Margaret Jean, 1937 (daughter of Grace and Gordon Nelson)
Margaret Jean Nelson Cowie Dolan is the oldest granddaughter of Vince and Jenny McCarthy and can been seen in the corner of some of the family pictures in the early 40s. She remembers many Novembers, with her mother Grace, taking the big green mixing bowl along with all the ingredients to Gramma’s house to bake Christmas cake.
Margaret married Boyd Cowie in 1957. They had five children. Boyd died of meningitis in 1975 at the age of 43. In 1984, she married Thomas Dolan. As a single parent for many years she learned quickly how to be a thrifty homemaker. She was known to make all the protective pads for her four sons for sports, and sewed sports jackets and graduation gowns for special events.
With five children involved in sports, Margaret often went from game to game, attempting to see every game the boys played. She was involved with the executive of minor lacrosse and hockey and assisted with costumes when her daughter Krista was figure skating. She continues to support her children and grandchildren in sports.
Margaret has a great compassion for the sick and elderly and over the years has spent countless hours with family and friends in difficult times. This included her mother, Grace, who had been restricted to bed for almost four years before she died.
As her children grew older, Margaret updated her business skills and returned to work at CGE and later with the Unemployment Insurance Commission.
Her five children are:
- Brian Robert, 1958
- Gerard Nelson, 1959
- Krista Lynn, 1961
- Brad Vincent, 1962
- Ross Gerald, 1964
