Clinton News-Record, 1979-10-25, Page 344,
by Shelley McPhee
In to4aY's society, marriage and
•divoicedoften go hand in hand. The
words, "Through richer or poorer, in
sickness and in health, for better or
worse, till death do us part," are not
literally applied as they were in
Yestefiyears. Yet, every so often, the
faith •hi those vows are rejuvenated,
clearly showing that perhaps
marriage is not yet obsolete.
Fred and Winnifred Fraser are two
people who have proved this. On
August 20 the Vivacious couple they
celebrated their 65th wedding an-
niversary.
To most, being married for well
over half a century seems like a
major milestone, but for the Frasers,
the event just "came naturally"
according to Mr. Fraser.
"It doesn't seem that long," he
smiled, clearly remembering that
day in 1914 when, as an old article in
the News -Record read, "A pretty
wedding took place on Wednesday at
high noon at St. Paul's Church, when
Miss Winnifred, eldest daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Walton was
united in marriage to Mr. Fredrick
Fraser of Goderich. The ceremony,
was performed by Rev. C.E. Jeakins
of Brantford. The young couple were
attended by Miss Pearl Huller of town
and Mr. Ernest Fraser. The happy
couple will reside in Goderich."
Although the Frasers were both
born in London, England, they did not
meet until 1913 at dance in Goderich.
Mr. Fraser remembered that their
meeting was love at first sight.
His wife, however, having that true
British sense of humor, offhandedly
quipped, "Love at first sight: with
him?"
"Oh she's had an awful time stickng
with me," Mr. Fraser joked back.
Good health and a keen sense of
humour has kept, the couple's spirits
high and their marriage a happy one.
Their philosphy in life, "We never
say die," Mr. Fraser laughed.
To the unknowing, the Frasers
appear to be a couple aged in their
mid -70's. However, Mr. Fraser
proudly noted that he will soon be
celebrating his 90th birthday and his
wife is a healthy 88 year old.
"I just feel fine and we've had
( stuck in
the middle
years keeps cou s le
wonderful health," Mr. Fraser, the
talker of the two, said.
Mr. Fraser's m.ernory is keen, his
past is filled with interesting stories
and he's an articulate con-:
versationalist.
Mrs. Fraser is the listener of the
two, but every so often she comes out
with some sarcastic remark to make •
you laugh.
"Who knows what you've old her
(the reporter)," she told her husband
during the interview, throwing her
hands in the air and shaking her head.
All the snippy remarks are ob-
viously said in fun, seen through the
Frasers smiling faces and their hand
holding.
"You've got to give and take and if
you've had a spat, always make up.
Don't hold spite or sulk," Mr. Fraser
said.
"We've always been 50-50. She was
the boss of the house and I was the
boss of my work," he added.
The Frasers comfortably make
their home in Huronview now, were
Mr. 'Fraser enjoys playing cards and
billiards, but their life has been a busy
one.
Mr. Fraser moved to Goderich
when he came to Canada in 1903. His
future wife moved to Clinton and after
their 10 -month courtship and
marriage, the couple lived in
Goderich until 1922. While in the area,
Mr. Fraser worked on a farm, at
Dominion Roads in Goderich and at a
factory in Seaforth as a mechanic and
maintenance man.
"I was learning the business," he
explained.
In between his work, Mr. Fraser
took part in World War I, where of all
things he drove a locomotive.
"Seventeen of us were picked to go
overseas and we thought we were
going to France, but we did logging
and I drove the locomotive, pulling
logs out of the woods," Mr. Fraser
recalled.
"I didn't go to the second war. The
first one wasn't all that good," he
admitted.
Once settled back in Canada, the
Frasers moved- to Windsor in 1922,
where Mr. Fraser worked as main-
tenance man at a plant for 35 years.
They later retired •to Bayfield and
• Some people have all the luck.
You know the kind, they always
win at lotteries and raffles. Their
lives run smoothly with few ob-
stacles to cross and they remain
healthy, happy and content.
