Event Date : Thursday, February 28, 1963
Event Type : Death

Description : Earle James Edney, 30, of Newton Robinson, was killed Feb. 28 about 11/2 miles south of Bond Head on No. 27 Highway, while driving north. According to police, the right front tire blew out on the 1957 El Rancho (Ranch Wagon) he was driving and it left the highway and hit a tree ten inches in diameter. Mr. Edney worked for Cecil Maynard of Schomberg garage. Mr. Edney is survived by his wife, the former Arlene Sturgeon, of West Gwillimbury, and two children, Jean 5 and Jimmy 4; his mother, Mrs. James Edney of Newton Robinson, and nine sisters, namely, Charlotte (Mrs. W. Birch), Toronto; Annie (Mrs. W. Madill), Bond Head; Laura, Toronto; Treva (Mrs. W. Agar), Beeton; Marjorie (Mrs. M. Connery), Weston; Ina (Mrs. J. Ainslie), Richmond Hill; Pearla (Mrs. G. Piggott), Rexdale; Doris (Mrs. R. Mills), Scarborough; Jean (Mrs. N. Staynor), Islington. Mr. Edney was a member of Trinity Anglican Church, Bond Head. The funeral was from the Hughes Funeral Home, Cookstown, on Monday afternoon, with interment in Newton Robinson Cemetery. Coroner Dr. G. L. Blackwell of Bradford has ordered an inquest which will be held in Bradford Town Hall at 2 p.m. on March 15, 1963.

Event date: August 23, 1987
Event type: Death

Teen killed on Saturday. A Bradford teenager was killed in an accident early Saturday (Aug. 23) morning. Kelly Jo Moscrop, 17, was struck by a car at about 1 a.m. Ontario Provincial Police report he was running through traffic on the eastbound Highway 401 ramp, onto Highway 400 when he was hit.

Event Date: July 15, 1987
Event: Death

Man killed in boating accident on Holland River. A 34-year-old Toronto man was killed last Tuesday (July 15) in a boating accident just north of the Yonge Street bridge coming into Bradford. Ira Kushner fell from a boat pulling a water skier when the boat's driver swerved to avoid what he thought was an obstacle in the path of the boat and skier. According to York Regional Police, the boat hit a patch of bulrushes, and Mr. Kushner fell overboard and hit his head on the boat's propeller. He was pronounced dead on arrival at York County Hospital in Newmarket. The accident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m., about one and a half miles northeast of the bridge over the Schomberg (Holland) River. The police investigation is continuing.

Event Date : Saturday, August 25, 1962
Event Type : Death

Description : About 5 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, August 25, little Peter Langford, nine years old last month, was struck by a car while he was walking several feet off the paved section of Highway 88, when returning from the home of his grandparents to his own home, two farms distant, and was instantly killed. Peter was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Langford, R.R 1, Bradford. The tragedy occurred in front of the Smelser farm, now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. James McClocklin, and the only farm between the Langford farms, and opposite the home of Mr. Milton Ritchie. These neighbours rushed to the scene, but nothing could be done for little Peter. A few minutes later, Mrs. Langford, driving into town, came on the accident. The Provincial Police were busy investigating. Horrified, she recognized her little boy. Somehow she managed to turn her car and take the pitiful news home to her husband and the older brother.Keith and Ella Langford had three sons, William (Billie), who is 10; Peter was 9 in July, and Donnie is 4. Peter was the ever-on-the-go, little farmer of the family. He went to school happily and liked his teachers and his playmates, but he was the first up in the morning lest he would miss any possible farm activities around the barn before going to school, and farm stock and machinery were his delight. He had a bicycle but was not permitted to ride it on the highway because of the danger. Saturday afternoon he had his own little errand to his grandparents' home and was returning evidently walking where he should have been safe, when he was killed.Peter had sweet little ways and everyone loved him. At home he was the constant companion of his father, having almost adult intelligence and knowledge regarding farm work and business.According to the police the driver of the car which struck and killed little Peter Langford was Nick Pocius,
Lot 4,
Concession 2, West Gwillimbury Township, R.R. 2, Tottenham. He was arrested at the scene of the accident and charged with criminal negligence, dangerous driving, drunk driving, careless driving and having liquor in a place other than his residence.The accident was investigated by O.P.P. John C. Perkins assisted by O.P.P. A. J. Mason of the Bradford O.P.P. Detachment.The funeral was held yesterday afternoon in Bradford United Church and interment was in Bond Head Cemetery. Rev. F. G. MacTavish conducted the funeral services.The pallbearers were five uncles of little Peter, Stewart Langford, George Hawley, Alvin Hawley, Ira Hawley, Lloyd Hawley, and Ian Porter.The flower bearers were school classmates of Peter.The fact that the attendance at the funeral of this little child was one of the largest seen in Bradford in many years indicated how deeply the entire community was touched by the tragedy.

Event Date : Tuesday, January 21, 1958
Event Type : Death
Municipality : Holland Landing, Ont.

Description : Died suddenly, as the result of an accident, in his 24th year. Dearly beloved son of Thomas and Ena Griffiths, and loving brother of Bill, Anne (Mrs. Lochlan Jack) of Toronto, Don. and Doris at home. Resting at his late residence, Gilford, for service on Jan. 24 at 2:30 p.m. Interment St. Paul's Cemetery, Coulson's Hill.

Event Date : Tuesday, January 21, 1958
Event Type : Death
Municipality : Holland Landing, Ont.

