#ruth cuthbert

The following is an excerpt of an oral interview with Ruth R. Cuthbert at her home in Anaheim around November 1983. I did have some conversations with her prior to the recording. She went into a rest home about six months later and her memory was so bad she couldn’t even tell who had her Family Bible one of her daughters has possession of The Family Bible.

However I never knew her married name.

“ Jane Rutherford, William Rutherford this is all the children underneath there.., clear down to .. .to uh.. Mary Ellen ?. Yea there they are ... and that’s all there there there Oh this is there this is when they died. And then over here urn and then this is when they were born here see I’ve got all the born on this is their birthdates and this is the days they died.

I guess I don’t have two of them. Mary Jane Rutherford and William Rutherford well sisters. I don’t know (I said ok uh 1848) he was born in Ontario,that’s my father yea, uh I guess Millbank I’m not sure I’m not sure if it’s Millbank or Stratford. I don’t know which it was but maybe you can ok urn (I said who was) well do you want to yea would you (find) my father’s chain. This is my father’s people this is my mothers over here I think. Los Angeles,look can you see alright there? Yea let me put this on does it help any ? Yes, I guess I can’t bring this much closer and uh ok where were we?

My mother? yea, I just need her name right now. Oh this Oh these(this) are our family. My father, his children let’s see,my mother ... Well that’s my sister and me. Oh here here are my mother’s.

My mother’s people this is my mother Elizabeth McKee Jan. 4th 1858, died January 19th 1933. That’s my... my mother. (I then asked her—Ok what were her parents’ names ?) Uh.. Iv’e got them here .. theres I don’t think I’ve got them. This is this is my dads I don’t have my mothers’ here. This is our family.(I asked— Do you know who James Boyd Rutherford’s mother was ? your grandmother?)

Yes, that was Eleanor, Eleanor, well now his real mother died and then he married a second time, I think sisters, if I’m not mistaken but his stepmother was Eleanor.(I then asked—Do you have any idea ?) My grandmother, well she ought to be in here.(I then commented— This is your grandmother and grandfather right ?)(James Freeborn was your—)(She then Ruth stopped me) No No that! See this is my Dad, these are all his brothers this is his grandfather and this is his mother and father.

Now these are his sisters down here.Sisters , brothers and all down here, (I then said— So this is your father’s Bible?) This, my Father’s uh. I don’t have my mother’s see. Oh only the mother’s sisters and her family. I got them but I don’t have the .. I don’t think I have the.., the yea here are the McKees, the McKees brothers and sisters but no further back.”

“ You see ,this is my mother in here Elizabeth Jan. 4th 1850. I think you took that down. Are you taking all this on tape? How about Eben do you have anything on Eben Rutherford? Ok. well Wellesley that’s in Ontario I think and does it give the date of birth? December 23rd 1846. And Ebenezer and he was named after his grandfather? I don’t know, Yes there is another Ebenezer,which was Williams father. James Boyd.. Ok I have two sheets here there’s one Eliza Jane also have Ellen. I think this Ellen died years and years ago... I never really knew her. She was born in 1857 no that’s the year she was born. Well see I have this thing here and I will go down according to the way I have it written. Eliza Jane born in Millbank, April 3rd 1854? looks like it. Ok April 3rd yea it must be because see 18 all these in line must be as they come in ages 53,54,56,59,60.

Does it give a death date? Oh I guess not, I think I have them do you want them? ( I replied —later on I just want to get their first names)

Mary Jane, Mary Jane I think, what does it say? dead,died, Oh yea she must have been born in Millbank April 9, 1851. And there’s a William March 8th 1853. Same place.(I asked—Did William have a middle name?)

William, let’s see Ok. William Rutherford,there’s two Williams well one died young, didn’t he see.. doesn’t that say dead, I guess, I don’t know what his name is ok. Then Theresa Sarah. Sarah Jane isn’t it?”

I needed to explain about the Bible we are reading from. It lists the Rutherford Family. The main person who this relates to is William Rutherford born 1815 in Ireland and emigrated to Canada. His first wife was Mary Jane Freeborn she had 5 children and died during childbirth of William . William was born 8 March 1853. William married Mary Jane’s sister Eleanor Freeborn. Ruth’s line comes from William’s first wife Mary Jane Freeborn’s son James Boyd Rutherford who married Elizabeth McKee and Ruth was one of their children. Meanwhile on Eleanor’s line Alice Rutherford’s grandson is Jack E. Watt. So our relationship to Ruth is sort of a half sister sort. This is the only record we have of the McKee family and some history on the Rutherford lines closer to us in time etc.

“There’s a Sarah Ann, Sarah Ann and she was born April 1st 1862. There were big families in those days,yea, I think there were ten in each of my... There’s a Samuel John, The guy who gave me your name didn’t have near as many names as you do here.He was born March 12, 1870.0k then I have Alice and Harriet. Ok I’ll just add on the one’s I didn’t have here.

