In 1911, the Burgess family lives in Port Elgin. Then in 1915, Rowand and his siblings move out to the farm, and their parents join them by 1917. Rowand runs the farm with his brother and does carpentry work. He comments on box socials, church activities, Literary Society debates, and the First World War. His brother moves to Port Elgin in 1940 to open a conveyancing business. When Noble passes away in 1964, Rowand takes over the conveyancing work. He is a member of the Burgoyne Presbyterian Church, the Bruce County Historical Society, and secretary of the Bruce Central Credit Union for many years.

Front cover of Rowand's 1918 diary.