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Simpson line

Lowell Leon Simpson

Standard profile
Profile evidence
Established profile
Last reviewed
4 June 2026

Electrician, farmer's son, wartime signals trainee, Shellbrook businessman, and grandson of Thomas Nelson Simpson, whose life carried the Simpson family from Nebraska into twentieth-century Saskatchewan.

Life Story

Lowell Leon Simpson was born on 19 October 1904 at Holdrege, Phelps County, Nebraska, the youngest known child of Thomas Nelson Simpson and Emma C. Hethcot Simpson. A typewritten copy of the Thomas Nelson Simpson family Bible gives Lowell’s full name, birth date, and birthplace.1 In 1910, Lowell was living with his parents and siblings in Holdrege, where his father was recorded as a commercial traveler.2

Lowell moved with his family to Saskatchewan during his childhood. A local history of the Pathlow district states that the Simpson family settled at Pathlow in 1915.3 Lowell attended school at Pathlow Heights, and local history records that he and his older brother Everett played baseball there, winning local tournaments.4 He later continued his education at Prince Albert Collegiate Institute.

In 1921, Lowell was enumerated as a boarder in Melfort, Saskatchewan.5 That same year, he was included as a minor child in the Canadian naturalization listing for his father, Thomas Simpson of Pathlow.6

As a young man, Lowell travelled several times between Canada and the United States. In 1924, he returned to Canada through North Portal, Saskatchewan, describing himself as single and working as a farm labourer.7 He again spent time in the United States during the 1920s and returned to Canada through North Portal on 31 August 1928.8

By 1931, Lowell was back in Saskatchewan and living with his parents in the Pleasant Valley area, where he was recorded as a labourer on his father’s farm.9 He farmed with his father for a time and later trained as an electrician. A Birch Hills local history states that he began training as an electrician with Lacroix Electric about 1939.10

Lowell married Grace Davis. Family recollections indicate that Lowell and Grace were together before their formal marriage certificate was issued in 1942.11 Lowell and Grace had three sons: Wayne, Bill, and Terry.

On 11 November 1941, Lowell joined the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals and went east for training. Grace followed him to Ontario, staying in Brantford with her sister Emma Davis Sanderson, where their son Terry was born. Lowell was medically discharged from the army on 20 August 1942. The family remained in Ontario for a time before returning to Saskatchewan, where Lowell continued in electrical work and Grace resumed teaching.10

During the mid-1940s, Lowell worked in different Saskatchewan communities while the family was re-establishing itself after the war. Voters lists place him in Readlyn, Saskatchewan, in 1945, where he was recorded as a mechanic, and at Gunworth, Saskatchewan, where he was recorded as a labourer.12, 13

Lowell considered moving to the United States after the war. On 9 January 1947, he crossed at Eastport, Idaho, intending to visit his brother Everett for several months. The border record described him as living at Rosetown, Saskatchewan, married to Grace Simpson, and working as an electrician.14 In January 1948, he again crossed into the United States at Eastport, this time stating an intention to reside permanently and presenting a renunciation and allegiance document executed before the U.S. Consul in Regina.15 The move did not become permanent, and Lowell and his family remained in Saskatchewan.

By the early 1950s, Lowell and Grace were living at Shellbrook, Saskatchewan, where Lowell worked as an electrician.16 He ran an electrical business in Shellbrook, doing house wiring, commercial wiring, lighting plants, fixtures, and appliance work. Family recollections state that his sons Bill and Terry worked with him when they were older, before leaving for other careers.11 Voters lists continue to identify Lowell as an electrician in the Prince Albert district in 1963 and in the Spiritwood area in 1972.17, 18

In Shellbrook, Lowell was part of the local business community and periodically served on town council. He was also a member of the Shellbrook Elks, the Legion, and the Fish and Game Society.19 Family recollections remember him as a man who enjoyed fishing and duck hunting.11

Lowell died on 2 October 1981 in hospital at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, from complications of a stroke. His funeral was held on 5 October 1981 at Knox United Church in Shellbrook.19

Research Notes

Birth Year

Most records support Lowell’s birth in 1904. The Thomas Nelson Simpson family Bible copy gives Lowell’s birth as 19 October 1904 at Holdrege, Nebraska, and the 1910 census records Lowell as age five, consistent with an October 1904 birth.1, 2 Some later records, including at least one border-crossing record and Lowell’s obituary, give or imply a 1907 birth year. The 1904 date is better supported by the earlier household census and the family Bible copy.