William Alexander. He’s the one that lived in California here for a long time, Vancouver a part of the time then died out here. He was born let’s see he was born August 1st 1859 in Millbank.”

“Rutherford Continued Page 3 Ruth R. Cuthbert

Then this must be Harriet spelled Hearriet Emeline,Hearriet Emeline, She was a missionary in China for 30 years.

She was born March 3rd 1865 and she married Isaac Hess. Alright and then Mary Theresa Rutherford and she was born in Millbank July 20th 1856. Eliza Jane, WiLliam,Mary Jane,Ellen Maria. Ellen Maria she died quite young I think born July 31st 1849 in Millbank. Then just James Boyd and Ebenezer were born in Wellesley.These three were, they had different mothers than the rest of them, see the father married sisters I believe and one died. Someone said there should have been a Grace there to. Another Grace here too like Ebenezer and James and there should have been Grace here, Grace? But there’s no time there. I don’t Know of any. (here she’s referring to time between children) Unless she might have been called Grace (another child with a nickname Grace) I think that’s a full list there. because my father wrote them in there. Here’s William Rutherford father 1886 age 71 (date of death) February 10, 1886. (does it give the place of death) No it doesn’t give the place they died of any of them. I imagine it was in Canada someplace so because they didn’t live out here.

William Rutherford , uncle Will, I don’t have the date of his death either and Aunt Mary, Aunt Mary they both died in California but I don’t have the dates of their deaths.

See this Grace right here looks the same as Ellen Maria Morton because this Grace married a Morton she must have been called Grace too. Might have been I’ll put a note here. Ellen Maria died 1898 I think it is, or is it 95. What is that there? 5 or 8 looks like it was a 6 changed to a 5. 1895. I guess nobody will question that. September 30th James Boyd, that’s my father died 1923 February 26.(who is this?) Maud Rutherford Gunn that’s his daughter, my sister.., as they died Uncle Eben died after her you see there. Elizabeth that’s my mother. She died January 19, 1933 and Then Aunt Mary Dolson did you want her death date? Mary Theresa Rutherford Dolsen. She was a Hutchinson first first you know and then she married again after he died. Maybe you have her down as Hutchinson, her second marriage is Dolsen (died)September 17,1932(3). Eliza Jane Rutherford Turnbull she died November 22, 1937.

Samuel J Rutherford May 14, 1938, William Alexander died March 26,

1941. And Sarah Ann Jackman, Sarah Ann May 25, 1957 age 95 and Alice Rutherford

Kantel June 27, 1964. Hearriet Rutherford Hess died January 4 1967 age 101.

That’s it on there.(do you know any of the husbands wifes on the..)

Yes let’s see uncle Will’s wife was Margaret but I don’t know what her name was .. wait a minute her sisters name was , I can’t think of what her sister’s name is William Alexander that’s uncle Will do you have him March 26,1941?(yes)(the ones I don’t have, I need Mary Jane , and another William) Bill McClaren, McClaren wait a minute that was uncle Will’s wife’s name. She would be Miss McClaren, Margaret McClaren before she was married because her sister was a maiden lady and she was Bell McClaren. I don’t know how you spell McClaren. Let’s see Ellen Maria?She died real Young.”

Her gardner came and we took a short break

“Rutherford Continued Page 4 McKee Family”

“ Who’s Elizabeth,the McKee’s

That’s my mother’s side Are you interested in this side of it too?

January 4,1858 Elizabeth was my mother she died January 19,1933. My mother’s mother,Oh father must have been Robert McKee right?

Robert McKee 1818,humm 1906 that was my grandfather now I don’t know what her name was.., seems to me her name was they called her Sallie.

(she now begins with the children of Robert and Sallie McKee)

“Robert McKee January 3rd 1844 born, 1921 death, Alexander McKee born June 16, 1846 died June 29, 1929. George McKee November 14,1849 died February 20,1925

Sarah Ann MCKee Born October 8, 1854 died May 2, 1903

William McKee born February 8,1856 died October 9,1858

Elizabeth McKee, that’s my mother born January 4, 1858 died

January 19,1933

Margaret Jane McKee born February 8, 1860 died April 15,1916

William McKee born February 10, 1862

Violet McKee born June 10, 1864 died September 18,1940

Isaac McKee born September 29, 1867 died March 14, 1943

Zachariah McKee born June 4, 1869 died November 7, 1955

Josiah McKee born February 24,1873 died August 1,1953

Florence Mary Victoria McKee born August 14, 1875 died September 27, 1949.

(later she went back to Hattie)

“Hattie was a retired missionary and she lived in the missionary colony over in Glendale.They have a whole acreage with little houses on it and a home for the ones that aren’t able to keep house.She was in this home for years I don’t know how many years she was over there. And that’s where she died and she married Mr. Hess over there she was middle aged I guess when she married. Of course she had no children. Well that’s about all I know about it you know.”