The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1908-07-15
OLDEST CITIZEN
DIES AT NINETY
B. G. Mckay Dies at Home
in This City, Due to
Advanced Age.
Wife of George Gagnon of
this City Died Last
Friday.

i With the death of B. Quincy Nc.
Kay last Saturday, this city loses it.
oldest citizen and a man whose life
time spans ninety years, which com
pass the advent of many inventions
and discoveries that have by use
come to be considered the necessities
of daily life. In 1918 there were nc
railroads or steamboats, in use ir
this country, no matches, at least
none corresponding to those now
in common use. The telegraph, the
daily paper, not to speak of the
ocean telegraph cable, the telephone
the harvesting machine and mower,
sewing machine and an endless cata-
logue of simple and complex ma
chimes and articles of daily use in the
life of today were not in existence in
1918. Mr.. McKay's boyhood was
spent in Onondaga county, New
York, and he was fond of telling
about his recollections of the time
preceediug the construction of the
Erie canal and the objections made
to the enterprise by the mossbacks
of his neighborhood, on the ground
that the canal would put the team
sters and horses out of business.
His name shows that he was of
Scotch descent, and this fact helps
explain his childlike religious nature
and his habit of answering all hints
as to his need of anything in his old
age by the observation that the
Lord would take care of him.
The statement that Mr.. Mex avs
grandfather was a soldier in the
war for American independence and
that his grandmother was an Indian
captive at the period of the Wyom-
ing massacre in Pennsylvania helps
US to realize how young our country
is.
Mr.. Mckay was married to Miss
Triphena Stevens in 1S41, and came
west to Wisconsin in 1867, the fol-
lowing year taking claim in Rem
vile county, near Beaver Falls,
where he remained until 1885, since
which time he has made this city his
home. Here his aged helpmate
died in 1891, with only three of seven
children born to them surviving.
They are Mrs. Angie Earle of Seattle,
WASH, Mortimer L. of Cable. Wis.
and Harlan P. of this city.
Mr.. Mckay has been in feeble
health for year or more, and the
final change came almost inpercep-
tlbly. He became unconcious Sat-
urday noon, and the feeble lamp of
life fiickered out at little past two
o'clock the morning following.
Mr.. Mckay was for many wears
an elder in the Presbyterian church
OF this city, and was buried from
that church, kind ladies of the
church contributing to make the last
service, conducted by the pastor.
R. F. Chambers, very pretty as
well as impressive one.
Mrs. Anne Gagnon, wife of George
Gagnon, died at her home in this
city early last Friday morning.
Years of ill health developed into
Bright's disease, and death came to
claim her following the birth of a
baby daughter.
The funeral was held from the
Catholic church last Sunday morning
Mr.. and Mrs. Gagnon were mar
rled in Minneapolis in November of |
1883, and four sons and four daugh-
tiers have been born to them. The
infant daughter has been taken into |
a good home in this city and two of
the younger girls and the youngest
boy will be cared for for the present |
at Catholic Sisterhood orphan
asylum. an older sister being taken
into the home of an aunt in Mime |