Eileen Winnifred (Berry) Kilgour (1896 - 1968)

Born 29 Mar 1896 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Ancestors

Wife of William Kilgour — married 1 Jun 1917 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Descendants

Died 22 Jul 1968 at age 72 in Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada

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Biography

Eileen was born in March 1896 in Victoria, BC.^[1] She was the first daughter and second child of Francis Berry and Ada Hone.

Eileen welcomed into the world sister Dorothy, who died in infancy, and brother Maurice, while the family continued to live in Victoria. Then in 1902, after a set back in father Francis' fortunes, the family moved to Vancouver, where youngest sister and final sibling Hope was born in 1903.

Starting in 1906, father Francis began spending time behind bars. Then starting in 1908, mother Ada left her children with relatives, while finding domestic work in Seattle. In Eileen's case this meant living with at least her uncle's brother and sister on Homer Street.^[2][3] Ada had returned to Vancouver by 1912, and by 1913, Eileen was living with her mother.^[4] Ada was working as a live-in domestic/nurse for a man on West 6th Ave, and after that engagement ended, Ada moved to Saskatchewan to live with her brother and son Maurice. Eileen continued to work in the office of Simson Balkwill & Co, while living at East 4th Ave.^[5]

Eileen married Scottish immigrant William Kilgour in June 1917. The witnesses at the wedding included Eileen's sister Hope, then just 13 years old.^[6] Eileen and William lived at first at West 45th Ave,^[7] and in May 1918, their first child, David, was born. By the 1921 census, the family were living near William's relatives at East 66th Ave, South Vancouver.^[8]

While working as a clerk, William developed civil engineering skills, and by 1923 had begun taking work building highways and airports throughout British Columbia. In 1924 the family lived in Kimberley,^[9] and by the summer of 1926, they lived in Moyie, BC.^[10] Eileen and William's son Maurice was born in July 1927 at nearby Cranbrook.

By 1929 the family had returned to Vancouver where William resumed working as a clerk.^[11] The 1931 Canada census found the family of four living at 5073 Victoria Drive.^[12] By 1938 William returned to engineering work and the family lived at 7578 Montcalm in Marpole.^[13] By the early 1940s, William was often working out of town, and Eileen and her children lived at 8025 Granville, while she worked at Spencers.^[14]

In 1949 William and Eileen moved to Lantzville, near Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, following son Maurice who had just been married.^[15]

Eileen Winnifred Kilgour passed away in July 1968 at Nanaimo.^[16]

Sources

1. ↑ Birth Record, available at: BC Archives
2. ↑ Postcard addressed to Eileen from her personal effects, dated September 24, 1912, lists her address as 678 Homer St, Vancouver
3. ↑ Canada Census 1911, Vancouver City, District 12, Enumeration 15, Page 5
4. ↑ Henderson's Vancouver Directory 1914, Page 646
5. ↑ Henderson's Vancouver Directory 1917, Page 370
6. ↑ BC Archives, Marriage Record, No. 17-09-087472
7. ↑ Henderson's Vancouver Directory 1918, Page 621
8. ↑ Canada Census 1921, South Vancouver, District 23, Enumeration 24, Page 10
9. ↑ e.g. Great credit is due Mr. Kilgour for the able way in which he refereed the game., Cranbrook Herald, October 3, 1924
10. ↑ Mr. and Mrs. Kilgour and family are now occupying the Cameron cottage., Moyie Notes, Cranbrook Herald, July 8, 1926
11. ↑ Wrigley's BC Directory 1929, Page 1033
12. ↑ Seventh Census of Canada, 1931, British Columbia, Electoral District Vancouver South 238, Enumeration Sub-District No. 11, City of Vancouver, page 27, lines 27-30, https://central2.bac-lac.gc.ca/.item/?id=e011773500&app=census1931&op=img
13. ↑ Sun Directory Of British Columbia and Yukon 1939, Page 765
14. ↑ Sun Directory of British Columbia and Yukon 1946, Page 878
15. ↑ Vancouver City and Vancouver Island Directory 1950-51, Page 189
16. ↑ Death Record, available at: BC Archives