Religion and Ancestry in Records

Lowell gave varying religious and ethnic descriptions in border and census records. He was recorded as Methodist in one border-crossing record and Presbyterian in another; his ethnic origin was variously recorded as Scotch, English, Irish, or mixed.5, 8, 14, 15 These variations are common in early twentieth-century records and should not be treated as firm contradictions.

Family Recollections

Some details in this profile come from first-hand family recollections provided by Lowell’s sons, especially Bill Simpson and Wayne Simpson. These include memories about Lowell’s religious practice, his work with his sons, family movements in the 1940s, and his fishing and hunting. Where possible, those recollections have been paired with documentary records such as voters lists, border crossings, local histories, and obituary information.11

Y-DNA Evidence

Y-DNA testing of direct male-line descendants from two separate sons or branches of William Simpson supports the documented paternal line back to William Simpson. This evidence supports Lowell’s broader patrilineal Simpson line, but it should not be treated as a standalone proof of every immediate relationship in the profile.20

Evidence Timeline

  1. Birth at Holdrege

    The Thomas Nelson Simpson family Bible copy gives Lowell's full name, birth date, and birthplace.

  2. Holdrege household

    The 1910 census places Lowell with his parents in Holdrege, Nebraska.

  3. Saskatchewan settlement

    Pathlow local history says the Simpson family settled at Pathlow in 1915.

  4. Melfort and naturalization context

    Lowell was enumerated as a boarder in Melfort and listed as a minor child in Thomas Simpson's naturalization record.

  5. Border crossings

    Border records show Lowell returning to Canada through North Portal.

  6. Pleasant Valley household

    Lowell was living with his parents and working as a labourer on his father's farm.

  7. Electrician training and Signals service

    Local history places Lowell in electrician training and then in Royal Canadian Corps of Signals training before medical discharge.

  8. Postwar work and border records

    Voters lists and border records place Lowell in Saskatchewan communities and at Eastport crossings.

  9. Shellbrook electrician

    Voters lists and family recollections describe Lowell's electrical work and business.

  10. Death at Saskatoon

    Lowell died in hospital at Saskatoon and his funeral was held at Knox United Church in Shellbrook.

Family Group Sheet

Spouse / family connection
Grace Merle Lorraine Davis, formal marriage certificate issued in 1942
Children and direct-line notes
  • Wayne Simpson
  • Bill Simpson Sr. - direct-line child
  • Terry Simpson

Places in Lowell Leon Simpson's Life

These markers are curated historical place references. Most are city, town, border-crossing, or broad district markers rather than exact home, farm, school, or business locations.

Documentary Base

Sources

family Bible copy / affidavit

[1] Thomas Nelson Simpson Family Bible Birth Entries

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Thomas Nelson Simpson family Bible birth entries, typewritten copy in family papers, listing births of Thomas Nelson Simpson, Cora Emaline Hethcot Simpson, their children, and Lutz grandchildren; attached affidavit of Joseph Strachan, general merchant of Gunworth, Saskatchewan, sworn 18 August 1947, stating that he had seen the Family Bible of Thomas Nelson Simpson and that the attached paper was a true copy of the Bible page; privately held by Davis Simpson, 2026.

Access: Privately held family papers.

Supports:
  • Lowell Leon Simpson's full name, birth date, birthplace, and placement in the Thomas Nelson Simpson family.

census

[2] 1910 U.S. Census - Thomas Simpson Household, Holdrege, Nebraska

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1910 U.S. census, Phelps County, Nebraska, population schedule, Holdrege city, ward 2, enumeration district 102, sheet 2A, Thomas Simpson household, including Lowell Simpson; "Nebraska, United States records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GRK3-YYL?view=explore : accessed 28 May 2026), image 208 of 1406; citing NARA microfilm publication T624, roll 853.

Access: FamilySearch image.

Supports:
  • Lowell in his parents' household in Holdrege in 1910.
  • Evidence supporting a 1904 birth year.
  • Thomas Simpson's occupation as commercial traveler.

local history

[3] Pathways to Pathlow - Simpson Family Entry

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Pathways to Pathlow: Pathlow Heights #1 and #2, Percieville, Sacriston, Harriville, Willowdle, Flett's Springs and Shannon View (Pathlow, Saskatchewan: Pathlow History Book, 1983), p. 319, Simpson family.

Access: Published local history.

Supports:
  • Simpson family settlement at Pathlow in 1915.
  • Local family context in Saskatchewan.

local history

[4] Pathways to Pathlow - Pathlow Heights Baseball

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Pathways to Pathlow: Pathlow Heights #1 and #2, Percieville, Sacriston, Harriville, Willowdle, Flett's Springs and Shannon View (Pathlow, Saskatchewan: Pathlow History Book, 1983), p. 50, Simpson family and Pathlow Heights baseball.

