David George McQueen

David George McQueen was born December 25, 1854 in Kirkwall, Ontario to James and Catherine McQueen. The McQueen's were a farming family who came from Scotland to Canada in 1832. His father was known to have a very large library and very supportive of education. Both David and his brother held jobs as school teachers as young adults. When David turned 26 he entered the Faculty of Arts at the University of Toronto, where he graduated 4 years later with a honours degree in mathematics. Still not settled on a career, he enrolled at Knox Theological College in the fall of 1884, and graduated in 1887. He was ordained as a minister in the Presbyterian Church in Canada and promptly sent west to take over Revered Baird ministerial responsibilities. At this time he also served as Inspector of Schools, a position he would continue in until 1892.

In June of 1889 McQueen left Edmonton for the first time since his arrival to attend the Presbyterian Church in Canada's General Assembly in Toronto. During this trip he saw his father for a final time before Robert McQueen fell ill and died. He also met a young woman named Catherine Robertson. The two were married on September 23, 1890 and returned to Edmonton together that same fall. David and Catherine had 7 children: James McQueen (1891-1951), Alexander Robertson McQueen (1893-1916, died at the Battle of Sanctuary Wood in WW1), Robert McQueen (1896-1941), Christina McQueen McKnight (1898-1984), Helen Agnes Learmonth (1904-1994), Marjorie and Jean.

Rev. McQueen served as Moderator for the Presbyterian Church several times, first for the Synod of Alberta in 1907. He received a Doctor of Divinity from Knox Theological Seminary in 1905 and a honorary LL.D. from the University of Alberta in 1915. Dr. Rev. David McQueen died in Edmonton on October 22, 1930.

Created May 4, 2023

Klumpenhouwer, Tys. "The Life of Rev. D.G. McQueen" The Presbyterian Church in Canada Archives. May 4, 2023, https://presbyterianarchives.ca/2017/11/03/the-life-of-rev-d-g-mcqueen/.