Alex Currie

Alexander Clapperton "Alex" Currie (1889 or 1890 - 6 September 1964) was a Canadian Pacific Railway station agent [1] for 41 years until his early retirement due to health issues in 1948.

Beginnings

Currie's parents, John Currie and Mary Riddell, immigrated from Selkirk, Scotland in 1883 to the wool mill town of Almonte, Ontario, Canada [2] which is close to Ottawa, Ontario. Alex was born in Almonte.

All his siblings joined their father in working for the wool industry. However, Currie had a different ambition. Taking a job with the railways at age 17, his job took him far from the mill town of his youth to many small towns across Ontario and Manitoba. In Port Arthur, Ontario, he married Annie Snook on 3 June 1914, 6 years after starting with the CPR.

Given his mother's age at his birth, it is possible that he is actually the son of his "sister", Christena, by some unknown father, which would invalidate his entire patrilinial Currie lineage from Scotland.

Marriage and family

Currie's six children, circa 1928

With his wife he had three sons: Jack, Neill, Clyde, and three daughters: Flora (Heylar), Marian (Gillis), and Norma. Norma died at age 6, of diphtheria [3]. Despite the lack of family planning technology available at the time, all their children were born two years apart and most in June.

His sons were gifted musicians:

• Jack played clarinet professionally in the 1930s.
• Neill played and taught flute while attending the University of Winnipeg circa 1941.
• Clyde played cornet with the Greenwood Orchestra (according to his obituary, although this orchestra is unattested) and the Royal Canadian Air Force band circa 1945.

Four of his six children had issue, and all four had three children, for a total of twelve grandchildren. In 2009, Jack, his last living child, died.

He left four branches of the family:

• The Currie-Cooke Branch. (Ontario) Jack Currie had three sons: Bill, Doug, and Ron
• The Currie-Boag Branch. (Winnipeg) Clyde had three children: Allan, Marilyn, and Bruce. Bruce died without issue.
• The Gillis Branch. (Winnipeg) Marian had three sons: Michael, Greg, and Wayne.
• The Heylar Branch. (Vancouver) Flora had three children: Lillias, Neill, and Susan.

So of twelve grandchildren, ten have had issue, and another has adopted:

Currie-Cooke

• Bill: Janet Kelk, Dave
• Doug: Ian, Jeff
• Ron: Michael, Carolyn

In this branch, all but Michael has had 2 children, for a total of 10 so far in that generation. As of 2018 there are no children in the subsequent generation.

Currie-Boag

• Allan: June Currie, Michael Allan Currie, Ian John Currie, Jason Currie
• Marilyn (Hermiston): Sharlene, Shaun (both adopted from husband's previous marriage)
• Bruce: (No issue)

Gillis

• Michael: ?
• Greg: (2 adopted daughters?)
• Wayne: ?

Heylar

• Lillias (Bjornson): Lisa, Sean, Kitt, Lee
• Neill: Rodney, Stacey
• Susan (Shoesmith): Adam, Kevin

The Currie name continues through Clyde's son Allan and through Jack's eldest two sons Bill and Doug, both of whom had male children and male grandchildren.

Alex's sons: Clyde, Neill, and Jack, 1942, Selkirk Park, Manitoba

Death

Winnipeg Free Press, 3 June 1964

On 3 June 1964, he celebrated with his wife their 50th wedding anniversary at the Airliner Motor Hotel. On the very same day, his son Jack celebrated with his wife Lucy their 25th wedding anniversary.

Later that same year, on 6 September 1964, Currie died at age 74. His death was caused by a sudden and unexpected stroke (according to Marilyn Hermiston).

His final address was 671 Oakenwald Avenue, Fort Garry, Manitoba. [4]

Obituary

Sources

Winnipeg Free Press, 8 September 1964.