Susannah who? 1904 - 1993 - Glimpses of the Past with Karen Webster

There is a poem, by Linda Ellis, about the dash between the birth date and the death date of an individual. It reminds us that the living that takes place between birth and death is what is important. Unfortunately, we only know a few of the facts about the “dash” on the life’s path of the subject of our column this week.

 

Susannah Olive Lattimer was born on March 28, 1904 in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, which is located in the southeast corner of the province along the Trans-Canada Highway. Her parents were Archibald (Archie) Lattimer, who was born in Hungerford, Hastings County in Eastern Ontario, and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Craig who grew up on a farm at Lot 7 Conc. 7 South in Morris Township. 

 

Lizzie and Archie were wed on April 30, 1901, and began their life together on a farm near Moosomin, Saskatchewan, and to this union was born Agnes Irene in January of 1903. A second daughter, Susannah Olive, was born in March of 1904. Tragedy occurred, in August of 1904, when Archie was fatally struck by lightning while loading hay. Though he was interred in South Cemetery, Moosomin, he is also commemorated by a gravestone in Blyth Union Cemetery.

 

At some point, Lizzie travelled back to Ontario with her little family. The death of Irene is recorded in the city of Chatham, Ontario on Aug. 21, 1905. She had been ill for two weeks and the cause of her death was listed as “dysentery”.  Chatham is where Sarah Lattimer, widow of Archie’s brother, Charles, lived. Lizzie returned to her roots in Morris Township with Susannah and it was there that she took a position as housekeeper in the neighbourhood. 

 

During her growing-up years, Susannah was an exemplary student, as evidenced in several newspaper reports. She became an elementary school teacher, first locally at Alvinston and Purple Valley, later in Northern Ontario and finally in Oakville, Ontario, where she died in 1993.

 

We can surmise that Susannah’s life followed the usual course of events with times with family and friends, that she had a fulfilling career teaching that spanned several decades, but we do not know the details.  Even though we now know very little of the “dash”, the time between birth and death of this woman, is it possible that, even today, she may have some influence on the lives of residents in Huron County and of the former township of Morris?

 

In 1995, both the County of Huron and the Township of Morris were notified by a legal firm that they were beneficiaries of the estate of one Susannah Lattimer. Susannah had never married, so when she passed away, it was her wish that the local areas, which had been so helpful to her and her mother in their time of need, might benefit from her savings.

 

Among the items in the Lattimer legacy in Huron County is the Lattimer Gallery at the Huron County Museum, located in Goderich. This 1,220-square-foot gallery is a permanent installation in the museum. It tells the story of the development of the county from the days of the Canada Company up through the years. In it are the stories of Tiger Dunlop and other early settlers. Maps that trace the development of Huron County from the era of earliest settlement through to the uniform 100-acre farm divisions are also found there. 

 

There is a wall with the photos of past county wardens as well as several artifacts and displays that help to tell the story. One exhibit features the fire that destroyed the Huron County Court House on The Square in Goderich in the early 1950s and its subsequent rebuilding.

 

For a number of years, beginning in 2000, funds from the Lattimer estate supported the Huron County Art Bank. This competition was open to paintings by Huron County artists depicting Huron County. From 2000 until 2012, this competition ran yearly offering prize money of $1,000, $800 and $700 for the three top works. These top art works became the property of the county, forming an art bank designated to grace the walls of their public buildings in rotation. There are now 50 works of art in the bank. Though the funds from the Lattimer Fund ran out, the county continues to support this competition on a bi-annual basis.

 

Additionally, in 1999, two county library branches, namely Brussels and Blyth, received computers designated for public usage.
Various projects were undertaken in Morris Township due to the benevolence of Miss Lattimer. Among the areas that the funds support are beautification and maintenance of cemeteries and parks, scholarships at F. E. Madill High School and the Belgrave School Fair.

 

Morris-Turnberry has erected signage acknowledging the support of the Lattimer Fund at the five historical cemeteries that are in its care. On June 8, 2018 these signs were unveiled at: Morris Cemetery, 42349 Salem Road; Bluevale Cemetery, 80 Bell Street, Bluevale; Jewitt Cemetery, 41294 Browntown Road; McCrea Cemetery, 39 Jane Street, Belgrave and Sunshine Cemetery, 84757 Martin Line. Each of these signs has a storyboard on the back of it with details about the cemetery.

 

Susannah Lattimer may have led a life that the passage of time has hidden from us, however, her generosity to Huron County and the Morris Township area has had an effect that has spanned the years and has benefitted many.