THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CLUCHEY (cont'd)

PEARL EDITH MAUDE CLUCHEY

Born November 9 1912, Pearl was eight years old when the family moved to Alix Alberta in 1920. In 1928 the family moved to Lacombe Alta. and in 1929 to Boyle. Pearl lived for a time with her sister Eva who was a waitress, but unable to find work, she moved back to Boyle. When sister Elsie moved to Labiche, Pearl went to keep her company. Later Pearl, Eva and brother Elwood lived together in Edmonton. 1936 saw Pearl working for Bill Wright on a farm in Lacombe Alberta. On July 18 1936, Pearl married Bill and they continued to live on the farm for thirty years. They had three sons and a daughter whom they adopted when the baby was 28 days old.

THE PEARL CLUCHEY AND BILL WRIGHT FAMILY
RONALD WILLIAM was born June 18th. 1937. On March 15th. 1958 Ronald married Elaine Atkinson (b.1940). The couple had three children;
  1. Deborah Julie(b.1959) married Herb Ten Hove (b.1958). They in turn have three children: Deanna Lynn (b. 1981), Earl Barton (b.1983) and Clayton Ronald (b. 1985).
  2. Daniel (b. 1960).
  3. Gordon William (b.1962) married Glenda Stuber (b. 1964) and the couple had three children: Dana Gordon (b.1986),Sean Ronald (b.1987) and Pamela Raquel (b.1995).
DOUGLAS JAMES was the second child of Pearl and Bill Douglas. He was born on October 28th. 1939 and he married Patricia Miller (b.1959). The couple divorced. Douglas and Patricia had three children. Douglas later married Leanne Lyseng on September 5th. 1992.
  1. David Douglas born 1960 married Annette Selvais (b.1959) and they have two children: Stephanie Marie (b.1985), and Jennifer Ashley (b.1988).
  2. Sharon Jean (b.1961) married John Jacobson on June 1st 1982 The couple had one child Chad Wayne (born 1984). Sharon and John were divorced in 1987. On April 15th. 1995 Sharon remarried and her second husband was Wayne McLachlan.
  3. Alan William (b.1961) was Sharon's twin. He married Debbie Simmie on August 10th. 1996.
THEODORE ALLEN was the third son of Pearl and Bill Wright and was born on September 10th. 1947. He married Janice Perry, who had a child, Dawn Alice prior to her marriage to Theodore. RITA ELIZABETH was born on May 1st. 1951 and was the chosen daughter of Pearl and Bill. She married and later, divorced Orville Young. Their children were:
  1. Loretta Lynn married Jeffery Osbourne and they have two children: Kyle Jeffery and Shelby Lynn.

Later on Rita Elizabeth married Sterling Smith and this marriage resulted in the birth of their two children:

  1. Tyler Miles (b.1980)
  2. Justin Michael (b.1982).

Bill and Pearl Wright moved to Lacombe in 1962 and Ronald runs the farm. Beside farming, Ronald is in the Real Estate business.

AN INFORMATIVE VISIT

At Christmas in 1983, Catherine Seemann and her brother Basil visited Pearl and Bill in Lacombe, Alberta. It was here that the mystery of the story of Roleau, Sask. and Drinkwater, Sask. was cleared up. They found the Arthur Cluchey I and Alida Tracy family had been in both places. Wyburn had been born in Drinkwater, and Frank in Rouleau. The family bible confirms the dates and places of birth.

ELSIE VICTORIA CLUCHEY

She was the seventh child of Arthur Cluchey I and Alida Tracy. Elsie was born November 26th. 1914 in Scobey, Montana. She married John Ivor Norlin on November 20th. 1934 when her parents and she were living in Boyle, Alberta. The couple homesteaded in Boyle, moved to Fedora, Alberta, relocated again to Boyle and in 1946 they moved to Kelowna, B.C. where they stayed for two years. They moved back to Boyle in 1948, but in 1954 they sold the farm and moved from Lacombe, Alberta to Crofton, Penticton and Kamloops, B.C., staying approximately a year in each place. It appears the wanderlust of father Arthur was in the blood of his daughter Elsie as well. The family finally moved to Enderby, B.C. in the Okanagan Valley where they reside today. Elsie and John Ivor had three children.

