Burns, Roy

  • From “The Loyalists – Pioneers and Settlers of the West”: See full biography at UELAC Biography: https://www.uelac.org/education/WesternResource/413-Burns.pdf
    • Roy Burns was born at Fort Pomme de Terre, Minnesota, just outside of Elbow Lake, to Wilfred Burns and Lily Mae Patterson. In April 1906, Roy moved with his parents, brothers and sisters to Bowville, Alberta, a community ten miles east of Carmangay. When they had arrived by train with all their farm animals, machinery and household effects in Lethbridge, they purchased wagons and travelled thirty-five miles to the homestead where Wilfred had built a house the year before. Wilfred and his older boys returned to Lethbridge to take out the remaining supplies. As it was then very busy in Lethbridge they were forced to sleep in the stable with their horses. Wilfred contacted pneumonia and passed away two weeks later. Lily stayed in Canada and with the help of Roy who was fourteen and his brothers Charlie, Frank, Phillip, Earl and Leslie, they assisted their mother in raising the younger children, breaking the land and establishing their new homestead. Lily also filed for her own homestead and completed all the requirements to obtain this land as well.
    • When Roy was young, each child in his family had a job to do to help run the Burns’ family home. Roy’s job was to help take care of his grandmother, Rachel Belyea (Bulyea) Burns. He heard many stories from her. Her family had arrived in New Brunswick in the first sailing from New York following the American Revolution. She told Roy about her life in New Brunswick and about the trip her husband, David Burns, and she made to Blenheim Township, Oxford County in Ontario in 1840.
    • It was always said that if anyone needed help or food, Roy and Frances were there to help. Roy was always so proud of his United Empire Loyalist ancestry and passed this love on to his three children.
    • As of July 2001, there were 271 Burns descendants from the Wilfred Burns’ family. They are living mainly in Alberta and British Columbia. This family played a major role in the settlement of the west and its development over the years.
  • Second Great Grandson of United Empire Loyalist listed in Loyalist Directory: https://uelac.ca/loyalist-directory/detail/?wpda_search_column_id=1007
  • Find A Grave: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/102549389/roy-burns