Aleck and Nettie's Mother

This is my great grandmother Margaret Williams Robertson, born in Aberdeen, Scotland on March 14, 1838, emigrated to Canada with her husband John Norman Robertson and children in 1871, moved to Burford c. 1890, died on Dec. 27, 1929. Mr. and Mrs. Robertson owned Robertson's General Store on King St. Aleck was their son Alexander Williams Robertson (born 1870 in Scotland, died 1941 in Chicago). Nettie was Aleck's wife, Annette Boughner, (born 1870 in Middleton Twp., Norfolk Co., died 1940 in Chicago). They were married in 1895 in Tillsonburg. Aleck was known to Dad and his sister as "Uncle Lockie". Dad wrote: "Went to the USA at an early age and was employed in Marshall Fields (dept. store, Chicago), eventually becoming manager of the Home Furnishings and Antiques Department. As a result of his work, Uncle Alex became well known to many of the wealthy and notorious of Chicago including Al Capone, Ralph Capone, Dennis Cooney and many other of the big gangsters. He told of how the Capones would come into the store and sit holding their wives' hands while they ordered thousands of dollars worth of Persian rugs and antiques. In addition he had to go to their homes frequently to advise them on furnishings and decoration. Uncle Alex always said that he only represented Marshall Fields to the gangsters and that they treated him kindly and courteously. One time as he left Marshall Fields one evening on his way to Canada Ralph Capone and his bodyguards met him at the store doors. Capone came over and made a great fuss over Uncle Alex. He always said that he never hesitated to serve the gangsters or go to their homes on business as he only did so as a store department manager."