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| The Sandercock Family in 1916 |
I don't remember my Great Grandmother as she died many years before my birth. She was born Myrtle Louisa Sandercock on October 29th 1895 in Middlesex County Ontario. She was the only girl in a family of seven children born to Samuel and Ann Sandercock.
At some point before her marriage to my Great Grandfather John Massey in 1913 the family had moved to St. Marys Ontario. I do not know how John and Myrtle met each other but John's father Thomas worked for the J.D. Moore company who just happened to own the building right next to the hotel that Myrtle worked in so that may have something to do with it.
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| Myrtle with a tray at the hotel in about 1910 - 1913 |
At her marriage Myrtle was just 18 years old but her life was not going to be easy over the next few years. Myrtle and John had their first child in May of 1914 and over the next 16 years she would have a total of 9 children. But 1914 would also bring the start of the Great War - a war that would see her two oldest brothers killed and her father sent home due to ill health. Myrtle was particularly close to her brother James who was killed in 1918. I still have a letter James sent to his sister in 1918 that she kept until her death.
Of course there were the usual struggles for Myrtle and John as well. Money was in short supply as it was for many. John always worked but with 9 kids what he made did not go far. I remember my Grandfather telling me how when he was older and had his first job his mom would resort to taking coins from his stash that he kept in a cup in his room. He shared this room with his 8 brothers. He never said anything to her about it as he knew she needed it.
So the Great War of 1914 - 1918 saw the death of her two oldest brothers. The 1920s were a struggle for her, being pregnant and nursing young children most of the time. The 1930s brought the great depression and then to top it all off 1939 saw the start of another war. A war poor Myrtle had to see her own sons take part in. I am sure she could not help think about her own brothers who died in the first war as she watched her own sons go off to the second.
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| John and Myrtle about 1942 |
Myrtle died at the young age of 49 in 1944. My grandmother told me that
"Myrtle
was doing the washing in the morning. She told her husband Jack that
she was not feeling well and went to lie down and never woke up. It
was a brain aneurysm"
Her Funeral card reads:
"Entered into rest suddenly at her late residence,
Water St. South, St. Marys on Monday October 2, 1944, Myrtle L.
Sandercock, beloved wife of John Massey in her 49th year. The funeral:
Resting at the above address where funeral service will be held Thursday
October 5 at 2p.m. Interment in St. Marys Cemetery"
St. Marys Journal-Argus, October 5, 1944, p.4 - Obituary - Mrs. John Massey
Stricken suddenly
on Monday
morning in the midst of her daily work, Mrs. John Massey, formerly
Myrtle Sandercock, died in her 49th year at her home on Water St.
South. She had been in apparent good health and
on Sunday had gone on a walk and
on Monday she started her washing as usual. Around
8:30 she was unable to continue and died about two hours later.
Born near Prospect Hill, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sandercock who
reside in the West Ward, she had lived in Lucan before coming to St.
Marys as a little girl. Here she attended both Public School and
Collegiate Institute, and 30 years ago married John Massey who is
employed at Maxwell Ltd. She was a member of St. James Anglican Church
and had been among the first members of St. Marys Home and School
Association. She was a faithful worker for Red Cross objectives.Mrs.
Massey was the devoted mother of nine children, four sons being in the
Services: Charles, in the Army at Debert, N.S.; Pte. Bill Massey in
France; Pte. Cecil Massey in England; John with the R.C.A.F. at Jarvis;
and Kenneth at home; Mrs. C.J. Langford(Marjorie) and Mrs. G.E.
McKinnon(Helen), both of St. Marys; and Dorothy and Evelyn at home.She
also leaves four brothers: Jack, in the U.S. Army; Harry, overseas;
Wilbert of St. Marys and Frank of Detroit; besides four grandchildren:
Tommy and Jimmie(twins) of St. Marys and Billy and Jimmie of
Kingston.The funeral service is being conducted this afternoon at her
late residence by Rev. M.H. Farr of St. PaulÃs Anglican Church,
Stratford, with interment in St. Marys Cemetery.
.JPG "Sharing Memories Prompt: Naughty Things You Did as a Kid")
