Event Date : Tuesday, September 24, 1957
Event Type : Death
Municipality : Midland, Ont.
Community : Other - Bradford
Street :
Lot :
Concession : 0
Description : A former mayor of Midland, John Sanger McDowell, died in St. Andrew's Hospital, September 24. He was in his 81st year.Funeral service was held September 26, at A. Barrie and Sons Funeral Home with Rev. J. H. Olmstead officiating.Honourary pallbearers were Angus McNabb, Dr. T. J. Johnston, Roy French, Fred Hodgkins, Herb. Taylor and Chas. Parker.Active pallbearers were Wm. Ney, Elwood McCuaig, Henry Bissette, Donald Trollop, Albert Battrick and Wallace Robertson.Interment was in Lakeview Cemetery.A native of Ebenezer, Mr. McDowell came to Midland in 1906, where he ran a men's wear store until 1929. He moved to Bradford and operated a store there until 1940. During the war he helped turn out small parts for aeroplanes in a Collingwood plant, returning to Midland in 1948.In his earlier years, Mr. McDowell enjoyed hunting, curling, and bowling. He was a Conservative and a member of the Masonic Lodge (Caledonia). He belonged to the United Church.He was a town councillor, deputy-reeve, reeve, and mayor of Midland.Besides his wife, the former Katharine Piggott, he is survived by his son Jack P. McDowell of Toronto; and daughters, Mrs. James J. Worfolk (Eleanor) of Toronto, and Mrs. Svein Hegland (Patricia) of Oslo, Norway.Friends and relatives attended the service from Orillia, Bradford, Elmvale, Toronto, Mount Dennis, Oslo, Oshawa and Midland.