FYNN o@ca.on.grey_county.owen_sound.the_sun_times 2008-05-07 published
LINKLATER,
Harold
Fraser
Harold Fraser
LINKLATER was born on October 1, 1917 in Teeswater,
Ontario to Harvey and Gladys (née Mason
FRASER)
LINKLATER. He
was the oldest of three brothers. Until his death all four of
them were still living - I'm sure that is a record for four brothers
who had survived World War 2. Harold died at 90 and all his brothers
are in their 80s. His great-grandparents arrived in Canada from
the Orkneys in Scotland in 1852 and some of his great-uncles
had come to Canada with the Hudson's Bay Company. The family
moved to Kincardine in August 1929 when his father Harvey bought
the furniture store and funeral home from W.H.A.
MORRISON. He
worked helping his father from age 12, but really started that
career in 1935 when he finished Grade 12. In 1937-38 he took
courses at the Banting Institute and General Hospital in Toronto.
At 19 he got his license as an undertaker but couldn't use it
until he was 21. He married Nora Elizabeth
DIMOND on November 20,
1940. In May 1940 he had joined the Canadian army. He went into
Officer training in Brockville and between 1940 to 1943 he was
stationed in Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. In World
War 2 he went overseas in June 1944 before the invasion of France
and stayed there until the fall of 1946. He was in the 19th Self-Propelled
Regiment. He was a Captain by the time the war ended. His daughter
Elizabeth Ann was born in 1949 and son John Douglas in 1951.
He was a Rover Scout and became a cub and scout leader. He was
on the Kincardine Public School Board for 10 years, belonged
to the Rotary Club, the Kinsmen, the Masonic Lodge and was president
of the Chamber of Commerce for two years and received an award.
In 1970 he was chairman of the Old Boy's and Girls Reunion Committee
and won the award of Citizen of the Year. He cherished the silver
tray that he was given to him with that inscription. The award
was reported in the London Free Press. Ballots were received
from as far away as Michigan and from across the province. It
was the largest number of ballots at that time and 70 percent
voted for him. His pride and joy was the cottage he built on
Crab Cove near Red Bay. He bought the lakefront property in 1952
for $350 and in 1953 he and his neighbour Ed
HAGEDORN put up
the frame. He worked both at the Linklater Funeral Home and the
Linklater Furniture Store. From 1966 to 1974 he owned and operated
the funeral business by himself. In 1974 at age 57 he sold the
Funeral business although he helped the new owner in the summers
for 4-5 years afterwards. In 1974 he and Nora bought a place
in Lakeland, Florida and started going there in the winters in
1975. Nora died on his birthday, October 1, 1988 after a 48-year
marriage. He married Helen Emma
HAYES (née
COULSON) of Saint Thomas
and Lakeland, Florida on July 22 1989. He and Helen lived at
the cottage until September 2000 and
in Owen Sound since then.
They wintered in Lakeland until 1995 when Harold got cancer of
the jaw. He survived that as he did a heart attack, strokes,
blindness, and several operations. He was tenacious and had a
tremendous will to live through all of these ailments until April 2008
when he accepted he was failing. Perhaps being a funeral director
had given him this will to live because he had to live with death
around him for so many years. Harold is survived by his beloved
wife Helen, his daughter Elizabeth (Liza) and her husband James
TROTTIER of Manila, Philippines, his son Douglas (Doug) of Red
Bay, his grandchildren Jesse and Dane of Barrie, his brothers
Ken (and Reita) of Kincardine, Bryce (and Alma) of Jarvis and
Gordon (and Joan) of Toronto, and his former daughter-in-law,
Dianne LINKLATER of Kincardine; his step-family Helen (and Bert)
WRAY of Durham and their children Marla (and Lee)
ZWOLMAN of
Milton, Kevin and David
WRAY; and to Marg
NICHOL (and Gerald)
of Brampton, Donald
FINDLAY (and Teresa) of Campbell River, British
Columbia and William
FINDLAY (and Gazelle) of Winnipeg; as well
as everyone's children and many grandchildren, great- and great-great-grandchildren.
Heartfelt thanks and affection are extended to dearest Helen,
Helen and Bert
WRAY of Durham, Fern and Ken
FYNN,
Linda
CRANDALL
and Ab LIPSETT and Mary
VAN
TRIGT, all of Owen Sound for their
loving care and assistance over the last years. A memorial service
took place on Monday May 5 at the Kincardine cemetery and was
followed by a reception at Knox Presbyterian Church. Arrangements
were made by Harold's friend Tom
WHITCROFT of the Thomas C. Whitcroft
Funeral Home and Chapel in Sauble Beach. Donations can be made
to the charity of your choice.
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