Already some trees are beginning to change colour and leaves are falling. And today, Sunday, is quite cool after a gorgeous Saturday and a pretty good week with a mix of rain and sun. I took a break and finally visited my brother and sister-in-law at Pearl Lake and never went near the water because it was so windy there. Nice visit with them and two of their granddaughters, eight and ten. Then home to catch up on gardening and friends.
Best wishes to my friend Gloria Gorman who had a fall and is in pain now. And also to a long-time friend and co-worker, Isabelle Smith, who is moving from her home across the road into the new senior’s residence, Bloom, in Stouffville. We have been friends since the mid-1960s and worked together for over 25 years.
Last week I ran out of space to talk about another death, that of Marion Rynard Farmer Grazioti. Marion grew up in the Uxbridge area, went to High School in Port Perry, married there and later moved to Oshawa. She was the other grandmother of my oldest granddaughter and, due to circumstances, raised her. Her service was held in the Uxbridge Cemetery with quite a few attending, but she has many family connections in this area, such as the Nobles, Wilson, Cooks, Rynards etc. Rev. Dr. William Fritz conducted the service.
A death this week was that of Ilah Weller. Ilah was the sister of Bill and Bruce Hackner. Her sister-in-law Ona Hackner passed away not long ago, and the two had been friends since they started school together, maybe earlier. She and her husband farmed at Zephyr for many years and have several children. She was laid to rest in Zephyr Zion Cemetery, her death due to a fall. Our deepest sympathies to all the Weller and Hackner families!
On Friday, September 9th, there will be a memorial service at 10 a.m. at Schwarcuk Funeral Home, Mt. Albert, for Gord and Gisella Rolling. Gord and Gisella both passed away in March of 2020. Gord took ill first, and Gisella while she helped nurse him. They were a lovely couple and contributed much to the Zephyr church.
Happy birthday wishes go out to a number of people this week. Elaine Walker Cox is first on my list. Elaine worked as a nurse for many years but had retired before COVID struck. Now she just has to nurse Murray. Betty Noble Johnson also had a birthday. Betty was born and raised just down the road from here and married one of my (distant) cousins. She lives in Ripley now.
Best wishes also go out to Lisa Boyce. I am sure Lisa is right there, keeping Conrad in line and helping him with his new production in any way she can. Best wishes also to Alex Williamson, not the Uxbridge one but from Port Perry, the one I went to Port Perry High School with and who married the former Gail Shier, who was raised just down the road from here.
Best wishes to Laura Ross, who is 88 and also a cousin of mine. Laura and her husband Morley lived in Leaskdale for many years, farming and running the garage, before his death, after which she moved to Testa, where her eldest son Don lives. Ron Steward has now passed the 81 mark and is catching up to the rest of us.
Ron and Doris can often be seen out walking about town for their exercise.
Happy fifth anniversary to the former Jeanette Herrema and her husband, Brandon. Jeanette is the daughter of Ron and MaryAnne Herrema. Married a few years longer than that are Earle and Heidi Lockerby, who celebrated their 57th anniversary this past week. They have two daughters, Lisa and Debbie. In between these two come Keith and Sharon Doucette who have celebrated their 40th anniversary. Many more great years together are wished for all these wonderful people!
The Uxbridge Scott Heritage Museum has outlined their plans for autumn activities, and it looks like a great set of activities are coming back. Check out their website to see what interests you. I am hoping the Lodge hall, which had a tree fall on it during the tornado, will soon be fixed as when I saw it last week, the tarp over the roof had already shredded in a couple of places.
Bob Kirvan has informed me that this Tuesday, September 6th, will be the Horseshoe Championship Event and family members of the couple who donated the trophy will be on hand to give out the award. Hopefully, I will have the results for next week.
Young Mack Moore and her family were at the Tweed Stampede this weekend, where Mack continues her great rides. She is even becoming a “poster child,” as someone commented. Best wishes on all your rides!
Saturday was the Durham Region Ploughing match at the Ashton Farm on Medd Road. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect. I was primarily interested in watching the horses with one furrow plough behind. There were four teams, but each knew exactly what to do. My favourites were a perfectly matched team which I guessed and was later confirmed to be mules. They were beautiful.
As I stood by the track to the Sugar Shack, I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to do that work in fields which were probably newly shorn of trees. Our area wasn’t even surveyed until the early 1800s and was not really occupied for many years after that. My great grandfather bought our farm in 1896, but it probably wasn’t farmed much until my grandfather took over in 1911. Hard work that surely would have been! Meghan McLeod of Sunderland is the reigning Queen of the Furrow.