The Life of Samuel McDonald
(1839 - 1898)

However, later censuses stated that his place of birth was Portland, Oregon. When I found this first reference to Portland, Ore., I did some more checking and found Samuel McDonald as a "dealer in boots and shoes" and Joseph as a "shoemaker" in Portland Directories for 1890 and 1891.

So, while Samuel moved to Portland in 1883, Joseph, Joseph's wife Priscilla, and their son John followed in 1887.

Joseph and Priscilla had a daughter, Dora Lovinia, in Portland on 17 Aug. 1891. Joseph and Priscilla divorced in Oregon and Priscilla returned to Stamford with her two children. She remarried to Thomas Elias Holmes in St. Catharines, Ont. on 17 Apr 1897.

Joseph remarried in Oregon in 1893 to Effie Reed. He is shown in the 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 census records for Portland. They had 2 children - a daughter Effie A. McDonald born Nov. 1893 in Portland and a son Shirley William McDonald on 19 Jun 1895 in Snohomish, Wash.

1889 Samuel McDonald fathered two more daughters in Portland, Oregon. The 1910 census for Joseph's household lists a sister, Laura L. McDonald, born in 1891. However, the 1900 census for Portland lists Laura McDonald (b. Nov. 1889) living with her mother Laura (b. Sept 1857) and a sister Mary (b. Oct. 1893). The 1900 census indicates that Laura's mother Laura was married to her current husband for two years. This places Samuel McDonald's death after 1893 and prior to 1898.

Laura (Jr.) married Malcolm Edward Cundall in Portland on 26 Apr 1911. They removed to Seattle, Wash. They had no children. Malcolm died in Seattle on 1 Jan 1952 and Laura died in Seattle on 21 Oct 1969.

1891 Margaret Calvert-McDonald's brother, William Calvert, married Madelaine Francis in Detroit, Mich. in 1893. This caused Samuel's third son William (my grandfather) to quit school at age 13 and support his mother, aunt and sister in Niagara Falls.

William Calvert and Madelaine moved to San Francisco and had three children. After the great earthquake in 1906, they returned to Niagara Falls. They separated and William Calvert moved in with his nephew William MacDonald and his family. Madelaine moved with their three children to Niagara Falls, N.Y.

1898 Samuel McDonald died on 12 March 1898 in Portland, Ore. He died of complications emanating from influenza ("La Grip") including asthenia (the inability to remain upright). His death record states that he had been in Portland for 15 years. He was buried in Lone Fir Cemetery, Portland, Oregon. His death record, so kindly found and sent to me by Joy Harris of Portland, states that he had been in Portland for 15 years at the time of his death. This means that when he left Canada in 1883, he went directly to Portland and was there for several years when son Joseph joined him there.

1900 Samuel's second wife, Margaret Calvert-McDonald died in Niagara Falls, on 11 Jan 1900. She was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ont. In her burial record, Margaret is listed as a "widow". Her sister Anna, died 9 Oct 1914 and was interred next to Margaret. Anna's death record lists her cause of death as "insanity".

1912 Dora McDonald, daughter of Joseph McDonald and Priscilla Holmes married Robert Carl Young on 10 July 1912 in Stamford Twp. Dora was my father's first cousin and she lived here in Niagara Falls until her death Yet, my father never mentioned her name or family relationship to me.

I grew up three blocks from Dora's grandson, Roger Young. Roger and I were the same age yet I never knew we were second cousins once removed.

1922 John McDonald , Joseph and Priscilla's son, died in Detroit, Mich. on 26 Apr 1922. He is buried in Fairview Cemetery, Niagara Falls, Ont. Dora Young died in Niagara Falls, Ont. on 6 Feb 1983 at age 91.

1928 William Calvert died in the Welland Industrial Home on 29 Nov 1928. He is buried in an unmarked grave alongside his parents in the St. John the Evangelist Church Cemetery in Stamford Twp.

1933 Joseph McDonald died 27 May 1933 in Portland, Oregon.