I'm not one of those types. 1 fit
into the other sector of the people,
those for whom nothing goes right.
Nearly every day my losing streak
hits. In the early morning I'll grope
for pantyhouse only to find that
every pair is full of holei: If I wear
my most expensive pair of
earrings, undoubtedly I'll lose one.
If I'm planning a dinner party I'll
get behind schedule, end up bur-
ning the meal and have to order in
Chinese food for my starving
guests. I'll buy a pair of 'shoes, only
to realize after wearing them once
'that 1 teeter on the spike heels and
my feet can't stand the pain.
Every once in awhile I'll feel a
surge of luck coming on. In this
mood I'll rush out and buy a lottery
ticket, only to lose.Conditioned by
history, I accept my losing streak
and rarely tamper with Lady Luck.
On Saturday, however, I was
feeling unusually chipper and
daring. On- a last minute whim, I
decided to throw caution to the
wind and bought a dollar's worth of
tickets on a draw fora quilt. It was
• a big investment fol me since I
only had $2 in -my wallet- at the
time;' but I reasoned that the
proceeds would be going for a good
cause:
I hung around until draw time,
just in case and to my utter
amazement, when the ticket was
• drawn out of the box, my name was
announced.
The sound ofmy name being
called over the public • an-
nouncement system sent shivers
up my spine. I frantically raced
across the floor to claim my prize,
before someone announced that a
mistake had been made and I
•hadn't really won.
Some people smiled,
congratulated me and shook my
hand. Others stepped away from
me. and began whispering to their
companions.
"I got my tickets right before
that McPhee girl and she had to
win it," I overheard one lady
saying.
"I wanted that quilt," another
woman hissed.
I failed to waver over the
emotional remarks I heard, and
trotted away, my prize securely
held in my tight little fists.
"Oh well, that's ,the price you
have to pay for being a winner,"
happily thought.
recently Moved tO liuronvieW.
"1 never really stopped working,"
Mr. Fraser said, "I did shingling,
carpentry and plumbing after I
retired. I was- an all-round mechanic,
master of none."
"My work was myhobby but I also
liked music and played the violin, the
accordion and mouth organ."
Mrs. Fraser was kept busy raising
two children, their son Dick of Win-
dsor and their daughter, Mrs. Mildred
Fellows of Bayfield. She also has five
grandchildren and 11 great grand-
children who she used to knit
sweaters and socks for.
"My wife was a wonderful cook,"
Mr. Fraser complimented. "You
should have tasted her lemon pie, her
roast beef and \her yorkshire pudding.
We flke good plain food."
4, 44
ng
Mr. Fraser explained that in
England, his wife was a cook for a
wealthy • race horse owner and one
time she prepared dinner for King
George when he was entertained at
her employer's home.
"You've talked too much," Mrs'.
Fraser infdrined herhusband,
With a smile at his wife Mr. Fraser
noted, "We've had a good life and we
just take it as it comes."
With a goodbSre .kiss for me,the
Frasers left for their lunch, happily
chatting to other Huronview residents
as they made their way down the
1 left, glad to know that the institute
of marriage is not totally lost and
hoping that my fife would be as
fullfilling and as happy as the
Frasers'.
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How old are they??
How old are these people, in their 70's you say? Wrong, Mr. Fraser is nearing
90 and his wife is 88. They look like newlyweds don't they? Wrong again, this
vivacious couple have been married 65 years. (News -Record photo)
Doctor shortage.
from page I
the taxpayer's money.
"It would be nice to have a medical
clinic, but who would pay for it?" Mr.
Coventry noted.
Mr. Coventry. also cited earlier
threats'to close the Clinton hospital as
a drawback for attracting new doc-
tors. •
"No one was really sure what would
happen and only in the last few
months have we've come to realize
that hospital closures are no longer,"
he said.
-"It would be impossible to get
doctors if the hospital was closed," he
1:3
• •
added.
