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The TALES you probably never heard about

Results for ‘Early Citizens’

EDWARD J. ODLUM

[Welland Tribune, 29 September 1905]

St. Catharines, Sept. 26-Eward J. Odlum, B.A., C.E., of this city, one of the best –known civil engineers in Canada, died very suddenly at his home this morning after an illness of about one hour, the supposed cause of death being syncope from acute indigestion. Mr. Odlum was born in Dublin, Ireland, 58 years ago, and came to Canada in 1870. He has been on the engineering staff in the department of railways and canals for the past thirty years, the greater part of which he spent on the Welland Canal at St. Catharines. He was of very quiet disposition and liked by everybody. He was a member of St. Barnabas’ Anglican church and leaves a wife and two daughters.

Mr. Odlum was the local officer in charge of the Welland Canal during the construction of the new aqueduct here and married a daughter of Rev. Mr. Morton, English church clergyman, whilst here. His widow and two daughters, who survive him, will have the sympathy of all who knew him.

RICHARD McGARR

[Welland Tribune, 18 August 1905]

The death of Richard McGarr occurred at his home in Merritton Tuesday morning after a continued illness of tuberculosis. Deceased was well-known in this city, having conducted the Arlington’s hotel on Bridge street for over six years, as was popular around this district. Some few months ago he retired and moved to Merritton, owing to ill-health.

MARRIAGE AND DEATH

[People’s Press, 5 September 1905]

A sad combination of marriage and death occurred last week in the family of Adam Myers, Clifton street. On Wednesday evening Miss Pearl Myers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Adam Myers, was united in marriage by rev. J.W. Magwood to Mr. John Stewart. The happy pair left for the east for a wedding trip. On Thursday morning at eleven o’clock, Mrs. Myers, mother of the bride, was stricken with paralysis and at noon she passed away. The over-excitement of her daughter’s marriage had put too much a strain on her nervous system with sad results. The newly married couple were summoned home from Rochester by the sad news. Mrs. Myers was 62 years of age and is survived by a husband, one son and two daughters. The funeral was held on Saturday afternoon to Drummond Hill cemetery.

JUSTINA HORTON

[Welland Tribune, 18 June 1897]

A sad death occurred at Air Line Junction, Humberstone, on Sunday last, when Justina Matthews, wife of Eli Horton, departed this life at the early age of 38 years. Death was caused by lockjaw, the result of blood-poisoning produced by a female ailment. Mrs. Horton was the daughter of the late Abner Matthews of Welland. She leaves a husband, a mother, and five children, the oldest whom is ten years of age. The funeral took place on Tuesday, interment at Fonthill’s cemetery; services by Rev. W.H. Swayze. Mrs. Horton had a wide circle of friends, and her untimely death will be deeply mourned, and the sympathy of the community goes out fully to the bereaved ones.

HARRY TEETER

[Welland Tribune, 1 September 1905]

This community was shocked to hear of the very sudden death of Master Harry Teeter, son of Chas. Teeter, which occurred here on Saturday August 26th, after a brief illness of only a few hours, caused by a blood vessel bursting near the brain. Harry was a particularly bright little fellow, 8 years of age. For one so young he was well advanced in his studies at school, a regular attendant at Sunday school and a general favorite among the companions by whom he will be greatly missed.

The funeral took place on Monday afternoon from the residence of his grandfather, Mr. A.W. Teeter, where he resided, and was largely attended. Rev. D.N. Robertson officiated. The bereaved family have the sympathy of the community in their hour of affliction.

MARY BALL SERVOS

[Welland Tribune, 12 May 1905]

Niagara-on-the-Lake, May 19-Mrs. Mary Ball Servos, an old and highly esteemed resident of the Niagara District, passed away this morning at her residence, Palatine Hill, Niagara township, aged 77 years. Mrs. Servos was a daughter of the late Capt. John O. Ball, and granddaughter of the late Capt. Bernard Frey of Butler’s Rangers. She is survived b a grown-up family, two sons and two daughters.

