George Walter Struthers

George Walter Struthers, "The Preacher", was born August 16, 1846 in Ramsay Twp., Lanark, Ontario, which is near Ottawa. His parents were farmers, Robert Struthers (1801-1869) and his wife Mary Wilson Struthers (1800-1868), married on May 7, 1827 by the Rev. George Buchanan of Beckwith. Robert & Mary were in fellowship with the Church of Scotland, later the Presbyterian Church of Canada. When George was 18, he lived with and worked as a laborer in Goderich, Huron South, ON.

Robert Struthers

Robert was born May 4, 1800 in Kilbride, Lanarkshire, Scotland and emigrated to Ramsay Township on the George Canning in June of 1821, receiving a land grant there on July 10, 1821. He died in 1869 at Rocky Ridge, Ramsay, ON.

Mary Wilson Struthers

Mary Wilson Struthers was born Oct. 23, 1800 in Middle Paisley, Scotland to Peter Patrick Wilson (b. 1756 Ayton, Berwickshire, Scot. - d. 1834 ON) & Mary McKinlay Wilson (b. 1770 Renfrewshire, Scot.), m. 1791 @ Greenock, Renfrewshire, Scot. Mary emigrated to Canada in 1825, she died in 1868 in Ramsay, ON.

Siblings

George had several siblings:

• Elizabeth Struthers (1828-1916)
• Patrick Wilson Struthers (1830-1907) elder @ St. Andrews Presby, dry goods merchant & postmaster @ Carleton Place, ON
• John Struthers (1832/1835-1917)
• William Struthers (1833-1908)
• Mary Struthers Miller (b. 1834 Ramsay Twp, Lanark, ON - d. 1913 Lanigan, SK); m. Duncan Miller (b. Appleton, Ramsay, ON - d. 1888 Appleton, ON)
• Alexander Struthers (1836-1919)
• Margaret Struthers (1838-1892)
• James Struthers, Sr. (1838/1841-1921)
• Andrew Witherspoon Struthers (1839-1917)
• Duncan Struthers (1844-1845)
• Robert Struthers

Marriage

1st wife

George's first wife was Catherine Jane McLean (b. 1868 Colounge, QC - d. 1931 Shawville, QC), of which one child was born, John Nelson Struthers (1891-1959). Catherine was the daughter of Hamilton McLean (b. 1808 Scot. - d. 1882 Fort Colounge, Pontiac, QC) & Christy McPhail McLean (b. 1813 Isle of Mull, Scot. - d. 1886 Fort Colounge, Pontiac, QC). They were divorced prior to 1893, and Catherine remarried Samuel Fraser (b. 1860 QC - d. 1946) and they had six more children.

According to a great-granddaughter of Catherine (via Tanya Dunlop of Ancestry), Catherine was originally a Frost, and adopted by the McLean family. It is speculated that she may have been Metis or Aboriginal.

2nd wife

George remarried Elizabeth Amelia Letts on Mar. 24, 1893 in Forester Falls, Renfrew, Ontario by Rev. Malcolm David Martin Blakeley (b. 1850 Bristol Twp., Pontiac, QC - d. 1928 Pembroke, Renfrew, ON), a Presby. preacher. Elizabeth was born about 1866 on Calumet Island, Quebec to William Letts (b. 1837 Chatham, Argenteuil, QC) & Dorothy Theresa White Letts (b. 1842 West Hawkesbury, Prescott, ON - d. 1915).

William Letts was the son of Thomas White Letts (b. 1813 Northumberland, Eng. - d. 1901 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC & Elizabeth Thompson Letts (b. 1819 QC - d. 1894 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC).

Elizabeth had one older sibling and several younger siblings:

• Thomas White Letts (b. 1863, d. 1948, Westlock, AB)
• Ann Martha Letts (b. 1868 QC, d. 1887 QC, diptheria)
• Dortha Mary Jane Letts (b. 1870 QC, d. 1870 QC, whopping cough)
• William Letts (b. 1872 QC - d. 1948 North Bay, ON, accident)
• George Harry Henry Letts (b. 1874 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC - d. 1957 Westlock, AB)
• Ernest Amos Edward Letts (b. 1877 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC - d. 1962)
• Nelson Letts (b. 1880 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC, d. 1894, spinal trouble)
• Lora Edna Violet Letts (b. 1882 QC, d. 1887 QC, diptheria)
• Agnes Letts (b. 1886 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC, d. ?)
• Matthew Harold Letts (b. 1900 Calumet Island, Pontiac, QC) ?

Children

George & Kellie

• John Nelson Struthers (b. 1890 Fort Coulonge, QC - d. 1959 Shannonville, Hastings, ON); 1920 @ Carlton, ON m. Catherine L. "Katie" Holmes (b. 1896 Liverpool, Lancashire, Eng. - d. 1987 Shannonville, Hastings, ON), dau. of Frank Holmes & Catherine Kremling Holmes. John was Presby. by 1918, and living in Shawville, QC, employed as a bushman. John & Katie had several children.

George & Elizabeth

• Margaret Emeline "Emily" Struthers (b. 1903 Ottawa, ON - d. 1990 Westlock, AB)

Brethren Influence

Elizabeth's parents, William & Dorothy Letts, were in fellowship with the Brethren by 1879, if not before. However, Elizabeth and George were practicing Presbyterians at the time of their wedding, but identified as Brethren by the 1901 census.

George and Elizabeth moved to the area of Westlock, Alberta in 1909.

Death

George died on Dec. 18, 1912 and is buried at Westlock. Elizabeth died on Aug. 6, 1940, also in Westlock.

Extra Notes

George's gravestone says he was born Aug. 16, 1849. Misprint?

Sources

• Findagrave.com
  • George's gravestone reads that he was born Aug. 16, 1849 and died at 63, but several other sources report he was born in 1846. Misprint?
• Ancestry.com
  • special credit to Linda Maher, Sandra Alto, Jean Neilson via AnnieStanley57, Robert_Graham47, pasbo;