John Milligan and Christina Rasmussen Family

pg 666, More Big Hill Country 2009

John was born in Cochrane on July 10, 1910. He was raised on the ranch and got his normal schooling at the Inglis School that was built in 1917. In the fall, the first pupils to enroll were: 3 Irish King children, 3 Bells, 2 Malcolm girls, John Milligan, Eric North, and Douglas McDonald. The first teacher was Ms. Ruby Wood. After that, John went on to the Olds School of Agriculture and graduated in 1929. John joined the business in 1933 in Fort McLeod with his father, William Milligan. Their business was to become WJ Milligan & Son Farm Implements.

Christina Rasmussen was born on August 3, 1912, in Cayley, Alberta. Following her education, she took employment at the High River General Hospital and graduated from Nurses Training in 1932. John and Christina were married on December 15, 1937. They returned to Fort McLeod where they had Carol, on November 22, 1939. They then moved to Calgary where Beth and Betty were born on February 9, 1942, at the Grace Maternity Hospital in Calgary. Judy was born November 20, 1943, also in Calgary. John, Christina, and the family moved to Cochrane in March 1944, where John bought half interest in what was known as Colgan Motors Garage. The name was later changed to Webb & Milligan Garage Ltd. and it was also the Esso station and Ford sales and service. Around 1967, Webb & Milligan sold out and became semi-retired. After that, they sold the big brick house and moved to the Rasmussen house. John built a car wash and worked part-time for Lorne Helmig at the Imperial bulk station in Cochrane. Over the years, they were very active in the community. Chris was at home and in school and worked as a volunteer for the Cancer Society for many years. She was also called upon in medical emergencies, as Cochrane didn’t have a doctor living there. Another nurse, Aileen Copithorne, and Chris attended to many accidents at the bottom of Cochrane Hill. John was a member of the school board for many years and also served a term on town council. Later he was to become a Commissioner of Oaths. John died at the Sundre hospital on March 15, 1977, at the age of 67. After John died, Chris moved to Castor. In 1982, she was honored to be invited to the new High River Hospital for the 50th reunion of her graduating class. Chris died September 5, 1984, at the age of 72 in Castor, Alberta.

Carol Milligan Dunwoody

I was born November 22, 1939, in Fort McLeod Hospital. We moved to Calgary in 1941 and to Cochrane in 1944. I attended the Cochrane School until grade 10. My first job was at the Red and White grocery store in Cochrane, then at the Royal Bank. At this time, I went to Calgary two nights a week for bookkeeping and secretarial courses, along with business machines. I moved to Calgary and was a traveling steno for the Calgary School Board. I married Pat Dunwoody, on April 30, 1960, at the United Church in Cochrane. We lived west of Rocky Mountain House for eight years then moved back to our farm in Sundre, where we farmed and did grader work for the oil companies. We had four children: Larry, Cindy, Penny, and Robyn. Pat passed away on July 31, 1993, at the age of 57. I am still living on the farm enjoying my family and grandchildren. I keep busy with the Royal Purple Lodge and volunteer singing at hospitals and lodges all over the county.

Beth Milligan Peverell

My sister and I arrived on February 9, 1942, in Calgary. After I quit school I worked at the drug store in Cochrane and then moved to Calgary where I worked at Eaton’s. I married Brian Peverell in September 1959. Brian worked for his Dad at the creamery and got his boiler papers and learned how to make butter. We have two children, Darrin and Sandra. We moved to Castor in January of 1972, where we bought the Paintearth Creamery. Brian got many awards over the years for his butter making. We retired in 2001 and are enjoying our summers fishing and camping in Central Alberta.

Judy Milligan Dunwoody

Married Wally Dunwoody in 1961. We lived in Sundre off and on until 1972, when we moved to British Columbia with our three girls, Diana, Donna. and Rosalee. We moved back to Sundre in 2001.

Betty Milligan Mackey’s Family

My twin sister, Beth, and I were born to Chris and John Milligan, on February 9, 1942, at the Grace Maternity Hospital in Calgary, Alberta. We lived in Calgary for the first two years of our lives, and then moved to Cochrane with our parents, our older sister Carol, and our baby sister Judy. Grandpa and Grandma Milligan lived there, and later, Mom’s folks Herman and Julia Rasmussen, also moved to Cochrane from Cayley, Alberta. Our early years were surrounded by love from these significant people in our lives. Grandpa Milligan would come on Sunday morning to take us to Sunday School, and Grandpa Ras was always good for a few pennies when we met him on the street, that would buy an ice cream cone at Hart’s Drug Store.

Mom took us swimming at the Jumping Pound during the summers, and berry-picking and picnicking at Big Hill Springs. Dad had every third Sunday off from work, and we would go for a drive Sunday afternoons to enjoy the countryside, I thought the whole world was surrounded by hills and mountains, and it was a delightful surprise to discover that there was a much bigger world out there.

St. Andrew’s United Church and the C.G.I.T. were major influences in my life, and after earning a degree in Education from the University of Alberta, I went to study theology and Christian Education at Covenant College and Emmanuel Theological Seminary at the University of Toronto. I was the student chairman of the Student Christian Movement of Canada, (SCM); an interdenominational organization affiliated with the World Student Christian Federation, (WSCF) and attended a world conference of that organization in 1963 in Cordoba, Argentina. That experience opened a whole new world, and after graduating from theological college, I went to work with the SCM of Jamaica for two and a half years. After returning to Canada, I worked as Atlantic Regional Secretary for the SCM of Canada and travelled to all the Universities and Colleges in that region. During that time I was co-chair of an International Student Conference being organized by the WSCF in Turkey, Finland, and travelled to Geneva for the planning meetings.

In 1971, I changed focus and went to work for the Labrador West Integrated School Board in Labrador City/Wabush as the Christian education co-ordinator/guidance counsellor. It was there I met my husband, Paul Mackey, a native of Carbonear, Newfoundland. We were married on August 25, 1973, in Cochrane and lived in Calgary, Claresholm, Morinville and St. Albert. Our two children were born in Calgary, Jonathan, on December 7, 1975, and Leslee, on June 10, 1977. During this time, I studied at the University of Calgary for my Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. This enabled me to become a Registered Psychologist with the Province. We have lived in St. Albert since 1980 and both children enjoy coming home for visits with family and friends.

Paul and I were employed by Sturgeon School Division just north of St. Albert as Guidance Counsellors in the school system. After retiring from the school system in 2002, I continue to work part-time as a Psychological Consultant for Alberta Education. Paul and I divorced in 1996, and remain, good friends, as we share in the delights of our two children. Leslee is currently studying at the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Victoria, and Jonathan is doing a Master’s program in Health Care Administration at UBC. He is a major in the Canadian military. He is married to Edith Wong, a dentist, originally from Lima, Peru. They are expecting their first child in December 2007.