Obituary of Kenneth Alexander McDonell

Kenneth Alexander McDonell 1922 ~ 2011 Ken McDonell was a well known and highly respected farmer in the East Pouce Coupe district. He passed away at the Dawson Creek and District Hospital on June 17, 2011, after a short stay in the hospital. Kenneth Alexander McDonell started farming with his brother Don in 1934 and retired in 2007, on the original homestead that his father had filed on. Ken's dad was killed instantly by lightning in August of 1934. Their mother rented the land out for four years and in 1939 Ken and his brother Don, planted their first crop. They farmed for seven years with eight horses on the cultivator with harrows behind. The seeding was done with four horses on the seed drill. During World War II, Ken was called to serve in the army, leaving Don alone to do the farming. From February 1943 to October 1945, was a long time to be away from home. He was a very hard worker, but always the gentleman. Ken was born July 23rd, 1922, the second son of John and Catherine McDonell. He had two sisters, Margaret Ellen McDonell and Ellen Christina DeWetter, and one brother, Don. Ken attended the East Pouce Coupe School for eight years. He worked with threshing crews in the fall and saw mills in the winter. Ken was always ready and willing to help anyone whenever he was needed. Ken was a very community minded person and could be counted on to help in such instances as building the East Pouce Coupe Hall and was a member of the Farmers' Institute, which looked after the hall. Ken was also a very social person and enjoyed old time music and especially old time dancing. I remember their fine old Victrola and their collection of records you could dance to with that old wind up record player! Ken played the violin and often livened up the evenings in the farm house living room. Ken was very good at playing cards and checkers, too. Ken came from a very fine old pioneering family, as his parents came into the country over the Spirit River Trail in 1917. His mother reported that she would walk across the railroad trestles and his Dad would ford the creeks with his team, often having the wagon and all its contents under water. Miraculously, only one bowl in her set of 108 dishes given to her by her mother was broken! Ken was predeceased by his parents, John and Catherine McDonell, sisters, Margaret McDonell and Ellen DeWetter, and brother-in-law, Jack DeWetter, brother Don and nephew, John DeWetter. Ken leaves to mourn his loss, his niece Catherine Mulvihill and her husband Robert, of Peachland, BC. and their two sons, John and Robbie and his wife Anna Marie; a nephew, Gerald Roy DeWetter and Ana Cantre of Pouce Coupe BC and Carol (John - deceased) DeWetter, Pouce Coupe, BC. Ken will always be loved and never forgotten.