Kenora Great War Project

 

Personal Details
Date of BirthFebruary 13, 1882
Place of BirthKenora, Ontario
CountryCanada
Marital StatusSingle
Next of KinIsobel Muggaberg (mother), First Street, Kenora, Ontario
Trade / CallingTrapper
ReligionPresbyterian
Service Details
Regimental Number4079080
Service Record Link to Service Record
Battalion18th Reserve Battalion
ForceCanadian Expeditionary Force
BranchCanadian Infantry
Enlisted / ConscriptedConscripted
Place of EnlistmentPort Arthur, Ontario
Address at EnlistmentFirst Street, Kenora, Ontario
Date of EnlistmentNovember 11, 1917
Age at Enlistment35
Theatre of ServiceGreat Britain
Prisoner of WarNo
Survived WarYes
Death Details

Muggaberg, Thomas

Private Thomas Muggaberg was the youngest son of Julius Muggaberg and Isabella (Elizabeth) Sinclair. Julius was born in Norway and immigrated to Canada (British North America) when he was in his twenties. Isabella was Scottish Métis and born in the Red River Settlement in what is now Manitoba. Julius and Isabella were married in 1860 and they lived in the Red River Settlement. Around 1880 they moved to the town of Rat Portage in northwestern Ontario. Thomas, the youngest of at least eleven children, was born there on 13 February 1882.

When the 1901 census was taken Thomas was living with his parents in Rat Portage (later renamed Kenora) and working as a labourer in the lumber industry. His father passed away in 1907, at age 72, and he’s buried in Lake of the Woods Cemetery. Conscription was introduced in Canada in 1917 and single men age 20 to 34 were required to register by that fall. Thomas failed to register and he was called up as a defaulter on 11 November 1917. He was assigned to the 1st Depot Battalion, Manitoba Regiment and he had his medical in Port Arthur in June 1918. His address was Kenora, his occupation was trapper and next of kin was his mother in Kenora. Depot battalions sent drafts of recruits overseas as needed and Thomas went with the 81st Draft, embarking on 29 July on HMT Nellore and arriving in England on 15 August.

Thomas was transferred to the 18th Reserve Battalion and he served with them in Great Britain for ten months. He sailed for Canada on 14 June 1919 on the SS Aquitania, arriving in Halifax about a week later and getting discharged on 24 June in Winnipeg. Several of his nephews also served in the First World War including George Muggaberg, Walter Muggaberg, Julius Begg, Duncan Begg, James Begg (died in the war), Louis Lalois and Frederick Lalois .

When the 1921 census was taken Thomas was living near Armstrong, northeast of Kenora, and working as a trapper. His mother passed away in November that year and she’s buried next to her husband in Lake of the Woods Cemetery. Her obituary mentioned that Thomas was living in Sioux Lookout at the time. In the 1935 voters lists (compiled in 1934) he was recorded as a labourer in the town of Collins, north of Thunder Bay. The 1945 voters lists include a Tom Muggaberg, labourer, living in the village of Skead, northeast of Sudbury. Nothing further is known about Thomas’ life at this time and his date of death and place of burial have not yet been found.

By Becky Johnson


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