Access: Published local history.

Supports:
  • Lowell and Everett Simpson's school and baseball activity at Pathlow Heights.

census

[5] 1921 Census of Canada - Lowell Simpson, Melfort, Saskatchewan

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1921 Census of Canada, Saskatchewan, Prince Albert District, Melfort, p. 21, Lowell Simpson; Ancestry database, citing Library and Archives Canada, Sixth Census of Canada, 1921, RG31, Statistics Canada fonds.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada census record.

Supports:
  • Lowell as a boarder in Melfort in 1921.
  • Religion and ethnic-origin variants noted in the record.

naturalization record

[6] 1921 Canadian Naturalization - Thomas Simpson and Minor Children

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Naturalization Branch, Report of the Naturalization Branch, Sessional Paper No. 22, naturalization list entry for Thomas Simpson, formerly of the U.S.A., naturalized 25 April 1921, farmer, Pathlow, Saskatchewan, certificate/reference 6626 B; also listing Lowell L. Simpson and Rachel M. Simpson as minor children; Library and Archives Canada, Naturalization Records, 1915-1951, item 204158, ecopy P21-22_551.

Access: Library and Archives Canada naturalization record.

Supports:
  • Lowell as a minor child in Thomas Simpson's naturalization listing.
  • Thomas Simpson's residence at Pathlow in 1921.

border entry

[7] 1924 Canada Border Entry - Lowell Simpson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Border Entries, North Portal, Saskatchewan, entry for Lowell Simpson, 30 August 1924; Ancestry database, "Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935," citing Library and Archives Canada, RG 76-C, Department of Employment and Immigration fonds, microfilm reels T-5461-T-5507, T-15249-T-15344, T-15346-T-15393.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada border-entry records.

Supports:
  • Lowell's return to Canada in 1924.
  • Lowell's unmarried status and farm labourer occupation.

border entry

[8] 1928 Canada Border Entry - Lowell Simpson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Border Entries, North Portal, Saskatchewan, entry for Lowell Simpson, 31 August 1928; Ancestry database, "Border Crossings: From U.S. to Canada, 1908-1935," citing Library and Archives Canada, RG 76-C, Department of Employment and Immigration fonds, microfilm reels T-5461-T-5507, T-15249-T-15344, T-15346-T-15393.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada border-entry records.

Supports:
  • Lowell's return to Canada in 1928.
  • Religion and ethnic-origin variants noted in the record.

census

[9] 1931 Census of Canada - Thomas Simpson Household, Pleasant Valley, Saskatchewan

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: 1931 Census of Canada, Saskatchewan, Kindersley electoral district, Pleasant Valley municipality, enumeration sub-district 66, p. 10, lines 1-5, Thomas Simpson household, including Lowell Simpson; "Kindersley No. 290, Saskatchewan, Canada records," images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QHJ-PQ5Q-354?view=explore : accessed 28 May 2026), image 7 of 13; citing Library and Archives Canada, Image Group Number 113474419.

Access: FamilySearch image.

Supports:
  • Lowell living with his parents in the Pleasant Valley area in 1931.
  • Lowell's occupation as labourer on his father's farm.

local history

[10] Birch Hills Local History - Lowell Simpson and Grace Davis

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Birch Hills (Harperview), Coolidge, Heatherdell: The People and the History (Birch Hills, Saskatchewan: Birch Hills History Committee, 1990), pp. 280-281; information concerning Lowell Simpson and Grace Davis reportedly provided by Grace's brother Arnold Davis.

Access: Published local history.

Supports:
  • Lowell's electrician training with Lacroix Electric about 1939.
  • Lowell's 1941 enlistment, discharge, family movements, and postwar work context.
  • Information about Lowell and Grace attributed to Arnold Davis.

family recollections

[11] Family Recollections of Lowell Leon Simpson

Family memory Back to first citation

Citation: Family recollections of Lowell Leon Simpson provided by his sons Bill Simpson and Wayne Simpson to Davis Simpson; privately held family notes.

Access: Privately held family notes.

Supports:
  • Family recollections about Lowell's work, family movements, religious practice, business, fishing, hunting, and personality.
  • Context for Lowell and Grace before their formal marriage certificate.

voters list

[12] 1945 Canada Voters List - L. Simpson, Readlyn, Saskatchewan

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Readlyn, Saskatchewan, 3 May 1945, L. Simpson, mechanic; Ancestry database, citing Library and Archives Canada, Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, R1003-6-3-E, RG113-B.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada voters lists.

