Event Date : Sunday, May 31, 1936
Event Type : Marriage

Description : Muriel Elizabeth, only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dolph Kneeshaw, Gilford, married Stanley Eugene, son of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Cairns, Bradford. Rev. W. Spurgeon Butt officiated and Mr. Frank Dutcher of Barrie, uncle of the bride, played the wedding music. The bride was attended by Miss Marion Bell of Gilford, and groomsman, as well as cousin, was Mr. Milton Fisher of Toronto. The ushers were Mr. Gordon Kneeshaw, brother of the bride, and Mr. Jack Richardson of Toronto, cousin of the groom. The wedding took place at Ebenezer United Church and the reception was held at the home of the bride's parents. Upon returning from a honeymoon, Mr. and Mrs. Cairns will reside on the groom's farm near Bradford.

Event Date : Wednesday, February 03, 1954
Event Type : Death

Description : Returning last Wednesday afternoon from Newmarket Hospital, where he had been hospitalized for over a week, Mr. James A. Webb passed away within a few hours of his arrival home early that evening, February 3. He was in his 80th year. Born in West Gwillimbury at what was then Scanlon P.O., but which today is only marked by a creek bearing the name, the late Mr. Webb spent his entire life here, where since early manhood he had been engaged in the butchering business. Married in Bradford to the late Mary Emma Collings, who predeceased him in July, 1948, the late Mr. Webb is survived by a family of three sons and three daughters. George resides in Mimico; James R. carries on the business formerly operated by his father in Bradford; Ben is in Toronto; Miss Birdie is at home; Mrs. Louis Walker (Agatha) lives in Lindsay, and Mrs. Hillary (Mary) at Vandorf. Two sisters also survive, Mrs. Sarah Kitchen of Wyebridge, Ont., and Mrs. Alice Coombs of Bradford. A very active and physically fit man, Mr. Webb remained with his business until 1948, when he left the responsibilities with his son, James. An athlete in his younger days, the late Mr. Webb excelled in lacrosse. When Arthur had a championship lacrosse team in 1899, James Webb was a member of that team and when Bradford were the lacrosse champions in 1909 he was a member of his home team. He never lost interest in lacrosse and was one of the ardent promoters and fans of the more recent Bradford Box Lacrosse teams. Formerly president of the club, last year he was honourary president. He was always at the games, enthusiastically cheering or calling advice to the players. In the passing of Mr. Webb, Bradford lacrosse has lost a loyal supporter. For fifty years Mr. Webb was a member of Simcoe Masonic Lodge. He was a member of Trinity Anglican Church, and for a number of years served on Bradford Public Utilities Commission.The funeral was held from his late residence on Friday afternoon. His rector, Rev. W. S. Johnson, conducted the services and interment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bradford. The funeral was under Masonic auspices and honourary pallbearers were members of that Order, namely, Mel. Waldruff, Frank Smelser, Percy Stevenson, Archie Hammell, Donald Gray and Russell Worfolk.The active pallbearers were his three sons, two sons-in-law, and a nephew, namely, George, James and Ben Webb, Louis Walker, Horace Hillary and Walter Coombs. Business places closed in respect during the funeral hours.

Event Date : Saturday, October 17, 1953
Event Type : Death
Municipality : Toronto, Ont.

Description : One of the oldest practicing dentists in Ontario, being a 1900 graduate from the College of Dentistry, University of Toronto, Dr. Charles W. Ellis was instantly killed as he crossed the street to his son-in-law's car on the Queen Elizabeth Way at Haig Blvd. early Saturday evening. Larry Rutherford, his son-in-law of Applewood Rd., was waiting for him on the shoulder of the west-bound lane to take him home in his car. Dr. Ellis alighted from a bus and was crossing the west-bound lane when he was hit by a car driven by Edward Dinsmore of Toronto. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a Port Credit coroner.
Born in Bradford, Dr. Ellis received his High School education in Barrie. Graduated from the University of Toronto in 1900 he practiced in Beeton for a short time before he married the former Adelia Maude Rose, Syracuse, New York, who predeceased him 29 years ago, and began practice here where he has been for over 50 years. He was a life member of Bradford Lodge, A.F. & A.M., where he was Past Master. He was feted by the lodge recently on the occasion of his 50th year of membership. He was also a life member of the Ontario Dental Association. He was a member of Bradford United Church where he had taught Sunday School and was a former steward in the church and served for many years as church treasurer. He has also been a member of Bradford Lions Club for some years. During his younger days, Dr. Ellis was an athlete and won many medals as a bicycle racer and tennis player.He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Rutherford, Lakeview, and Mrs. R. G. Freyermuth, Iowa, and two grandchildren, Janet and Charles Freyermuth. He was predeceased by two brothers, Aubrey and Bert, and his only sister, Mrs. W. A. Pringle (Mabel). Dr. Ellis had given valued service to this municipality having served on the Board of Education and the Board of Health for a number of years. Through his long years of practice Dr. Ellis was one of the best known residents of the area. Possessing very definite opinions and the strictest code of honour and honesty of purpose himself, he expected the same high standards from those with whom he did business. His friends, especially in later years, were largely those who had been his patients over a long term of years, and a few of the older residents, and his tragic death was learned with sorrow by them all. A private funeral was held yesterday afternoon from his home, under Masonic auspices, with services being conducted by Rev. F. G. MacTavish. Interment was in Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Bradford.