Advertisments for doctors to
Clinton have now been placed in three
medical journals and several prac-
titoners who are considering moves
have been contacted. On Thursday,
members of the hospital board and
the special committee went to London
to a special meeting set-up\ by the
ministry of health for general •
practioners who are looking for new
work.
"This isn't the best time of year to
move, but we'd at least like to get
someone interested • in corning to
Clinton," Mr. Coventry explained.
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CMITQWNEWS'.:KgcpRn THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25 1979 -,PAGE 3
• from page 1
questioned renting the curling rink for
$1 to a curling club whose members
are mainly local farmers. It is not
good management to pay the
debenture on that Curling rink, and
then rent it for $i per year.
Reeve Siliery replied.. that before
council took over the rink it was going
in deficit and council decided to rent it
for $1 and turn responsibility to those
who wished to carry it on as a curling
rink.
Councillor William Brown said the
rink was to have been used for the
people of Vanastra for a small skating
rink and curling rink. Rathwell
replied, that it had changed from that
to a private curling club.
Eisler asked why the curling club
didn't buy the curling rink. Those
outside Vanastra are using the rink
but Vanastra is paying for it he said.
Eisler questioned the recreation
director, Diane Durnin about the
repeated statement that operating
costs would remain much the same,
because only one additional person
would have to be hired to handle the
expected increase in handicapped
swimmers should the addition be
constructed.
He said he had it on good authority
that attendants would need more than
life saving certificates and would
have to be qualified to look after the
physically handicapped and retarded.
He warned that the 'township was
liable for the pool and could be sued
should a mishap occur because of the
lack of a sufficient number - of
qualified personnel.
He suggested she had better get a
book of regulations. He said it costs
money to run the pool right and "You
don't have any idea what it' will cost
you to run it."
Reeve Sillery asked Rathwell,
"Where or when did you arrive at this
proposal to spread the costs across
the township rather than on
Vanastra? I came up with this at the
nomination meeting. No one said a
word. I thought I was wrong." Rath -
well replied that he wants what was
right for the township and wanted to
bring the community closer together.
He assured council that his group did
not oppose the proposed addition but
that the taxpayers of Vanastra are
liable for 11 the costs and this, was a
chance fot council to get it
Rathwell pres.,entedtwQ pr9pCSOP:
that the existing debenture of $1,1,00.0
.be levied for thq, taxpayers across the
towmhip to pa: that the deficit of
$141:584 be distributed across the
entire • township : Lloyd Eisler asked
that the new .addition-come-tothe vote
of the electors.
Council went into conunittee-of-the-
whole to discuss the proposals. When
council moved back into regular
ession, the. following motions were
rnade and yoted on:. "That the prior
years' lieficit of. the Vanastra
recreation . centre of $125,584 be in-
vestigated as to the possibility of
being levied on the whole of the
taxpayers of the Township of
Tuckersm..h." Councillor Brown
asked for a recorded vote and all five,
council members voted yes.
The second -motion voted on was
"The request for an electors' vote on
the proposed addition to Vanastra
Recreation Centre be tabled until
such time that written confirmation is
received on proposed grants."
Carried.
The third motion: That the proposal
from the Vanastra Businessmen's
and the Vanastra Community
Associations concerning their
proposal to spread the debenture
payments on the Vanastra recreation
centre on the whole of the taxpayers
of Tuc,kersmith, be tabled until the
next regular council meeting on
November 6.
Eisler was angry that council
tabled the motions and said it had
been a wasted meeting.
Rathwell said he appreciated
council's concern but said he wanted
satisfaction as well. He said as far as
he could see it is a one-man council,
referring to Councillor Falconer.
-being the main spokesman for
council. He said, "I'd rather see a
vote- on it. It's. got to come to a
decision. We feel we are being put off
again." •
Because Rathwellasked for a
decision by council- on the mations
before the .ratepayers' meeting,
council.set the datefor that meeting
for. November 12 at the Vanastra
Recreation Centre at 8 pm.
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