ATHENS -- Agnes (Nan) McCormick Brown McWhirter, 94, died at Maple View Lodge on March 25, 2004.
She was born on March 9, 1910, in Kirkcudbright, Scotland, daughter of Donald Brown and the former Margaret McCormick.
She was married to the late Robert McWhirter in Ringford, Scotland, on February 19, 1932. The next month, the couple immigrated to Canada. They settled in the Newboyne area and she also farmed with her husband in the Portland-Elgin area. Forty-eight years ago she moved to the Athens district.
She was affiliated with the Athens United Church. Her main interests were her children, grandchildren, knitting slippers and completing word-find puzzles.
Surviving are son Alex McWhirter and his wife Barbara, of Portland, and daughters Pearl Layng and her husband Donald, of Athens, and Paulette Alguire of Athens.
Also surviving are daughter-in-law Beverly McWhirter of Lyndhurst, nephew Bill McWhirter (Gwen) of Brockville, niece Jean Baldwin of Grand Bend, along with other relatives in Scotland. Nine grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren survive. Also surviving is good friend Phyllis Steele, of Athens.
Mrs. McWhirter was predeceased by son Russell McWhirter of Lyndhurst, granddaughter Kimberley Ann Layng of Athens, and brothers Bill and Bob and sisters Jessie, Margaret, Isabelle, Christine and Sarah.
The funeral was held in the chapel of the Judson Funeral Home, Athens, on Saturday, March 27, with Reverend Dolly Dikens of Athens United Church officiating. Interment followed in Portland United Church Cemetery.
The pallbearers were Rob Layng, Dave Layng, Scott Alguire, George McWhirter, Rob McWhirter and Ron McWhirter.
Memorial donations to the Maple View Lodge redevelopment project were gratefully acknowledged.
Jean Curtis, 94
Mae Ellen "Jean" Curtis, 94, died January 22, 2004 at Hilltop Manor Nursing Home in Merrickville.
She was born December 16, 1909 in Athens to David Chant and the former Clarinda Robinson. She married Murray William Curtis on August 27, 1935.
She was a strong woman who had a powerful impact on her children. They remember her as being the conscience they sometimes neglected; someone who always knew what they were thinking; who stood in her family's shadow, content to let them shine.
Making something out of nothing was her forte. She baked her own buns, made great turkey dressing and could stretch a serving of meat for one into a meal for five. She could take a hand-me-down and turn it into a new suit of clothes.
She loved flowers, especially African violets, and her outside flower borders were known throughout the village. She won awards for her flower gardens and earned ribbons aplenty for her floral arrangements at fall fairs.
Mrs. Curtis is survived by her children John and wife Lynne of Trenton, Betty Horsman of Ottawa and Charles of Kemptville; sister Pearl Hampton and husband Ernie; grandchildren Scott, Michael, Maureen, Jennifer and George and six great-grandchildren.
She was predeceased by her husband Murray Curtis, daughter Lana Pelletier, sister Velma Webster and great-granddaughter Emily Lauren.
Friends called at the Grant Brown Funeral Home-Rolston Chapel, Kemptville, on January 26 prior to the funeral, at which Rev. Nancy Colton officiated. Burial followed at Capital Memorial Gardens in Ottawa.
The pallbearers were John and Charles Curtis, Phil Pelletier, Robert Gummeson, Scott Horsman, Dale O'Hara and Ron Bradley.
Memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society will be gratefully acknowledged by the family.
Mary Ellen Dowling, 78
Mary Ellen Dowling, 78, of Ormond Street in Brockville, died March 6, 2004 with family by her side at Kingston General Hospital.
She was born March 24, 1925, in Crysler and was the youngest child of the late David and Ina Richmond. She was raised on a farm and attended public school in that area and high school in Chesterville.
At the age of 16, she went to Ottawa. She worked as a civil servant for the federal government remaining there until her retirement.
She married Ralph Dowling in Ottawa on June 4, 1966. They had a hobby farm in Russell, where they raised fowl and rabbits. She enjoyed playing cards, gardening, entertaining and traveling to many parts of the world.
In 1994 after her husband's death, she moved to Brockville to be near her family. Having no children of her own, she was very close to her nieces and nephews.
She was always a cheerful person, a good listener, and was always lending a helping hand.
She is survived by her sisters Anne Ronald and Theresa Eldridge, who both reside at St. Lawrence Lodge, Brockville, and sisters-in-law Shirley Richmond of Smiths Falls and Stella St. Maurice of Montreal. Also surviving are her nieces and nephews Ruth Sargent, Ron Eldridge (Diana) of Brockville, Larry Eldridge (Cathy) of Fort Frances, David Eldridge (Joe) of Brampton, Sharon Smith (Richard) and John Richmond (Evelyn) of Jasper.
