Isabell Grant

From Duncan MacDonald (b. 1932):

While in Nova Scotia, I found the cemetery marker for Duncan and Isabell Grant. They are buried in Sunny Brae on the banks of the East River with several more of our relatives. They are not all our kin, but if you took away all of the MacDonald’s and Frasers, the cemetery would be almost empty.

Much of the information I have on the Grants was either received or confirmed by Betty McDonald. At the time of my visit, Betty and her brother Dale farmed in the East River valley not far from Sunny Brae. She took us to the cemetery and pointed out many of the grave sites. Betty is not related to us through the MacDonald line, but is through the Grant line.

While in Nova Scotia we visited the site of the old Grant home. It was my understanding that a couple from Boston had refurbished the building and used it as a summer home. It lies in the East River valley not far from Saint Paul’s Church somewhat upstream from Sunny Brae. The home that Duncan left to come to North Dakota is on land adjacent to the Grant land. Isabell came to be known as Grannie Corromony. Their farm was two miles back from the river. A tale indicates that Isabell was a very strong woman as she would carry a bushel of potatoes on her back from the town on the river. She was known to be a very religious woman. Students went to her to receive her blessing before sailing back to Scotland.