PRESCOTT -- Marion Galbraith, 87, formerly of Prescott, died March 6, 2007 at St. Lawrence Lodge.
Born June 13, 1919 in Prescott, she was the daughter of John Harvey Galbraith and the former Lillian Hutchcroft. She lived in Prescott all her life, the St. Lawrence River area being her favourite place to live.
She worked at the C. W. Webb factory on Hyde Street, cutting stencils, and then during the Second World War worked in the carpentry department at the Department of Transport making containers for depth charges.
Later she worked at the Lee McKnight Shoe Store for a number of years and then at Newell Manufacturing until her early retirement in 1973.
Miss Galbraith was an animal lover and was especially fond of her cats. She enjoyed reading and painting in watercolours. She appreciated nature and enjoyed flower and vegetable gardening. She would go for drives along her beloved river and also liked to care for others.
She is survived by her sister Doreen Potter of Brockville, niece Deborah Marshall and husband Bill of Mallorytown, and nephews Robert Potter and wife Linda of Algonquin and Carl Galbraith and wife Anita of Prescott, as well as great-niece Amanda Kain and husband Tim.
She was predeceased by her parents, sister Verna Leeder and brothers William, Howard, Harlow, baby Ross and Lawrence Galbraith.
Her funeral was held March 8 at the Chris Slater Funeral Home, Prescott, with Rev. David Steele, Prescott United Church, officiating. Niece Deborah Marshall gave the eulogy. The pallbearers were Robert Potter, Carl Galbraith, Bill Marshall and Tim Kain.
Burial will be at Sandy Hill Cemetery in the spring.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian Bible Society, Canadian Cancer Society and the local humane society.
Genevieve 'Jennie' O'Grady, 85
Longtime friends of Genevieve "Jennie" O'Grady, an active senior who enjoyed the comforts of her own home until a broken hip last summer, were saddened by her death last month.
A stubborn weed in her garden caused her to topple onto a rock, resulting in a painful fracture. If this wasn't bad enough, while she was recuperating in hospital an arsonist broke into her empty home on Wall Street, helped himself to the contents of her liquor supply, then went upstairs and set fires to the mattresses.
Considerable damage was done to the upper floors and contents of the home. She went to Rosedale Retirement Centre to recuperate while awaiting repairs to the house. Throughout this ordeal, she insisted she was going back to her home soon. Furthermore, her 85th birthday had come and gone on October 1.
In mid-February, she was hospitalized in palliative care at the former St. Vincent de Paul Hospital now known as the Garden Street site of the Brockville General. She died in the hospice on February 18, 2007.
Jennie O'Grady spent practically her entire life working and living in downtown Brockville. Her earlier career was spent in the insurance business, working for about 30 years as an office consultant at the Owen R. Davis Company on King St. After the office closed in the mid 1970s, she was invited by Leeds MP Tom Cossitt to join his family insurance office where she remained until after his death in 1982.
Her next move was to the constituency office of Leeds-Grenville MPP Robert Runciman in the old Victoria School on Wall Street, only steps from her home. She was joined there by her sister Madge and for the next 10 years both worked as constituency secretaries until retiring in 1991.
Jennie O'Grady was the fourth of 12 children of Leonard O'Grady and his wife, the former Genevieve Leeder, of Lansdowne, a former school teacher. The family moved to Brockville in the Great Depression when Jennie was seven. Her father worked at the Ontario Hospital (later known as BPH) and the family lived in a large red-brick house on Keefer Street for quite a few years before moving to Wall Street.
All the O'Grady children went through the Brockville separate school system and Brockville Collegiate Institute. Jennie entered BCI when only 11 years old, graduating at the tender age of 15.
While several of her siblings were writers (brother Gerald was a former sports writer and news reporter before becoming a longtime front-page editor of The Recorder and Times), Jennie's interests were more of a practical nature. She was happiest engaged in home improvements, papering, painting, sanding floors and redecorating the house from top to bottom every few years. She was a fine seamstress and knitter, a good cook and a warm hostess for family gatherings.
