HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2018-07-12, Page 17THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2018. PAGE 17.
Obituaries
JANIS ANN LOUISE
(MORRITT) VODDEN
Janis Ann Louise (Morritt) Vodden
of Blyth passed away suddenly at St.
Mary's General Hospital in
Kitchener on Tuesday, July 3, 2018.
She was in her 82nd year.
The beloved wife of Harold
Brockest "Brock" Vodden for 62
years, Janis was the loving mother of
John and Ruth Vodden of Wells,
Nevada, Mary Ellen and Randy
Zupanski of Taipei, Taiwan, Trevor
and Carolynn Vodden of Calgary,
Alberta, Pamela Ross Simons and
Christopher Murray, and Andrew
Vodden, all of Toronto, and Kent
Vodden of Guelph.
Janis will be missed by six
grandchildren, Morgan and
Courtney Zupanski of California,
Ryan and Kelsey Vodden of Calgary,
Chandra and Kyairah Vodden and
one great-grandchild, Ariyah
Vodden-McQuick, all of Toronto.
She is survived by niece Yvonne
Bean, nephew Dana Bean and his
wife Joyce and their children. Also
mourning her loss are two people
who adopted her as a "grandma",
Madeline Kakegamick of Sandy
Lake and Shirley Hun Ping Will of
Mississauga.
Janis was predeceased by her
parents, William H. and Hannah
Gertrude Morritt and her sister and
brother-in-law Maureen and
Maurice Bean.
Janis had a life-long fascination
with history, especially that of the
community around her.
Janis's history with Huron County
reaches back to the 1800s. It was in
the 1860s when her paternal
grandfather came to the Blyth area
from Hay Township with his wife
Isabella McIntosh, who was the
daughter of one of the earliest
settlers on London Road in
Tuckersmith Township.
The family settled in Hullett
Township, but had a Blyth mailing
address.
Her maternal grandparents also
farmed in Hullett Township before
moving to Blyth in the late 1800s.
Brock and Janis were married on
July 3, 1956 at Blyth United Church.
Once married, both Brock and Janis
worked as school teachers in Tory
Hill in Haliburton County before
Janis continued her work in the
world of education locally.
Over the years, Janis took great
pride in her gardening work, as well
as in her church activities, especially
when she served as an elder at
Emmanuel Howard Park in Toronto.
One of her most vivid memories,
she said, was when she volunteered
in the Chaplaincy Department of the
Queen Elizabeth Hospital in
Toronto, at which time she was also
the editor of the hospital's volunteer
newsletter.
Another high point in her life was
her time in Pearson Township when
she tended to livestock and taught
both 4-H and Women's Institute
classes.
During her whole life, Janis was a
dedicated gardener. Whether it was
when she and Brock lived in a small
apartment or when she tended to
several football fields of gardens in
Northern Ontario, she let her green
thumb shine through as a true
passion of her life.
In recent years, both Janis and
Brock have turned to helping others
through their passion for local
history and the creation of the
Repository of Blyth History.
They had been unofficially
researching Blyth and its people for
years, but made it official in 2008.
Since then, they have welcomed
over 300 visitors to their home to
help them research local people,
homes or businesses.
Those searching for Blyth history
who have contacted the Voddens
have come from as far away as New
Zealand with many others coming
from the United States and all over
Canada.
Their collection now consists of
well over 60,000 file cards
containing information from a
number of sources, including
newspapers, books, letters and
personal recollections of life in the
village.
In recent years, the Voddens have
been the go -to historians for local
endeavours that need a boost by way
of historical information. The Blyth
Festival and Cowbell Brewing Co.
have both turned to the Voddens for
their expertise for projects.
Both Brock and Janis are
published authors, lending their
expertise and writing prowess to
books on local history.
As e-mail, social media and
texting became more and more
prevalent, Janis was a dedicated
letter -writer, maintaining hand-
written correspondence with dozens
of friends right up until her passing.
A memorial service for Janis was
held at the Blyth United Church on
Monday at 3 p.m., with visitation
held one hour prior. Interment of
ashes at Blyth Union Cemetery will
be held at a later date.
Memorial donations to the Huron
County branch of the Ontario
Genealogical Society would be
appreciated.
