HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-11-05, Page 79ION56
Mary 7acLaren
GSS/Wednesday, Nov 5, 1986
stuff the money into evelopes for the
15 employees.
"I put the cash in envelopes at
home for a long time," she
explained. "It wasn't that much
money really. I remember when
Harry Barker, a machinist, got a
raise to 60 cents an hou. That was
big money and topsin the
company."
Mitchell acquired controlling
interest in the company in 1925 and
just one year later he app
tinted
Mary the company as
S�Cr.,v.,ry- rtat:i�r rp wi�li lignin^
.... s -
authority. She was also made a
stockholder.
In 1930.her status was elevated to
that of secretary -treasurer, a
position she held until the company
was purchased by Air Vice
Marshall Sully in 1945. In 1934 she
was appointed to the company's
board of directors.
Under the tenure of Mitchell, the
company, which was a sinking ship
in the early 1920s, began to prosper,
grow and innovate. Poor health,
however, dictated that much of the
managerial responsibility be passed
on to Mary and plant superintendent
Rod Johnston. The night before he
died of heart trouble, Mitchell the
the pair to assume operation
company.
The company was sold to Cecil
Attridge in 1938, an accountant from
Hamilton who had been working
with a firm in Goderich. Under his
direction, Mary learned a great deal
about accounting and running the
business.
The company, under the direction
of Attridge, was involved in many
war contracts but after the war was
sold to Air Vice Marshall Sully.
Mary, who married Earl MacLaren
in November 1943 worked for AVM
Sully for two years before retiring in
1947 after 23 years of service.
"We argued but I got along fine
b ., bly better i o,w
with him; a1►Guava,
anyone else," she recalled. "He was
a very thorough man but did a darn
good job. I remember that he always
called me Mrs. Mac."
Mary and her husband put all their
efforts into the couple's photography
business, a business that prospered
during the 1950s. But Earl died
suddenly of a massive heart attack
in 1958 and Mary felt absolutely
alone and devastated.
Lured back to the only job she
loved, Mary returned to Champion in
November 1958 and worked as
personal secretary to Bruce Sully for
13 years until her second retirement
in 197E
"Bruce really saved my life. I was
devastated when my husband died
and I was left with a photography
business that I didn't want," she
said. "Bruce was just so muchfun . He to
work for that he saved my
was full of stories and always fun to
be around. He always called me his
boss and said that I was tough on
him."
While the sales division operated
out of the Victoria Street location,
Mary often divided her time between
sales and the main plant. But her
heart was in the task of sales.
"I thought I'd be glad to quit in
1971 but I was lonesome. I requested
that there be no party for me and all
the employees were coming up and
saying goodbye during the day and I
shed a few tears," she fondly
recalled "Bruce invited me to
dinner at his house bul when 1 gut
there he said the stove wasn't
working and even showed me an
uncooked roast in the oven.
"So he phoned the Bedford Hotel
and said they had agreed to serve us
for supper. Well, when we arrived
ovCher 5. people,
friends,presented with watch
there. I was p
and a trip to Ireland."
But Mary had trouble retiring
from Champion and while she left on
a Friday in January 1971, she was
back working part-time on Monday.
She continued to work on a casual
basis until 1976, when she retired for
the third time.
While she experienced some back
problems last year that required
extensive bed rest, Mary is a spry
83 -year-old who can't find enough
hours in the day to accommodate
her hobbies and interests.
Involved in the Palliative Care
program at the hospital for found
terminally ill patients, Mary
that she had much to give cancer
patients and was a volunteer in the
program for three years.
organ lessons
She has been taking
the past few years, enjoys knitting
and can't seem to find time to apply
her art lessons to the canvas.
Her father, who retired from the
railroad at age 65, worked at
Champion for a few years during the
war until his 85th birthday and lived
to 94 years of age. Mary suspects
she comes by her good health
honestly.
Mary MacLaren gave uuuai. ui
hcr
life to Champion and despite,
working day and night, at times, she
wouldn't have altered the situation
at all.
"The things they did to. me. You
just never knew what was going to
happen at work. Once, when I owned
a Model T, the guys said my roof
leaked and they shingled it.
"When I think of the company of
15 employees and what it has gat to today. I enjoyed every year
Champion and I liked everyone I
worked for. I don't know what I
would have done wit of my work. It
was so much a p
Champion feels the same way
Mary.
EARTH
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