ERNIE IVOR was born on September 28th. 1936. On August 22nd. he married Regine Van Hyfte (b.1939). Ernie and his wife Regine are both school teachers in Salmon, Arm, B.C. and were hopeful of retiring from the profession in 1996. The couple had two boys:
  1. Leonard Marc (b. 1967) , married Krista May Severtson on Oct. 21st. 1994. The couple have a son Scott McKenzie (b.1995).
  2. Anthony Lee (b. 1971). Anthony is better known as Lee.
LEONARD JOHN (b. ?). On March 9th. 1965, Leonard married Wendy Mauren Hassard (b. 1945). Leonard is a machinist in Vernn B.C. Their children are:
  1. Evan Bernard (b.1969).
  2. Marena Mary (b.1971).
  3. Allen Earl (b. 1977).
ARTHUR A. was born on May 9th. 1944. He married Diane Mary Baird (b.1946) on August 9th. 1996. Art had been a shareholder and office manager for Baird Bros. Ltd., logging contracting and ready mix concrete producing company located at Enderby, B.C. for the past 24 years. The couple had two children.
  1. Michael Arthur (b.1967) married Diana Louise Impey on September 1st. 1990. Michael and Diane have a daughter Caitlin Eve (b.1995).
  2. John Ivor (b.1975) is single and lives at home with his parents while attending Okanagan College in Vernon, B.C. in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science degree.

NOBLE ELWOOD CLUTCHEY

Much better known as Elwood, the last child of Arthur and Alida, was born May 14th. 1917. Elwood was one of the few Cluchey's (Clutcheys) to pursue a university education, enrolling in the University of Alberta in 1934 at the age of 17. He became a teacher, teaching for five years from 1936 to 1941 in country schools in the Athabaska School District and in Edmonton. In August 1937, he met and married Margaret 'Peggy' Madison who had been born on December 29th. 1919, at Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland, England.

In 1943, Elwood moved to Tacoma, Washington where he was a yard clerk for the North Pacific Railroad Lumber Company. From 1946 to 1972 he had his own Insurance Agency. He moved to Quesnel, B.C. and in 1977 they moved to Olympia, Washington State. It was here that researcher Catherine Seemann met the family who welcomed her, despite Elwood's illness at this time. Elwood and Peggy had two children.

SANDRA was born August 22nd. 1938 at Athabaska, Alberta. On February 15th. 1957 she married Robert John Burgess . Their children are:
  1. Victoria Lee (b.1957) was married on July 11th. 1988. Her husband's name is not known.
  2. Robert John II (b. 1961) married Lisa Battel (b.1962) on December 4th. 1981. They have a daughter Tina Louise (b.1982).
  3. Frank John (b. 1965) has remained single.
MARGARET was born September 7th. 1943. In June 1965 she married Richard Blanchard. They had two children.
  1. Jennifer (b.1963).
  2. Anne Marie (b.1971)

Not a great deal more is known of the Elwood Cluchey family.



ELIZABETH (MINNIE) CLUCHEY AND ERNEST SHIER


At this point it is probably time to review the Israel Cluchey, Susannah Billinger family. There were three children, Herbert, who married Maria Gertrude Scammell and later Florence Payne; Arthur, who married Alida Tracy and Minnie, who is the subject of the next session. For many years this side of the Cluchey family was a mystery. Only through the diligent efforts of Catherine Seemann and some good fortune, were we able to put together some of the history of this family. Obviously there is much room for improvement, and perhaps someone can carry on this work. The last member of the three children family, Minnie, is chronicled in the next few pages.