Arrangements were entrusted to
Falconer Funeral Homes and
condolences may be placed at
www.falconerfuneralhomes.com.
•
1
MURRAY RAE HOUSTON
It is with heavy hearts and fond
memories that we announce the
passing of Murray Rae Houston on
Saturday July 7, 2018. He was in his
63rd year. Murray is now resting
peacefully with his late wife
Maxine.
Murray lived an ordinary life, not
much different than other farmers of
his generation. He was a farmer who
worked hard, a husband who loved
his wife, a father who loved his
children, a grandpa who loved to
play and a neighbour who lent a
hand.
Murray was the beloved husband
of the late Maxine Houston (nee
Watts) for 37 years; loving father of
Jillian and Chris Csoff and Darryl
and Jodi Houston and the cherished
grandpa of Eli and Emmett. He was
the dear son of the late Rae and Lois
Houston. Murray was the loved
brother of Bob and Linda Houston,
the late Brenda and Dennis Mathers,
Glenna Houston and Janice and
Gord Carnochan; son-in-law of
Barbara Watts and the late Max
Watts and brother-in-law of
Stephanie and Murray Kellington,
David and the late Chris Watts,
Darrin Watts and Ruth Ann and Kim
Schroeder. Murray was the nephew
of Stephen and Judy Watts and Jean
MacKinnon and the loving uncle of
his many nieces and nephews.
Cremation has taken place and a
private graveside service will be
held. A public memorial visitation to
celebrate Murray's life will be held
at the Brussels Community Centre,
Brussels, on Saturday, July 14 from
1 — 4 p.m. Funeral arrangements
were entrusted to McGlynn Family
Funeral Home, Seaforth.
In lieu of flowers, memorial
donations to Huron Residential
Hospice or the London Health
Sciences Centre Children's Hospital
would be appreciated and can be
made through the funeral home.
Online condolences and memorial
donations can be made by visiting
Murray's memorial at
www.mcglynnfamilyfuneral
home.com
HARRY BANKS TAYLOR
Harry Banks Taylor, passed away
peacefully at home on July 7, 2018.
He was in his 80th year.
Harry was the husband of
Margaret (Wells) for 21 years. He
was stepfather of Christina (Steve)
Summers, Durham; Margaret
Fournier, Ethel; Christopher (Tanya)
Bank, Brussels; Dixon Smith, North
Bay and Robin (Barry) Northway,
Smithville and brother of Margaret
Beattie, Peterborough and brother-
in-law of Esther Taylor, Ottawa. He
was grandfather of 12 grandchildren
and 27 great-grandchildren. Harry
will be especially missed by Jack
(Maj) Kellum, Fergus and by many
nieces and nephews.
Harry was predeceased by parents
Harry Sr. and Maud Taylor, sister
Bettie Hall, brother George Taylor
and son-in-law John Fournier.
Cremation has taken place.
Donations to The Heart and Stroke
Foundation or The Canadian Cancer
Society would be appreciated.
Donations and expressions of
sympathy may be forwarded to Box
340, Brussels, NOG 1H0.
EZRA MERVYN STECKLY
Ezra Mervyn Steckly passed away
peacefully at Listowel Memorial
Hospital on Friday, July 6, 2018. He
was in his 79th year.
Ezra was father of Gerald and
Stacey Steckley and Kim and Robert
McLaren; brother of Arnold and
Clarence Steckley and Jim Cline and
grandfather -in-law of Cethlenne and
Imajyca. He will be missed by many
nieces and nephews.
Ezra was predeceased by parents
Soloman and Ella, brothers Claire
and Wayne and sister Vicki Hamill
and niece Amanda Hamill.
Visitation was held at Riverside
Funeral Home on Sunday, July 8.
The funeral service was held at the
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
Church on Monday, July 9.
Obituaries continue
on page 20
Interment was at Brussels Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers and as
expressions of sympathy, donations
to the Brussels Mennonite
Fellowship Church would be
appreciated.
Cards of sympathy and donations
may be forwarded to Box 340,
Brussels, NOG 1H0.
A cemetery is a history of
people, a perpetual record of
yesterday and a sanctuary of
peace and quiet today. A
cemetery exists because every
life is worth loving and
remembering - always
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