William Henry James McMillan (1894 - 1955)

Born 24 Oct 1894 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Dorothy Gertrude (Bower) McMillan — married 16 Aug 1920 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Descendants

Died 10 Sep 1955 at age 60 in Burnaby, British Columbia

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Biography

Jim was born in autumn 1894, the first son and second child of William McMillan and Laura Hone.^[1]

As a young man in 1911, while living at the family home at 2328 Yukon Street in Fairview, Vancouver, Jim was working as a clerk for his father's grocery business, W J McMillan & Co.^[2][3] As the family moved to 1053 Douglas Street in Shaughnessy, by 1913 Jim had been promoted to cashier,^[4] and by 1914 a shipper.^[5] By the end of 1914 the grocery company was in bankruptcy liquidation.^[6] Jim went to Spokane, WA and worked for Powell-Saunders.^[7]

The McMillan family relocated to 3252 Knight Street, where by 1918 Jim was working as a bookkeeper for Leeson Dickie Gross & Co,^[8] downtown Vancouver wholesale grocers who had formerly competed with W J McMillan & Co. That same year Jim lost his brother Jack, who was killed in action in France. By 1919 he was working as a commercial traveler for Western Grocers.^[9]

The summer of 1920 saw Jim marry Dorothy Gertrude Bower at her family's residence of 2056 Whyte Street, Vancouver.^[10] The following summer, twin sons William Douglas and James Arthur were born.^[11] The young, growing family established themselves at 3705 West 30th Avenue, Vancouver.^[12]

By 1923, Jim began working sales territory for Western Grocers from Kamloops.^[13] Son Richard Lyle was born in Vancouver in summer 1924.^[14] The parents and three young boys completed their relocation to Kamloops, where Jim continued working for Western Grocers.^[15] They lived at 658 Columbia Street,^[16] then 351 Nicola Street.^[17]

In 1929, Kelly Douglas acquired Western Grocers' business in BC,^[18] setting the stage for where Jim would work for the rest of his career. The 1931 Canada census found Jim's family living at 748 Nicola.^[19] By 1936 Jim had become branch manager for Kelly Douglas at Kamloops,^[20] and the family was living at 46 Battle Street West.^[21]

In summer 1939 Jim was promoted to divisional supervisor, and the family relocated to Vancouver.^[22][14] Just as WWII was breaking out, the family established residence at 3242 West 26th Avenue, Vancouver.^[23] Later they resided at 4810 Hudson Street, Vancouver.^[24][14]

All three sons volunteered for wartime service with the RCAF.^[25][26] Shortly after Jim was appointed branch manager to Kelly Douglas in Nanaimo,^[27] youngest son Richard Lyle was shot down in Burma and presumed killed.^[14]

At first Jim and Dorothy lived at 528 Kennedy Street,^[14] then permanently at 510 Alderonn Avenue, Nanaimo.^[28] Jim continued to run the Kelly Douglas branch in Nanaimo, which was undergoing a large expansion in summer 1954,^[29] when he became ill.^[30] After relocating to Burnaby, WIlliam Henry James McMillan passed away in September, 1955.^[31]

Sources

1. ↑ Province of British Columbia, Birth Record, Reg. No. 94-09-116386, available here
2. ↑ Government of Canada, Fifth Census of Canada, 1911, British Columbia, District 12, Enumeration District 40, Vancouver City, Page 9, available here
3. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1912, Page 985
4. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1913, Page 1065
5. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1914, Page 1038
6. ↑ Bankrupt Selling-Out Sale, Vancouver Daily World, December 2, 1914, page 8
7. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-91WN-986?cc=1968530&wc=9FC7-82S%3A928443301%2C1070441501 : 9 September 2019), Washington > Spokane City no 2; G-Z > image 2006 of 5208; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
8. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1918, Page 684
9. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1919, Page 695
10. ↑ Province of British Columbia, Marriage Record, Reg. No. 20-09-222526, available here
11. ↑ Government of Canada, 6th Census of Canada, 1921, BC, District 23, Enumeration Sub-District 15, Vancouver, Page 16, available here
12. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1922, Page 901
13. ↑ Henderson Publishing Company Ltd, Greater Vancouver City Directory, 1923, Page 956
14. ↑ ^{14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4} Government of Canada, Royal Canadian Air Force Service Record, Reg. No. J44860, Richard Lyle McMillan
15. ↑ Wrigley Directories Ltd, Wrigley-Henderson Amalgamated British Columbia Directory, 1925, Page 146 (Kamloops)
16. ↑ Wrigley Directories Ltd, Wrigley's British Columbia Directory, 1926, Page 162 (Kamloops)
17. ↑ Wrigley Directories Ltd, Wrigley's British Columbia Directory, 1926, Page 159 (Kamloops)
18. ↑ Kelly-Douglas Firm Extends, Vancouver Province, June 26, 1919, Page 31
19. ↑ Seventh Census of Canada, 1931, British Columbia, Electoral District Cariboo 227A, Enumeration Sub-District No. 96, Kamloops, page 1, lines 47-50 and page 2, lines 1-2
20. ↑ Rites Held For Grocer McMillan, Vancouver Sun, September 14, 1955, Page 54
21. ↑ Sun Directories Ltd, British Columbia and Yukon Directory, 1936, Page 210 (Kamloops)
22. ↑ Mr. H. J. McMillan, newly appointed prairie divisional supervisor of Kelly-Douglas Ltd., has arrived here from Kamloops with his family to reside permanently., Vancouver Sun, September 8, 1939, Page 8
23. ↑ Sun Directories Ltd, British Columbia and Yukon Directory, 1940, Page 846
24. ↑ Sun Directories Ltd, British Columbia and Yukon Directory, 1942, Page 878
25. ↑ Now In Action, PO W. D. McMillan, Vancouver Sun, July 2, 1942, Page 11
26. ↑ LAC J. A. McMillan Now In Halifax, Vancouver Province, September 11, 1942, Page 11
27. ↑ Nanaimo Daily Free Press, August 21, 1944, Page 3
28. ↑ Sun Directories Ltd, British Columbia and Yukon Directory, 1945, Page 209 (Nanaimo)
29. ↑ Big Addition To Warehouse Kelly Douglas, Nanaimo Daily Free Press, July 21, 1954, Page 12
30. ↑ H. J. McMillan, former manager of Kelly-Douglas branch in Nanaimo, who has been ill in the Nanaimo hospital for some time, has been released from that institution. Mr. and Mrs. McMillan, who have been residents here for a number of years left today for Vancouver where they will reside. There he will assume a new post with the firm., Nanaimo Daily Free Press, October 14, 1954, Page 5
31. ↑ Province of British Columbia, Death Record, Reg. No. 55-09-009670, available here