ERNEST W. FELL

[Welland Tribune, 13 August 1897]

Ernest w. Fell, oldest and only surviving son of J. Howard Fell of Pelham, departed this life on August 5th at his home, 49 Wilbur street, Cleveland, O. An attack of peritonitis, followed by heart failure, caused his death. The funeral cortege formed at the M.C. station, Welland, at 8 o’clock Sunday morning, when the remains arrived, accompanied by the widow and sister of the deceased. The obsequies took place at the old Friends church.

The subject of thee lines was born in Pelham, March, 1848, and died while yet in the zenith of a useful life, possessing a mind of great genius and refinement, and a clear, bright intellect.

Those knowing him best learned to love him most. He lived a noble, truthful life, and is mourned by innumerable friends. Twenty years ago he married Miss Ware of Batavia, N.Y. She with his parents and two sisters are left to mourn his sudden demise. It has been the painful duty for Miss S.J. Fell to accompany, within the past three months, the remains of her two brothers from their homes in Cleveland to the quiet churchyard in Pelham. The same friends acted as pallbearers on both of these sad occasions. They were A. Yokom, J.A. Kelsey, E.B. Davidson, A.J. Sutton, Elwood Chantler and Richard Moore.

Mr. Rodgers of the Friends Church spoke words of love and hope, and expressed the sympathy felt for those whose hearts have been doubly pierced by the barbed arrows of bereavement- a time when we repeat farewell and plant by the sacred dust the willow and cypress. Having no fear, but ever relying on the goodness of nature, the spirit of the departed dropped out of life’s battle. By the side of his brother, whom he so soon joined in death, amid the quiet scenes of his boyhood, beneath the waving branches of majestic trees and beautiful floral offerings, we laid all that was mortal of the departed; and in our memory these brothers, both noble and handsome types of manhood, shall ever remain. Love surrounded their memory and youth was ever theirs.-COM.

CHARLES HART

[Welland Telegraph, 30 January 1891]

Mr. Chas. Hart received word from Brooklyn on Monday of the death of his sister, Mrs. Holfe, and left on Tuesday to attend the funeral.

DEATH OF CHARLES A. HART

INDUSTRIAL HOME

[Welland Tribune, 17 December 1897]

Number in the home, Dec. 16th-51

Charles A. Hart, an inmate committed from Bridgeburg, died on Wednesday aged 73 years. The body was taken to Dunnville for interment.

ROBERT DOUGLAS MACARTHUR

July 11, 1905-August 21, 1965

(By Vilma Ens)

Robert Douglas MacArthur , educator of hundreds of students during  his 41 years as teacher and principal was born just after the turn of the  century in Burk’s  Falls. He received his schooling there and after finishing high school attended Teacher’s College in North Bay.

His first teaching position was in G. Chrilber, where  he taught  from 1923 to 1926. An opening for principal came at  Woodland school in  St Catharines. He applied an d was  accepted.

The agreement signed by the trustees of the school stated that R.D MacArthur would be  paid a  salary of $1200 for the term beginning Sept 1st 1026 to June 30th  1927. Another clause stated that the Board and the teacher may, sat their option  respectively  terminate this engagement by giving notice to the other of them at least one  calendar month previously, and so as  to terminate on the last day of a calendar month. The letter of reference from  George A. Evans, principal at schreiber public school states that  “as a  teacher , Mr. MacArthur is  painstaking, energetic and conscientious firm but kind in discipline and most excemplary in conduct, willing  to assist in all matters that  tended to raise the moral status of the community.It is with  regret that I learn of Mr. MacArthur’s intention  to  sever his connection with  the  staff but nevertheless this testimonial of  his worth is truthfully  and  cheerfully given. I have no hesitency in recommending Mr. MacArthur to and Board of Trustees desiring the  services of a faithful and  efficient teacher.” So MacArthur stayed at Woodland  school for 18 years from 1926-1944. During  this time he married  his  hometown sweetheart, Laura Parsons and two sons were born to them, John and Douglas.