Minnie was born on March 13th. 1881 in Udora, Ontario, a small community in Southern Ontario, north and west of Port Perry. She probably attended primary school in Udora, though no records have been found. We know that she enrolled in the religious classes with her two brothers at the persuasion of her mother Susannah who was a devout Methodist. The classes were conducted whenever the Methodist minister was in town. The ministers were for the most part circuit riders. That is, they went from town to town conducting services and teaching classes. The churches themselves were built and maintained by local parishioners.

Minnie was eighteen years old when she married Ernest Edwin Shier on July 25th. 1989. The wedding took place in Sunderland. Following is an extraction from the Register of Marriages (the September 10th. 1899 book of Rev. J.W. Stewart of the Methodist Denomination,) the Methodist church of Brock Township;

The groom was Ernest Edwin Shier, age 27, living in Toronto, born Port Elgin, Bruce County, bachelor; occupation, motorman, of the Methodist religious Denomination. Parents: Windham Shier and Eliza Jane Long. The bride was Minnie Cluchey, age 18, living in Udora, Georgina township, born there, single, of the Methodist Religious Denomination. Her parents are Israel Cluchey and Susannah Billinger. Witnesses were Carrie Dean, 22 Macdonnell Avenue Toronto, and Frances M. Hook, 127 Dunn Avenue, Toronto. Married at Sunderland in the County of Ontario on July 25th. 1899 by Rev. S. Wesley Dean.

Minnie and Ernest must have moved to Toronto soon after their second child Orville was born. An Ernest E. Shier was listed in the Toronto Street Directory as living at 431 Wellesley St. in 1902. Ernest was working for the Toronto Railway System as a motorman. Presumably he had had that job prior to his marriage, because the same occupation was listed in the marriage record. Was he motorman in some other location eventually moving to Toronto? We are not sure. Apparently he was known by his second name, Edwin. Minnie's mother Susannah is listed as the widow of Israel, living at the same address. This arrangement lasted until 1905. Minnie and Ernest Edwin had two children.

ENID

Enid was born March 9th. 1901. She remained single. She died January 14th. 1984 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

ORVILLE

Orville was born March 26th. 1902. He also died in Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1951 at the age of 49. Orville, like his sister Enid remained single.


Minnie and Orville eventually divorced in 1905. Minnie was listed as living at 52 Elm St. her occupation being bookeeper. Her mother Susannah was probably living with Minnie but she was not listed separately. Herbert and Arthur, Minnie's two older brothers brought Minnie and her two children, Enid and Orville, out west to Rathwell in 1908. Later Susannah went out west to live with Minnie. Minnie apparently cared for her mother from the time of Israel's death until Susannah's own death in 1932.


AN HISTORICAL FIRST


While working as the chief operator for the Bell Telephone company in Winnipeg Manitoba, Minnie put in the first long distance telephone call from Canada to England after the submarine cable was laid across the Atlantic.

Another Item of Interest

Minnie's daughter Enid, was a university professor. Further research into this lady's academic achievements and pursuits should provide some interesting information. Little is known of her at the present except for the fact she remained single.

A TRAGIC ACCIDENT

Orville Shier, Enid's brother, unfortunately suffered a tragic accident as a railroad man. During a head on collision of trains, Orville was caught between the tender and the cab. The injuries he suffered paralyzed him for life. Since Orville and Enid lived together, Orville stayed home, kept house and did the cooking while Enid taught at the university. Minnie died in 1962 and is buried beside her family in Winnipeg in Elmwood cemetery.



SUMMARY

Israel Cluchey was the youngest son of Jean Francois Cloutier (John Clutchey) and Charlotte Salois. His two wives were Winnifred Curren and Susannah Billinger. Israel had four children, Etha May was the child of his first wife and Herbert, Arthur and Minnie were the children of his second wife, Susannah. The descendants of Israel are, perhaps, the most far flung of the Clutchey-Cluchey family and consequently the least known. Their travels and their travails have taken them back and forth between Canada and the United States and amongst the various provinces in Canada. Perhaps, more than others, they are symbolic of the people who are represented by the title of this Website "FAMILIES IN TRANSITION"