Supports:
  • Lowell in Readlyn, Saskatchewan, in 1945.
  • Occupation recorded as mechanic.

voters list

[13] 1945 Canada Voters List - Lowell Simpson, Gunworth, Saskatchewan

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Gunworth, Saskatchewan, 4 May 1945, Lowell Simpson, labourer; Ancestry database, citing Library and Archives Canada, Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, R1003-6-3-E, RG113-B.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada voters lists.

Supports:
  • Lowell in Gunworth, Saskatchewan, in 1945.
  • Occupation recorded as labourer.

border crossing

[14] 1947 Eastport Border Crossing - Lowell Simpson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: U.S., Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Eastport, Idaho, 1924-1956, entry for Lowell Simpson, 9 January 1947; Ancestry database, "U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1956," citing National Archives Microfilm Publication A3460, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Access: Ancestry database; National Archives border-crossing records.

Supports:
  • Lowell's 1947 crossing at Eastport.
  • Residence at Rosetown, marriage to Grace, occupation as electrician, and visit to Everett.

border crossing

[15] 1948 Eastport Border Crossing - Lowell Simpson

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: U.S., Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Eastport, Idaho, 1924-1956, entry for Lowell Simpson, 9 January 1948; Ancestry database, "U.S., Border Crossings from Canada to U.S., 1895-1956," citing National Archives Microfilm Publication A3460, Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Record Group 85, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.

Access: Ancestry database; National Archives border-crossing records.

Supports:
  • Lowell's 1948 crossing at Eastport.
  • His stated intention to reside permanently in the United States.
  • Renunciation and allegiance document executed before the U.S. Consul in Regina.
  • Religion and ethnic-origin variants noted in the record.

voters list

[16] 1953 Canada Voters List - L. Simpson, Prince Albert Electoral District

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Prince Albert electoral district, Saskatchewan, 30 June 1953, L. Simpson, electrician; Ancestry database, citing Library and Archives Canada, Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, R1003-6-3-E, RG113-B.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada voters lists.

Supports:
  • Lowell in the Prince Albert electoral district in 1953.
  • Occupation recorded as electrician.

voters list

[17] 1963 Canada Voters List - Lowell Simpson, Prince Albert Electoral District

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Prince Albert electoral district, Saskatchewan, 1963, Lowell Simpson, electrician; Ancestry database, citing Library and Archives Canada, Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, R1003-6-3-E, RG113-B.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada voters lists.

Supports:
  • Lowell in the Prince Albert electoral district in 1963.
  • Occupation recorded as electrician.

voters list

[18] 1972 Canada Voters List - Lowell Simpson, Spiritwood, Saskatchewan

Strong support Back to first citation

Citation: Canada, Voters Lists, 1935-1980, Spiritwood, Saskatchewan, 20 December 1972, Lowell Simpson, electrician; Ancestry database, citing Library and Archives Canada, Voters Lists, Federal Elections, 1935-1980, R1003-6-3-E, RG113-B.

Access: Ancestry database; Library and Archives Canada voters lists.

Supports:
  • Lowell in the Spiritwood area in 1972.
  • Occupation recorded as electrician.

obituary

[19] Lowell Leon Simpson Obituary

Contemporary record Back to first citation

Citation: Lowell Leon Simpson obituary, publication details to be added; copy or clipping in family papers.

Access: Privately held family copy; publication details still to be completed.

Supports:
  • Lowell's death date and place.
  • Funeral at Knox United Church in Shellbrook.
  • Community involvement in Shellbrook.
  • Some later-life and family details.

DNA evidence

[20] Y-DNA Evidence for the Simpson Patrilineal Line

Needs caution Back to first citation

Citation: Paternal relationship is confirmed by Y-chromosome DNA test results on FamilyTreeDNA. Davis Simpson, FTDNA kit B24208, and Lee Simpson, FTDNA kit 436237, match with 6 Big Y STR differences, confirming their direct paternal lines back to their most-recent common ancestor, William Simpson. Both Davis and Lee belong to haplogroup R-FGC39762. Citation generated by the WikiTree DNA Confirmation app, version 3.09, updated 25 February 2026.

Access: FamilyTreeDNA results and WikiTree DNA Confirmation app citation; privately held by Davis Simpson.

Supports:
  • The broader Simpson patrilineal line back to William Simpson.
  • Context for Lowell's direct male Simpson line.