Event Date : Thursday, February 20, 1964
Event Type : Death

Description : Mr. C. Albert Dimock, a well known and respected resident of Bradford for more than thirty years, passed away at York County Hospital, Newmarket, on February 20, 1964, following an illness of more than two months. Mr. Dimock was born in Hants County, Nova Scotia, and received his education at schools in Boston, Mass. As a young man he went to Western Canada where he met and married Minnie Hillacre at Glidden, Saskatchewan, in November 1917. While in Saskatchewan he homesteaded and then worked as a telephone linesman and mechanic. In 1932 Mr. and Mrs. Dimock and their two children, Hedley and Ilene, came to Bradford where Mr. Dimock operated a garage for some time. During the war years he was foreman with an aircraft company in London, Ontario, and in recent years he had been with Brad Walker Motors. Mr. and Mrs. Dimock's only son, Hedley, enlisted in the RCAF and after a distinguished career gave his life in the service over India in 1944. Mr. Dimock is survived by his wife; their only daughter Mrs. L. W. McKenney (Ilene), 57 Beaufort St., London, Ontario, and one brother, T. A. Dimock, 87 Elderslie Ave., Willowdale, Ontario. Mr. Dimock was an adherent of Bradford United Church. Until after receiving injuries in a motor vehicle accident a few years ago, he was active in both curling and bowling. The funeral was held from the Lathangue-Kilkenny Funeral Home on February 22, with entombment in the vault at 6th Line Innisfil. Rev. W. N. Lee conducted the services.The pallbearers were Messers. J. Everitt, O. Hand, T. Fuller, A. Lee, M. Saint, B. Walker.

Event Date : Wednesday, July 08, 1981
Event Type : Death

Description : Former owner, publisher, and editor of The Bradford Witness, Ina McKenzie, died last Wednesday, July 8, after a lengthy illness. She was 89. Born Ina Galbraith in Paisley, Bruce County, Mrs. McKenzie learned to be independent at an early age after the death of her father at age 29. Her mother, a school teacher, struggled to raise her and younger sister Donalda. "I went into teaching as well because there was nothing else a girl at that time could do except become a nurse" Mrs. McKenzie remarked in an interview before her death. She taught for several years in the tough downtown Toronto core where her students included the famous Conacher brothers. "They were wonderful boys. Perhaps a bit mischievious though" she recalled laughing. After marrying her childhood sweetheart Stewart McKenzie (who died in 1975) she left teaching to move to Detroit with her husband."All that time - it was in the 1920s - Detroit was a boom town. Everyone was playing the stock market and making a great deal of money - on paper at any rate. Stewart got a job on a financial publication called Saturday Night."Mr. McKenzie had an extensive background in the newspaper business. His father had owned the Paisley Advocate.While in Detroit the stock market crashed and Mr. McKenzie because he was a Canadian citizen was in danger of losing his job."I told Stewart 'Let's look for a business now while you've still got a job' so we went on vacation and looked at what appeared to be a very prosperous newspaper in Trenton" Mrs. McKenzie remembered.However being a very astute business woman she noted that the paper printed a great deal of political material that would come to a halt if the government changed. They decided to look elsewhere.Bradford was their next stop."When we arrived in Bradford it was a beautiful day" she recalled. However the condition of The Bradford Witness was something else again."Stewart went in and told me 'The machinery is a disgrace'" she remembered but they loved the little town and decided to stay contributing greatly to its prosperity and growth over the years.In those first years of the Depression Bradford was little more than a main street the lower end shabby the western portion relatively prosperous she recalled. "Everything was booming when we arrived in Bradford." Mrs. McKenzie noted. "But shortly after many people were in dire poverty. If we would have collected what was on our books we could have retired however people gave what they could."During this time they relocated the paper's office from Holland St. to Barrie St. (where the European Bakery is currently located) remaining there until they retired in 1968 selling the paper to Gerry Barker.Before deteriorating eyesight hampered her activities Mrs. McKenzie was extremely active in various organizations in Bradford. During the Second World War she headed the Bradford chapter of the Canadian Red Cross. She was a charter member of the West Gwillimbury chapter of IODE and a past president of the Bradford Women's Institute. She also taught Sunday School at the Bradford United Church. One of the driving forces behind fund-raising efforts for the Bradford Community Centre. Mrs. McKenzie also lent her considerable energies and intelligence to the Hurricane Hazel flood relief program and various other community projects. Ina McKenzie is survived by her sister Donalda Crosbie of Toronto nephew Robert W. Crosbie and good friend Ella Langford of Bradford. She was also great-aunt to Alexander George and Cynthia. Friends called at the Lathangue and Skwarchuk Funeral Home and a service conducted by Rev. G. McFarlane was held in the chapel on Friday July 10. She was buried next to her husband at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto.Donations to the West Gwillimbury chapter of IODE would be appreciated.