Burrell Family.

Alexander "Alex" Burrell was born in Edinburg, Scotland, on January 14, 1851, a son of Archibald and Eliza (Telfer) Burrell. The family moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1856. After the death of their father, Alex and his older brother Henry Burrell got practical experience in coal mining at Morris, Illinois. In 1888, Alex moved to Marysville, Montana, to work for the Montana Mining Company. He also acquired a number of private mining claims in the vicinity of Marysville. In 1906 he left the Montana Mining Company and homesteaded a ranch just west of Choteau. He gradually expanded the ranch, and operated it under the name Burrell Ranches. He served in the 1893 Montana Legislature. In 1879 he married Abigail "Abbie" Kiersted in Morris, Illinois. They had 9 children: George, Alex, Grace, Sidney, John, William, Roger, Howard, and Nan. At the time of his death on February 13, 1917, Alexander Burrell was working for the Eclipse-Argo mine at Canyon Ferry.

Abigail "Abbie" Kiersted Burrell was born in Morris, Illinois, on November 21, 1856, the daughter of George and Bridget (Kelly) Kiersted. She was active in her church in Choteau. She died on August 30, 1911.

John Angus Burrell, the fifth child of Alex and Abbie Burrell, was born in Marysville, Montana, on April 9, 1890. He attended the University of Wisconsin, graduating in 1914. While a student he was active in theater and in the Chi Psi fraternity. After graduating, he returned to Montana and worked as law librarian for the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. In about 1922 he was hired as a professor of English at Columbia University in New York. While on the faculty, he wrote A History of Adult Education at Columbia University, and edited many anthologies of literature. He continued on the faculty until the mid 1950s. The John Angus Burrell Memorial Award was named for him. He died on June 1, 1957.