Description : One of those tragic accidents, which cast gloom over an entire community and bereaved a most highly esteemed family, occurred early yesterday afternoon at the construction work on Holland Landing hill when Danny Griffiths, second son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Griffiths of Gilford, was killed. According to information given this office, Danny was driving a bulldozer on the side of the hill when it tipped over on him. He was 23 years of age. Daniel Griffiths was well known in Bradford and throughout the township, as well as in his home district of Gilford, he having been a former Bradford District High School student. By teachers and friends he was appreciated as a quiet and industrious boy, and his very untimely death yesterday brought expressions of sympathy for his parents, his brothers and sisters, as well as a very sincere sense of personal sorrow by all who knew him.Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Griffiths had a family of five, three sons and two daughters. William and the twins, Doris and Donald, the latter two being presently students at Bradford District High School, are at home, and Anne (Mrs. Lochlan Jack) resides in Toronto.The Griffiths family are members of the Gilford United Church.The funeral will be held from the home of his parents on Friday afternoon. Interment will be in St. Paul's Cemetery, Coulson's Hill.

Event Date : Monday, October 03, 1955
Event Type : Death

Description : Percy Reynolds, life-long resident of Bond Head and member of West Gwillimbury township council during the past four years, was instantly killed on Monday afternoon, October 3, when his truck was struck by a C.P.R. freight engine at a Jane St. level crossing in Weston. Mr. Reynolds was driving at the time of the accident. With him was his 20-year-old son Walter, who miraculously escaped serious injury. Walter, who was asleep at the time, wakened by his father's shout just before the crash. He does not know whether the truck stalled on the tracks or whether his father saw the train too late.The cow catcher carried the truck for a quarter of a mile down the track before the engineer was able to bring the train to a stop. Mr. Reynolds was on the side of the truck struck by the train and he was dead when removed from the cab. Walter, bruised, cut, and in a state of shock, crawled through the back window of the truck's cab after the train was brought to a stop. He was taken to hospital in Weston where X-ray revealed no broken bones and he was released from hospital early that evening.The truck was completely demolished.Through unofficial channels the word reached Mr. Reynolds' family of the accident and his death, and a considerable time elapsed before a neighbour P.P.C. located the police in charge and through them were able to contact Walter. At once a neighbour friend went for and brought home the bruised and shocked young man.
Percy Reynolds was born in Bond Head, the son of Mrs. Reynolds of that village and the late Mr. Joseph Reynolds. After school days he started in business in Bond Head in 1924 and by 1926 he extended his business operations there from a butcher store, to a butcher store and transport business, both of which he operated continuously since that time. For more than twenty years he was secretary-treasurer of the Bond Head school board and with the greatest of care he had cherished the old records of the school, some of which were recalled in this newspaper at the time of the opening of the new Bond Head school. When West Gwillimbury formed a township School Area Board, Percy Reynolds was a member of that Board, a position he held until his becoming a township councillor four years ago.In November 1931 he married Elizabeth Lewis of Schomberg, who also was a native of Bond Head. They have twin sons, Walter and Wallace, and one daughter, Mildred. Also surviving are his mother; three brothers, William, Harry and Edward, all of Bond Head; and one sister, Mrs. Barnard (Olive), of Barrie. Mr. Reynolds was a member of the United Church and the funeral service will be held from Emmanuel United Church, Bond Head, on Thursday afternoon at two o'clock.

Event Date : Tuesday, May 24, 1955
Event Type : Death

Description : The finding of a coat, hat and tie on the bank of the canal, west of the bridge, last Thursday by three fishermen started a police search which disclosed a receipted bill from Barrie Hydro to William Semenuk in the pocket of the coat. Almost certain that Mr. Semenuk must have inadvertently drowned, Chief Constable Earl Copson and Constable George Burbidge of Bradford began dragging operations and located Mr. Semenuk's body quite near to the place his clothing had been left. The clothing was rain soaked, indicating that it had been on the bank during the heavy rains of Tuesday night. Mr. Semenuk returned to Bradford from Barrie about a year ago and had been making his home here, but during the last two or three weeks had been in Barrie. On Tuesday evening he came here, presumably to visit his brother. His whereabouts after that is not definitely known but the removal of his hat, coat and tie indicate that he slipped and fell into the canal while washing. Mr. Semenuk was widely known in this district. There were few trades to which he could not give the hand of an expert. After the installation of a water service in Bradford, between twenty-five and thirty years ago, Wm. Semenuk did a great deal of plumbing in the homes here. He was rated as a near genius in making electrical repairs, especially in radio work. Until about a year ago he was trouble man at the General Electric in Barrie and a testimonial letter given to him by that company upon his retirement was one of his proud possessions. Recently he had been working on TV work. Mr. Semenuk was born in the province of Northern Butowina, now a part of the Ukraine, and came to Canada in 1908, living at Lachine, Quebec, for the first six years before coming to Toronto. He came to Bradford in 1921, and, though moving away from here a number of years ago, he had always kept in touch with his friends here. His first wife died about ten years ago. He is survived by his second wife, whom he married in Barrie; two daughters, Miss Elizabeth, now in Owen Sound, and Mary (Mrs. Bruce) in Toronto; one son, William, in Toronto; and his brother, Gregory, in Bradford. He was a member of the Greek Orthodox Church. The funeral services were held on Saturday from the Lathangue-Kilkenny Funeral Home. Services were in charge of Rev. W. Johnson, rector of Trinity Anglican Church, Bradford. Interment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The pallbearers were old friends, namely, John Grakul, Wm. Decyk, Nick Werklack, Steve Kawchak, George Sadowchuk and Jas. Pelowich.