Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

TAM

Date Range From

1950

Date Range To

1960

Materials

WOOL

No. Pieces

1

Height

6.7

Diameter

25.9

Description

BROWN WOOL BERET WITH A BROWN LEATHER EDGE ON THE HEADBAND. INSIDE HAS A MARKING IN THE TOP OF THE HAT, THAT IS NOW WORN AND ILLEGIBLE. BERET HAS NO VISIBLE DAMAGE OR WEAR.

Subjects

CLOTHING-HEADWEAR

Historical Association

PERSONAL CARE

History

ITEMS BELONGED TO DONOR'S AUNT, PHYLLIS MARY MCDONELL (NEE WHITTON). PHYLLIS CAME TO CANADA IN 1903 AT AGE 3 AND SETTLED IN LETHBRIDGE. IN 1938 SHE MARRIED WILLIAM MCDONNELL, A RANCHER/FARMER, AND INVENTOR/BUILDER OF CONASTOGA MOTOR HOMES. PHYLLIS WORKED AT CITY HALL AS A SECRETARY, AND WAS AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE SOUTHMINISTER CHURCH. WILLIAM ALSO WORKED FOR JOHN DEERE. THE COUPLE DID NOT HAVE CHILDREN AND REMAINED IN LETHBRIDGE. *UPDATE* IN 2017 COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT RUTHANN LABLANCE CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF CLOTHING, INCLUDING A BELT DONATED BY MARJORIE MCDONALD. THE FOLLOWING BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION WAS COMPILED USING ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. PHYLLIS MARY MCDONELL (NEE WHITTON) WAS BORN IN ENGLAND AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1907 AT THE AGE OF 3.5 YEARS. SHE WAS MARRIED TO WILLIAM DANIEL “BILL” MCDONELL ON DECEMBER 20, 1938. SHE WAS A LONG TIME MEMBER OF THE SOUTHMINSTER SENIOR CHOIR, HAVING JOINED THE GROUP IN 1918, AND RETIRING FROM THE GROUP IN 1987. PHYLLIS WAS THE DAUGHTER GEORGE WHITTON AND ADA KERSHAW WHITTON (MAIDEN NAME UNKNOWN). ADA PASSED AWAY IN 1929 AT THE AGE OF 54 AND GEORGE PASSED AWAY ON APRIL 9, 1942 AT THE AGE OF 67. BILL MCDONELL WAS BORN IN ST. EUSTACHE, MB AND MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1928. ACCORDING TO HIS OBITUARY, “HE WAS BLOCKMAN FOR THE JOHN DEERE COMPANY FOR 20 YEARS, AND WAS TWICE TOP SALESMAN IN THE PROVINCE. FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS HE ALSO FARMED AT DEL BONITA. HE FOUNDED MCDONELL MANUFACTURER, BUILDERS OF CONESTOGA MOTOR HOMES AND MINI HOMES, WHICH HE DESIGNED.” BILL PASSED AT THE AGE OF 80 ON OCTOBER 16, 1978. BILL WAS THE SON OF MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH MCDONELL. SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR COPIES OF THE ARTICLES FROM THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. *UPDATE* IN 2018, COLLECTIONS ASSISTANT ELISE PUNDYK CONDUCTED A SURVEY OF BOXED TEXTILES AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDING A ROBE, TWO PURSES, AND A HATPIN DONATED BY MCDONALD. A PUBLIC NOTICE IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD STATED PHYLLIS MCDONELL PASSED AWAY ON MARCH 13TH, 1997. ACCORDING TO THE MCDONELL'S HEADSTONE IN THE SAINT PATRICK CEMETERY (LETHBRIDGE) SHE WAS BORN IN 1903. PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE P19970033013 FOR COPIES OF RESEARCH SOURCES USED.

*UPDATE* IN 2021 TWO COLLECTIONS ASSISTANTS, RYLEY GELINAS AND O. E., CONDUCTED AN AUDIT OF THE ROLLED TEXTILE COLLECTION, INCLUDING OTHER ARTIFACTS WITHIN THIS COLLECTION. RESEARCH CONDUCTED INTO THE DONOR WAS UNSUCCESSFUL AND NO FURTHER INFORMATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE AS A RESULT OF THE AUDIT WORK.

Catalogue Number

P19970033003

Acquisition Date

1997-04

Collection

Museum

Less detail