My Deer family line begins with David and Harriet Deer. David Deer was born in England. His birth date is September 28, 1828. He died on November 28, 1901. I have no maiden name for Harriet but I believe she was born in Ontario in about 1830. She died August 10, 1900. David and Harriet were the parents of my great grandmother, Mary Elizabeth Deer, born June 10, 1867. David Deer is referenced in the 1871 census. He was age 50 at the time of the census: Collingwood Township, Grey County. 20 On November 16, 1887, at the age of 21, Mary Deer of Collingwood, Township, married George Taylor, age 26, of Nottawasaga, Ontario. George was a bachelor and a farmer, and he was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mary was a Baptist. Witnesses present at their marriage ceremony were John Sprott of Nottawasaga and Elizabeth Deer of Collingwood Township. They were married (by license) by Rev. R. W. Kelly. My information does not tell which church they were married in. The marriage registration number is registration # 011145/87. Mary was born in Proton, Grey County, Ontario on June 10, 1867. The birth date I have for George is April 2, 1860. He was born in Quebec. By the way, when I looked on the map for Nottawasaga, Ontario, I wasn't able to find a township or country, only Nattawasaga Bay. I'm told that Collingwood is in Nottawasaga Township in Simcoe County, but Collingwood Township is in Grey County. Grey County and Collingwood Township border Simcoe County and Nottawasaga Township. George and Mary Taylor moved to Bassano, Alberta, Canada in the spring of 1911 from Collingwood, Ontario, accompanied by their nine children:

1.. Gladys (Mrs. Archie Doble), Apr 3, 1867 (My grandparents)

2.. Pearl Elizabeth (Mrs. Jefferies) June 16, 1892

3.. George Earnest, March 17, 1896

4.. Mary Beatrice, Feb. 28, 1900

5.. David Hartley, May 23, 1898

6.. Earl Moses, September 22, 1904

7.. Myrtle (Mrs. Cragg), February 19, 1907

8.. Harriet Alice (Mrs. Bennett), August 24, 1908

9.. Elva Grace (Mrs. Queerless), March 22, 1910 George moved his family to Eckville in 1918. My information doesn't say if it was Eckville, Illinois or Eckville, Pennsylvania. He passed away in 1928 at the age of 67. Mary died in 1937 at 70 years old. This is where everything stops and I keep hitting a brick wall. If anyone doing research on the Deers can help, I would sure appreciate it.

Myrna McGhie, Fairbanks, AK

mlmcghie@alaska.net

June 5, 1999