Submitted by Glengarry Agricultural Wall of Fame Committee
The following is a profile of Robert McDonell who will be inducted this year into the Glengarry Agricultural Wall of Fame April 25. Other inductees are Char-Lan Foodgrains Bank members, who were profiled March 11, Marlene (McLeod) Werry and the late Denny Van Loon, who will be profiled in future editions.
Robert McDonell was born on December 5, 1937. For anyone involved in farming and agriculture, it is a well-known fact that it is not just a job, but a way of life. For William Robert McDonell, this could not be more accurate. He is the eldest of five children born to Clark and Eileen McDonell who lived and worked on a multi-generational farm that was a United Empire Loyalist settlement — the deed to which still hangs on the wall of the original home at Ossian Hall Farm.
As a young man in 1955, Robert won the Lions Club Shield, awarded for the top 4-H Showman in Glengarry. In 1972, Robert along with his wife and partner, Jane, purchased the family farm. Together, they expanded operations by building a new barn and in 1978, installed one of the first DeLaval milking parlors in Eastern Ontario. They actively farmed and raised their family of three: Andrea, Blake, and Margo. Robert and Jane retired in 1998 and they still live on the home farm.
Williamstown is a thriving, healthy community made up of those who live, learn, work, play and pray and Robert has been a true leader in this town where he grew up. He was on the Williamstown Enhancement Committee and was active in Williamstown’s Bicentennial in 1984. He has shown his faith and stewardship, while being an active member of St. Andrew’s United Church in Williamstown. He was Elder of the church, overseeing the cemetery. He was a founding member of the Foodgrains Bank. He has been and continues to be an honorary Director on the Williamstown Fair Board, acting as the board’s Secretary and later, President in 1981 and 1982. For his service over the years, he was awarded the St. Lawrence Valley Agricultural Society Merit Award and The Ontario Association of Agricultural Society’s Service Diploma.
Robert has served as a member of the Glengarry Holstein Club, Junior Farmers and the Glengarry Agricultural Wall of Fame Committee. He was an active member of the 4-H Cattle Club and an unofficial member when his children were involved. You can still find Robert supporting his community as he watches the next generation love, respect and embrace the farming way of life.
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