Although she never drove a car, she managed to get around and enjoy life. Her main sport was badminton and she was a longtime enthusiastic member of the Brockville Rifles Badminton Club in the 1950s and '60s. She also belonged to the Brockville Country Club. She was a longtime member of the Leeds-Grenville Progressive Conservative Association.
A devout Catholic all her life and regular parishioner of St. Francis Xavier Church, she was a longtime member of the Catholic Women's League and the Children of Mary.
Jennie O'Grady is survived by her youngest brother, Patrick O'Grady and his wife Barbara, of Athens, both retired BCI teachers; and three younger sisters, all widows, Theresa Brigden of Bramalea, Joan Smith of Georgetown and Margaret Hawken of Burlington, as well as a great many nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was predeceased by her older brother, Joseph, a sergeant-observer with the RCAF bomber command whose plane and crew were lost when they crashed in Holland on returning to their British base in 1945; and two younger brothers, John O'Grady, a supermarket manager in the Alexandria area, who died in the early 1980s, and Gerald "Jerry" O'Grady, a 40-year member of this newspaper's editorial staff, who died suddenly at home in 1994; and by two younger sisters, Justine "Tina" in 1994, a month after Jerry, and Madeline "Madge" O'Grady in 2004. (Jerry, Tina and Madge had the family home with Jennie.)
She was also more recently predeceased by her two older sisters: Loretta McGuire, who with her husband Dr. Mike McGuire and their large family lived on Victoria Avenue for many years, but moved to Ottawa a few years ago (Dr. McGuire survives and is now over 90); and Kathleen "Kay" Monahan (widow of Tom), of Kingston, who died in Kingston two years ago.
Family and friends gathered at the Irvine Funeral Home and Chapel, Brockville, on February 21, 2007. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated February 22 in St. Francis Xavier Church. Father Brian Price was celebrant with Father Paul McAvoy. Burial followed in the family plot in St. Francis Xavier Cemetery. The pallbearers, all nephews of Miss O'Grady, were Kevin McGuire, Pat Smith, John O'Grady, Cullen and Chris Hawken and Tom Monahan.
Memorial donations were directed to the Hospice of Providence Palliative Care at the Garden Street Site of BGH.
Sarah 'Sally' Hunter, 88
Sarah Aileen "Sally" Hunter, 88, died February 28, 2007 at Brockville General Hospital after suffering a heart attack at her home.
She was born February 1, 1919 in Foley Township in northern Ontario, the daughter of Charles Boyd and the former Rosena Weller.
Raised on the Boyd pioneer homestead, near Parry Sound, she remained a country girl at heart all her life.
In 1931 she moved with her family to Parry Sound where she attended high school and met her future husband. On March 22, 1938, she married Dannie Hunter in Hornepayne, Ont., and shortly after moved to Bayswater, a whistlestop near Sudbury, where her husband found work on the CNR.
She and her husband moved to the Lyn area in 1943 where they eventually settled down, bought a farm and began to raise a family. For many years Mrs. Hunter helped her husband run a poultry farm as well as deliver the rural mail.
She continued to live at her Lyn residence for more than 60 years, until her recent hospitalization. She enjoyed tending her garden and mowing her own large lawn until well into her 80s.
A member of the United Church Women, she attended Christ United Church in Lyn and was a regular at the Wednesday luncheons until ill health began to curtail her activities.
She is survived by her sons, Doug and wife Sheila of Lyn and Rodney and wife Mary of Arnprior, grandchildren Leslie Williams, Ryan Hunter, Sarah Hunter and Kimberley Hunter, great-grandchildren Taylor and Lauren Williams, and several nieces and nephews. One sister-in-law, Vera Boyd, also survives.
