George MacDonald

Millie: daughter of pioneer Quebec family

Millie and car Millie at maple camp

Left, Millie on a trip to St. Simon's Island, Georgia, in February, 1939. And there's Millie on the right
at a maple sugar camp sometime in the 1930's, holding a wooden syrup paddle,

George's wife Millie was born August 13, 1884 in the rural town of Marbleton, in Quebec's Eastern Townships, southeast of Montreal. Her mother was Ellen Armitage, her father was Curtis Bishop. Millie was christened Mary Amelia but Millie was what everyone called her, except for we Doherty grandchildren, who called her Nana; other grandchildren called her Grandma Mac. She had four brothers: Henry, Robert, Guy and Heber, and a sister, Jennie.

The Bishop's are a prominent pioneer family of the Eastern Townships, coming to the Marbleton area from New England as United Empire Loyalists in the late 1700's. That's when Millie's great-great grandfather John and his wife emigrated to Canada from Vermont.

Millie and George were married in 1907 in Marbleton and settled in Montreal four years later. There, Millie became well-known for her social and welfare work. She was at one time an accomplished pianist, and became an expert in needlepoint, one of her main hobbies late in her life. She also enjoyed playing golf as much as George did. In 1950, she was ladies' captain at their golf club, the Wentworth in west-end Montreal.

On October 9 of the same year, she died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 66.

Millie and me Family group

Left, Millie and me, her first grandchild, at Lac Guindon, Que. in the
summer of 1939. Right, my mother, George and Millie with me
and my oldest sister Eleanor in Montreal West, 1941.

George's home page | The early years | George's father | Letters to his grandson

Memories of private life | George and the R-100 airship | Final tribute

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Page created January 2000. Last updated Apr. 8, 2006