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Bertha Langford of Bradford congratulates Ethel Breedon on the Dunkerron-area woman's 90th birthday Saturday during a special luncheon at Dunkerron United Church. Bertha had a pretty good idea how Ethel felt since she marked her 91st birthday the following day.

Newspaper clipping from September 21, 1983 edition of the Bradford Witness.
Bertha Langford celebrated her 93rd birthday on September 6, 1983, with a gathering of approximately fifty family members at her daughter-in-law Ella's farm.

"On the eve of his 92nd birthday, Tuesday, Bill Ruffett told the story of the booming ice industry of yesteryear. Bell Ewart - "I started on the ice when I was 12 yeards old. Father had rented the old hotel on the south side of the dock of 1897 for one dollar a month. After the old sawmill had burned down, the hotel went out of business. I remember well tearing out the bar. It was then I started to lead a horse on an ice plow for 50 cents a day for the Belle Ewart Ice Company. It was the only ice company there then and was across the road from my home where Sheppard's Marina is today. I remember the winter of 1906 was very mild and the big lake never froze over until nearly spring. The railroad was still here, you see, from the era of meeting the Lake Simcoe excursion boats. It was then ice companies from Jackson's Point came here, partly because of the railroad. Their only transportation there, for ice to Toronto, was by street car. I had anywhere from 60 to 80 men working for me at one time, all farmer's boys."

Birthday card sent to Ella Adair by her brother Harry Brown who was serving in WWI at the time.

Article about a murder-suicide in Bradford of Bill Burton and Heather Burton on March 23, 1999.

Newspaper article on the drowning of George G. Atkinson
Newmarket Era Banner
January 27, 1933
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A memorial for Cassie Edmanson Sutherland from 1882. Cassie died during childbirth and was the first wife of Donald Sutherland who was the brother of Bessie Sutherland Campbell.

"A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten brought the spirit of Christmas a little closer to over 600 people at the December program of the Barrie Concert Association. The Canadian Children's Opera Chorus is the second of a four-concert series held at Georgian College Theatre. News of Benjamin Britten's death on Saturday was announced by Dr. Derek Holman, director of the chorus. It lent a touch of sadness to the performance, because Britten's contribution to vocal works for young people has been enormous. His work, too, has that rare quality of being extremely attractive to children and teenagers."

Event Date : Saturday, July 27, 1957
Event Type : Death

Description : The end came suddenly for Bradford's veteran, and well-known townsman, Benjamin Briton (B. B.) Collings, last Saturday morning. During the past year Mr. Collings had shown some signs of his advanced years, but the firm step, the indifference to weather conditions, and the ready reply to all greetings, remained with him to the last. He had not been well for a week or more, but on Thursday he was downstairs in his home and returned to his room unaided. Friday he acknowledged he was tired and stayed in bed and on Saturday morning he was dead. He never had pain. He kept going to the last, and just quit. B. B. Collings was looking forward to the Centennial celebration and meeting old friends, and to many who are returning, Bradford has lost one of the interests for them, in his passing. Few will disagree that he was the most colourful character in Bradford. He knew everyone, and everyone knew him. He had a greeting for everyone, a greeting which seldom was particularly complimentary, but because it was B. B. Collings' remark, it was accepted with a laugh. Few days passed that those whose duties caused them to be about the street, did not have a few words with B. B.
"Mr. Collings was born in Bradford on August 9, 1876 the youngest member of a family of sixteen. From childhood days he was working. He told stories of the days when Amsterdam was a thriving village with its mills and he was an errand boy down there. The Collings family was associated with the Holland Marsh and did a profitable business in cutting marsh hay and selling this hay for packing and mattress making. B. B. decided that if this hay was worth Toronto mattress makers transporting it to Toronto he better get into the business. In the 1890's he went to Toronto and learned the trade and came back to Bradford and opened a little mattress making factory here where he employed some of the lacrosse players of the day. Today it is common practice for sport enthusiasts to give employment to star players but B. B. Collings began that nearly 60 years ago. He then went into the furniture and undertaking business taking a course in embalming. Then back to the marsh hay business and commercial fishing and his final business venture was the draining of what was named the Colbar Marsh area a big portion of which is now Federal Farms' gardens and in this he was singularly successful. This last project was accomplished after he was in his seventies.Mr. Collings and his men were recognized in the Lake Simcoe district as an able life-saving crew. Their business as commercial fishermen took them to all parts of the lake and the river and they were familiar with the water. Few accidents or tragedies have occured on the river or lake to which Mr. Collings and his men were not called to lend their help and they have many rescues to their credit.Mr. Collings was always keenly interested in sport particularly lacrosse and had served in official capacity on various lacrosse clubs. But few sporting events occurred in Bradford throughout the years which he did not attend whether hockey ball or lacrosse.Mr. Collings served on the Bradford Public Utilities Commission for several years and also on Bradford Board of Education.In September 1902 Mr. Collings married Etta May Waldruff of Bradford who survives him with their family of two daughters and one son namely Bernice (Mrs. Gordon Crutcher) of Thornhill; Kathleen (Mrs. Ken Blevins) of Toronto and Norman E. of Bradford. Five grandchildren also survive: Gordon Stephen and Tony Crutcher Tom Collings and Mary Jane Collings. Of the family of sixteen only two survive Dan Collings of Bradford and Libby (Mrs. Selby) of Eston Saskatchewan.The funeral was held from Bradford United Church yesterday afternoon. The services were taken by Rev. F. G. MacTavish assisted by Rev. H. P. Maitland of the Presbyterian Church and Rev. H. G. Blake of Toronto. Interment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The pallbearers were C. T. S. Evans, A. L. Veale, Fred Collings, Roy Collings, Phil Latchman and James R. Webb."

Event Date : Tuesday, December 26, 1950
Event Type : Death

Description : Less than five weeks before his death, Ernest came home from C.N.R. duties for the last time...