He came to the  police village  of Fenwick in 1944, to head the school as principal. The old  school  on Baxter Avenue right in the  centre  of town must have been quite a challenge. Grade one had a classroom behind the building with the only heat in winter being a wood stove at the back of the room. The main school building was old and the play ground was small. A tremendous amount  of encouragement was given by  Mr. MacArthur to both staff and students to persevere under these trying conditions. Then in 1951, a new school was  opened on  Canboro  Road in the  middle of an  apple orchard and grapery. The grounds around the school were  huge  and gave  Mr. MacArthur an opportunity  to have baseball diamonds, playground equipment  and lots  of room for his  students to run and play. He encouraged baseball games and a game of  scrub was always held at recess and lunch times There was a covered entrance   so the  children could skip and play ball against the wall even in the rain. Marbles were played at the  “boys entrance” and  hop scotch along the  south s would  ide of the school.  Even “hide-go-seek was fun because of the great places to hide in the grapery.

He organized a “field  day” every spring and everyone participated. He encouraged both girls and boys to try their best and an abundance of ribbons and silver cups were  given out. There was also a gymnasium where once a month the whole school would congregate for assembly . A different class  would be responsible  for the entertainment. The  class rooms were  large  and warm and washrooms were clean and functional. Mr. MacArthur was a teaching principal and  sought to pass on his love  of  maths and sciences to everyone of his pupils. He expected excellence .

Mac’s salary  of course did no  increase by very much, as was  the case  in those days Therefore he worked  as a purser and wheelsman for the Hunterville  Lake of Bays and Lake Simcoe Navigation Co. Ltd. During the summer  from 1929 to 1948. His steamers were the  Mohawk Belle and the Algonquin. His usual working dates were from June 29 or 30th to the Labour Day weekend. Sometimes there  would not be even one  day’s rest from work on the boat to the first day of school. The letter from the Vice President  and Secretary states “This is to certify  that we have always found Mr. MacArthur to be of good character strictly temperate and a non-smoker. Honest , capable and  faithful in the  discharge of his duties as purser and wheelsman.

During his twenty two years in Fenwick R.D. MacArthur was a  vital force  in the life of the community. He was an elder in the Fenwick United church and a former member of the stewards’ board. He was a member of the  Odd Fellows for 30 years and a past noble grand of Pelham Lodge 454 IOOF. He also belonged to the Ontario Federation of Teachers.

The write-uo in the newspapers after his passing said that his qualities as a teacher will live on through the lives of his pupils. Not only the qualities as a teacher and principal but as an exceptional human being whose love, fairness, humour and  encouragement  was an inspiration to many.

LAING-SENEY

[Welland Tribune, 18 January 1947]

St. James Anglican church, Port Colborne, decorated with Boston ferns, cyclamen, and baskets of chrysanthemums, was the setting of a pretty wedding on Wednesday, January 15, at 4 p.m., when Opal Marie, younger daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur J. Seney, became the bride of Henry William Liang, of Port Colborne. Rev. H.G.L. Baugh performed the ceremony with Mrs. Mewburn presiding at the organ. During the signing of the register Mrs. E. Hammell sang “O Perfect Love” and “I Love You Truly.”

Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a floor-length gown of Chinese turquoise crepe embroidered with pale pink bugle beads and pearls. Her matching shoulder-length was held by a band of pearls. She carried a white ivory prayer book with streamers of white satin ribbon tied with Pinocchio rose buds. Her only ornament was a string of pearls and matching ear-rings.

Mrs. Jack G. Arnott, only sister of the bride, attended as matron of honor. Mrs. Arnott’s gown and headdress was a duplicate of the bride’s. She carried an arm bouquet of white carnations,, yellow daffodils and orchard tulips  tied with tulle. She wore pearl ear-rings, the gift of the bride.

Jack Arnott, brother-in-law of the bride, was the groomsman.

After the ceremony, a dinner was held at the Reeta Hotel in Welland. The bride’s mother wore a chartreuse wool suit with matching feather hat, and black accessories. She wore a corsage of yellow rose buds.

Later the bride and groom left for a brief honeymoon. For travelling the bride donned a blue rabbit’s hair wool dress, steel blue coat with Persian trim and Persian hat, and black accessories.

Upon their return they will reside on Sugar Loaf street.