Mrs. Hunter was predeceased by her husband Dannie in 1986, as well as her parents and brother Wesley Boyd, sister May Tennant and brother-in-law Fred Tennant, and sister Edna Smith and brother-in-law Leonard Smith.
Friends called at the Irvine Funeral Home, Brockville, where on March 5 the funeral was held, with Rev. Bob Fillier officiating. Doug Hunter gave the eulogy and granddaughter Kimberley Hunter read from the scriptures.
The pallbearers were John Tennant, Neil Cameron, Tom McMillan, Richard Bycroft, Ellery Edgeley and Ryan Hunter.
Memorial donations were directed to Christ United Church, Lyn.
Bethaia Maloney, 94
ATHENS -- Bethaia Barrie Maloney, 94, formerly of RR 1, Athens, died February 18, 2007 at Maple View Lodge, Athens.
She was born August 11, 1912 in Berwick, Ont. to Daniel Casey and the former Ethel Steele. She grew up in Berwick, worked as a seamstress, married Edward Maloney on October 12, 1940 in Cornwall, and became a housewife and mother.
After living in Cornwall and Merrickville, she moved to Charleston Lake about 26 years ago.
She was a member of Athens United Church and its Friendly Circle, as well as Athens Senior Citizens Craft Club, Athens Women's Institute and Athens Senior Citizens. She enjoyed sewing, crafts and traveling.
Mrs. Maloney's husband died March 18, 2003, but she is survived by her three children: Gloria Gemmell and her partner Victor Proulx of Cornwall, Edward Maloney Jr. and wife Harriett of RR 3, Brockville, and Daniel Maloney and wife Elva of RR 4, Athens. Six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren survive.
She is also survived by her sister Janie Tyo of Star Lake, N.Y., and brother Dan Casey and wife Teresa of Cornwall, and several nieces and nephews.
Besides her husband, she was predeceased by her son-in-law Gordon Gemmell, brothers John Casey in infancy and William Casey (who lived in Barrie) and sister Fern Branchaud (who lived in Cornwall).
Friends called at the Judson Funeral Home, Athens, where on February 21 the funeral was held, with Rev. Dolly Dikens of Athens United Church officiating. Burial followed at Roselawn Memorial Gardens, Maitland.
Gladys Polley, 100
ST. THOMAS -- Gladys R. Polley, 100, mother of Lombardy resident Donald Polley, died March 8, 2007 at St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital.
She was born October 13, 1906 in Eldorado, Ont. (north of Belleville in Hastings County), the daughter of Albert Norman and the former Edith Fraser. She married Larmour "Larry" Polley, of Eastons Corners, who died in 1960.
Mrs. Polley was the first woman stockbroker in southern Ontario and enjoyed a successful career in the investment field for 25 years.
She was a member of Central United Church, St. Thomas, where she was president of the Philathea Unit for 25 years and a life member of the United Church Women group, having held various offices in that organization.
She had been an active member of the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and the St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital Auxiliary, serving as president while the present hospital was built. She was also a life member of the Ontario Hospital Auxiliaries.
Mrs. Polley is survived by her son Donald W. Polley and wife Henrike "Henny" of Lombardy, grandchildren Joanne Rutherford of Fergus, Lynn Lebert of Blenheim, Cathy Tambakis and husband Basil of Toronto and Randy Polley and wife Shohreh of Mexico, nine great-grandchildren, sister-in-law Irene Polley of Brockville, brother-in-law Burdett Sisler of Fort Erie and several nieces and nephews.
She was the last surviving member of her own immediate family, having been predeceased by a sister, Mae Sisler, and four brothers, Thomas, Percy, Ted and Bert Norman.
Friends called at the Sifton Funeral Home, 118 Wellington Street, St. Thomas, Ont., on March 12. The funeral was held March 13 and burial followed at Elmdale Memorial Park, St. Thomas.
Memorial donations were directed to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and the Canadian Cancer Society.
