Richard William Funnell
By Allan Goddard
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As a follow up, from my previous article about the Funnell School District, this article will explore what we have discovered about Richard William Funnell, the individual for whom the School District and area was named after.
In 2012 the Funnell Community Centre was preparing to celebrate the centennial of the Funnell School. The Breton Museum started to research the life of Richard Funnell. It would seem that one of the first individuals to settle in the area would have information about them recorded. What we soon found out, there wasn’t a lot of information about him. There were two short passages about him, one in a book called “From Frontier Days in Leduc and District” 1891-1956, where Breton resident Walter Baynes had written an article about the early history of the area. |
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In it he mentions… “Richard Funnell who, with another man, drove a team of oxen from Millet”. The other mention of Richard Funnell was by Lloyd Ellis in the “Ladder of Time” where he wrote four short sentences. Lloyd gave the land location of Funnell’s homestead, that he lived in a log house with a sod roof, had a son who was killed in World War Two, and that his wife had returned to England, after her son’s death, where she lived the rest of her life. Well it was a start, so the hunt was on to find more details.
The museum was fortunate that Llyod Ellis was able to provide some additional information in 2012: he knew Richard had passed away in the 1930’s, at his home, and was laid to rest in the Breton Cemetery. Next stop the Village Office to check the cemetery records, they indicated he had died in October 1933. A visit to the Breton Cemetery found a simple headstone with the dates 1866-1933. Donald Jackson was also able to provide a few additional details about Richard. One of the more gruesome details he conveyed to the museum in a 2012 telephone conversation was when Richard passed away in October 1933, his body was stored in an old granary until the time of his burial. Remember it was the Depression years and there were no local funeral service providers.
His homesteaded records brought more details to light. From it we learned that he had filed on the NE 22-48-4 W5 in 1907 and that he was an American. As an American he had to become a Canadian citizen before he could obtain title to his homestead. By June 1911, at age 46, Richard had been naturalized as a Canadian citizen and had performed the necessary requirements to apply for title to his homestead. In his declaration for title, he had fifteen acres cleared, a 14X20 dwelling of logs, a log stable, a dug well 47 feet deep and he owned 2 oxen. When not residing on his homestead Richard worked as a teamster at a near by logging camp. Richard was single at the time and would remain so for another ten years.
As far as the museum is aware no known photographs of Richard Funnell exist. Sad when you consider: a rural community, School/Community Centre, Telephone Mutual and the Funnell Mother’s Club all carried his name.
But what about his wife and son? We will tell that story next time.
The museum was fortunate that Llyod Ellis was able to provide some additional information in 2012: he knew Richard had passed away in the 1930’s, at his home, and was laid to rest in the Breton Cemetery. Next stop the Village Office to check the cemetery records, they indicated he had died in October 1933. A visit to the Breton Cemetery found a simple headstone with the dates 1866-1933. Donald Jackson was also able to provide a few additional details about Richard. One of the more gruesome details he conveyed to the museum in a 2012 telephone conversation was when Richard passed away in October 1933, his body was stored in an old granary until the time of his burial. Remember it was the Depression years and there were no local funeral service providers.
His homesteaded records brought more details to light. From it we learned that he had filed on the NE 22-48-4 W5 in 1907 and that he was an American. As an American he had to become a Canadian citizen before he could obtain title to his homestead. By June 1911, at age 46, Richard had been naturalized as a Canadian citizen and had performed the necessary requirements to apply for title to his homestead. In his declaration for title, he had fifteen acres cleared, a 14X20 dwelling of logs, a log stable, a dug well 47 feet deep and he owned 2 oxen. When not residing on his homestead Richard worked as a teamster at a near by logging camp. Richard was single at the time and would remain so for another ten years.
As far as the museum is aware no known photographs of Richard Funnell exist. Sad when you consider: a rural community, School/Community Centre, Telephone Mutual and the Funnell Mother’s Club all carried his name.
But what about his wife and son? We will tell that story next time.
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Hours of Operation
11 AM - 5 PM Monday - Friday Call Allan at (780) 898-1155 to book a time. Admission by donation. |
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Address: 4711-51 Street Breton, AB T0C 0P0
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