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Mini Biographies of Scots and Scots Descendants (Mc)
McDermott, Michael Wayne


I am the only son of Wayne I. McDermott. He the son of Willaim McDermott. Willaim was from a wealthy family from Michigan state or so the story goes. He lived in Seattle Washington on Dawson street. His wife was Jessie Rush, this side of the family traces back to the Rushes which signed the Declaration of Independence, family folklore.

I married Jeanine Passmore, her family is Welsh/English, the family folklore says they inherited a Castle but were too poor to claim it, so it went to someone down the line. This might have been a Williams on her fathers mothers side of the family?

My story: I was placed in foster care by the State of Washington at age 7 or 8. I was placed in two homes, the second was a much better fit. Meaning they put up with me pretty well through the years. We moved on a farm, and I joined 4-H with some cattle projects. Years later this would become my passion for life and a direction which keeps me happy to this day. It introduced me to Highland cattle which I breed today.

Jeanine My wife was a Ballet dancer and if I was to win her heart I too had to dance. So courtship included ballet tights and and eight years of dance lessons including college level at the University of Washington under Ruth Anna Boris, Ann Green, and Tommy Ralls.

I wanted very badly to study medicine and was premed at the U of Washington, but painted for a living for nearly 33 years. We moved from Seattle in 1989 back to Minnesota where we live today. Here we have created a new beef breed we call Diarmid cattle. Our two children followed my 4-H experience becoming the only youth in the State of Minnesota to Qualify Highland cattle to Minnesota State fair 1993-1996. In 1995 a Highland bull , Resurrector became the the Supreme Champion of all beef breeds at the Beltrami county fair, his dam was the Champion cow the same year. Resurrector was known locally as Babe the Blue Ox, thus the name of our farm.

Our Scottish roots trace to the Highlands ... Applecross and Lochcarron region. My Grandfather was Alexander Macrae, born to Flora Macrae who married Roderick Gollan of Slumbay, Hillside house. A declaration was made that Roderick was not the father of Alexander. Grandfather never spoke of his family history and if he did.. it was with red face and tight lips.

Alexander Married Bessie Buchanan, they had three children Jessie my mother, Harry Benjamin, and Glen Newton. The Buchanan's were farmers. Family folklore says they were one of the biggest or perhaps first steam  thrashing farms in Canada and one of the first to own an Oldsmobile in Canada. They lost everything during the depression and moved to Burns Lake B.C. where they are buried. This family was from Indiana. Folklore also says we might have been related to James Buchanan President of the United States. It can be said we were a minor branch of affluent families. A sister of my fathers was a member of the Daughters of the Revolution and Daughters of Plymouth... or some such, which might add some truth to the tale? There is some connection to General Tom Thumb on the Rush side... so history and family searches turns up many interesting little possible facts and folklore.

So on one side of our family we have been in the Americas a very long time. On the Scottish side only two generations. As Alexander fought in WWI for the Ross-Shire Mountain Artilery. My mother Jessie, Canadian born and a green card carrier to this day.

The Passmore name is a rare name and has only 1200 or so members in the United States. Jeanines' father is James Carter Passmore, her mother is Ruth Beecher. Family folklore and names trace to Henry Ward Beecher and the Lutheran church unconfirmed. On the mothers side the Corum name traces back to the oldest Church in Norway.

Connecting to the lost children of Kintail has been very rewarding for myself, this and my life connection with Highland cattle seems somewhat unbelievable. Maybe if we were given more information about our family histories we would be better served and serve our countries in a more clear fashion?

Michael McDermott http://www.blueoxfarms.com


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