of menningitis. He died just months before their last child was born. 
Harry and Maggie with their children (except Henry) ca early 1930's



Henry Alexander Miller died April 14, 1948; Margaret Ann McCall Miller lived another 28 years dying May 13, 1976. I remember visiting her at Rainy Crest Home for the Aged with my mom once. She had a doll that she called "baby" and was very distraught when she couldn't find it.

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