The family was living by Harris, Saskatchewan in the 1821 census. Willy is shown as being a farmer, having moved to Canada in 1906, and becoming a naturalized citizen in 1909. He is also shown as being of Scottish descent. At this time, they had a lodger named George Hutchison living with them, and he was a public school teacher, age 20.

At the time of his son’s death in World War II (April 13, 1944), the Willie and Ethel are shown as living in Feudal, Saskatchewan.