She is also survived by several great-nieces and nephews.
She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Bill, brothers-in-law Charles Eldridge and James Ronald and by her niece Elaine Gerow.
Friends and family called at the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville, on Tuesday, March 9 and the funeral was held March 10 in the Irvine Chapel with Rev. Eugene Badgley of Picton officiating.
Following the service, lunch was served in the Irvine Reception Centre.
Burial will be held at a later date in the spring at the North Russell Cemetery, Russell.
Pallbearers were nephews Steven, Doug and Cody Sargent, Glen and Curtis Eldridge, and Rick Hurlbert. The honorary pallbearer was Joe Carvalho, a close friend of the family.
Memorial donations to the Canadian Cancer Society and other charities were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
John Hunter, 87
SMITHS FALLS -- John Kenneth Hunter, 87, farmer, fiddler and community activist, died January 21, 2004 at Smiths Falls Hospital.
He was born on the family farm in Leeds County, three miles south of Smiths Falls, on April 10, 1916, the eldest of three sons born to John Alexander Hunter and his wife, the former Effie Condie.
After three years at Smiths Falls Collegiate, he attended Kemptville Agricultural School on a 4-H scholarship, graduating in 1938.
Then he and his brother Gordon farmed south of the hydro road (now Eric Hutchinson Road) until 1941, when Gordon married and moved to his own farm, leaving John a lonely bachelor.
In 1943 John Hunter met Margaret Bell, a 1940 graduate of Kemptville Agricultural School, and they were married August 5, 1944. They had three sons and three daughters.
He operated his farm with mixed farming, registered Holsteins and dairying as the source of income. In 1965 he expanded farming into Lanark County and moving his residence to the Acton farm, located off Highway 43, about four miles east of Smiths Falls.
Mr. Hunter was active in community affairs. He served 17 years on public or high school boards and seven years in municipal affairs. He was an elder of Trinity United Church and served on several boards of the church.
He was active in several farm organizations, often at the executive level. He was proud of his lifetime pass to the Merrickville Fair, given in return for his serving as president of the fair board. He earned the most points in garden produce at the 1990 Lombardy Fair and through the years had exhibited cattle, sheep, swine, poultry and produce and won his share of awards at many fall fairs.
In 1982 he retired from active farming but still kept a few sheep and poultry and enjoyed gardening on the Montague farm, which by this time his son Kenneth had taken over. (The South Elmsley farm was by then owned by his son George.) In 1992 he and his wife moved to an apartment in Smiths Falls.
During his retirement years, he took up the fiddle again. His interest in fiddle music had begun when he was a young lad on the farm. He had had 18 lessons but had had to put the violin on hold due to the demands of farming and raising a family.
So when he was semi-retired at the age of 71, he took lessons again and made his debut in a fiddle contest in 1987. Over the years he played in contests in Perth, Lanark, Vanier, Ottawa, Renfrew and in Watertown, N.Y. In 1993 he won the Lanark County open fiddle contest. He continued to compete and win awards until the past year.
He enjoyed playing fiddle at funerals and family weddings, and at various senior citizen homes with friends until he went into the hospital in mid-April 2003.
In 1994 he had suffered kidney failure necessitating dialysis and from 1997 to 1999. He and his wife lived in Kingston so that he could get dialysis treatments there. When dialysis became available in Smiths Falls in 1999, Mr. Hunter became the unit's first client.
He is survived by his wife Margaret Hunter of Smiths Falls; three sons, John and wife Karen of Gouverneur, N.Y., and George and wife Anita and Kenneth and wife Pat, all of Smiths Falls; three daughters, Margaret Kelk and friend Bob Benson of Portland, Ruth Armstrong and husband Andy of Smiths Falls and Marjorie Smith and husband Darrell of Parry Sound; and 15 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Also surviving are his brother Donald and wife Lois of Smiths Falls, several brothers- and sisters-in-law, and many nieces and nephews.
He was predeceased by his parents and brother Gordon.
Friends called at the Blair and Son Funeral Home, Smiths Falls, where on January 24 the funeral was held, with Rev. Bruce Sweet of Glenburnie officiating. Gerry Pizzariello played two of six pieces Mr. Hunter had composed and also gave a tribute to him. Burial followed at Hillcrest Cemetery.
The pallbearers were six nephews, Arden, Gerald and Perry Hunter and Donald, Brian and Chris Bell.
Memorial donations to the Smiths Falls Hospital dialysis unit and St. Mary's of the Lake Hospital, Kingston, were gratefully acknowledged by the family.
