Funeral services for James Ronald (Jimmy) Gillon, 74, a member of one of Fort Frances’ earliest families who died in La Verendrye hospital on Wednesday, July 25, 2001, were conducted Tuesday, July 31, at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church by Rev. Marion McCreadie of Thunder Bay.
Jim and his wife, Iza, raised their four children, David, Ann, Gordon, and Brian, within a stone’s throw of the spot where he was born on Crowe Avenue, close to his beloved river.
He was the second son of Roy and Anne Gillon, who lived just across Nelson Street from Jim’s home. His grandfather was Douglas John Gillon, the pioneer land surveyor who, along with son, Roy, set many of the property boundaries for this entire area.
Jim followed logging along Rainy Lake in the summer, and worked in the paper mill woodyard in wintertime. He became licensed captain of the “Ward” tugboat after earlier serving on the better known “Hallet.”
Besides his children, he is survived by one brother, Douglas, of Winnipeg, and one sister, Christeen Smythe of Wichita, Kan. Daughter Ann Davis resides in Flin Flon, Man.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
