Version 6.01

02 January 2023

David March © 2014

FRANK ROLAND MacMILLAN

Frank Roland MacMillan was born on 15 May 1881 in Chicago, Illinois to Rev James MacMillan (b 1849) and Jane (Jenny) Gertrude Thompson (b 1848). The MacMillans were temporarily residing in Chicago while Rev MacMillan took a divinity course. Frank's siblings were: Edgar "Roy" (1876-1951), Florence Mary "Gertrude" (b 1878), Edith Myrtle (b 1882) and Mabel Gretta (b 1885). His family moved back to Toronto when Frank was three and he was raised there.

Frank married Clara Maud McGrath in Toronto on 24 August 1905. Although her tombstone inscription had a birth year of 1874, all early census records indicated that she was born circa 1871. She was born in Toronto to James Morris C McGrath (b 1835) and Ellen Burke (b 1835). Her siblings were: Richard (1854-1881), James (b 1855), Jane (Jennie) (b 1857), Ann (b 1860), Mary Ann (b 1864), Margaret (Maggie) (1866-1900) and John Thomas (1869-1931). Clara was raised in Toronto. After their marriage, Frank and Clara lived in Toronto until 1911 and had two daughters there: Margaret Burke (Marnie) (1910-2004) and Jean Thompson (1911-1993).

Frank worked for seven years as a traveler handling mercantile lines. The first record of the MacMillan family in Saskatoon was found in the 1912 Saskatoon Henderson Directory when the family was residing at 509 24th St East and Frank was the proprietor of MacMillan and Company. According to an article written in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix after his death on 8 April 1948, he purchased the business of Currie Brothers and moved the business to a building that he had built on Third Ave and 21st St (now the Avenue Building) in October 1914. He later sold to the T Eaton Company and erected a new store nearby which was called the F R MacMillan Department Store. At various times he was president of a number of organizations, including the Red Cross. He was elected an alderman in 1913 and was elected mayor of Saskatoon for the year of 1919. He was a candidate for the House of Commons in the general elections of 1925 and 1926 and was finally elected in the general election of 1930. He served as a Conservative member until 1935. The newspaper article referenced for the preceding information can be found here.

From at least 1916 until the time of Frank's death on 7 April 1948 in Vancouver, British Columbia, the MacMillan residence was at 302 Saskatchewan Crescent West in Saskatoon. Clara died on 19 July 1938 in Saskatoon. Both were buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Saskatoon as was their daughter, Marnie, who died in Toronto on 15 June 2004, but lived most of her life at the Saskatchewan Crescent address.

This family tree can be found on Ancestry under the title 3rd Ave MacMillan Tree.