Undertakers & Funeral Homes

Funeral Homes and Undertakers in Estevan Area

Donald Alexander (Dan) McNeil
b- Aug 13, 1879, in Brussels, ON
(shown born in Cranbrook ON on his enlistment form.)
d- 1939
Came to Estevan in 1904
Sister Annie McNeil living with him in 1911
Scottish, Presbyterian, Shown as a Merchant, Living in a Stone House.
First Licensed Undertaker in Estevan
Worked in P.C. Duncan's General Store
and behind the Furniture Dept in the Upstairs, he set up his Undertaker business.
Served in WWI
While he was away at war Mr. Otto Derwalt ran the undertaking business.
Dan's wife Martha Grace McNeil, nee Davidson, (from NS)
was shown as his next of kin.
They were married in 1915
He enlisted in Saskatoon SK, Apr 1, 1916
Reg # 534247
On Mr. McNeil's return he purchased a building at 1121-3rd. St which became his Funeral Home.

Only Otto Derwalt I could find was born in 1862 in WI, USA,
1880, living at Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Father- Christian Derwalt, a shoemaker
Otto shown as a clerk in a store.
not known if this was him or not for sure

Mr. Dan McNeil trained Mr. John Lee, and went into a partnership with him, and this became McNeil & Lee Funeral Home

After Mr. McNeil died in 1939, his business was sold to Mr. John Lee, and became Lee Funeral Home

Lee Funeral Home

John Lee
b- Jan 22, 1909, in Pinto Sask
d- 1966

John's wife Margaret Lee, nee Spelliscy, b- Strasbourg SK, d- Jan 15, 2006, age 91,
became a licensed Embalmer, and was one of the few females in the Province, doing that job.
John Lee was President of the Estevan Board of Trade in 1952
1953 elected President of Saskatchewan Embalmers Assoc.
City Councillor in 1948
Chairman of the Finance committee
1955 elected to Separate School Board
1960 elected President of the Rotary Club
Member of the Chamber of Commerce
Member of the Knights of Columbus
President of the Estevan Figure skating club.
He bought the McNeil Funeral Home in ca 1941.
For 17 years he was the only funeral director until a Robert William Cleland opened a Home in Weyburn and Estevan in ca 1958,
and after a court case Mr. Cleland's licence, was cancelled in May 1961 for 120 days, for advertising among other things,
against bylaws of the Saskatchewan Embalmers Assoc., an appeal overturned this cancellation.

In 1962 he sold his house at 1501 2nd st.

Monday Feb 12, 1962, Mr. John Lee, opened a new Lee Funeral Home in Regina, at 3101 Dewdney Street.
His residence adjoined the home. Mr. Lee moved his family to Regina
wife Margaret with 5 children
He held embalmer Licence #142
He sold the Regina Lee Funeral Home in 1974

Louie Alexander Duncan
b- Apr 24, 1870, in Elma Township, Perth Co., ON
d- Oct 13, 1949
came to Estevan in 1902
Justice of the Peace in Estevan for 35 years
Secretary of the Masonic Lodge in Estevan in 1907
He was Secretary-Treasurer of Estevan in 1913
Father- James Duncan
Mother- Johanna M. “Jean” Robertson
Louie married Lavina Isabella Walker, Apr 25, 1894, Lambton, ON
daughter of Benjamin and Mary E. Walker
5 children by 1911
Son- Bruce Vincent Duncan
b- Apr 1895 in ON
Son- Clarence Wilfred Duncan
b- Aug 1899 in ON
Son- James Lyle Duncan
b- Apr 17, 1906 in Estevan, SK
daughter- Isabelle Louise Duncan
b- Feb 20, 1908 in Estevan, SK
son- Kenneth Harper Duncan
b- Dec 1909 in Estevan, SK
Louie was a brother to former Estevan Mayor, (Peter Cuthbert) P. C. Duncan.

W. R. Whitby
P.F. Jahn

Estevan Funeral Home Orsted Funeral Home

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