Showing 47 results

Event Date : Wednesday, February 28, 1951
Event Type : Death

Description : Died in Toronto. Husband of Ida Banting. The funeral was held from the home of his son, Charles Watson, of Bradford, on March 3 at 3 pm. Interment in Scotch Settlement Cemetery.

Event Date : Tuesday, February 04, 1997
Event Type : Death

Description : At Bradford Place. Of the Holland Marsh. Husband of the late Helen (Bugra). Father of Helen and her husband Peter Popijal of Agincourt, and Dorothy Cilipka of Bradford. Brother of John Cilipka of the Czech Republic. Grandfather of Diane Sherman of Clearwater, Florida, Vicky Al Joundi of Etobicoke and Andrew Popijal of Agincourt. Visitation and funeral service at the Lathangue & Skwarchuk Funeral Home, Bradford. Interment at York Cemetery, Willowdale.

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."

Bradford Witness
Vol. LXVIII, #05
February 1 , 1933
Page 4

Bradford Witness
Vol. LXVIII, #05
February 1 , 1933
Page 4

Microfilm N240 Reel #4
Bradford Witness,
March 12 1891
p4 c3
Obituary for Alex Sinclair

"Pte. Long's Death.

Weston, April 12 - (Special) - Rev. Dr. Long received word to-day of the death of his son, Pte. A. G. Long, by shell shock in Belgium on March 29th. He was with the 18th Battalion, and formerly with the Goodyear Company at Calgary. He was well known at Brampton and Bradford. Pte. Long spent Christmas Day in the front line of trenches. Two brothers and two sisters and the parents survive."

Event Date: Tuesday, May 9th, 1933
Event: Death

Memorial and Obituary for Rev. George E. Tindall of the First Methodist Church, Alexandra, Minnesota. Grew up in Bradford, part of the West Gwillimbury Tindall family.

Full obituary for Mrs. Fred (Catherine Eunice Scanlon) Wood:
"With the passing away at Newmarket Hospital on Friday, February 10, of Catherine Eunice Moore Scanlon, beloved wife of Fred Wood, West Gwillimbury lost one of its most well-known citizens. Mrs. Wood was born and lived all her life on the farm owned by her father, the late Thos. Scanlon, Lot 2, Concession 10, whose father, Mark Scanlon, settled at Scanlon's Creek about the year 1824. Her mother was the late Maria Sloane, whose parents settled on the farm of James Sloane about the same time. The late Mrs. Wood attended school at Mount Pleasant and later attended the High School situated at the northern entrance to the Pine Grove, Bradford. She was an Anglican and during her whole life attended St. Paul's Anglican Church, the church attended by her parents. Having lived her whole life on the same farm, and having a keen mind with vivid recollections of the early settlers, she knew intimately the history of West Gwillimbury and Bradford. Mrs. Wood is survived by her husband; one brother, Allan Scanlon, who wife was a former Bradford girl, Myra Baker; their six sons and one daughter, who attended the funeral. Predeceasing her were Annie (Mrs. Donald McKay); George; Birdie (Mrs. Thos. Wood), and Mark. The funeral was from the family residence to Mount Pleasant Cemetery, part of which was given to the Methodist Church by her grandfather, Mark Scanlon. The pallbearers were six nephews, Lewis Scanlon, Sudbury; Fred Scanlon, Copper Cliff; Douglas Scanlon, Callander; Bert Scanlon, North Bay; Walter Wood, Painesville, Ohio, and gerald Wood, Wyandotte, Mich."

Event date: December 3, 1902
Event type: Marriage

Extended marriage description: "At Barrie on Dec. 3rd, by Rev. D.D. McLeod, Miss Alvina Moss McAfee and Mr. Robert Faris, both of West Gwillimbury, were united in marriage. The bride was attired in a beautiful suit of drab broadcloth and blouse of white taffeta silk, the yoke being overlaid with embroidered white chiffon and draped with white chiffon and sequin trimming. She wore a black silk velvet hat with tam crown of white silk overlaid with black sequin, white mohair and black chenille, and trimmed with large black and white plumes. The bride was waited upon by her cousin, Miss. Myrtle Stewart, as bridesmaid, who wore a dark blue cheviot cloth suit and blouse of shell pink liberty silk, trimmed with cream chiffon and sequin applique. Mr. Edgar J. Evans acted very ably as best man for the groom. After a sumptuous wedding breakfast, the happy couple took the evening train south for Toronto and other places, accompanied by Miss Stewart and Mr. Evans as far as Bradford. The groom's gift to his bride was a beautiful crescent set with pearls and three stars of turquoise. The bridesmaid's and best man's gifts from the groom were a gold bracelet and necktie pin. After the honeymoon trip the young couple will reside on the farm formerly owned by Mr. Thos. Hamer, near Bradford, and purchased about a year ago by Mr. Faris. The correspondence wishes the newly-wedded pair lifelong happiness and success."